nascar cup series stock car race held october international florida originally scheduled held fourth july race postponed fall widespread central florida race held night time time consecutive points paying plate races run october contested laps race season took eleventh win season finished second finished gordon retained point lead way cup championship title report background international hold nascar races california standard track international turn miles long track turns banked degrees stretch location finish line banked degrees defending race winner event fifth night races held cup series season originally scheduled run july seventeenth race event cup series schedule race nascar event held run night following installation lighting international scheduled broadcast live cbs stock car event televised live primetime network television days leading scheduled start practice thursday july concerns rose account massive outbreak underway central florida thousands people forced evacuate area interstate primary north south region closed july nascar announced race postponed july open date decision race october allow additional time controlled time race sold time summer race international achieved status meant race televised cbs network want compete fox broadcast game scheduled october july announced cable affiliate cbs air rescheduled race live entirety prior race led drivers championship points second points drivers championship points fourth points fifth points manufacturers championship chevrolet tied ford lead points followed points practice qualifying practice round qualifying held thursday october led pre qualifying practice lap time seconds ford teams drivers ran bodied race cars instead standard ran cup series races believing aerodynamic advantage plate car failed pass inspection extreme irregularities construction team withdrew practice began posted fastest time round qualifying lap seconds miles hour winning second fastest qualified 25th car qualify race day time trials second round qualifying held afternoon friday october fastest car session placing 26th starting grid chevrolet driven qualifying speed miles hour improved qualifying times starting field race slowest car qualify time miles hour received provisional starting positions failed field event 14th cup series points entering event opted sit majority practice qualifying having suffered injuries crash previous week practiced qualified run laps practice friday night october happy hour practice session began scheduled run half hours delayed duration hour minutes track dried following afternoon thunderstorms posted fastest speed session miles hour car suffered hood failure session hood flying car race race held starting saturday october dropped rear field prior start race driver change qualified car started pole started led lap race took lead lap held caution period race rain laps starting lap large crash occurred lap initiated losing control car turn wreck collected cars including time cup champion lost lead pit stops caution pitting lap later leaders pick bonus points leading lap suffered fractured shoulder fall exiting car race resumed lap took lead lap lap assumed lead held laps pit stops field saw lead led single lap long green flag period ended lap hit wall turn gordon leading time caution lost lead rookie pit stops retained lead resumption racing lap leading laps total passed gordon lap account having flat tire caution came rain shower brief lap caution saw gordon retaining lead continued pace field lap hit setting car accident brought caution gordon continued lead restart lap laps finish event rain began fall caution flag thrown red flag stopping race allow track dried event finish green minute red flag period race resumed gordon able hold final laps eleventh win season midst final sprint ended getting turned wide battle exiting turn crashed hard inside wall failing stripe finishing 20th gordon set average speed miles hour leading race laps gordon received purse money finished second finished fastest lap race set miles hour gordon entered race points lead extended points challenge gordon remainder season win cup series championship youngest driver accomplish feat race took hours minutes seconds complete margin victory seconds statistical notes cup series start race attempted qualify return traditional july date held night year event postponed sunday rain results qualifying race results
1998 Pepsi 400