1988 Pannill Sweatshirts 500

Martinsville Speedway is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races.[3] The standard track at Martinsville Speedway is a four-turn short-track oval that is 0.526 miles (0.847 km) long.[4] The track's turns are banked at eleven degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at zero degrees. The back stretch also has a zero degree banking.[4]

It took three hours and twenty-eight minutes for the race to reach completion.[2] Notable speeds were: 74.740 miles per hour (120.282 km/h) as the average speed and 91.328 miles per hour (146.978 km/h) as the pole position speed.[2] Jimmy Hensley managed to qualify Buddy Arrington's #67 Pannill Sweatshirts Ford in the top-10 for the Pannill Sweatshirts race.[2] It was a shame a mechanical failure put him on the sidelines on lap 290. This was Hensley's only Cup start of the season.[2]

Harry Gant wasn't on his way to winning this race; having qualified in 3rd place and having to leave the race due to engine problems on lap 208.[2] Even if Gant had the lead on the last lap by a full straightaway, something would have caused him bad luck and forced him out of the race.

Hillin, Jr.'s third-place run was also his only top-5 performance on a short track in Cup competition.[2]

Forty six thousand fans would watch Dale Earnhardt in his #3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo defeat Sterling Marlin in his #44 Oldsmobile Cutlass by almost two seconds.[2] Earnhardt's other victory within the entire 1988 Winston Cup Series season came at the 1988 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 near Atlanta, Georgia.[5] The most dominant drivers in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series during the 1980s were Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt.

Seven caution flags slowed the race for 46 laps.[2] Other notable drivers in the race included Bill Elliott (still racing on a part-time basis), Dale Jarrett (retired since 2008), Kyle Petty (retired since 2009), Ricky Rudd (retired since 2006), and Michael Waltrip (still racing on a part-time basis).[2] This race would also be notorious for being the event where Richard Petty would receive one of his final last-place finishes of his career. In reality, Petty would receive his 15th and final "last place" finish at the 1989 Holly Farms 400 race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Ernie Irvan (in his #2 vehicle) and Jimmy Means (in his #52 vehicle) both failed to qualify for the race.

Total winnings for this race were $295,315 ($638,409 when adjusted for inflation) collectively spread throughout the qualifying drivers.[6]

Section reference: [2]

• Start of race: Ricky Rudd started out the event with the pole position.
• Lap 38: Harry Gant took over the lead from Ricky Rudd.
• Lap 66: First caution of the event, ended on lap 75.
• Lap 67: Terry Labonte took over the lead from Harry Gant.
• Lap 68: Harry Gant took over the lead from Terry Labonte.
• Lap 87: Second caution of the event, ended on lap 94.
• Lap 206: Sterling Marlin took over the lead from Harry Gant.
• Lap 246: Third caution of the event, ended on lap 251.
• Lap 247: Buddy Baker took over the lead from Sterling Marlin.
• Lap 248: Sterling Marlin took over the lead from Buddy Baker.
• Lap 286: Fourth caution of the event, ended on lap 290.
• Lap 287: Bobby Hillin, Jr. took over the lead from Sterling Marlin.
• Lap 292: Sterling Marlin took over the lead from Bobby Hillin, Jr..
• Lap 312: Fifth caution of the event, ended on lap 318.
• Lap 313: Bobby Hillin, Jr. took over the lead from Sterling Marlin.
• Lap 319: Dale Earnhardt took over the lead from Bobby Hillin, Jr..
• Lap 393: Sixth caution of the event, ended on lap 396.
• Lap 405: Seventh caution of the event, ended on lap 410.
• Finish: Dale Earnhardt finished the event in first place.