1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500

NASCAR event in Melbourne, Australia May 2020 March 2014 CUST Exhibition race in the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season Goodyear NASCAR 500 1988 02 28 Calder Park (Australia) track map--Thunderdome Speedway.svg Sponsored by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Calder Park Thunderdome 1988 1.119 1.801 313.35 504.28 280 Temperatures ranging between 11 C F and 23 C FWeather information for the 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 at Weather Underground 101.670 mi/h 46,000 (approx) Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises 28.829 75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises ESPN (simulcast of Seven Network coverage) Mike Raymond, Garry Wilkinson and Neil Crompton The Goodyear NASCAR 500 was a non-championship exhibition NASCAR Winston Cup series race run at the then new A$54 million Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne on 28 February 1988. The race was the first ever NASCAR event held outside North America. Unlike Winston Cup races in the United States, the 500 was actually 500 kilometres which is only 310 miles (roughly the same length as a Busch Series race). Headlining the race were a number of Winston Cup and Winston West Series drivers such as Alabama Gang members Bobby Allison, who had won the 1988 Daytona 500 just two weeks prior (his third and last win in the event), and Neil Bonnett, who had won the previous weekends Pontiac Excitement 400 at the Richmond International Raceway. Other NASCAR regulars including Michael Waltrip (the younger brother of triple Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip and a future Daytona 500 winner) and Dave Marcis took on Australians new to Super Speedway such as Touring car drivers Allan Grice, Kiwi Jim Richards, and Dick Johnson, although Grice had previously raced in Winston Cup events such as the longest race in the series, the Coca-Cola 600 at the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track on which Calder Park owner Bob Jane had modeled the Thunderdome. Grice had qualified 32nd at the 1987 Coca-Cola 600, becoming the second Australian to qualify for a NASCAR Winston Cup race (the first had been Frank Gardner in the 1968 American 500 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway). In Charlotte, Grice would be classified in 35th place at the end of the 600 after his car suffered differential failure. The most famous last name in NASCAR racing history was also represented. Kyle Petty, the son of NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty, the winner of the very first Daytona 500 in 1959, also made the trip down under for Australia's first ever NASCAR race. In a test session prior the meeting, Richard Petty set an unofficial lap record for the Thunderdome of 28.2 seconds for an average speed of 142.85 mp/h. The race was broadcast live across Australia by the Seven Network, and was broadcast internationally through ESPN in the US and also throughout Europe, with commentary provided by Seven's regular motor sport commentary team of Mike Raymond, Garry Wilkinson and Neil Crompton. Long-time motor racing and NASCAR journalist Chris Economaki, who had previously been part of Seven's Bathurst 1000 coverage in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also returned to Australia to be Seven's pit reporter and NASCAR expert during the race with local motoring journalist and race driver Peter McKay also doing pit reports. Seven used a number of Racecam units during the race with cameras mounted in several cars including those of Neil Bonnett and regular racecam drivers Allan Grice and Dick Johnson. Qualifying The race was 280 laps of the 1.801 km (1.119 mi) quad-oval Thunderdome (though it was generally referred to as a Tri-oval through its life). Neil Bonnett driving his 1987 model Pontiac Grand Prix for his Winston Cup team RahMoc Enterprises, won the $10,000 Goodyear-Parkroyal Pole Shootout with a time of 28.829 ahead of Allison who's Buick LeSabre ended up just 0.018 behind Bonnett, and the fastest of the Aussies, Allan Grice driving an Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a time of 28.871 seconds. Behind Grice, the highest placed Australian was Tasmanian speedway driver Robin Best who qualified 4th in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The only non-GM product in the top 10 was the Ford Thunderbird of former Motorcycle speedway rider turned stock car racer Sumner McKnight who qualified in 10th place. During Friday's qualifying session, Bonnett was the fastest qualifier, with a time of 28.71 seconds. Top ten qualifiers * Note: Speed shown in mp/h Grid No. Car number Driver Car Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in mph 175 USA Neil Bonnett Pontiac Grand Prix 28.829 139.734 212 USA Bobby Allison Buick LeSabre 28.847 139.647 3 3 AUS Allan Grice Oldsmobile Delta 88 28.871 139.531 488 AUS Robin Best Chevrolet Monte Carlo 29.088 138.490 578 USA Ron Esau Oldsmobile Delta 88 29.149 138.200 681 USA David Sosebee Chevrolet Monte Carlo 29.157 138.162 725 USA Bill Venturini Chevrolet Monte Carlo 29.281 137.577 898 USA Hershel McGriff Chevrolet Monte Carlo 29.370 137.160 928 USA Gary Collins Oldsmobile Delta 88 29.564 136.260 1083 USA Sumner