| Type: | NASWINSTON |
| Date: | March 22 |
| Most Laps: | 195 |
| Pole Driver: | Mark Martin |
| Pole Team: | Roush Racing |
| First Team: | Robert Yates Racing |
| First Driver: | Dale Jarrett |
| Most Team: | Roush Racing |
| Most Driver: | Jeff Burton |
| Car: | 88 |
| Network: | ESPN |
| Announcers: | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| Season No: | 33 |
| Location: | Darlington, South Carolina, Darlington Raceway |
| Race No: | 5 |
| Avg: | 127.962mph |
| Official Name: | 42nd Annual TranSouth Financial 400 |
| Race Name: | TranSouth Financial 400 |
| Year: | 1998 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 293 |
| Distance Laps: | 293 |
| Distance Km: | 644.12 |
| Scheduled Km: | 644.12 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 400.238 |
| Course Km: | 2.198 |
| Course Mi: | 1.366 |
| Pole Time: | 29.156 |
| Distance Mi: | 400.238 |
| Caption: | The 1998 TranSouth Financial 400 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt. |
The 1998 TranSouth Financial 400 was the fifth stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 22, 1998, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366miles permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 293 laps to complete. In the late stages of the race, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to defend Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon to take his 16th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the top 3, Gordon and Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that is effective at both ends.
The first practice session was held on the morning of Friday, March 20. Kenny Irwin Jr., driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.286 and an average speed of 167.919mph.[4]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.286 | 167.919 | |
| 2 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.436 | 167.061 | |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.539 | 166.478 | |
| Full first practice results | |||||||
The second practice session was held on the afternoon of Friday, March 20. Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.336 and an average speed of 167.63mph.[5]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.336 | 167.630 | |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.374 | 167.413 | |
| 3 | 96 | David Green | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 29.417 | 167.169 | |
| Full second practice results | |||||||
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 21. Ted Musgrave, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.758 and an average speed of 165.253mph.[6]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.758 | 165.253 | |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.947 | 164.210 | |
| 3 | 96 | David Green | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 29.948 | 164.205 | |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | |||||||
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, March 20, at 3:30 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, March 21, at 11:30 AM 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]
Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.156 and an average speed of 168.665mph.[9]
Six drivers would fail to qualify: Wally Dallenbach Jr., Dave Marcis, Hut Stricklin, Gary Bradberry, Morgan Shepherd, and Ron Hornaday Jr.