JIFFY LUBE 300
Winston Cup
The Magic Mile at Loudon, NH, wasn't so magical after all for pole-sitter Ricky Craven. He led the first couple of laps, and got hung out on the outside lane, while several cars got under him, and relegated him back to tenth early in the running. A five car pile-up ensued, and he was in a position to be caught up in it. Craven ended up finishing 29th, five laps down, his streak of bad luck continuing.
Jeff Gordon led a lot of laps early on, but the big story is Jeff Burton, last years winner, who proved to have the strongest car. His patience and skill allowed him to win his first race of the season for Exide Batteries. Mark Martin fought off Jeff Gordon to come in second, pulling away in the final laps. Burton and Martin gave Jack Roush Racing a one two finish. Rusty Wallace came in forth, and Mike Skinner, with new Crew Chief Larry McReynolds, earned a top five finish. Skinner's team mate for Childress racing, Dale Earnhardt, came in a dismal 18th, one lap down.
John Andretti, Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, and Kenny Wallace got top ten finishes respectively. Drivers complained about the track surface being loose away from the bottom groove. One driver in particular, Geoff Bodine, after spinning out, said the track wasn't fit to race on. A different type of surface was installed on the outer part of the track, consisting of sand and pavement sealer that was rolled and packed into macadam. When the heavier faster cars tried to maneuver on the surface, it would come up, causing some the cars to loose traction. Most drivers were aware of it, and used patience to back out of the throttle to save the race car.
It hardly seems like it, but this race marked the first half of the '98 Winston Cup season. The remaining 16 races should be just as exciting as the first. Jeff Gordon remains points leader, and took a $30,000 bonus from GatorAid, awarded to the points leader at the halfway mark of the season.
MYRTLE BEACH 250
Busch Grand National
It's been a long time coming, as a matter of fact, it's been 26 races since Randy LaJoie has enjoyed the trappings of Victory Lane. He led the most laps and battled old foe David Green for the win during an eight lap shootout. He battled green in '96 for the championship, and knows what he's up against with Green's racing abilities. Top ten finishers:
