1998 Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Martinsville)
The 1998 Goody's Headache Powder 500 was the eighth stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 49th iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, April 19, 1998, but was postponed to Monday, April 20, due to rain.[1] The race was held in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Bobby Hamilton would manage to dominate not only the race, but most of the race weekend to take his third career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[2][3] The win also marked the final Winston Cup victory for Morgan–McClure Motorsports. To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Ted Musgrave and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 8 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
.png.webp) The 1998 Goody's Headache Powder 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | April 20, 1998 | ||
| Official name | 49th Annual Goody's Headache Powder 500 | ||
| Location | Martinsville, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.526 mi (0.847 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Average speed | 70.709 miles per hour (113.795 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | ||
| Time | 20.323 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | |
| Laps | 378 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
Martinsville Speedway is an NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on the morning of Friday, April 17. Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.249 and an average speed of 93.516 miles per hour (150.499 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.249 | 93.516 |
| 2 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 20.304 | 93.262 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 20.310 | 93.235 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on the morning of Saturday, April 18. Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.392 and an average speed of 92.860 miles per hour (149.444 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.392 | 92.860 |
| 2 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.428 | 92.696 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.440 | 92.642 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on the afternoon of Saturday, April 18. Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.356 and an average speed of 93.024 miles per hour (149.708 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.356 | 93.024 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.395 | 92.846 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 20.429 | 92.692 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, April 17, at 3:00 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, April 18, at 1:15 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.[7] 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.[8]
Bobby Hamilton, driving for Morgan–McClure Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 20.323 and an average speed of 93.175 miles per hour (149.951 km/h).[9]
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Wally Dallenbach Jr., Dave Marcis, and Gary Bradberry.
Full qualifying results
*Time not available.
Race results
References
- Poole, David (April 19, 1998). "Martinsville becoming home of the rainout". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Poole, David (April 20, 1998). "Hamilton overpowers field to win 500". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Harris, Mike (April 21, 1998). "Awesome race car". The Sun Times. p. 8. Retrieved September 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Morning practice times Friday from Martinsville". That's Racin'. April 17, 1998. Archived from the original on November 12, 1999. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- "Saturday's 1st practice speeds". That's Racin'. April 18, 1998. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- "Saturday's 2nd practice speeds". That's Racin'. April 18, 1998. Archived from the original on June 13, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- "This Weekend's Racing Schedule". The Daily News Leader. April 16, 1998. p. 19. Retrieved September 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Additional Provisionals announced". Motorsport.com. January 24, 1998. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- Poole, David (April 17, 1998). "Hamilton pulls out pole run". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- "1998 Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Martinsville) - The Third Turn". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 4, 2022.