1998 Indy Racing League season

1998 Indy Racing League season
Pep Boys Indy Racing League
Season
Races	11
Start date	January 24
End date	October 11
Awards
Drivers' champion	Kenny Bräck
Indianapolis 500 winner	Eddie Cheever
Chronology
Previous season	Next season
1996–97	1999

The 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season 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.

Calendar

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location	Laps	Distance	Time	Speed (km/h)	Winner	Pole Position	Most Laps Led	Fastest Lap
1	January 24	Indy 200	Walt Disney World Speedway	Bay Lake, Florida	200	200 mi (320 km)	2'06:04.000	153.186	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Kenny Bräck
2	March 22	Dura Lube 200	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	200	200 mi (320 km)	2'02:18.735	157.888	Scott Sharp	Jeff Ward	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart
3	May 24	Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	200	500 mi (800 km)	3'26:40.524	233.598	Eddie Cheever	Billy Boat	Eddie Cheever	Tony Stewart
4	June 6	True Value 500	Texas Motor Speedway	Fort Worth, Texas	208	312 mi (502 km)	2'08:45.543	233.973	Billy Boat	Tony Stewart	Billy Boat	Tony Stewart
5	June 28	New England 200	New Hampshire International Speedway	Loudon, New Hampshire	200	211.6 mi (340.5 km)	1'51:30.262	183.237	Tony Stewart	Billy Boat	Tony Stewart	Davey Hamilton
6	July 19	Pep Boys 400K	Dover International Speedway	Dover, Delaware	248	248 mi (399 km)	2'29:49.262	159.833	Scott Sharp	Tony Stewart	Scott Sharp	Greg Ray
7	July 25	VisionAire 500K	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Concord, North Carolina	208	312 mi (502 km)	1'58:10.555	254.926	Kenny Bräck	Tony Stewart	Kenny Bräck	Kenny Bräck
8	August 16	Radisson 200	Pikes Peak International Raceway	Fountain, Colorado	200	200 mi (320 km)	1'29:52.649	214.866	Kenny Bräck	Billy Boat	Jeff Ward	Jeff Ward
9	August 29	Atlanta 500 Classic	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Hampton, Georgia	200	312 mi (502 km)	2'17:15.289	225.343	Kenny Bräck	Billy Boat	Scott Goodyear	Billy Boat
10	September 20	Lone Star 500	Texas Motor Speedway	Fort Worth, Texas	208	312 mi (502 km)	2'21:53.557	212.316	John Paul, Jr.	Billy Boat	Tony Stewart	Jeff Ward
11	October 11	Las Vegas 500K	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, Nevada	208	312 mi (502 km)	2'18:19.202	217.800	Arie Luyendyk	Billy Boat	Arie Luyendyk	Arie Luyendyk

Race summaries

Indy 200

This race was held January 24 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 1- Tony Stewart
2. 35- Jeff Ward
3. 6- Davey Hamilton
4. 77- Stephan Gregoire
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.

Dura-Lube 200

This race was held March 22 at Phoenix International Raceway. Jeff Ward won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 8- Scott Sharp
2. 1- Tony Stewart
3. 11- Billy Boat
4. 77- Stephan Gregoire
5. 35- Jeff Ward
6. 4- Scott Goodyear
7. 99- Sam Schmidt
8. 30- Raul Boesel
9. 12- Buzz Calkins
10. 51- Eddie Cheever

82nd Indianapolis 500

The Indy 500 was held May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

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

True Value 500

This race was held June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten 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

New England 200

This race was held June 28 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

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

Pep Boys 400K

Pep Boys 400K was held July 19 at Dover International Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten 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

Visionaire 500K

This race was held July 25 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten 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- Stephan Gregoire
9. 40- Jack Miller
10. 21- Stevie Reeves

Radisson 200

This race was held August 16 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten results

1. 14- Kenny Bräck
2. 3- Robbie Buhl
3. 1- Tony Stewart
4. 77- Stephan Gregoire
5. 6- Davey Hamilton
6. 16- Marco Greco
7. 91- Buddy Lazier
8. 51- Eddie Cheever
9. 11- Billy Boat
10. 98- Donnie Beechler

Atlanta 500 Classic

This race was held August 29 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten 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

This race was held September 20 at Texas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten 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

Las Vegas 500K

This race was held October 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten 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

