1988 AC Spark Plug 500
The 1988 AC Spark Plug 500 was the 16th stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 24, 1988, before an audience of 70,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Melling Racing driver Bill Elliott would manage to dominate a majority of the race, leading 122 laps to take his 27th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth victory of the season.[1][2][3][4] To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Ken Schrader and Ranier-Lundy Racing driver Davey Allison would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 16 of 29 in the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1988 AC Spark Plug 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | July 24, 1988 | ||
| Official name | 16th Annual AC Spark Plug 500 | ||
| Location | Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Average speed | 122.866 miles per hour (197.734 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 70,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | RahMoc Enterprises | ||
| Time | 57.269 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | |
| Laps | 122 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | PPV | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Ron Bouchard | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, July 22, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 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, July 23, at 10:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 16-40 would be decided on time,[5] and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given.
Morgan Shepherd, driving for RahMoc Enterprises, would win the pole, setting a time of 57.269 and an average speed of 157.153 miles per hour (252.913 km/h) in the first round.[6]
Five drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results
Race results
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 200 | 122 | running | 185 | $53,200 |
| 2 | 4 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 5 | running | 175 | $30,725 |
| 3 | 12 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 165 | $26,275 |
| 4 | 5 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 28 | running | 165 | $17,775 |
| 5 | 10 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 6 | running | 160 | $17,925 |
| 6 | 1 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 200 | 13 | running | 155 | $16,600 |
| 7 | 6 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 146 | $8,600 |
| 8 | 3 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 142 | $11,425 |
| 9 | 17 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 200 | 15 | running | 143 | $13,775 |
| 10 | 23 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 8 | running | 139 | $10,025 |
| 11 | 9 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 130 | $15,025 |
| 12 | 25 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 200 | 2 | running | 132 | $7,875 |
| 13 | 13 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 200 | 0 | running | 124 | $5,575 |
| 14 | 8 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 199 | 0 | running | 121 | $7,275 |
| 15 | 18 | 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 199 | 0 | running | 118 | $10,875 |
| 16 | 30 | 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | 198 | 0 | running | 115 | $3,925 |
| 17 | 24 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 198 | 0 | running | 112 | $6,675 |
| 18 | 20 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 198 | 0 | running | 109 | $10,725 |
| 19 | 37 | 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | 197 | 0 | running | 106 | $3,100 |
| 20 | 7 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 197 | 0 | running | 103 | $11,875 |
| 21 | 26 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 196 | 0 | running | 100 | $5,925 |
| 22 | 34 | 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 195 | 0 | running | 97 | $2,525 |
| 23 | 32 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 195 | 0 | running | 94 | $5,525 |
| 24 | 11 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 189 | 0 | running | 91 | $11,175 |
| 25 | 21 | 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 188 | 0 | running | 88 | $3,425 |
| 26 | 40 | 85 | Bobby Gerhart | Bobby Gerhart Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 85 | $2,275 |
| 27 | 28 | 31 | Joe Ruttman | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 166 | 0 | steering | 82 | $3,175 |
| 28 | 15 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 161 | 1 | engine | 84 | $6,525 |
| 29 | 36 | 80 | Jimmy Horton (R) | S&H Racing | Ford | 141 | 0 | engine | 76 | $2,125 |
| 30 | 33 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | engine | 73 | $4,825 |
| 31 | 29 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 119 | 0 | engine | 70 | $4,725 |
| 32 | 16 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 92 | 0 | crash | 67 | $4,150 |
| 33 | 19 | 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | 91 | 0 | crash | 64 | $5,550 |
| 34 | 14 | 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | 91 | 0 | suspension | 61 | $1,850 |
| 35 | 31 | 90 | Benny Parsons | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | engine | 58 | $4,425 |
| 36 | 22 | 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | 78 | 0 | engine | 55 | $1,750 |
| 37 | 39 | 64 | Mike Potter | Potter Racing | Chevrolet | 44 | 0 | rear end | 52 | $1,700 |
| 38 | 27 | 23 | Eddie Bierschwale | B&B Racing | Oldsmobile | 34 | 0 | engine | 49 | $1,675 |
| 39 | 38 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 26 | 0 | engine | 46 | $4,250 |
| 40 | 35 | 16 | Bob Schacht | Chilson Racing | Ford | 5 | 0 | engine | 43 | $1,600 |
| Failed to qualify | ||||||||||
| 41 | 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Ford | ||||||
| 42 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | ||||||
| 43 | 40 | Ben Hess | Hess Racing | Oldsmobile | ||||||
| 44 | 48 | Tony Spanos | Hylton Motorsports | Buick | ||||||
| 45 | 93 | Charlie Baker | Salmon Racing | Chevrolet | ||||||
| Official race results | ||||||||||
Standings after the race
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References
- Higgins, Tom (July 25, 1988). "Elliott Wins At Pocono, Cuts Wallace's Lead (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 15. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Higgins, Tom (July 25, 1988). "Elliott Wins At Pocono, Cuts Wallace's Lead (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 18. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kracz, Edward (July 25, 1988). "Easy win for Elliott at Pocono (Part 1)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 21. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kracz, Edward (July 25, 1988). "Easy win for Elliott at Pocono (Part 2)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 28. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. July 22, 1988. p. 25. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Higgins, Tom (July 23, 1988). "Shepherd Wins Pocono Pole In Record". The Charlotte Observer. p. 27. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.