1998 Winchester 400

1998 Winchester 400

The twenty-ninth annual Snap-On Tools Winchester 400 motor race (run yearly since 1970) was held under All-Pro Series sanction on September 27, 1998, at the Winchester Speedway, Indiana (USA).

Becoming the third different winner in as many years, Derrick Gilchrist was crowned the 1998 "Winchester 400" Champion. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native flew past Steven Howard on lap 299 and beat points leader Freddie Query across the finish line.

Jeff Fultz of Milford, Ohio, drove his Jani-King Chevrolet to the pole-position with a lap of 15.990 seconds (112.570 MPH). Fellow front-row starter Hal Goodson leaped to the lead at the start of the 400-lap grind. Fultz would settle into second until moving past Goodson for the lead on lap 55. Fultz would hold the lead until Goodson went back in front under caution to lead the 87th circuit. Starting seventh, Hoosier Brian Ross of the Kendall Late Model Series, took the lead on lap 88 and would hold the top spot until most of the leaders pitted under caution on lap 155.

Fultz stayed out and retook the lead as Ross and the other lead-lap machines tried to run him down. Ross’ day ended on lap 213 when suspension failure sent him bouncing off the first turn wall. After a round of pit stops under that caution, Steven Howard showed the way. Gilchrist took his first lead of the day in his Robert Hake-prepared machine on lap 299 after solving vapor lock problems. Once in front, he went on to lead the final 102 laps and score his second series win of the 1998 season and $14,900. Query finished second, 1.074 seconds behind the leader with Howard in third, the last car on the lead lap. One lap back was Ron Young in fourth and fifth-place Scott Riggs.