1998 Music City Bowl
Virginia Tech's 8–3 record during the 1998 college football regular season was good enough to earn it a bid to the inaugural Music City Bowl game. Facing the Hokies were the Alabama Crimson Tide, who had gone 7–4 during the regular season.


1998 Music City Bowl
The 1998 Music City Bowl kicked off on December 29, 1998 in Nashville, Tennessee. The weather at kickoff was "horrid," as rain and sleet mixed in freezing temperatures. The game's early going was marked by defense as both teams struggled against the inclement weather. Virginia Tech scored first off a 43-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Al Clark. Clark's touchdown provided the game's only points until the second quarter, when Alabama evened the score at 7–7 with a five-yard touchdown pass. The Hokies struck back with a field goal before halftime and took a tenuous 10–7 lead into the second half.


1998 Music City Bowl
In that half, the Tech offense finally got rolling. The Hokies scored 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters, ending the game on an uncontested 28–0 run. Alabama's offense was stifled throughout by effective pressure from Tech defensive end Corey Moore, and Tech was able to turn several fumbles and interceptions by the Crimson Tide into points on the scoreboard. The final 38–7 Virginia Tech victory was the biggest win in Virginia Tech bowl game history, and Moore was named the game's most valuable player. The two teams did not meet again until the 2009 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on September 5, 2009.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection
The first Music City Bowl was scheduled for 1998, but the bowl's beginnings dated from 1996, when city officials and local companies came up with the idea for the game. Their plan developed through 1997, when financing was obtained and the NCAA approved the bowl game. Initial plans anticipated matching a Southeastern Conference team against one from the Mid-American Conference. Prior to the start of the 1998 college football season, Music City Bowl officials signed an agreement with the SEC to select the conference's sixth bowl-eligible team. The Music City Bowl's other spot was left for an at-large bid, though officials met several times with Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese in an effort to reach a contract. An agreement pledging the Big East's No. 4 bowl-eligible team to the game was not reached until 1999.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
The Alabama Crimson Tide entered the 1998 college football season after a 1997 season that included a 4–7 record and no bowl game appearance. Heading into the season, the Tide were unranked nationally and were picked to finish fifth in the SEC West in the annual poll of media members who cover SEC football. Most voters expected Alabama to show little improvement over its performance in the previous year.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
Alabama's first game of the season was against Brigham Young University and was played at a renovated Bryant–Denny Stadium that boasted more than 80,000 seats and a new Jumbotron. In that game, Alabama running back Shaun Alexander scored a school-record five rushing touchdowns and Alabama won, 38–34, breaking a four-game losing streak that ended the 1997 season. One week later, Alabama repeated its first-game success with a 42–7 win over Vanderbilt. After a bye week, Alabama traveled to Arkansas to play the Arkansas Razorbacks.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
Alabama had risen to No. 22 in the country by virtue of its two wins, but the Crimson Tide's first road game of the season resulted in its first defeat, as Alabama lost, 42–6. One week later, Alabama suffered its first home loss of the season, a 16–10 defeat at the hands of Florida.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
After the Florida loss, Alabama's senior starting quarterback, John David Phillips, was replaced by freshman Andrew Zow. With Zow as the new starter, Alabama proceeded to win its next two games: 20–17 against Ole Miss and 23–22 against East Carolina. On October 24, Zow endured his first loss as the team's starting quarterback when Alabama was defeated, 35–18, by eventual SEC (and national) champion Tennessee. Alabama rebounded from the loss by reeling off two more wins: 30–20 against Southern Miss and an upset 22–16 win over LSU, in which the Crimson Tide scored 15 points in 144 seconds.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
After those two wins, Alabama had a 6–3 record heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. In the second-to-last week, the Crimson Tide were defeated, 26–14, by Mississippi State. In the final week of the season, Alabama faced traditional in-state rival Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl game. Reversing the outcome of the previous year's game, Alabama eked out an upset 31–17 victory to end the regular season.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Alabama
Following the Iron Bowl, Alabama's bowl destination was unclear due to the SEC championship game, which determined the conference champion on December 5. Until then, speculation centered on Alabama potentially attending any of four games: the Peach Bowl, Independence Bowl, Sun Bowl, or Music City Bowl. By the time of the championship game, the Sun Bowl had been eliminated as an option. After Tennessee won the SEC championship game and a bid to the Fiesta Bowl, other teams were selected by the Peach Bowl and Independence Bowl, leaving Alabama to be selected for the inaugural Music City Bowl. The choice was made official on December 6, and Alabama began preparing for its matchup with Virginia Tech.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech began the 1998 season after going 7–5 the previous year, including a 42–3 blowout loss to North Carolina in the 1998 Gator Bowl. Prior to the 1998 season, the annual preseason poll of Big East football media picked Virginia Tech to finish fourth in the Big East, and West Virginia was favored to win the conference. Most pre-season attention was focused on whether Tech would perform well enough to attend a sixth consecutive bowl game at the season's end.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The Hokies' first two games brought success for Virginia Tech: At home, they defeated East Carolina, 38–3, and away, they beat Clemson, 37–0. After the blowout win in Death Valley, Virginia Tech traveled to the Orange Bowl, home of the Miami Hurricanes. By virtue of their two season-opening wins, the Hokies were ranked No. 21 in the coaches' poll, and they improved that ranking with a win in the first overtime football game in Virginia Tech history, 27–20.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
During the overtime win, Virginia Tech starting quarterback Al Clark was injured. The injury left him unable to play in Tech's next game, a contest against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Clark's absence didn't distract the Hokies, who won, 27–7. After the win against Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech traveled to Boston to play Boston College. The Hokies shut out the Boston College Eagles, 17–0, boosting their national ranking to No. 10 in the coaches' poll on the basis of Tech's first 5–0 start since 1967.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
Following the Boston College victory, the Hokies faced lightly regarded and winless Temple University. The Temple Owls had lost eight consecutive games, were 0–26 in Big East road games, and had lost 10 players to injury since the season began. But although the Owls were 35-point underdogs to the Hokies, they managed one of the biggest upsets in college football history when they beat Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium, 28–24.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech rebounded from the upset loss to Temple by shutting out the University of Alabama Birmingham, 41–0, then beating No. 21 West Virginia, 27–13. After the two wins, the Hokies had a 7–1 record, were ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll, and traveled to the Carrier Dome to play Syracuse University. In New York, Syracuse gave the Hokies their second loss of the season, 28–26. The loss came despite the presence of Al Clark, who had returned from injury prior to the West Virginia game. Tech again rebounded from a losing effort, this time by defeating Rutgers, 47–7. But in their final regular-season game, the Hokies lost to Virginia in the annual competition for the Commonwealth Cup, 36–32. Tech led by 22 points at halftime, but Virginia quarterback Aaron Brooks led a comeback that won the game for Virginia with two minutes remaining in the game.


