The 1998 Brickyard 400, the 5th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 1, 1998 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Contested at 160 laps on the 2.5 mile (4.023 km) speedway, it was the 19th race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.[1]
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 19 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 1998 Brickyard 400 program cover | |||
| Date | August 1, 1998 | ||
| Official name | Brickyard 400 | ||
| Location | Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Average speed | 126.772 miles per hour (204.020 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | MB2 Motorsports | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 97 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 4.1/14 | ||
This is the last Brickyard 400 without Tony Stewart until 2017.
Background
editThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana, (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis. It is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.023 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a zero degree banking. The racetrack has seats for more than 250,000 spectators.
Summary
editJeff Gordon became the first repeat winner, holding off Mark Martin for the win.[2] Dale Jarrett dominated the second 100 miles of the race but lost his chance near the halfway point when he ran out of fuel, and coasted back to the pits; he lost four laps but made them up due to numerous cautions. Gordon's victory was the first in the Winston No Bull 5 program.
Top 10 results
edit| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac |
| 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 5 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 7 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac |
| 8 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford |
| 9 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet |
Race statistics
edit- Time of race: 3:09:19
- Average Speed: 126.772 miles per hour (204.020 km/h)
- Pole Speed: 179.394
- Cautions: 9 for 34 laps
- Margin of Victory: under caution
- Lead changes: 10
- Percent of race run under caution: 21.2%
- Average green flag run: 14 laps
Media
editTelevision
editThe race was aired live on ABC in the United States. Bob Jenkins and 1973 Cup Series champion Benny Parsons called the race from the broadcast booth. Jerry Punch, Bill Weber and Jack Arute handled pit road for the television side.
| ABC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters | |
| Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | |
| Bob Jenkins | Benny Parsons | Jerry Punch Bill Weber Jack Arute |
References
edit- ^ "Looking back at Jeff Gordon's 1998 Brickyard 400 win", Hendrick Motorsports, July 22, 2013. Accessed February 3, 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Paul. "YEar-By-Year Brickyard 400 Race Recaps: 1990s", Indianapolis Motor Speedway, June 6, 2020. Accessed February 3, 2024. "1998... Gordon became the first driver to win this race twice, again in the familiar rainbow-colored No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet owned by Hendrick Motorsports with crew chief Ray Evernham calling the shots."