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PrivacyIROC XXII - 1998
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The International Race of Champions was an auto racing competition, featuring identically-prepared stock cars set up by a single team of mechanics, in an effort to make the race purely a test of driver ability. It was run with a small field of invited drivers (6-12) from all the major racing series including NASCAR, SCCA, FIA and USAC. Over the years CART and the IRL drivers, among others also participated.
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IROC XXII - 1998
Jeff Gordon opened the season with his first-ever IROC victory at Daytona, which was the serie's first rain-shortened event. Gordon made to the winner's circle after 75 of the scheduled 100 miles. In Race 2 at the California Speedway, Mark Martin passed Gordon for the lead and stayed there for the last 38 laps to claim the win. Series newcomer Jeff Burton won in Michigan after Tommy Kendall led the opening 44 laps. In IROC's historic debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jimmy Vasser was on the pole and led the first 36 laps, but Martin came from 11th to pass with four laps to go to take the triumph and his third consecutive IROC crown. The average margin of victory for the four events was an amazing .195 of a second. (from IROC Website)
Final Points |
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IROC 22 Champion Mark Martin  |
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Position |
Driver/Residence/Sanction |
Points |
Money Earned |
| 1 | Mark Martin/Daytona Beach, FL/NASCAR |
86 | $225,000 |
| 2 | Jeff Burton/Cornelius, NC/NASCAR |
57 | 100,000 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon/Davidson, NC/NASCAR |
51 | 60,000 |
| 4 | Al Unser Jr./Albuquerque, NM/CART |
46 | 50,000 |
| 5 | Terry Labonte/Thomasville, NC/NASCAR |
39 | 45,000 |
| 6 | Tony Steward/Indianapolis, IN/IRL |
37 | 40,000 |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt/Mooresville, NC/NASCAR |
36 | 40,000 |
| 8 | Jimmy Vasser/Las Vegas, NV/CART |
34 | 40,000 |
| 9 | Randy Lajoie/Kannapolis, NC/NASCAR |
31 | 40,000 |
| 10 | Dale Jarrett/Hickory, NC/NASCAR |
29 | 40,000 |
| 11 | Tom Kendall/Santa Monica, CA/SCCA |
28 | 40,000 |
| 12 | Arie Luyendyk/Scottsdale, AZ/IRL |
28 | 40,000 |
Race One |
| February 13, 1998 |
| Daytona International Speedway |
| Daytona Beach, Florida |
| 2.5-mile high-banked oval, 30 laps, 100 miles ** |
Finish |
Start |
Driver |
Laps |
Status |
| 1 | 6 | Jeff Gordon |
30 | Running |
| 2 | 4 | Jeff Burton |
30 | Running |
| 3 | 9 | Mark Martin |
30 | Running |
| 4 | 5 | Dale Earnhardt |
30 | Running |
| 5 | 8 | Arie Luyendyk |
30 | Running |
| 6 | 2 | Dale Jarrett |
30 | Running |
| 7 | 7 | Terry Labonte |
30 | Running |
| 8 | 12 | * Al Unser Jr. |
30 | Running |
| 9 | 1 | Tony Stewart |
30 | Running |
| 10 | 3 | Jimmy Vasser |
30 | Running |
| 11 | 11 | Randy Lajoie |
29 | Running |
| 12 | 10 | Tom Kendall |
11 | Accident |
* Did not practice, moved to rear of field |
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** Rain shortened from scheduled 100-mile distance |
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| Time of Race: 25 minutes, 8 seconds |
