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]
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 Layout of Las Vegas Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | March 1, 1998 | ||
| 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
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
- "1998 Las Vegas weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- "1998 Las Vegas 400". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
- Butterworth, Scott (1998-03-03). "NASCAR expected to return". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
- Jensen, Tom (2015-03-05). "A NASCAR Throwback Thursday stat that will blow your mind". Foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
- "Mark Martin 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2015-03-05.