1998 Music City Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The loss to Virginia brought Virginia Tech to an 8–3 regular-season record, something Tech coach Frank Beamer said was better than he expected at the season's start. Despite that sentiment, most fans and supporters pointed to the fact that in all of Virginia Tech's losses, the deciding points came late in the fourth quarter and near the end of the game. Only three plays separated Tech from an undefeated 11–0 record. Tech's bowl destination was unclear immediately after the Virginia loss. The Music City Bowl seemed likely, but the Micron PC Bowl, Insight.com Bowl, and Sun Bowl also were possibilities. Virginia Tech officials preferred the Music City Bowl because of its proximity to Virginia, and bowl officials selected the Hokies on November 30.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup
The inaugural Music City bowl marked the first meeting of Alabama and Virginia Tech on the football field since 1979, when the No. 1 Crimson Tide defeated Virginia Tech, 31–7. Prior to the Music City Bowl, Alabama had defeated Virginia Tech in all 10 meetings of the two schools, and some Virginia Tech players cited that record as motivation in the game. For American General, sponsoring the game was part of an overall marketing strategy intended to boost the company's national profile. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win the game by five points. In exchange for appearing in the game, each team received $750,000, minus expenses. Media coverage in the weeks leading up to the game focused on Virginia Tech's tough defense and Alabama's recovery from NCAA-imposed sanctions.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Ticket sales
Both schools sold their allotments of Music City Bowl tickets rapidly. Virginia Tech, which was attending its sixth consecutive bowl game, sold more than 9,000 tickets in the first week of sales. Alabama's tickets were primarily distributed to season-ticket holders. Of Alabama's 12,000 bowl tickets, 10,000 were reserved for season-ticket holders and only 2,000 were available for open purchase. These were sold on the first day of sales. By December 9, both Alabama and the game itself had sold their entire allotment of tickets. Virginia Tech had just 200 tickets remaining, and they were sold by the 10th.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Ticket sales
In an interview with a local newspaper, an official at the Virginia Tech ticket office indicated that demand for tickets was so great that "We could have sold at least a couple thousand more. ... We were inundated for 3-4 days, and then, once Alabama was selected to play in the game, we got a lot more calls, and we were sold out." Some fans were able to obtain tickets at the game via purchases from ticket scalpers.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Ticket sales
Demand for tickets by Alabama fans was so great that the Alabama ticket office accidentally oversold its allotment of tickets. The office neglected to limit purchases on the forms sent to season-ticket holders, and the office received more than 25,000 orders for its 12,500-ticket allotment. An additional 2,000 tickets were given to Alabama, but the school still had to send out more than 10,000 refunds. Alabama's athletics director was heavily criticized for overselling the ticket allotment and for limiting ticket distribution to fans who had contributed large amounts of money to the athletics department. A group of fans disgruntled at the ticket distribution process eventually levied a class-action lawsuit against the athletic director, claiming contract violations.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Alabama offense
Despite having an offense that featured star running back Shaun Alexander, Alabama's offensive strategy revolved around a passing offense more than a running one. During the regular season, Alabama passed for 2,435 yards but only ran for 1,272 yards. The Crimson Tide averaged 22.9 points per game, 116 rushing yards per game, and 221.4 passing yards per game.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Alabama offense
A large reason for Alabama's success passing the ball came from the emergence of freshman quarterback Andrew Zow, who assumed starting duties during the season. Zow completed 143 of 256 passes for 1,969 yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. One of his favorite passing targets was Alexander, who caught 26 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns in addition to his 1,178 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Alexander averaged 116 yards per game on the ground. Wide receiver Quincy Jackson was the team's leading passing target. He caught 48 passes for 621 yards four touchdowns. Fellow wide receiver Michael Vaughn also was a favorite passing target. He caught 34 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns in addition to performing kick-return duties during the regular season.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Virginia Tech offense
Virginia Tech's offense during the regular season was worse than the average in the NCAA during 1998. The Hokies finished 88th among 112 Division I-A teams in total offense, recording 316.7 yards per game. Tech averaged 31.2 points per game.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Virginia Tech offense
Part of the reason for their lackluster performance was repeated injuries to starting quarterback Al Clark, who missed three regular-season games due to injuries. Heading into the Music City Bowl, he was recovering from a rib injury suffered in Tech's final regular-season game. Despite the missed games, Clark completed 72 of 148 passes for 1,050 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions for the 1998 season. On the ground, Virginia Tech running backs Lamont Pegues and Shyrone Stith combined for 1,444 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Together, they averaged 178 yards per game on the ground. Another bright spot on the Virginia Tech offense was kicker Shayne Graham, who was named a first-team All Big East selection. He kicked 37 extra points and was successful on 22 field goal attempts, earning the Hokies 103 points in total.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Alabama defense
Defensively, Alabama allowed an average of 147.7 rushing yards and 369 total yards per game. In total, Alabama's defense intercepted 12 passes during the regular season and sacked opposing quarterbacks 25 times.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Alabama defense
Alabama's leading tackler was linebacker Trevis Smith, who had 80 tackles during the regular season. This figure included 2.5 sacks and 14.5 other tackles for loss. Smith also broke up three passes, recovered two fumbles, and forced one. Alabama's second-leading tackler, linebacker Travis Carroll, fractured his shoulder blade in the Crimson Tide's second-to-last regular-season game and was not available for the Music City Bowl. Carroll had 76 tackles during the regular season.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Alabama defense
Cornerback Fernando Bryant led the team's pass defense. He finished the season with 51 tackles and two interceptions. He was supported by strong safety Marcus Spencer, who led the Crimson Tide in interceptions with four. Alabama's sole All-Southeastern Conference selection was punter Daniel Pope, a senior who averaged a school-record 44 yards per kick during the regular season and was second nationally in net punting at 40.8 yards per kick. Of his 60 punts, 20 were inside the opponents' 20-yard line. None were blocked.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Virginia Tech defense
At the conclusion of the regular season, the Virginia Tech defense was one of the best in the country. It was No. 4 in scoring defense (allowing 12.9 points per game), No. 11 in rushing defense (allowing 102.2 yards per game), and No. 7 in total defense (284.9 yards per game). The Hokies had 23 interceptions during the regular season, second-most in the country and behind only USC's 24 interceptions. The Hokies also found success on special teams defense. In total, Tech blocked ten kicks during the regular season: six punts, two field-goal attempts and two point-after tries. Tech's defense also scored 52 points: eight touchdowns, a safety and a two-point runback of an intercepted conversion pass.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Virginia Tech defense
The Hokie defense was led by defensive end Corey Moore, who was named the Big East defensive player of the year for 1998. He led the conference in sacks during the regular season, and finished with 14. Cornerback Loren Johnson was named to the first-team All Big East team with Pierson Prioleau, who had 61 tackles and returned a blocked field goal 52 yards in Tech's game against East Carolina. Free safety Keion Carpenter was noted in pre-game coverage for his ability to block kicks. He had five during the regular season, tying him with Ike Charlton for the most on the team.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Off-field incidents
Virginia Tech's coaching staff drew media attention when it was announced that Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer was being actively recruited by Clemson to assume that school's vacant head coaching job. Beamer was first contacted about the job during the regular season, and he was mentioned in connection with Clemson's search throughout the final two weeks of the regular season. He also was mentioned as a possibility for South Carolina's vacant head-coaching job. Three days after Virginia Tech was selected for the Music City Bowl, Beamer ended speculation by publicly turning down Clemson and South Carolina. In exchange for publicly rebuffing the offers, Virginia Tech rewarded Beamer with financial additions to his contract and a contract extension through 2005.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Off-field incidents
Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster also was targeted by other teams prior to the Music City Bowl. Rumors circulated about the University of Florida's interest in hiring Foster to fill its defensive coordinator position, but Foster declined to comment until after Florida's Jan. 2 Orange Bowl game. Foster proceeded through the interview process and was offered the job, but he turned it down in favor of remaining at Tech, which offered him contract incentives.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Off-field incidents
Alabama likewise underwent rumors of coaching changes. Shortly after the Music City Bowl matchup was announced, rumors spread that quarterbacks coach Charlie Stubbs or tight ends coach Ronnie Cottrell were being considered for other jobs. One departure rumor became reality when defensive line coach Jackie Shipp resigned to take the same position at the University of Oklahoma. Shipp's departure left the Crimson Tide without a defensive line coach, and Alabama head coach Mike DuBose filled the vacancy for the Music City Bowl.


