1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500

rdf:langString 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500

rdf:langString Mike Raymond, Garry Wilkinson and Neil Crompton

rdf:langString Sponsored by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

rdf:langString Exhibition race in the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season

rdf:langString ESPN

rdf:langString CUST

rdf:langString Neil Bonnett

rdf:langString RahMoc Enterprises

rdf:langString Temperatures ranging between and

rdf:langString Goodyear NASCAR 500

rdf:langString The Goodyear NASCAR 500 race was run twice at the then new A$54 million Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne on 28 February 1988. The race was the first ever NASCAR event held outside North America then a second race The Goodyear 500 was run again on December the 5th 1988 with Rahmoc Valvoline Pontiac going back to back to victory lane with 1st race in February 1st place #75 Neil Bonnet Valvoline Pontiac 2+2 the same car returned for the December 1988 race again with Neil Bonnett driving this time carry the #57 of Rahmoc Valvoline Pontiac Racing Team not as has been reported in the print media and forums elsewhere Neil Bonnett drove this car to a 5th place finish in the December 1988 Goodyear 500 at Calder Park. I was personally working for the team as Morgan's pit crew member for the race meeting and Neil was the teams other driver and to clear the other incorrect reporting the #75 Morgan drove was a newer model Monte Carlo car that had never been previously or was ever planned to be a race car it was purely a show car only for the public to see and was built accordingly. The car was brought to Australia as the only viable choice the team had due to sea freight shipping departure deadlines, we prepped and set up both cars one from retirement the other from in the lot the a legend of the Nascar world being a member off the Alabama gang and close friend to the Legend Dale Earnhart spending many hours together fishing and hunting that they both loved doing enjoying each other's company in rare precious times away from the world in peace and quiet off the outdoors together. The 2nd Race held in December 1988 with the #75 Valvoline Pontiac driven by Morgan Sheppard greeting the chequered in 1st place. Unlike Winston Cup races in the United States, the 500 was actually 500 kilometres which is only 310 miles (roughly the same length as a Busch Series race). Headlining the race were a number of Winston Cup and Winston West Series drivers such as Alabama Gang members Bobby Allison, who had won the 1988 Daytona 500 just two weeks prior (his third and last win in the event), and Neil Bonnett, who had won the previous weekends Pontiac Excitement 400 at the Richmond International Raceway. Other NASCAR regulars including Michael Waltrip (the younger brother of triple Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip and a future Daytona 500 winner) and Dave Marcis took on Australians new to Super Speedway such as Touring car drivers Allan Grice, Kiwi Jim Richards, and Dick Johnson, although Grice had previously raced in Winston Cup events such as the longest race in the series, the Coca-Cola 600 at the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track on which Calder Park owner Bob Jane had modeled the Thunderdome. Grice had qualified 32nd at the 1987 Coca-Cola 600, becoming the first Australian to qualify for a NASCAR Winston Cup race. He would be classified in 35th place at the end of the 600 after his car suffered differential failure. The most famous last name in NASCAR racing history was also represented. Kyle Petty, the son of NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty, the winner of the very first Daytona 500 in 1959, also made the trip down under for Australia's first ever NASCAR race. In a test session prior the meeting, Richard Petty set an unofficial lap record for the Thunderdome of 28.2 seconds for an average speed of 142.85 mp/h. The race was broadcast live across Australia by the Seven Network, and was broadcast internationally through ESPN in the US and also throughout Europe, with commentary provided by their regular motor sport commentary team of Mike Raymond, Garry Wilkinson and Neil Crompton. Long-time motor racing and NASCAR journalist Chris Economaki, who had previously been part of Seven's Bathurst 1000 coverage in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also returned to Australia to be Seven's pit reporter and NASCAR expert during the race with local motoring journalist and race driver also doing pit reports. Seven used a number of Racecam units during the race with cameras mounted in several cars including those of Neil Bonnett and regular racecam drivers Allan Grice and Dick Johnson.