1998 Las Vegas 400

The 1998 Las Vegas 400 was the inaugural running of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mark Martin, driver of the Valvoline Ford, won the race, and also led the most laps with 82. Dale Jarrett of the Quality Care Service/Ford Credit Ford won the pole position, but finished 40th due to an engine problem.[2] A total of 120,000 people attended the race, with the profits from all three NASCAR races totaling $40 million for the local economy.[3]

1998 Las Vegas 400
Race details
Race 3 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Layout of Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Date March 1, 1998 (1998-03-01)
Location Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.41 km)
Distance 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.54 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching up to 60.1 °F (15.6 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)[1]
Average speed 146.554 miles per hour (235.856 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Robert Yates Racing
Time 168.224 miles per hour (270.730 km/h)
Most laps led
Driver Mark Martin Roush Racing
Laps 82
Winner
No. 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Bill Weber, Jack Arute and Jerry Punch
Radio in the United States
Radio MRN
Booth Announcers Allen Bestwick and Barney Hall
Turn Announcers Joe Moore (1 & 2) and Fred Armstrong (3 & 4)

Race

The command to start the engines was given by boxing announcer Michael Buffer. Jimmy Howell was the Chief Starter per MRN's Allen Bestwick. As of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, none of the top 16 finishers are currently racing full-time; Jeff Gordon, the lone current full-time driver, finished 17th.[4]

This race has been self-acclaimed by Mark Martin as being his "biggest victory in the Winston Cup Series." Martin's diminutive stature made him shorter than the Vegas showgirls that posed with him after the race. He would collect six more career wins after this race; making him a strong contender for the championship with an all-new NASCAR team.[5] The Ford Taurus would win more than 100 races after this event before it was retired and replaced with a new Ford model, the Fusion.

Jeff Burton had to fight back from a pit road penalty in order to finish the race with a decent position.[2]

Race results

Source:[2]

Results
Pos Grid Car Driver Team Make Laps Led Status
1 76Mark MartinRoush RacingFord26782Running
2 1599Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord26737Running
3 102Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord26740Running
4 1626Johnny Benson, Jr.Roush RacingFord2679Running
5 3212Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord2670Running
6 2316Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord2670Running
7 2923Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord26728Running
8 263Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2671Running
9 494Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord2670Running
10 1797Chad LittleRoush RacingFord2670Running
11 675Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord2660Flagged
12 1910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord2660Flagged
13 27Geoff BodineBodine-Mattei MotorsportsFord26614Flagged
14 3621Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord2660Flagged
15 285Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2662Flagged
16 1290Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord2660Flagged
17 524Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2660Flagged
18 322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac2665Flagged
19 1118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2660Flagged
20 414Bobby HamiltonMorgan-McClure MotorsportsChevrolet2650Flagged
21 3733Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2650Flagged
22 1444Kyle PettyPE2 MotorsportsPontiac2650Flagged
23 2077Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord2650Flagged
24 2140Sterling MarlinSABCO RacingChevrolet2650Flagged
25 2298Greg SacksCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord2650Flagged
26 2411Brett BodineScandia Bodine MotorsportsFord2650Flagged
27 3950Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2650Flagged
28 3591Kevin Lepage (R)LJ RacingChevrolet2640Flagged
29 3431Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2640Flagged
30 1836Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2640Flagged
31 930Derrike CopeBahari RacingPontiac2640Flagged
32 439Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord2640Flagged
33 3129Jeff GreenDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet2640Flagged
34 3396David GreenAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet2640Flagged
35 2717Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet2640Flagged
36 3828Kenny Irwin, Jr. (R)Robert Yates RacingFord2630Flagged
37 842Joe NemechekSABCO RacingChevrolet2630Flagged
38 2546Wally Dallenbach, Jr.SABCO RacingChevrolet2620Flagged
39 4041Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet2580Flagged
40 188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord21940Engine
41 3043John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac1960Piston
42 1381Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1790Engine
43 428Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingChevrolet1500Electrical
Failed to Qualify
19Tony RainesRoehig MotorsportsFord
78Gary BradberryTRIAD MotorsportsFord
13Jerry Nadeau (R)Elliott-Marino RacingFord
35Todd BodineISM RacingPontiac
1Steve Park (R)Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet
37Larry GunselmanGunselman MotorsportsFord
38Butch GillilandHilton RacingFord

Standings after the race
Pos Driver Points[2]
1 Rusty Wallace 505
2 Dale Earnhardt 449
3 Jeremy Mayfield 446
4 Jimmy Spencer 429
5 Bill Elliott 427
6 Jeff Gordon 412
7 Mark Martin 409
8 Terry Labonte 394
9 Chad Little 380
10 Bobby Hamilton 373

References
  1. "1998 Las Vegas weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  2. "1998 Las Vegas 400". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  3. Butterworth, Scott (1998-03-03). "NASCAR expected to return". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  4. Jensen, Tom (2015-03-05). "A NASCAR Throwback Thursday stat that will blow your mind". Foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  5. "Mark Martin 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
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