| Average Speed: 179.045 MPH |
| Margin of Victory: .087 second |
| Caution Flags : Laps 5 and 28 |
| Lead Changes: 10 among 7 drivers |
| Lap Leaders: Jarrett, 1; Burton, 2; Labonte, 3; Earnhardt, 4; Burton, 5-6, Earnhardt, 7; Burton, 8; Kendall, 9-11; Martin, 12-28; Gordon 29-30. |
Race Two |
| May 2, 1998 |
| California Speedway |
| Fontana, California |
| 2-mile oval, 50 laps, 100 miles |
Finish |
Start |
Driver |
Laps |
Status |
| 1 | 10 | Mark Martin |
50 | Running |
| 2 | 5 | Al Unser Jr. |
50 | Running |
| 3 | 12 | Jeff Gordon |
50 | Running |
| 4 | 6 | Terry Labonte |
50 | Running |
| 5 | 11 | Jeff Burton |
50 | Running |
| 6 | 2 | Randy LaJoie |
50 | Running |
| 7 | 4 | Tony Stewart |
50 | Running |
| 8 | 7 | Dale Jarrett |
50 | Running |
| 9 | 3 | Jimmy Vasser |
50 | Running |
| 10 | 9 | Dale Earnhardt |
50 | Running |
| 11 | 8 | Arie Luyendyk |
50 | Running |
| 12 | 1 | Tom Kendall |
45 | Running |
| Time of Race: 37 minutes, 1 second |
| Average Speed: 162.089 MPH |
| Margin of Victory: .218 second |
| Caution Flags: Lap 7 |
| Lead Changes: 4 among 4 drivers |
| Lap Leaders: LaJoie, 1-3; Unser Jr., 4-7; Gordon, 8-12; Martin, 13-50. |
Race Three |
| June 13, 1998 |
| Michigan International Speedway |
| Brooklyn, Michigan |
| Two-mile superspeedway, 50 laps, 100 miles. |
Finish |
Start |
Driver |
Laps |
Status |
| 1 | 10 | Jeff Burton |
50 | Running |
| 2 | 12 | Mark Martin |
50 | Running |
| 3 | 5 | Tony Stewart |
50 | Running |
| 4 | 7 | Dale Earnhardt |
50 | Running |
| 5 | 1 | Tom Kendall |
50 | Running |
| 6 | 8 | Terry Labonte |
50 | Running |
| 7 | 4 | Arie Luyendyk |
50 | Running |
| 8 | 11 | Jeff Gordon |
50 | Running |
| 9 | 3 | Randy LaJoie |
50 | Running |
| 10 | 6 | Dale Jarrett |
50 | Running |
| 11 | 2 | Jimmy Vasser |
50 | Running |
| 12 | 9 | Al Unser Jr. |
50 | Running |
| Time of Race: 36 minutes, 53.9 seconds |
| Average Speed: 162.969 MPH |
| Margin of Victory: .229 second |
| Caution Flags: None |
| Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers |
| Lap Leaders: Kendall, 1-44; Burton, 45-50. |
Race Four |
| July 31, 1998 |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| Indianapolis, IN |
| 2.5-mile oval, 40 laps, 100 miles |
Finish |
Start |
Driver |
Laps |
Status |
| 1 | 11 | Mark Martin |
40 | Running |
| 2 | 6 | Al Unser Jr. |
40 | Running |
| 3 | 1 | Jimmy Vasser |
40 | Running |
| 4 | 2 | Randy LaJoie |
40 | Running |
| 5 | 7 | Terry Labonte |
40 | Running |
| 6 | 12 | * Tony Stewart |
40 | Running |
| 7 | 3 | Dale Jarrett |
40 | Running |
| 8 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt |
40 | Running |
| 9 | 9 | Jeff Gordon |
40 | Running |
| 10 | 5 | Tom Kendall |
40 | Running |
| 11 | 4 | Arie Luyendyk |
2 | Accident |
| 12 | 10 | Jeff Burton |
2 | Accident |
* Stewart was scheduled to start sixth but started last at his request due to lack of practice. |
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| Time of Race: 38 minutes, 22 seconds |
| Average Speed: 156.386 MPH |
| Margin of Victory: . 247 second |
| Caution Flags: 1 (Luyendyk accident after lap 2) |
| Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers |
| Lap Leaders: Vasser, 1-36; Martin, 37-40. |