Final points standings

Pos Driver WDW PHX INDY TXS NHS DOV CMS PIK ATL TXS LSV Pts 1 Kenny Bräck 13 14 6 3 18 10 1* 1 1 5 10 332 2 Davey Hamilton 3 26 4 7 4 4 7 5 2 9 19 292 3 Tony Stewart 1* 2* 33 14 1* 8 21 3 5 20* 14 289 4 Scott Sharp 6 1 16 5 3 1* 18 11 18 23 12 272 5 Buddy Lazier 15 28 2 11 7 2 13 7 17 6 3 262 6 Jeff Ward 2 5 13 17 22 19 2 20* 6 3 21 252 7 Scott Goodyear 17 6 24 4 2 6 3 18 4* 22 22 244 8 Arie Luyendyk 8 24 20 13 5 9 4 22 8 28 1* 227 9 Eddie Cheever 24 10 1* 26 9 16 20 8 3 25 5 222 10 Marco Greco 27 20 14 8 13 3 5 6 13 16 8 219 11 John Paul, Jr. 10 19 7 16 26 21 6 15 23 1 4 216 12 Stéphane Grégoire 4 4 17 25 24 5 8 4 20 26 17 201 13 Billy Boat 21 3 23 1* 21 9 12 14 26 194 14 Sam Schmidt 9 7 26 18 12 17 14 13 15 27 2 186 15 Mark Dismore 5 16 27 21 8 18 15 19 7 10 15 180 16 Robby Unser 5 9 11 11 12 16 2 16 176 17 Robbie Buhl 20 12 31 6 10 2 11 7 7 174 18 Brian Tyler 19 17 DNQ 14 12 16 16 21 13 6 140 19 Buzz Calkins 14 9 10 15 15 24 28 11 11 134 20 Raul Boesel 18 8 19 28 19 14 24 25 10 17 18 132 21 Greg Ray 25 11 18 2 15 17 24 21 25 128 22 Steve Knapp 3 13 14 14 18 9 118 23 Dr. Jack Miller 23 DNS 21 22 16 20 9 23 27 12 28 100 24 Andy Michner 8 12 17 9 15 92 25 Stan Wattles 22 DNQ 28 10 17 26 8 13 88 26 Roberto Guerrero 26 27 22 24 21 19 4 20 83 27 Tyce Carlson 11 13 DNQ 12 11 73 28 Donnie Beechler 32 27 20 19 10 22 19 23 71 29 Eliseo Salazar 12 23 DNQ 23 6 DNS 60 30 Mike Groff 7 15 15 DNS 56 31 Jimmy Kite 16 18 11 DNP 23 52 32 J. J. Yeley 25 9 19 23 25 50 33 Jim Guthrie DNS DNS 29 7 22 24 41 34 Jack Hewitt 12 DNP 25 23 35 Stevie Reeves 10 20 36 David Steele 22 24 27 17 37 Billy Roe DNQ 30 20 11 38 Paul Durant 21 DNQ DNP 9 39 Scott Harrington DNQ 22 8 40 Johnny Unser 25 5 41 Robbie Groff 28 DNQ 2 - Affonso Giaffone DNQ 0 - Claude Bourbonnais DNQ 0 - Dan Drinan DNQ 0 - Joe Gosek DNQ DNP 0 - John Hollansworth, Jr. DNS 0 - Jaques Lazier DNQ 0 - Hideshi Matsuda DNQ 0 - Danny Ongais DNQ 0 - Lyn St. James DNQ 0 Pos Driver WDW PHX INDY TXS NHS DOV CMS PIK ATL TXS LSV Pts

Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th-10th place Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Not competing In-line notation Bold Pole position (3 points) Italics Ran fastest race lap * Led most race laps (2 points) DNS Any driver who qualifies but does not start (DNS), earns all the points had they taken part. Rookie of the Year Rookie

In every race, points are awarded to drivers on the following basis:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33
Points	50	40	35	32	30	28	26	24	22	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	1	1	1	1

• 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 (3 points), the second best qualifier (2 points), the third best qualifier (1 point) and to the driver leading the most laps (2 point).

Note:
WDW: 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.
PHX: Scott Sharp had 7 points deduction, because his car failed the post race fuel capacity inspection.
PIK: 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.

See also

• 1998 Indianapolis 500
• 1998 Indy Lights season
• 1998 CART season
• 1998 Toyota Atlantic Championship season
• http://champcarstats.com/year/1998i.htm
• http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 140-141)