1998 Music City Bowl, Pregame buildup, Off-field incidents
In the days prior to the game, both teams had to cope with harsh winter weather in the Nashville area. Virginia Tech was forced to move practices indoors when an ice storm arrived on the day before Christmas. The storm caused travel delays for fans and players alike. Alabama's first practices in Nashville were held without the full team available because many players had been delayed. The harsh weather continued through the day of the game, and Tech was forced to cancel its final outdoor practice before the game. Alabama, meanwhile, drove 45 minutes to Murfreesboro to a practice field that was not covered by ice.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary
The 1998 Music City bowl kicked off at 5 p.m. EST on December 29, 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. At kickoff, the weather was chilly, with 43-degree (6 C) temperatures, 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h) wind, 70 percent humidity, and a sleet/rain mix. As the game progressed, wind-chill temperatures dropped as low as 14 °F (−10 °C). Later accounts described the weather as "horrid". American General CEO Joe Kelley performed the ceremonial pre-game coin toss to determine first possession.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary
Jazz musician Larry Carlton performed the traditional pre-game playing of the national anthem, but his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner did not meet with the crowd's approval, and he was booed. Approximately 41,600 people attended the game in person, and the competition was broadcast on television via ESPN. Approximately 1.8 million U.S. households tuned into the broadcast, which featured Rod Gilmore, Rich Waltz, and Holly Rowe.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game, and Shyrone Stith returned the opening kickoff from the end zone to the Tech 44-yard line. On the first play of the game, Tech quarterback Al Clark completed a pass to Angelo Harrison, but Alabama committed a five-yard offsides penalty, setting up the Hokies at their 49-yard line. After the penalty, running back Lamont Pegues ran straight ahead for a gain of four yards then picked up a first down with a short gain on the next play.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Clark completed a pass to Harrison at the 43-yard line, then Clark broke free of the Alabama defense on an improvised run, scrambling 43 yards for a touchdown and the game's first points. Kicker Shayne Graham kicked the extra point, and Virginia Tech took a 7–0 lead over Alabama with 12:25 remaining in the first quarter.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Alabama 27-yard line. On Alabama's first play of the game, Crimson Tide quarterback Andrew Zow was sacked by Virginia Tech defender Corey Moore for a loss of seven yards. Running back Shaun Alexander regained five of those lost yards on the next play, then Zow was again sacked by the Tech defense. Alabama thus went three and out to begin the game and prepared for the game's first punt. During the kick, Virginia Tech defender Keion Carpenter broke through the offensive line of Alabama and blocked the punt.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Thanks to the blocked punt, the Virginia Tech offense started at the Alabama 14-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Stith ran the ball straight ahead for a gain of one yard. Clark then attempted a pass into the end zone, but the ball was intercepted by Alabama defender Fernando Bryant.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Thanks to the interception in the end zone, Alabama's offense returned to the field at its 20-yard line, the regulation starting point after a ball is downed in the end zone. A deep pass by Zow fell incomplete, then Alexander ran for a one-yard gain. On third down, Zow completed a first-down pass to wide receiver Michael Vaughn at the Alabama 32-yard line. Zow then completed another first-down pass, this time to Freddy Milons at Alabama 45-yard line. Alexander rushed ahead for a one-yard gain, then Zow threw an interception to Tech defender Ryan Smith, who returned the ball to the Alabama 36-yard line. After the interception, Virginia Tech committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty, which pushed the Hokies back to their 49-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
On the first play after the interception, Pegues gained one yard on a rushing play to the right. Clark then completed a pass to Jarrett Ferguson at the Alabama 36-yard line for a first down. During the play, Alabama was called for a five-yard penalty for grabbing Ferguson's facemask during the tackle. After the penalty, Angelo Harrison gained nine yards on a reverse run. Ferguson then was tackled for a loss of two yards, and Clark threw an incomplete pass on third down. Tech head coach Frank Beamer sent in Graham to attempt a 42-yard field goal. The kick sailed right of the goal, however. With 4:10 remaining in the first quarter, Tech led Alabama 7–0.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Thanks to the missed field goal, Alabama began its drive at its 25-yard line—the line of scrimmage for the field goal. In the drive's first play, Zow completed a seven-yard pass to wide receiver Calvin Hall. Alexander then ran to the left side for a two-yard gain. On third down, Alexander gained three yards and a first down. After that, Moore sacked Zow for a two-yard loss, to the 35-yard line. After the sack, Zow was hit again by the Virginia Tech defense and fumbled the ball.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
The fumble was scooped up by an Alabama player, however, and resulted in a gain of four yards. Zow then completed a pass to Alexander at the 50-yard line for a first down. Once there, Alabama was twice penalized five yards for false starts on consecutive plays. The penalties ran out the final seconds of the first quarter, which ended with Virginia Tech leading, 7–0.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The second quarter began with Alabama in possession of the ball and facing first down and 21 yards at their 40-yard line. Zow completed a seven-yard pass to Hall, then Alexander lost three yards on a running play, setting up third down and 17. Alabama gained the needed yardage and more on a 24-yard pass from Zow to Alexander at the Tech 32-yard line. On first down, Alexander was tackled for a four-yard loss. Zow regained the lost yards with a completion to Alexander at the Tech 25-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
After a one-yard rush, Alabama faced fourth down and one yard at the Tech 23-yard line. Alexander ran to the Tech 20-yard line and gained the first down. After a four-yard rush, Zow completed a pass to Quincy Jackson for no gain, setting up third down. Zow scrambled for a first down at the Tech nine-yard line. Alexander advanced to the five-yard line on a running play, and Zow completed a touchdown pass to Vaughn for the Tide's first points of the game. The extra point kick was successful, and with 9:13 remaining in the first half, the game was tied, 7–7.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Alabama's post-touchdown kickoff sailed through the end zone for a touchback, and Tech's offense started at its 20-yard line. Stith ran ahead for a five-yard gain on first down, then broke free on second down for a 38-yard run to the Alabama 36-yard line. Once there, Clark threw an incomplete pass and Ferguson ran for a two-yard gain. On third down, Clark scrambled for a six-yard gain. Facing fourth down, Beamer sent in Graham to attempt a 44-yard field goal. The kick was good, and with 6:41 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech regained the lead, 10–7.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Tech's post-score kickoff was returned to the Alabama 15-yard line, and the Crimson Tide began a new drive. On the drive's first play, Tech committed a five-yard offsides penalty. Following the penalty, Alexander was stopped for a two-yard loss. Zow then completed a 40-yard pass for a first down at the Tech 43-yard line. After that long completion, he threw an 11-yard pass for another first down, this time at the Tech 32-yard line. A rushing play was stopped for no gain, Zow threw an incomplete pass into the end zone, then Zow committed an intentional grounding penalty in an attempt to avoid being sacked. The penalty pushed Alabama out of field goal range, and Alabama punted from the Tech 45-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The ball rolled out of bounds at the one-yard line, and Tech was penalized half the distance to the goal line due to a holding penalty during the kick. Pegues ran for a two-yard gain, then was stopped for a loss of one yard on second down. On third down, Clark completed a pass to Harrison for a first down at the 11-yard line. After the first down, a Tech running play was stopped for a loss of three yards, then Clark scrambled to the 16-yard line, five yards short of the first down.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Stith then gained the first down with a run to the 25-yard line. During this time, Tech concentrated on running out the clock by executing multiple running plays, which do not stop the game clock, unlike passing plays. After the first down, Clark was sacked by Alabama defender Cornelius Griffin for a loss of seven yards. Clark regained the lost yards with a nine-yard pass, then picked up a first down with a shovel pass. On first down, Clark completed a pass to Ricky Hall with a first down at the Alabama 45-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
At this point, Tech switched from running down the clock to attempting passes downfield in hopes of scoring before halftime. With 32 seconds remaining in the first half, Clark threw an incomplete pass. Clark then was sacked by the Alabama defense, setting up third down at the Tech 46-yard line. Stith ran for a short gain, then Tech set up for a long pass downfield on fourth down.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The pass fell incomplete, and Tech turned the ball over on downs with four seconds remaining. Rather than attempt to score on the final play of the half, the Tide offense took a knee and ended the half with Virginia Tech leading, 10–7.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
After a halftime performance featuring Lorrie Morgan, singer Steve Winwood and the marching bands of the competing schools, Alabama prepared to receive the ball. Because Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game, Alabama was on offense to begin the second half.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Virginia Tech's kickoff was returned to the Alabama 21-yard line. The first play of the half was a pass from Zow to Alexander, who gained eight yards. On second down, Alexander picked up the first down with a run to the 34-yard line. Zow completed a pass to Milons at the 38-yard line, then had a pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage by the Virginia Tech defense. Zow's third-down pass was knocked down, and the Tide punted. The kick was returned to the Tech 24-yard line, and the Hokies began their first drive of the second half.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Tech's first play of the half was a four-yard run by Pegues. Clark then scrambled for a 25-yard gain and a first down at the Alabama 47-yard line. On first down, Pegues advanced to the 43-yard line on a running play, then Clark was sacked by Alabama's Travis Carroll. The sack resulted in an eight-yard loss, and Clark's third-down pass was incomplete. Tech punted, and the kick was downed at the Alabama 22-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
On the first Tide play of the drive, Alabama was penalized 15 yards for holding on to the facemask of a Virginia Tech player. A running play by Alexander was stopped after a loss of a yard, then Zow threw an interception directly to Virginia Tech's Phillip Summers, who returned the ball to the two-yard line. After the interception, it took Tech two plays for Pegues to push the football across the goal line for Tech's second touchdown of the game. The extra point was good, and Tech extended its lead to 17–7 with 8:15 remaining in the quarter.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Alabama 16-yard line, and the Tide attempted to respond to the Tech score. The first play of the drive was an incomplete pass by Zow, who then completed a 14-yard pass to Wes Long at the Alabama 30-yard line for a first down. Running back Chad Beasley lost one yard on a running play, then Zow completed a three-yard pass to Alexander. On third down, Alexander dropped a long pass from Zow, and the Tide prepared to punt. During the kick, Tech's special teams defense broke through Alabama's line and blocked a punt for the second time in the game. The ball was recovered by the Hokies at the Alabama 30-yard line, and Tech's offense started their drive inside Alabama territory.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
The first play of the Tech drive was a seven-yard run by Stith. This was followed by an incomplete pass from Clark, but Alabama was called for pass interference during the play. After the penalty, Virginia Tech had a first down at the Alabama four-yard line. On the first play after the penalty, Stith broke through the Alabama defense for Tech's second touchdown of the quarter. The extra point was good, and with 5:09 remaining in the quarter, Tech extended its lead to 24–7.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Virginia Tech's kickoff was returned to the 21-yard line, and Alabama again attempted to answer the Hokie score. After an incomplete pass, Zow completed a 21-yard pass to Jackson for a first down at the 42-yard line. Alexander was stopped for a one-yard loss on a running play, then caught a pass for no gain. On third down, Zow threw an incomplete pass, forcing another punt. The kick rolled out of bounds at the Tech 17-yard line, and the Hokies' offense began another drive.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
On the first play of the drive, Clark was sacked by Kenny Smith for a six-yard loss. Pegues ran for one yard, then ran for 12 yards on third down. The Hokies punted after going three and out, but the ball bounced off Alabama kick returner Alvin Richard. The loose ball was recovered by Virginia Tech's Cory Bird, and the Hokies' offense returned to the field with 35 seconds remaining in the quarter. From the Alabama 19-yard line, Clark scrambled for a one-yard gain. The play was the last one of the third quarter, which ended with Virginia Tech leading, 24–7.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter began with Virginia Tech in possession of the ball at the Alabama 18-yard line and facing second down and nine. After a running play was stopped for no gain, Clark completed a pass to Pegues, who ran for a first down at the Alabama nine-yard line. After the first down, Alabama committed an offsides penalty. After the penalty, Tech had a first down inside the Alabama five-yard line. Three plays later, Pegues crossed the goal line for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and Tech took a 31–7 lead with 13:31 remaining in the game.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Alabama received Tech's post-touchdown kickoff, which sailed through the end zone for a touchback. Because of the touchback, Alabama's first drive of the quarter started at its 20-yard line. The first play of that drive resulted in a five-yard penalty against Virginia Tech. Alexander then was tackled for a one-yard loss. On second down, Zow threw an incomplete pass, but on third down he completed a 34-yard throw to Alexander, who earned a first down at the Tech 42-yard line. On the first play in Alabama territory, Tech committed a five-yard offsides penalty.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Zow then threw two incomplete passes, and on third down he was sacked by the Tech defense at the Hokie 41-yard line. Because the Tide was trailing Tech by four scores, Alabama head coach Mike DuBose ordered his offense to try to convert the fourth down rather than punt. Zow's pass flew incomplete, and Alabama turned the ball over on downs.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Virginia Tech began its first full drive of the fourth quarter at its 41-yard line with 10:21 remaining in the game. Tech transitioned into a running strategy, maximizing the amount of time used off the game clock between each play. On the drive's first play, Stith was tackled for a one-yard loss. On its second play, Stith regained the lost yard. The third-down play was an incomplete pass by Clark, and the Hokies punted after going three and out. The kick rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and Alabama's offense began at its 20-yard line. Alexander was tackled for a two-yard loss, then Zow threw an interception to Anthony Midget, who returned the ball all the way into the end zone for a Virginia Tech defensive touchdown. The extra point was good, and Tech extended its lead to 38–7 with 7:33 remaining in the game.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Alabama 16-yard line by Milons. The first play of the drive was a 12-yard run by Alexander, who also gained a first down. On the next play, Alabama committed a five-yard false start penalty. Alexander was stopped for no gain on a running play after the penalty, then he picked up nine yards on a running play to the right. On third down, Alexander gained a first down with a run to the 40-yard line. He then was tackled for a two-yard loss. On the next play, Zow was tackled by Jason Buckland for a seven-yard loss. On third down, Alexander ran ahead to the 44-yard line but still was short of the first down marker. Alabama punted, and the kick was downed at the Tech 20-yard line.


1998 Music City Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Tech continued to run down the clock by running the ball straight ahead for a four-yard gain. Tech backup quarterback Nick Sorensen then entered the game, and running back Andre Kendrick gained a first down with a run to the 33-yard line. Kendrick then gained a first down at the Alabama 39-yard line. Kendrick continued to advance the ball with short runs, draining the clock to secure the Tech lead. Tech's third backup quarterback, Dave Meyer, also entered the game as the final seconds ticked off the clock and Virginia Tech secured its 38–7 win.


