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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
ALL-STAR: Gordon Comes Up Dry
Mark Martin scored a stunning upset on the last lap of the 1998 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
Tom Jensen  |  Posted April 23, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Jeff Gordon lost the 1998 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on the last lap when he ran out of gas. (Photo: David Taylor /Allsport)

Seemingly, the only way Jeff Gordon and his all-conquering No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet could lose the 1998 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was if they beat themselves. And that’s exactly what happened on a wild May night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Gordon came in to the ’98 All-Star race as both the defending race winner and defending series champion, well on his way to a second consecutive title and third in four seasons, as well as 13 victories, the most in a single season since Richard Petty in 1975. So Gordon was the prohibitive race favorite to capture the event for the third time in four years.

That said, the 14th running of NASCAR’s annual All-Star event featured a plethora of rule changes designed to mix up the action: Caution-flag laps no longer would be counted towards the 70-lap race distance; the field would be inverted randomly between segments with three to 12 positions possibly being moved; if drivers pitted between the second and third segments they would lose track position; and last but not least, qualifying was changed so that two 25-lap qualifying races determined the odd- and even-numbered starting positions for the main event.

ALL STAR GALLERY WITH LEGACY PICS

Just as he had a year earlier, Bill Elliott won the pole. But from the outset, it appeared that the race would belong to Gordon, the sport’s rising superstar. The California native won the first 30-lap segment, easily dominating the 20-car field.

A random draw saw the top four finishers from the first segment inverted, which opened the door for Mark Martin to step up in his Roush Racing Ford. Martin, who finished third, just 29 points behind Gordon in the 1997 championship race, passed Sterling Marlin on the first lap of the second segment and stayed there for the next 30 laps.

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