McKnight Ford Thunderbird 29.584 136.168Source: Race summary Bonnett and Allison dominated the race, swapping the lead many times in the heat of the summer afternoon where cabin temperatures were reported to reach over 57 C. Bonnett led from the start, with Grice passing Allison coming out of turn 2 to move into second on lap 2. The Aussie then set out after Bonnet with Allison in hot pursuit and was looking likely to challenge the Pontiac, but came off second best in a touch with Allison's Buick coming out of Turn 4 which brought the race's first caution after just 13 laps after Grice's Oldsmobile was sent spinning across the infield. While Grice had over 20 years of motor racing experience, his NASCAR experience was limited compared to Allison's who at that stage was a 27-year veteran of the sport with some 707 race starts and 86 Winston Cup wins so it was no surprise to see the American come through without a drama. For Grice, it sent him to the rear of the field for the restart and over the next 50 or so laps, his charge back through the field saw the brakes go away on his Oldsmobile. Michael Waltrip had the inglorious honour of being the first to call into the pits at the end of the first lap for new tyres after a tap from behind had sent him into a half spin from which he quickly recovered. The tap also saw damage to the rear of Waltrip's Monte Carlo. It wasn't his first actual call to the pits as he was in and out during the formation laps before the start signalling a long day ahead. The race was marred by a multi-car crash at around lap 80 in turns 3 and 4 involving eight cars, including the Ford Thunderbird of Dick Johnson and Grice who, after struggling with no brakes in his charge through the field, ran into the wreck at speed, heavily damaging both his and Johnson's cars in the process as it was the No. 17 Thunderbird that he hit. Grice suffered a broken collarbone as a result of the high speed accident, while both his and Johnson's cars were write-offs. The fastest man at the Thunderdome, Neil Bonnett, won the race by less than a second from a fast closing Bobby Allison who benefited from a late race yellow flag pit stop which allowed him to change all four tyres without losing a lap. The Alabama Gang members dominated the race with Dave Marcis finishing 3rd giving the USA a 1–2–3 result and the trio finishing two laps clear of 4th placed Glen Steurer driving a Monte Carlo. In fact, the top 10 finishers were Americans, proving that experience in this form of racing was paramount. The first Australian to finish was the Monte Carlo of Robin Best, who finished 13 laps down in 11th place. Only 15 of the 32 car field finished the race. Bonnett's win earned him A$59,000 (US$42,000). Race results Pos Grid No. Driver Car Laps Status 1 1 75 USA Neil Bonnett Pontiac Grand Prix 280 running 2 2 12 USA Bobby Allison Buick LeSabre 280 running 315 71 USA Dave Marcis Chevrolet Monte Carlo 280 running 411 18 USA Glen Steurer Chevrolet Monte Carlo 278 running 510 83 USA Sumner McKnight Ford Thunderbird 278 running 6 8 98 USA Hershel McGriff Chevrolet Monte Carlo 275 running 719 15 USA Terry Petris Chevrolet Monte Carlo 275 running 812 19 USA Chad Little Ford Thunderbird 273 running 918 82 USA Jim Danielson Buick LeSabre 272 running 1022 21 USA Kyle Petty Chevrolet Monte Carlo 269 running 11 4 88 AUS Robin Best Chevrolet Monte Carlo 267 running 1213 32 USA Ruben Garcia Chevrolet Monte Carlo 267 running 1323 11 CAN Jerry Churchill Chevrolet Monte Carlo 258 running 1421 30 USA Michael Waltrip Chevrolet Monte Carlo 248 running 1514 89 USA Bob Howard Oldsmobile Delta 88 233 running DNF 6 81 USA David Sosebee Chevrolet Monte Carlo 205 transmission DNF26 1 NZL Jim Richards Oldsmobile Delta 88 182 engine DNF12 78 USA Ron Esau Oldsmobile Delta 88 160 engine DNF 9 28 USA Gary Collins Oldsmobile Delta 88 80 crash DNF28 17 AUS Dick Johnson Ford Thunderbird 80 crash DNF 3 03 AUS Allan Grice Oldsmobile Delta 88 80 crash DNF27 96 USA Brad Noffsinger Pontiac Grand Prix 80 crash DNF17 14 USA Harry Goularte Chevrolet Monte Carlo 79 crash DNF32 6 AUS John Lawes Oldsmobile Delta 88 77 crash DNF20 26 AUS Terry Byers Chevrolet Monte Carlo 76 crash DNF 7 25 USA Bill Venturini Chevrolet Monte Carlo 69 crash DNF29 8 USA Rick McCray Chevrolet Monte Carlo 63 crash DNF25 2 AUS Garry Rush Chevrolet Monte Carlo 54 overheating DNF24 33 USA John Krebs Oldsmobile Delta 88 48 engine DNF16 73 USA Bill Schmitt Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31 engine DNF30 48 AUS Tony Spanos Chevrolet Monte Carlo 17 transmission DNF31 22 USA St. James Davis Buick LaSabre 2 handlingSource: 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 results from racing-reference.info Notes Pole speed – 139.734 mp/h Race average speed – 101.67 mp/h Cautions – 11 for 52 laps Lead changes – 25 Winning margin – 0.86 seconds Race time – 3:23:45 Attendance – 46,000 (approx) Grand marshal – Bob Jane Official pace car – Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV Pace car driver – John Harvey References External links Channel 7 highlights on YouTube Category:1988 in Australian motorsport Category:1988 in NASCAR Category:1980s in sport in Melbourne Category:February 1988 sports events in Australia Category:Former NASCAR races Category:NASCAR races at Calder Park Thunderdome