1998 Music City Bowl, Statistical summary
In recognition of his performance during the game, Virginia Tech defensive end Corey Moore was named the game's most valuable player. Moore had a sack, a tackle for a loss, a blocked punt and a forced fumble. His performance was representative by a successful defensive effort by the Virginia Tech Hokies, who blocked two punts, had three interceptions, and limited Alabama to only seven points and 50 rushing yards. Tech's 31-point margin of victory was the biggest bowl-game win in school history, and Alabama's loss was their biggest in a bowl game since a loss in the 1972 Orange Bowl.


1998 Music City Bowl, Statistical summary
Alabama's sole success on offense came from the hands of quarterback Andrew Zow, who completed 19 of 35 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown but also threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball once. Zow's favorite receiver was running back Shaun Alexander, who caught eight passes for 87 yards. Alexander also was Alabama's leading rusher. He finished the game with 21 carries for 55 yards. Zow rushed the ball eight times, but finished with -8 rushing yards. Alexander's eight receptions tied him for third place in receptions during an Alabama bowl game. The record was nine.


1998 Music City Bowl, Statistical summary
On the opposite side of the ball, Virginia Tech quarterback Al Clark completed seven of his 14 passes for 71 yards and an interception. Clark's greatest success came on the ground, however, as he rushed nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown. Most of Virginia Tech's offense came on the ground, as Clark was surpassed in the rushing game by Shyrone Stith, who carried the ball 10 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. Fellow Tech running back Lamont Pegues scored two touchdowns and carried the ball 15 times for 41 yards.


1998 Music City Bowl, Postgame effects
Virginia Tech's win lifted it to a final record of 9–3, while Alabama's loss dropped it to 7–5. In the final college football polls of the season, Virginia Tech was ranked 19th in the coaches' poll and 23rd in the AP Poll, while Alabama remained unranked. The 38–7 win remains Virginia Tech's biggest bowl-game win.


1998 Music City Bowl, Postgame effects
Citing a desire to pursue "sporting events with a higher profile," American General decided not to renew its sponsorship of the Music City Bowl. In 1999, it was replaced by Homepoint.com, a now-defunct website. The site of the game also changed. It moved from Vanderbilt Stadium to LP Field, then known as Adelphia Coliseum.


1998 Music City Bowl, Postgame effects, 1999 NFL Draft
As the final game of the 1998–1999 regular season, the 1998 Music City Bowl gave Virginia Tech and Alabama players a chance to show their skills prior to the 1999 NFL Draft. Alabama had one player selected in the draft. Cornerback Fernando Bryant was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round with the 26th overall selection. Virginia Tech had two players taken in the draft: defensive back Pierson Prioleau (110th overall) and guard Derek G. Smith (165th overall).


1998 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the last time for now NAIA Tournament at Mabee Center. The 61st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.


1998 NAIA football season
The 1998 NAIA football season, as part of the 1998 college football season in the United States, was the 43rd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA.


1998 NAIA football season
The season was played from August to November 1998, culminating in the 1998 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 19, 1998 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.


1998 NAIA football season
Azusa Pacific defeated Olivet Nazarene in the championship game, 17–14, to win their first NAIA national title.


1998 NAIA football season
Jack Williams, running back from Azusa Pacific, was named the 1998 NAIA Football Player of the Year.


1998 NAPA 500
The 1998 NAPA 500 was the 33rd and final championship event of the 1998 season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, held on November 8, 1998, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Won by series champion Jeff Gordon, the race was delayed both before its start and twice during the race due to rain showers, causing it to be shortened to 221 laps from its scheduled distance of 325 laps.


1998 NAPA 500
This was the last race without Tony Stewart until 2013 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.


1998 NAPA 500, Background
Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of ten intermediate to hold NASCAR races; the others are Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway. The standard track at Atlanta Motor Speedway is a four-turn quad-oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48 km) long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five. The scheduled race distance was 325 laps, totalling 500.5 miles (805.5 km).


1998 NAPA 500, Background
Going into the race, Jeff Gordon had clinched the 1998 Winston Cup Series championship the previous weekend at North Carolina Motor Speedway, winning the AC Delco 400 for his 12th win of the season. Rookie driver Harris DeVane, a regular on the ARCA Racing Series, attempted to make his Winston Cup Series debut at the event.


1998 NAPA 500, Background
The support race for the event, run on Saturday afternoon, was a 102-lap event sanctioned by the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series; Mike Swaim Jr. was the winner of the race.


1998 NAPA 500, Qualifying
Series rookie Kenny Irwin Jr., driving the No. 28 Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing, led 48 drivers in qualifying on Friday, November 6, winning his first pole position in the Winston Cup Series. Irwin's qualifying time was 193.461 miles per hour (311.345 km/h).


1998 NAPA 500, Qualifying
Ward Burton qualified second in the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Pontiac; Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, and Mike Skinner filled out the remainder of the top five positions in qualifying; the top 25 drivers in the session were locked into the field, with Ted Musgrave as the 25th and final driver guaranteed a starting spot at the end of the first day of time trials.


1998 NAPA 500, Qualifying
Second round qualifying, to set starting positions 26th through 36th on the grid, was held on Saturday, November 7. Gary Bradberry set the fastest time in the session at a speed of 189.922 miles per hour (305.650 km/h); he had crashed in the first round of qualifying, and was forced to use a backup car for the rest of the race weekend. The only other driver to make an attempt in second round qualifying and move into the top 36 positions, qualifying for the race, was Kevin Lepage, whose time placed him 31st overall.


1998 NAPA 500, Qualifying
Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte, Ricky Craven, Johnny Benson Jr., Kyle Petty, and Rusty Wallace were forced to take provisional starting positions to start the race. Darrell Waltrip received a provisional as a past series champion and started 43rd; it was the 20th provisional he had used over the course of the season, resulting in a change to eligibility rules for the 1999 series season. Failing to qualify for the race were Rick Mast, Rich Bickle, Steve Grissom, Andy Hillenburg, and Harris DeVane; DeVane was injured in a crash on his qualifying lap and had to be cut from his car, being taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure.


1998 NAPA 500, Race
The start of the race, scheduled for 12:40PM, was delayed 49 minutes due to rain. During the race two additional red flags for rain caused delays of 6 hours and 39 minutes. The delays resulted in the race being the first night race held at the speedway.


1998 NAPA 500, Race
Due to the delays, during a yellow flag thrown on lap 190 to allow teams to pit under caution on the still-damp pit road, NASCAR announced that once the race resumed, there would be only 25 laps remaining from that point, citing a desire for fans to be able to return home at a safe hour; the race concluded at 11:07pm, a crowd of 50,000 having remained to watch the race to its conclusion.


1998 NAPA 500, Race
From a starting position of 21st, Gordon led 113 of the race's 221 laps; he beat Dale Jarrett for the race win by 0.739 second. His victory, the 13th on the season, tied Richard Petty for the most wins by a driver in a single season. Including the rain delays, there were a total of five caution periods during the race, with 68 laps being run under the yellow flag. Gordon's average speed was 114.915 miles per hour (184.938 km/h), and he received $164,450 for the victory.


1998 NAPA 500, Race
Gordon's career victory total stood at 42 after the race; at the time, he was the youngest driver to pass 40 career wins, and the youngest to win a third series title. Gordon topped Mark Martin for the series title by 364 points; Irwin was named the series' Rookie of the Year immediately following the race, beating Kevin Lepage by 14 rookie points.


1998 NAPA 500, Race
While the race was the final points event of the season for the Winston Cup Series, an exhibition race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan was held two weeks later, won by Mike Skinner over Gordon.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series
The 1998 NASCAR Busch Series began on Saturday, February 14 and ended on Sunday, November 15. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was crowned champion at season's end.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, NAPA Auto Parts 300
The NAPA Auto Parts 300 was held February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Mike McLaughlin won the pole. The race was broadcast on CBS


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, NAPA Auto Parts 300
Failed to qualify: Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Lyndon Amick (#35), Patty Moise (#14), Larry Pearson (#55), Ron Barfield (#2), Jimmy Foster (#50), Derrike Cope (#92), Blaise Alexander (#20), Doug Reid III (#97), Dale Shaw (#48), Lance Hooper (#23), Chris Diamond (#68), Mark Day (#16)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200
The GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200 was held February 21 at North Carolina Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200
Failed to qualify: Patty Moise (#14), Jimmy Foster (#50), Dale Shaw (#48), Lance Hooper (#23), Ed Berrier (#77), J. D. Gibbs (#42), Kevin Cywinski (#11), Stanton Barrett (#89), Bobby Hillin Jr. (#8), Rick Fuller (#40), Michael Ritch (#58)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town Las Vegas 300
The Sam's Town Las Vegas 300 was held February 28 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mark Martin won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town Las Vegas 300
Failed to qualify: Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Lyndon Amick (#35), Ron Barfield (#2), Chris Diamond (#68), Bobby Hillin Jr. (#8), Rick Fuller (#04), Dale Fischlein (#70), Brendan Gaughan (#31)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town Las Vegas 300
• Randy LaJoie flipped on the final lap of the race.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, BellSouth Mobility / Opryland 320
The BellSouth Mobility / Opryland 320 was held March 15 at Nashville Speedway USA. Casey Atwood won the pole, becoming the youngest pole winner in NASCAR Busch Series history. The race was broadcast on TNN


