1998 Indy Racing League


The 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League was one of relative stability compared to the previous two seasons. For the first time the season consisted of a single and complete spring, summer, and fall like all other forms of motorsport. 15 drivers completed the entire 11 race schedule, twice as many as the previous season. It was also the first complete season for the new Riley & Scott chassis, though it proved unpopular due to its late introduction. A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers captured 4 wins, the Indy 500 pole, and the championship, arguably the most successful year in the team's history.

Teams and drivers

Season summary

Schedule

RndDateRace NameTrackCity
1January 24Indy 200 at Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World SpeedwayBay Lake, Florida
2March 22Dura Lube 200Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, Arizona
3May 2482nd Indianapolis 500Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, Indiana
4June 6True Value 500Texas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, Texas
5June 28New England 200New Hampshire International SpeedwayLoudon, New Hampshire
6July 19Pep Boys 400KDover International SpeedwayDover, Delaware
7July 25VisionAire 500KCharlotte Motor SpeedwayConcord, North Carolina
8August 16Radisson 200Pikes Peak International RacewayFountain, Colorado
9August 29Atlanta 500 ClassicAtlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, Georgia
10September 20Lone Star 500Texas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, Texas
11October 11Las Vegas 500KLas Vegas Motor SpeedwayLas Vegas, Nevada

All races running on Oval/Speedway
The eight races that were held in calendar year 1997 returned in 1998, with the addition of three new races. As part of their effort to venture in traditional stock-car markets, the IRL held the second Indy-car race ever, the first since 1969, at Dover International Speedway, and also competed at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, which had been raced eight times by Indy-cars in its former shape between 1965 and 1983. A second race at Texas Motor Speedway in the fall completed the calendar.

Race results

Race summaries

Indy 200

The Indy 200 was held on January 24 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Qualifying was rained out, so Tony Stewart won the pole position due the race being lined up by 1996-97 entrant standings for the first 20 positions and the remaining eight came from the best practice speeds of the remaining cars.
Top 10 results
  1. 1- Tony Stewart
  2. 35- Jeff Ward
  3. 6- Davey Hamilton
  4. 77- Stéphan Grégoire
  5. 28- Mark Dismore
  6. 8- Scott Sharp
  7. 10- Mike Groff
  8. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  9. 99- Sam Schmidt
  10. 18- John Paul, Jr.
The Dura-Lube 200 was held on March 22 at Phoenix International Raceway. Jeff Ward qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 8- Scott Sharp
  2. 1- Tony Stewart
  3. 11- Billy Boat
  4. 77- Stéphan Grégoire
  5. 35- Jeff Ward
  6. 4- Scott Goodyear
  7. 99- Sam Schmidt
  8. 30- Raul Boesel
  9. 12- Buzz Calkins
  10. 51- Eddie Cheever
The Indianapolis 500 was held on May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top ten results
  1. 51- Eddie Cheever
  2. 91- Buddy Lazier
  3. 55- Steve Knapp
  4. 6- Davey Hamilton
  5. 52- Robby Unser
  6. 14- Kenny Bräck
  7. 81- John Paul, Jr.
  8. 17- Andy Michner
  9. 44- J. J. Yeley
  10. 12- Buzz Calkins
The True Value 500 was held June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 11- Billy Boat
  2. 97- Greg Ray
  3. 14- Kenny Bräck
  4. 4- Scott Goodyear
  5. 8- Scott Sharp
  6. 3- Robbie Buhl
  7. 6- Davey Hamilton
  8. 16- Marco Greco
  9. 52- Robby Unser
  10. 19- Stan Wattles
The New England 200 was held on June 28 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top ten results
  1. 1- Tony Stewart
  2. 4- Scott Goodyear
  3. 8- Scott Sharp
  4. 6- Davey Hamilton
  5. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  6. 15- Eliseo Salazar
  7. 91- Buddy Lazier
  8. 28- Mark Dismore
  9. 51- Eddie Cheever
  10. 3- Robbie Buhl
The Pep Boys 400K was held on July 19 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 8- Scott Sharp
  2. 91- Buddy Lazier
  3. 16- Marco Greco
  4. 6- Davey Hamilton
  5. 77- Stephan Gregoire
  6. 4- Scott Goodyear
  7. 23- Jim Guthrie
  8. 1- Tony Stewart
  9. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  10. 14- Kenny Bräck
The VisionAire 500K was held on July 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 14- Kenny Bräck
  2. 35- Jeff Ward
  3. 4- Scott Goodyear
  4. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  5. 16- Marco Greco
  6. 10- John Paul, Jr.
  7. 6- Davey Hamilton
  8. 77- Stéphan Grégoire
  9. 40- Jack Miller
  10. 21- Stevie Reeves
The Radisson 200 was held August 16 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 14- Kenny Bräck
  2. 3- Robbie Buhl
  3. 1- Tony Stewart
  4. 77- Stéphan Grégoire
  5. 6- Davey Hamilton
  6. 16- Marco Greco
  7. 91- Buddy Lazier
  8. 51- Eddie Cheever
  9. 11- Billy Boat
  10. 98- Donnie Beechler
The Atlanta 500 Classic was held on August 29 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 14- Kenny Bräck
  2. 6- Davey Hamilton
  3. 51- Eddie Cheever
  4. 4- Scott Goodyear
  5. 1- Tony Stewart
  6. 35- Jeff Ward
  7. 28- Mark Dismore
  8. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  9. 15- Andy Michner
  10. 30- Raul Boesel

    Lone Star 500

The Lone Star 500 was held on September 20 at Texas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 10- John Paul, Jr.
  2. 52- Robby Unser
  3. 35- Jeff Ward
  4. 23- Roberto Guerrero
  5. 14- Kenny Bräck
  6. 91- Buddy Lazier
  7. 3- Robbie Buhl
  8. 19- Stan Wattles
  9. 6- Davey Hamilton
  10. 28- Mark Dismore
The Las Vegas 500K was held on October 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position.
Top 10 results
  1. 5- Arie Luyendyk
  2. 99- Sam Schmidt
  3. 91- Buddy Lazier
  4. 10- John Paul, Jr.
  5. 51- Eddie Cheever
  6. 81- Brian Tyler
  7. 3- Robbie Buhl
  8. 16- Marco Greco
  9. 18- Steve Knapp
  10. 14- Kenny Bräck

  • Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.
Additional points were awarded to the pole winner, the second best qualifier, the third best qualifier and to the driver leading the most laps.
Note:
Orlando: No additional points for the qualifying were awarded due to rain, starting grid were determined by 1996-97 entrant points for the first 20 positions and the remaining eight went to top practice times from Thursday.
Phoenix: Scott Sharp had 7 points deduction, because his car failed the post race fuel capacity inspection.
Pikes Peak: Tony Stewart and Robbie Buhl had 15 points deduction each, because the rear wings of both Team Menard cars were found to be in violation of technical specifications.

Footnotes

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