1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500
# 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500

The 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 11th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 25, 1998, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race was shortened from its scheduled 312 laps to 257 laps due to inclement weather. At race's end, Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Rusty Wallace would dominate the race when the race was stopped to take his 48th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | Philips |
| 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Paychex |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Ted Musgrave | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | FirstPlus Financial Group |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | MBNA |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | Winston No Bull |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | Cheerios, Pop Secret |
| 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Gumout |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | Tabasco |
| 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Skittles |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 45 | Jeff Ward | BMR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Smitty's |
| 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | The Money Store |
| 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree Camouflage |
| 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Ted Musgrave | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | Pilot Travel Centers |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | LJ Racing |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | Caterpillar |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | Thorn Apple Valley |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |

## Practice

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, October 23, at 1:30 PM EST. The session would last for one hour and 25 minutes. Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.757 and an average speed of 129.697 miles per hour (208.727 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.757 | 129.697 |
| 2 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 27.760 | 129.683 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.863 | 129.204 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, October 23, at 3:35 PM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes. Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.604 and an average speed of 130.416 miles per hour (209.884 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.604 | 130.416 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.785 | 129.566 |
| 3 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 27.814 | 129.431 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 24, after the preliminary 1998 GM Goodwrench Service/AC Delco 300. The session would last for one hour. Kyle Petty, driving for Petty Enterprises, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.437 and an average speed of 126.596 miles per hour (203.737 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.437 | 126.596 |
| 2 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.441 | 126.578 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 28.447 | 126.551 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 23, at 5:15 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, October 24, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. On January 24, 1998, NASCAR would announce that the amount of provisionals given would be increased from last season. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 27.432 and an average speed of 131.234 miles per hour (211.201 km/h).

Three drivers would fail to qualify: Dave Marcis, Michael Waltrip, and Jeff Ward.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.432 | 131.234 |
| 2 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.438 | 131.205 |
| 3 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 27.564 | 130.605 |
| 4 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 27.613 | 130.373 |
| 5 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 27.633 | 130.279 |
| 6 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 27.654 | 130.180 |
| 7 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 27.670 | 130.105 |
| 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.671 | 130.100 |
| 9 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.687 | 130.025 |
| 10 | 13 | Ted Musgrave | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 27.707 | 129.931 |
| 11 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.717 | 129.884 |
| 12 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.725 | 129.847 |
| 13 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 27.732 | 129.814 |
| 14 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 27.737 | 129.791 |
| 15 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.739 | 129.781 |
| 16 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.743 | 129.762 |
| 17 | 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 27.744 | 129.758 |
| 18 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 27.759 | 129.688 |
| 19 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.797 | 129.510 |
| 20 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.808 | 129.459 |
| 21 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 27.812 | 129.441 |
| 22 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 27.821 | 129.399 |
| 23 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.836 | 129.329 |
| 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 27.871 | 129.167 |
| 25 | 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.881 | 129.120 |
| 26 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 27.890 | 129.079 |
| 27 | 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 27.894 | 129.060 |
| 28 | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 27.894 | 129.060 |
| 29 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.895 | 129.055 |
| 30 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 27.907 | 129.000 |
| 31 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.913 | 128.972 |
| 32 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.916 | 128.958 |
| 33 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.935 | 128.871 |
| 34 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 27.946 | 128.820 |
| 35 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.947 | 128.815 |
| 36 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 27.966 | 128.728 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 39 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 40 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 41 | 36 | Ricky Craven | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 42 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| Champion's Provisional |||||||
| 43 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 28.253 | 127.420 |
| 45 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.395 | 126.783 |
| 46 | 45 | Jeff Ward | BMR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.052 | 123.916 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

*Time not available.

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 6 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 257 | 196 | running | 185 | $78,005 |
| 2 | 11 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 257 | 1 | running | 175 | $68,430 |
| 3 | 39 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 257 | 0 | running | 165 | $57,175 |
| 4 | 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 257 | 1 | running | 165 | $50,512 |
| 5 | 10 | 13 | Ted Musgrave | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 257 | 0 | running | 155 | $33,950 |
| 6 | 19 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 257 | 0 | running | 150 | $46,540 |
| 7 | 12 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 257 | 0 | running | 146 | $47,040 |
| 8 | 3 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 257 | 0 | running | 142 | $30,680 |
| 9 | 15 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 257 | 0 | running | 138 | $31,730 |
| 10 | 29 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 257 | 2 | running | 139 | $40,880 |
| 11 | 5 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 257 | 0 | running | 130 | $33,230 |
| 12 | 16 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 256 | 0 | running | 127 | $21,930 |
| 13 | 25 | 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 256 | 0 | running | 124 | $29,830 |
| 14 | 14 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 256 | 0 | running | 121 | $28,230 |
| 15 | 17 | 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 256 | 0 | running | 118 | $24,055 |
| 16 | 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 256 | 0 | running | 115 | $20,955 |
| 17 | 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 256 | 0 | running | 112 | $20,705 |
| 18 | 32 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 256 | 0 | running | 109 | $26,780 |
| 19 | 30 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 256 | 0 | running | 106 | $27,380 |
| 20 | 42 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 256 | 1 | running | 108 | $21,345 |
| 21 | 40 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 255 | 0 | running | 100 | $30,970 |
| 22 | 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 255 | 53 | running | 102 | $36,645 |
| 23 | 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 255 | 0 | running | 94 | $30,620 |
| 24 | 35 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 255 | 0 | running | 91 | $18,870 |
| 25 | 23 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 255 | 0 | running | 88 | $25,745 |
| 26 | 18 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 254 | 3 | running | 90 | $25,620 |
| 27 | 21 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 254 | 0 | running | 82 | $31,895 |
| 28 | 33 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 254 | 0 | running | 79 | $18,470 |
| 29 | 7 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 254 | 0 | running | 76 | $18,445 |
| 30 | 41 | 36 | Ricky Craven | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 254 | 0 | running | 73 | $24,920 |
| 31 | 43 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 253 | 0 | running | 70 | $15,395 |
| 32 | 20 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 253 | 0 | running | 67 | $34,595 |
| 33 | 36 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 253 | 0 | running | 64 | $22,070 |
| 34 | 26 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 253 | 0 | running | 61 | $22,045 |
| 35 | 27 | 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 252 | 0 | running | 58 | $15,020 |
| 36 | 31 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 252 | 0 | running | 55 | $21,995 |
| 37 | 9 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 251 | 0 | running | 52 | $21,950 |
| 38 | 4 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | running | 49 | $22,090 |
| 39 | 34 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 46 | $14,890 |
| 40 | 2 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 247 | 0 | running | 43 | $30,390 |
| 41 | 28 | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 243 | 0 | overheating | 40 | $14,890 |
| 42 | 22 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 237 | 0 | running | 37 | $21,890 |
| 43 | 13 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 46 | 0 | handling | 34 | $21,890 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 45 | Jeff Ward | BMR Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||