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, BellSouth Mobility / Opryland 320
Failed to qualify: Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Chris Diamond (#68), Mark Day (#16), Brad Loney (#45), Mike Stefanik (#96), Jeff Krogh (#56), Mark Krogh (#80), Derek Gilcrest (#12)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Diamond Hill Plywood 200
The Diamond Hill Plywood 200 was held March 21 at Darlington Raceway. Jeff Burton won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Diamond Hill Plywood 200
Failed to qualify: Ron Barfield (#2), Jeff Fuller (#7), Patty Moise (#14), Jimmy Foster (#50), Dave Blaney (#93), Mike Stefanik (#96)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Moore's Snacks 250
The Moore's Snacks 250 was held March 28 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Moore's Snacks 250
Failed to qualify: Robert Pressley (#59), Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Derrike Cope (#92), Kevin Schwantz (#88), Lyndon Amick (#35)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Coca-Cola 300
The Coca-Cola 300 was held April 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott Sadler won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Coca-Cola 300
Failed to qualify: Robert Pressley (#59), Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Dick Trickle (#64), Kevin Schwantz (#88), Mark Day (#16), Bobby Hillin Jr. (#8), Tom Lorenz (#62), Ted Smokstad (#48)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Galaxy Food Centers 300
The final Galaxy Food Centers 300 was held April 11 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Robert Pressley won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Galaxy Food Centers 300
Failed to qualify: Hank Parker Jr. (#78), Kevin Lepage (#40), Blaise Alexander (#20), Patty Moise (#14), Chris Diamond (#68), Johnny Chapman (#21), Johnny Rumley (#96), Shane Jenkins (#49), Randy Porter (#48), Eddie Beahr (#39)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Touchstone Energy 300
The Touchstone Energy 300 was held April 25 at Talladega Superspeedway. Joe Nemechek won the pole. During the race, Dave Blaneygot spun around and flipped onto its side and slammed the wall with his roof. He walked away.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Touchstone Energy 300
Failed to qualify: Patty Moise (#14), Doug Reid III (#7), Robert Pressley (#59), Mark Day (#16), Rick Wilson (#50)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Gumout Long Life Formula 200
The Gumout Long Life Formula 200 was held May 9 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Joe Bessey won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Gumout Long Life Formula 200
Failed to qualify: Mike Olsen (#61), Joey McCarthy (#41), Tom Bolles (#76), Brian Simo (#03)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, First Union 200
The First Union 200 was held May 17 at Nazareth Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, CarQuest Auto Parts 300
The CarQuest Auto Parts 300 was held May 23 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, CarQuest Auto Parts 300
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#92), Loy Allen Jr. (#78), Lyndon Amick (#35), Matt Hutter (#36), Blaise Alexander (#20), Mike Cope (#30), Kenny Irwin Jr. (#48), Kelly Denton (#75), Mark Krogh (#80), Andy Santerre (#47), Gary Laton (#46)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA Platinum 200
The MBNA Platinum 200 was held May 30 at Dover International Speedway. Kevin Lepage won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Hardee's 250
The Hardee's 250 was held June 5 at Richmond International Raceway. Wayne Grubb won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Hardee's 250
Failed to qualify: Dale Jarrett (#32), Jeff Krogh (#56), J. D. Gibbs (#42), Blaise Alexander (#20), Ted Christopher (#13), Derrike Cope (#92), Patty Moise (#14), Joey McCarthy (#41), Mike Laughlin Jr. (#45), Mike Olsen (#61), Derek Gilcrest (#12)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Lycos.com 250
The inaugural Lycos.com 250 was held June 14 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Matt Kenseth won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Lysol 200
The Lysol 200 was held June 28 at Watkins Glen International. Boris Said won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Lysol 200
Failed to qualify: Mark Krogh (#80), John Preston (#55), Rick Bell (#78), Kat Teasdale (#54), Patty Moise (#14), Dale Quarterley (#32N)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, DieHard 250
The DieHard 250 was held July 5 at The Milwaukee Mile. Jeff Purvis won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Myrtle Beach 250
The Myrtle Beach 250 was held July 11 at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Tim Fedewa won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Myrtle Beach 250
Failed to qualify: Bobby Hillin Jr. (#8), Kevin Prince (#90), Johnny Chapman (#73), Blaise Alexander (#20), Patty Moise (#14), Jimmy Foster (#50), Mark Krogh (#80), Eddie Beahr (#39)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300
The Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300 was held July 19 at California Speedway. Robert Pressley won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Lycos.com 300 presented by Vallydale Foods
The Lycos.com 300 presented by Vallydale Foods was held July 25 at South Boston Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Lycos.com 300 presented by Vallydale Foods
Failed to qualify: Kevin Prince (#90), Ashton Lewis (#89), Mark Krogh (#80), Jeff Krogh (#56), Jim Bown (#78), Toby Robertson (#12), Patty Moise (#14), Kelly Denton (#75), Johnny Chapman (#73), Casey Atwood (#27)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 200
The Kroger 200 was held July 31 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Buckshot Jones won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 200
Failed to qualify: Brad Noffsinger (#43), Mark McFarland (#82), Mark Day (#16), Stevie Reeves (#54), Kenneth Nichols (#94)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Pepsi 200 presented by Devilbiss
The Pepsi 200 presented by Devilbiss was held August 15 at Michigan International Speedway. Jeff Burton won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Pepsi 200 presented by Devilbiss
Failed to qualify: Dave Blaney (#93), Dale Fischlein (#70), J. D. Gibbs (#42), Kevin Schwantz (#88), Lyndon Amick (#35), Gary Laton (#46), Casey Atwood (#27)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
The Food City 250 was held August 21 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Steve Grissom won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
Failed to qualify: Michael Waltrip (#21), Lyndon Amick (#35), Greg Marlowe (#78), Mark Day (#16)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Dura-Lube 200 presented by BI-LO
The Dura-Lube 200 presented by BI-LO was held September 5 at Darlington Raceway. Mike McLaughlin won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Dura-Lube 200 presented by BI-LO
Failed to qualify: Jeff Green (#92), Kelly Denton (#75), Ron Barfield (#2)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Autolite Platinum 250
The Autolite Platinum 250 was held September 11 at Richmond International Raceway. Andy Santerre won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Autolite Platinum 250
Failed to qualify: Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#95), Dave Rezendes (#78), Casey Atwood (#50), Kevin Schwantz (#88), Ward Burton (#14), Mark Krogh (#80), Mario Gosselin (#71), Ted Christopher (#13), Mark McFarland (#82), J. D. Gibbs (#42)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA Gold 200
The MBNA Gold 200 was held September 19 at Dover International Speedway. Kevin Grubb won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300
The All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300 was held October 3 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dave Blaney won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300
Failed to qualify: Bobby Hillin Jr. (#8), Patty Moise (#14), Toby Porter (#91), Ashton Lewis (#89), Kelly Denton (#75), Jeff Green (#92), Lance Hooper (#23), Jim Bown (#51), Jason Jarrett (#11), Lyndon Amick (#35), Kevin Grubb (#43), Kerry Earnhardt (#04), Matt Hutter (#24), Wayne Grubb (#83), Andy Santerre (#47), Hank Parker Jr. (#53)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 250
The Carquest Auto Parts 250 was held October 17 at Gateway International Raceway. Shane Hall won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Tracy Leslie (#2), Joey McCarthy (#41), Eric Bodine (#1), Melvin Walen (#58), J. D. Gibbs (#42)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, AC Delco 200
The AC Delco 200 was held October 31 at North Carolina Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, AC Delco 200
Failed to qualify: Tracy Leslie (#97), J. D. Gibbs (#42), Jeff Green (#92), Mike Wallace (#50), Bryan Wall (#73), Scott Hansen (#09), Lyndon Amick (#35), Matt Hutter (#55), Ted Christopher (#13), Chuck Bown (#51), Jeff Finley (#79), Mark Day (#16)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stihl 300
The Stihl 300 was originally scheduled for March 1998 but was held November 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway after it and the Winston Cup Series Primestar 500 were both rained out. Dick Trickle won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stihl 300
Failed to qualify: Tracy Leslie (#97), Lyndon Amick (#35), Hut Stricklin (#92), Gary Bradberry (#86), Curtis Markham (#89), Randy MacDonald (#7), Nathan Buttke (#78), Ken Bouchard (#50), Jeff Finley (#79), Morgan Shepherd (#07)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Jiffy Lube Miami 300
The Jiffy Lube Miami 300 was held November 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Casey Atwood won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Jiffy Lube Miami 300
Failed to qualify: Chuck Bown (#92), Ted Christopher (#13), Jeff Krogh (#56), Patty Moise (#14), John Preston (#89), Nathan Buttke (#78), Kevin Schwantz (#88), Morgan Shepherd (#07), Philip Morris (#84), Hank Parker Jr. (#53), Lyndon Amick (#35), Freddie Query (#7), Gus Wasson (#49), Mark Krogh (#80)


1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Rookie of the Year
Andy Santerre, being the only full-time candidate for Rookie of the Year, walked away with the title after finishing 20th in points. 2nd-place-finisher Dave Blaney made his Busch Series debut in 1998, posting three sixth-place finishes over a 20-race stretch. He would by followed by Blaise Alexander, then Wayne and Kevin Grubb, both of whom grabbed their first career pole positions during the season. 18-year-old Casey Atwood ran a part-time schedule in an undeclared season but finished 38th in points. The next two competitors were Mike Cope and Matt Hutter, teammates at Cicci-Welliver Racing but released after a lack of performance. Part-time drivers Lance Hooper, Jason Jarrett, and MotoGP legend Kevin Schwantz rounded out the rookie class of 1998.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was the fourth season of the Craftsman Truck Series, the third highest stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. Ron Hornaday Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the championship.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Trucks Challenge
The Chevy Trucks Challenge was held January 18 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Chuck Bown won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Trucks Challenge
Failed to qualify: Lance Norick (#90), Curtis Markham (#32), David Starr (#9), Dennis Setzer (#04), Freddie Query (#20), Ken Bouchard (#77), Andy Michner (#46), Rick McCray (#42), Billy Bigley (#26), Kirk Shelmerdine (#03), Joe Bush (#67), Dave Goulet (#70), Dave Stacy (#12), Jimmy Davis (#13), Ricky Johnson (#63), Randy Nelson (#82), Kelly Denton (#30), Monty Klein (#47), Rob Morgan (#46), Billy Pauch (#06), Michael Dokken (#64), Jay Stewart (#33), Danny Bagwell (#28)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 400
The Florida Dodge Dealers 400 was held April 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 400
Failed to qualify: Carl Long (#91), Dennis Setzer (#04), Michael Dokken (#64), Mike Garvey (#68), Jamie Skinner (#5), Ken Bouchard (#77), B. A. Wilson (#85), Rick McCray (#42), Tommy Archer (#4), Scott Lagasse (#81), Dominic Dobson (#78), Tim Bolton (#97), Joe Madore (#93), Rob Morgan (#46), Jason Roche (#21), Bobby Myers (#63)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Trucks 150
The Chevy Trucks 150 was held April 19 at Phoenix International Raceway. Stacy Compton won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Trucks 150
Failed to qualify: Milan Garrett (#85) and Randy Nelson (#82)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Craftsman 200 by NAPA
The Craftsman 200 by NAPA was held April 25 at Portland Speedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, NAPACARD 200
The NAPACARD 200 was held May 8 at Evergreen Speedway. Joe Ruttman won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Yellow Freight 200
The Yellow Freight 200 was held May 23 at I-70 Speedway. Tony Raines won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Yellow Freight 200
Failed to qualify: Richard Hinds (#81), Rick McCray (#42), Joe Bush (#67), Joe Madore (#93), Randy Nelson (#82), Doug George (#26), Ryan McGlynn (#00)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Parts America 150
The Parts America 150 was held May 30 at Watkins Glen International. Ron Fellows won the pole. Race leader Ron Hornaday Jr. was penalized in the closing laps for jumping a restart and pulled into victory lane regardless to protest NASCAR's call.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Parts America 150
Failed to qualify: Randy Nelson (#82), Doug George (#26), Mike Ewanitsko (#40), Lonnie Rush Jr. (#10), Mike Hope (#13), Ryan McGlynn (#00)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Pronto Auto Parts 400
The Pronto Auto Parts 400 was held June 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Pronto Auto Parts 400
Failed to qualify: Rob Rizzo (#98), Doug George (#93), Joe Gaita (#83), Chris Horn (#58), Jay Stewart (#33)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Pronto Auto Parts 400
Driver Change: Randy Nelson of the #82 qualified for the race but fell ill and Kenny Allen replaced him in the race.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Loadhandler 200
The Loadhandler 200 was held June 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ron Hornaday Jr. won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Loadhandler 200
Failed to qualify: Danny Bagwell (#28), Tim Bolton (#97), Ed Berrier (#92), Ryan McGlynn (#00), Joe Gaita (#83), Rob Morgan (#57)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, DieHard 200
The DieHard 200 was held July 4 at The Milwaukee Mile. Jack Sprague won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, DieHard 200
Failed to qualify: Tammy Jo Kirk (#51), Ken Bouchard (#11), B. A. Wilson (#85), Rob Rizzo (#98), Terry Fisher (#41), Barry Bodine (#7), Joe Bush (#67), Jerry Glanville (#81), Danny Bagwell (#28), Chris Horn (#58), Tim Bolton (#97), Randy Nelson (#82)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, NAPA Autocare 200
The NAPA Autocare 200 was held July 11 at Nazareth Speedway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, The No Fear Challenge
The No Fear Challenge was held July 18 at California Speedway. Andy Houston won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, The No Fear Challenge
Failed to qualify: Rick McCray (#42), Randy Nelson (#82), Milan Garrett (#85)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Tempus Resorts 300K
The inaugural Tempus Resorts 300K was held July 25 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Cummins 200 by Dodge
The Cummins 200 by Dodge was held July 30 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Randy Tolsma won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Cummins 200 by Dodge
Failed to qualify: Shayne Lockhart (#33), David Starr (#49), Robbie Pyle (#56)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Pennzoil/VIP Discount Tripleheader
The Pennzoil/VIP Discount Tripleheader was held August 2 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Mike Wallace won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Stevens Beil/Genuine Car Parts 200
The Stevens Beil/Genuine Car Parts 200 was held August 8 at Flemington Speedway. Stacy Compton won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Stevens Beil/Genuine Car Parts 200
Failed to qualify: John Blewett III (#05), George Brunnhoelzl (#40), Lance Norick (#90), Randy Renfrow (#78), Ryan McGlynn (#00)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Federated Auto Parts 250
The Federated Auto Parts 250 was held August 15 at Nashville Speedway USA. Mike Bliss won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Federated Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Brandon Butler (#22), Tom Hubert (#77), Cindy Peterson (#36), Ryan McGlynn (#00), Jerry Glanville (#81)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Lund Look 275K
The Lund Look 275K was held August 23 at Heartland Park Topeka. Boris Said won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Kroger 225
The Kroger 225 was held August 29 at Louisville Motor Speedway. Terry Cook won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Virginia Is For Lovers 200
The Virginia Is For Lovers 200 was held September 10 at Richmond International Raceway. Joe Ruttman won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Virginia Is For Lovers 200
Failed to qualify: Carl Long (#91), Joe Gaita (#83), Tammy Jo Kirk (#51), Shayne Lockhart (#33), Blake Bainbridge (#9), Billy Pauch (#06), Rick Wilson (#04), Terry Fisher (#41), Mike Ewanitsko (#42), Brian Sockwell (#30), Tom Baldwin (#48)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Memphis 200
The Memphis 200 was held September 13 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Greg Biffle won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ram Tough 200
The Ram Tough 200 was held September 19 at Gateway International Raceway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, NAPA 250
The NAPA 250 was held September 26 at Martinsville Speedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, NAPA 250
Failed to qualify: Greg Marlowe (#30), Carl Long (#91), Nipper Alsup (#92), Mike Olsen (#62), Donny Ling Jr. (#68), Ronnie Newman (#11), Jeff Spraker (#69), Ryan McGlynn (#00)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Kragen/Exide 151
The Kragen/Exide 151 was held October 11 at Sears Point Raceway. Tom Hubert won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Dodge California Truck Stop 300
The Dodge California Truck Stop 300 was held October 18 at Mesa Marin Raceway. Ron Hornaday Jr. won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service/AC Delco 300
The GM Goodwrench Service/AC Delco 300 was held October 24 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service/AC Delco 300
Failed to qualify: Bill Sedgwick (#4), Brandon Sperling (#42), Mike Clark (#38)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Sam's Town 250
The Sam's Town 250 was held November 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Sam's Town 250
Failed to qualify: Rob Morgan (#46), Danny Bagwell (#28), Chris Horn (#58), Austin Cameron (#4), David Starr (#9), Jerry Robertson (#12), Ricky Logan (#36), Mike Clark (#38), Richard Hinds (#81), Milan Garrett (#85)


1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Rookie of the Year
In his first year of NASCAR competition, Greg Biffle won four poles and had twelve top-tens, earning him Rookie of the Year honors over Andy Houston, who had one win and a twelfth-place points finish. Scot Walters, driving for Brewco Motorsports's truck team, was the last contender to run a full schedule, posting three top-tens. Wayne Anderson was released during the season from his ride Liberty Racing, while Kevin Cywinski and Dominic Dobson were late entrants. Billy Pauch, Mike Cope, Joe Bush and Tommy Archer did not run enough races to qualify for the honor.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 50th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 27th modern-era cup series. The season included 33 races and three exhibition races, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the Driver's Championship, the third of his career, and his third in the last four seasons.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Bud Shootout Qualifier
The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Bud Shootout
The Bud Shootout, a race for pole winners from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Mark Martin drew the pole. The race was broadcast on CBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Gatorade 125s
The Gatorade Twin 125s were run on February 12 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bobby and Terry Labonte were the pole-sitters, for both races, respectively. The races were broadcast tape delayed on CBS prior to the Daytona 500.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, 40th Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 was run on February 15 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Labonte brothers shared the front row with Bobby Labonte on the pole, and brother Terry Labonte starting second. But the biggest news of the day was Dale Earnhardt's long-awaited victory in the Daytona 500 after 19 frustrating attempts to win the big race. Moreover, his victory snapped a 59-race winless streak dating back to the spring of 1996. The race was broadcast on CBS. Dale dedicated the win to his late best friend and colleague, Neil Bonnett, who died after a crash while practicing for the 1994 race.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, 40th Daytona 500
Failed to qualify: 07-Dan Pardus, 8-Hut Stricklin, 14-Loy Allen Jr., 26-Johnny Benson, 29-Jeff Green, 35-Todd Bodine, 46-Wally Dallenbach Jr., 59-Mark Gibson, 78-Gary Bradberry, 79-Norm Benning, 80-Michael Ciochetti, 81-Kenny Wallace, 85-Randy Renfrow, 96-David Green


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service Plus 400
The GM Goodwrench Service Plus 400 was run on February 22 in Rockingham, North Carolina. The No. 75 of Rick Mast won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, GM Goodwrench Service Plus 400
Failed to qualify: 05-Morgan Shepherd, 35-Todd Bodine, 46-Wally Dallenbach Jr., 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry, 91-Kevin Lepage


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Las Vegas 400
The inaugural Las Vegas 400 was run on March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The No. 88 of Dale Jarrett won the pole. The race was broadcast on ABC.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Las Vegas 400
Failed to qualify: 1-Steve Park, 13-Jerry Nadeau, 19-Tony Raines, 35-Todd Bodine, 37-Larry Gunselman, 38-Butch Gilliland, 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Primestar 500
The Primestar 500 was scheduled to run on March 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, but was run on March 9 due to rain. The No. 43 of John Andretti won the pole. Steve Park suffered a broken leg in a crash during a Saturday morning practice session before 2nd Round Qualifying. Park's car hit the wall coming off Turn 4, hit it again in the quad-oval, then shot across the grass and hit the pit wall, scattering equipment on the wall (air guns, lugnuts, etc.) around.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Primestar 500
This crash put Park out of the No. 1 until Indianapolis in August. Phil Parsons was tapped to replace Park on a temporary basis, with Darrell Waltrip being chosen to fill in soon after. The race was supposed to be broadcast on ABC, but due to the washout, the broadcast was moved to ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Primestar 500
Failed to qualify: 05-Morgan Shepherd, 1-Steve Park/Phil Parsons, 29-Jeff Green, 40-Sterling Marlin*, 71-Dave Marcis, 95-Andy Hillenburg, 97-Chad Little


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, TranSouth Financial 400
The TranSouth Financial 400 was run on March 22 in Darlington, South Carolina. Mark Martin won the pole. Before this race, Ricky Craven was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. Because of this, he was forced to sit out. 2 time defending Busch Grand National champion Randy LaJoie was tapped to sub for Craven in the No. 50 Chevrolet. LaJoie ended up finishing 38th, 9 laps down as he encountered problems during the race. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, TranSouth Financial 400
Failed to qualify: 05-Morgan Shepherd, 1-Ron Hornaday Jr., 8-Hut Stricklin, 46-Wally Dallenbach Jr., 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Food City 500
The Food City 500 was run on March 29 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The No. 2 of Rusty Wallace won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Food City 500
Failed to qualify: 29-Jeff Green, 42-Joe Nemechek, 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Texas 500
The Texas 500 was run on April 5 in Fort Worth, Texas. The No. 12 of Jeremy Mayfield won the pole. During this race, journeyman Greg Sacks suffered near-fatal injuries in a lap 137 crash. Replays showed that the car got loose in the corner. Sacks over-corrected, which resulted in the car hitting the wall at about a 50 degree angle. Sacks suffered head injuries and had to be cut out of his No. 98 Ford. He would sit out the remainder of the 1998 season. After this crash, Sacks only raced sparingly in the ARCA Racing Series, the Cup Series, and the Xfinity Series. The race was broadcast on CBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Texas 500
Failed to qualify:13-Jerry Nadeau, 30-Derrike Cope, 35-Todd Bodine, 47-Billy Standridge, 95-Andy Hillenburg


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Martinsville)
The Goody's Headache Powder 500 was scheduled to run on April 19 in Martinsville, Virginia, but was run on April 20 due to rain. Bobby Hamilton won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Martinsville)
Failed to qualify: 46-Wally Dallenbach Jr., 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, DieHard 500
The DieHard 500 was run on April 26 in Talladega, Alabama. Bobby Labonte won the pole and went on to win the race. The race was marred by "The Big One" on lap 141, collecting Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott and 18 other cars. The race was broadcast on ABC.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, DieHard 500
Failed to qualify: 07-Dan Pardus, 7-Geoff Bodine, 8-Hut Stricklin, 29-Jeff Green, 35-Todd Bodine, 60-Matt Kenseth, 61-Bob Strait, 78-Gary Bradberry, 98-Rich Bickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, California 500 presented by NAPA
The California 500 was run on May 3 in Fontana, California. Jeff Gordon won the pole. For the second week in a row, a multiple car crash involved Bill Elliott's car erupting in flames. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, California 500 presented by NAPA
Failed to qualify: 8-Hut Stricklin, 19-Tony Raines, 71-Dave Marcis, 98-Rich Bickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, The Winston
The Winston, a non-points race with seventy laps in three segments, was run on May 16 in Concord, North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bill Elliott won the pole in the #94. The No. 6 of Mark Martin won after the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon ran out of gas on the last lap after dominating all night. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600 was run on May 24 in Concord, North Carolina. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on TBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
Failed to qualify: 07-Dan Pardus, 8-Hut Stricklin, 28-Kenny Irwin Jr., 46-Morgan Shepherd, 47-Billy Standridge, 71-Dave Marcis, 85-Randy MacDonald, 95-Andy Hillenburg


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Platinum 400
The MBNA Platinum 400 was run on May 31 in Dover, Delaware. The No. 2 of Rusty Wallace won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pontiac Excitement 400
The Pontiac Excitement 400 was run on June 6 in Richmond, Virginia. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Miller Lite 400
The Miller Lite 400 was run on June 14 in Brooklyn, Michigan. Ward Burton won the pole. The race was broadcast on CBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Miller Lite 400
Failed to qualify: 19-Tony Raines, 30-Derrike Cope, 35-Todd Bodine, 71-Dave Marcis


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pocono 500
The Pocono 500 was run on June 21 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Save Mart/Kragen 350
The Save Mart/Kragen 350 was run on June 28 in Sonoma, California. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Save Mart/Kragen 350
Failed to qualify: 35-Todd Bodine, 46-Tommy Kendall*, 58-Chris Raudman, 70-Rick Ware, 71-Dave Marcis


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Jiffy Lube 300
The Jiffy Lube 300 was run on July 12 in Loudon, New Hampshire. The No. 50 of Ricky Craven won the pole in his return to the No. 50 after missing the previous 13 races. This race was the last career start for Lake Speed, who's aggravated rib and sternum injuries during the race leading to his retirement. Speed's original injuries came from a practice crash he suffered in the previous race at Sears Point. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pennsylvania 500
The Pennsylvania 500 was run on July 26 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The No. 22 of Ward Burton won the pole. The race was broadcast on TBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400 was run on August 1 in Speedway, Indiana. Ernie Irvan won the pole. The race was broadcast on ABC.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
Failed to qualify: 07-Dan Pardus, 14-Lance Hooper*, 15-Loy Allen Jr., 19-Robby Gordon, 30-Derrike Cope, 78-Gary Bradberry, 95-Randy MacDonald, 96-Hut Stricklin


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, The Bud at The Glen
The Bud at The Glen was run on August 9 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400 presented by DeVilbiss
The Pepsi 400 presented by DeVilbiss was run on August 16 in Brooklyn, Michigan. Ernie Irvan won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400 presented by DeVilbiss
Failed to qualify: 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry, 81-Kenny Wallace, 96-Hut Stricklin


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Bristol)
The Goody's Headache Powder 500 was run on August 22 in Bristol, Tennessee. Rusty Wallace won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Bristol)
Failed to qualify: 41-Steve Grissom, 71-Dave Marcis, 78-Gary Bradberry, 85-Ken Bouchard


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Farm Aid on CMT 300
The Farm Aid on CMT 300 was run on August 30 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Jeff Gordon won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Farm Aid on CMT 300
Failed to qualify: 00-Buckshot Jones, 07-Dan Pardus, 30-Derrike Cope, 79-Ken Bouchard


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi Southern 500
The Pepsi Southern 500 was run on September 6 in Darlington, South Carolina. Dale Jarrett won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400
The Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 was run on September 12 in Richmond, Virginia. Rusty Wallace won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN. Jeff Burton would edge Jeff Gordon in an exciting side by side finish to take the win.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400
Failed to qualify: 00-Buckshot Jones, 78-Gary Bradberry, 79-Ken Bouchard, 98-Rich Bickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Gold 400
The MBNA Gold 400 was run on September 20 in Dover, Delaware. Mark Martin won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA Autocare 500
The NAPA Autocare 500 was run on September 27 in Martinsville, Virginia. Ernie Irvan won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA Autocare 500
Failed to qualify: 41-David Green, 78-Gary Bradberry, 79-Ken Bouchard, 85-Randy MacDonald


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-GM Quality 500
The UAW-GM Quality 500 was run on October 4 in Concord, North Carolina. The No. 30 of Derrike Cope won the pole. The race was broadcast on TBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-GM Quality 500
Failed to qualify: 19-Tony Raines, 46-Jeff Green, 71-Dave Marcis, 80-Andy Hillenburg, 85-Randy MacDonald


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Winston 500
The Winston 500 was run on October 11 in Talladega, Alabama. Ken Schrader won the pole. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Winston 500
Failed to qualify: 07-Dan Pardus, 41-Rick Wilson, 54-Bobby Gerhart, 75-Rick Mast, 78-Gary Bradberry, 98-Rich Bickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
The Pepsi 400 was scheduled to run on July 4 in Daytona Beach, Florida, but was run on October 17 due to wildfires in the Daytona Beach area. Bobby Labonte sat on the Bud Pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
Failed to qualify: 41-Rick Wilson, 75-Rick Mast, 77-Robert Pressley, 78-Gary Bradberry, 90-Dick Trickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Dura Lube/Kmart 500
The Dura Lube/Kmart 500* was run on October 25 in Phoenix, Arizona. The No. 33 of Ken Schrader won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, AC Delco 400
The AC Delco 400 was run on November 1 in Rockingham, North Carolina. Mark Martin won the pole. The race was broadcast on TNN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA 500
The NAPA 500 was run on November 8 in Hampton, Georgia. Kenny Irwin Jr. won the pole. Twice during the race, the red flag was displayed, both times for rain. By the time the race was again red-flagged, midnight was approaching, and track officials felt obliged to get the fans home at a decent hour. So the race was called at 221 of the scheduled 325 laps. The race was broadcast on ESPN.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA 500
Failed to qualify: 08-Harris DeVane, 75-Rick Mast, 80-Andy Hillenburg, 96-Steve Grissom,98-Rich Bickle


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NASCAR Thunder Special Motegi - Coca-Cola 500
The NASCAR Thunder Special Motegi - Coca-Cola 500 was an exhibition race run on November 22 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Motegi, Tochigi, Japan. Jeremy Mayfield won the pole.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NASCAR Thunder Special Motegi - Coca-Cola 500
This is also the first NASCAR race where Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. competed with one another in the No. 3 and No. 1 Chevrolets respectively. The race was broadcast on TBS.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Final points standings
Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by owner's points standings.


1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Rookie of the Year
This would be the last time until 2004 in which a rookie candidate did not win a race. The winner of this year's award was Kenny Irwin Jr., who qualified for 32 of the 33 races, had four top-tens, and one pole position in his Robert Yates Racing Ford. Kevin Lepage finished in second-place despite missing six races and starting the year with an underfunded team. Third-place finisher Jerry Nadeau also switched teams, starting the year with Bill Elliott Racing but winding up at Melling Racing at season's end. Finally, the last-place finisher was pre-season favorite Steve Park, who missed most of the year after suffering a broken leg in a practice crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway.


1998 NBA All-Star Game
The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the North American National Basketball Association All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. Besides the NBA All-Star game, there were two other events that occurred in the All-Star Weekend including the Rookies Game and the Three-Point Shootout.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Summary, Coaches
The Western Conference was coached by George Karl from the Seattle SuperSonics and the Eastern Conference was coached by Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Summary, Players
This would be the All-Star debut of Kobe Bryant, who became the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19 years of age. It would also be the debut for rookie Tim Duncan. Bryant had a team-high 18 points. Michael Jordan earned MVP honors, scoring 23 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out eight assists. This was Jordan's third MVP award. The game featured four all-stars from the Los Angeles Lakers.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Summary, Players
This was the first All-Star game to feature both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Jordan would come out of retirement once more in 2001 and play two more seasons (earning All-Star selections both years) for the Washington Wizards. In 1998, Michael Jordan led all the players in All-Star Game votes with 1,028,235 votes from the fans. This was also the first year that Shaquille O'Neal was able to play in the All-Star Game as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers as he was sidelined in 1997 due to a knee injury.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Summary, Players
This would be the last All-Star Game until 2000, as a labor dispute caused the following season to be shortened. A total of 10 players from this game would not play in another All-Star Game: Nick Van Exel, Mitch Richmond, Vin Baker, Anfernee Hardaway, Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway, Steve Smith, Glen Rice, Rik Smits and Jayson Williams.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Summary, Game
Grant Hill and Michael Jordan shot the best field goal percentages this game when comparing players who shot ten or more shots. Grant Hill was 7/11 from the field and he knocked down a three (.636%). Michael Jordan was 10/18 from the field and he also knocked down one three (.556%).


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Rookies Game
The NBA Rookies game took place on the Friday before the All-Star Game. The coaches of the teams were Willis Reed for the East and Dave DeBusschere for the West. The East would win their consecutive rookies game as Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cleveland Cavalier's center became the first international player to be recognized as the game's MVP. The final box score of the 1998 NBA Rookies was 85-80 for the East.


1998 NBA All-Star Game, Three - Point Shootout
The 3 Point shootout was held during the NBA All-Star Saturday. Eight players were selected to compete, all from different teams. There were three rounds in which the four top players will advance to the semifinal round and the top two in the semifinals will advance to the final round. Jeff Hornacek, Hubert Davis, Dale Ellis, and Charlie Ward advanced to the semifinals with Jeff Hornacek and Hubert Davis competing in the finals. In the end, it was Jeff Hornacek who won the 3 Point Shootout.


1998 NBA Finals
The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1998 playoffs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the 1997–98 NBA season. The defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls played against the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage for the first 2 games in Salt Lake City. In a repeat of the previous year's Finals, the Bulls won the series 4 games to 2 for their third consecutive NBA title and their sixth in eight seasons.


1998 NBA Finals
Michael Jordan was voted the NBA Finals MVP of the series (he also had won the award the last five times the Bulls won the Finals: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, and 1997). This would be his sixth NBA championship and sixth Finals MVP award in six full basketball seasons. This would be his final season of winning the NBA championship and Finals MVP.


1998 NBA Finals
The 1998 Finals garnered the highest Nielsen TV ratings in NBA history at 18.7, and even surpassed the Nielsen ratings for the 1998 World Series, marking the first time the NBA had a higher rating in its championship round than of Major League Baseball's championship round.


1998 NBA Finals
Until 2012, this was the most recent final played entirely outside of either Texas or California. Until 2014, it was the last consecutive Finals rematch between two teams. Until 2021, this was the last NBA Finals without a team from either Texas, California, or Florida.


1998 NBA Finals, Background
The series marked the first time since 1989 that the same two teams met in the Finals in consecutive years. The Jazz earned the league's best record by virtue of sweeping the two-game regular season series with the Bulls despite both teams finishing at 62 wins. In the playoffs, the Jazz were pushed to the brink by the Houston Rockets before winning Game 5 in Utah, and then overcame Rookie of the Year Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs 4–1. They then swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets and then took out the Charlotte Hornets in five, but it took seven games to overcome the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.


1998 NBA Finals, Background, Regular season series
The Utah Jazz won both games in the regular season series:


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Games 1 and 2
Unlike the 1997 Finals, the Jazz and Bulls entered this series as equals. The Jazz had won both regular season meetings with the Bulls, and many analysts predicted a hard-fought seven-game series. The two teams entered the Finals on completely different notes; the Jazz uneventfully swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and had a total of ten days' rest before the Finals began. The Bulls, meanwhile, endured a hard-fought series against a resurgent Indiana Pacers team helmed by Larry Bird (in his first year as head coach).


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Games 1 and 2
They would need all seven games to get past the Pacers and would have only two days' rest before having to travel to Utah. Predictions of a Jazz championship were strengthened with their 88–85 Game 1 victory in overtime in Utah, with Scottie Pippen just missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer. True to form, the Bulls tied the series in Game 2 while putting together a huge fourth-quarter run to silence the Delta Center and holding on to win 93–88, finally securing their first victory against Utah all season. Karl Malone shot very poorly in the first two games of the series with some misses including one layup in Game 2 that hit the underside of the rim.


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Games 3–5
The Finals moved to Chicago with control of the series at stake in Game 3. In a 96–54 loss, the Jazz set the record for the 42 point loss in Finals history and were hammered by the media for the score, as well as the lowest number of points scored in any NBA game (since eclipsed by a score of 49 from the Bulls on April 10, 1999) since the inception of the shot clock.


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Games 3–5
Chicago won Game 4 86-82, and Utah took Game 5 83–81 despite nearly blowing a seven-point lead in the last two minutes. Karl Malone had his best game of the series with 39 points, while Antoine Carr made all five of his field goal attempts. The series returned to Utah with the Bulls leading 3-2.


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
As they arrived at the Delta Center for Game 6, things didn't look good for the Bulls. Scottie Pippen, whose back was already injured going into the game, aggravated his injury when he dunked the opening basket of the game. He scored only 8 points the whole game. To keep pace with Utah, the Bulls were forced to rely almost entirely on Jordan, who scored 23 points in the first half. Emotions ran high at the Delta Center when the Jazz suffered a critical shot clock violation in the second quarter.


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
Referee Dick Bavetta ruled that Howard Eisley did not get a successful 3-point shot off in time, although TV replays showed that the ball was out of Eisley's hands just before the shot clock hit zero. Later in the fourth quarter, Michael Jordan tied the game with only a minute left. The Jazz received some relief as John Stockton hit a 3 with 41.9 seconds left to give Utah an 86–83 lead and sent the Delta Center into a frenzy.


1998 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
After Jordan made a layup to make it 86–85, the Bulls needed to stop the Jazz from scoring again. When John Stockton passed the ball to Karl Malone, Jordan stole the ball away and dribbled down the court. Guarding him was Bryon Russell, one of the Jazz's best defenders. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left. Jordan hit the 20-footer after crossing over Bryon Russell while apparently initiating contact, but replays would show that he did not, to give the Bulls an 87–86 lead with 5.2 seconds left. After a time-out, Stockton missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer, giving the Bulls their sixth NBA title in 8 years. Jordan, who scored 45 points, and whose game-winning shot has been immortalized around the world, was once again named Finals MVP.


1998 NBA Finals, Media coverage
The Finals were televised in the United States by NBC, with Bob Costas on play-by-play and Doug Collins and Isiah Thomas serving as color analysts. Hannah Storm hosted the pre-game show, assisted by Bill Walton, John Salley and Peter Vescey, and Ahmad Rashād and Jim Gray reported from the sidelines. This was the first time since NBC took over the broadcasting rights to the NBA Finals in 1991 that Marv Albert was not the play by play commentator. He was fired from NBC on September 25, 1997 for sodomizing a woman.


1998 NBA Finals, Media coverage
The 1998 NBA season documentary "Unforgettabulls" was the first of five narrated by Will Lyman through NBA Entertainment, which recaps the entire Bulls' season. Rick Telander narrates on the opening credits. Marv Albert narrates the timeline of Michael Jordan's career with the Bulls.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
As of the 2020–21 season, this series remains the last Finals appearances for both the Bulls and Jazz. After the season, the Bulls dynasty broke up. Without its key personnel, the Bulls missed the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 1999 season, winning just 13 of 50 games. The Bulls would not make the postseason again until 2005, win a playoff series until 2007, and earn the Eastern Conference top seed until 2011.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
Phil Jackson declined an offer from the team president to coach another season. He would come back as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999, winning five NBA titles in two separate stints with the team before retiring in 2011. This would give Jackson 11 NBA Titles, the most for a coach in the history of the four major American sports leagues. Ron Harper followed Jackson to the Lakers and won championships during his final two seasons, in 2000 and 2001.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
In January 1999, Michael Jordan announced his retirement for the second time; he would come out of retirement for the second and final time in 2001 with the Washington Wizards and played two seasons with the team. However, neither season ended with a playoff appearance. Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets during the offseason and played his last season (2003–04) with the Bulls. Dennis Rodman, released by the Bulls in the offseason, signed with the Lakers mid-season, playing only 23 games before being released.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
In January 1999, the Bulls re-signed Steve Kerr and traded him to the San Antonio Spurs, where he would win two more championships in 1999 and 2003, his last year in the NBA. Kerr would go on to win three championships as head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Luc Longley also retired in 2001.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
The Jazz would continue to make the postseason until 2003, John Stockton's last season, and next made the Western Conference Finals in 2007 but lost in five games to the Spurs. The following three seasons, the Jazz made the postseason but each time were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers. Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan resigned in February 2011.


1998 NBA Finals, Aftermath
Antoine Carr and Chris Morris became free agents after the Finals, signed with other teams, and retired by 2000. Jeff Hornacek retired in 2000 after two more seasons with Utah. After five more seasons with the Jazz, Karl Malone spent his final season of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons.