Earnhardt penalized five laps for spinning Bodine

Waltrip edges Wallace in 1988 600; Gant breaks leg

By Sporting News Wire Service
May 22, 2008
10:36 PM EDT

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The 1988 Coca-Cola 600 was memorable enough for Darrell Waltrip's 0.24-second win over Rusty Wallace, as the No. 17 Tide Chevy owned by Rick Hendrick held off the No. 27 Kodiak Pontiac owned by Raymond Beadle.

Mark Aumann takes a look at the 1993 600, when Dale Earnhardt won the first race at Charlotte under the lights.

Complete story, click here

But the event also was a watershed of stock-car racing lore. NASCAR penalized Dale Earnhardt five laps for spinning Geoffrey Bodine during a relatively innocent-looking racing incident. The punishment may have had as much to do with the previous day's Busch Series race, in which Earnhardt and Bodine had tangled twice, with Earnhardt the aggressor.

The 600 also featured a succession of blown tires and hard contact with the wall. Waltrip drove a patient, methodical race as many of his competitors suffered the consequences of tire failure. Rick Wilson had the fastest car and led 106 laps before a blown right-front tire and subsequent crash ended his bid for the win after 353 laps. Harry Gant suffered a broken leg in a crash that ended his day on Lap 231.

Six cars finished on the lead lap. Mike Alexander took over the No. 26 Buick in relief of Ricky Rudd, who had injured his knee during The Winston the previous weekend, and drove it to a seventh-place finish, the only car one lap down. Brad Noffsinger led the one and only lap he ever led in Cup racing, and Cale Yarborough failed in his final attempt to win the one "major" race that had eluded him.

• 1978: Ribbs' wrong turn helped open door for Earnhardt
• 1982: In sweltering heat, Bonnett 'Ace's surprising Elliott

1988 Coca-Cola 600

Charlotte Motor Speedway, May 29, 1988

Finish	Start	Driver	Laps	Led

1	5	Darrell Waltrip	400	73
2	11	Rusty Wallace	400	4
3	9	Alan Kulwicki	400	12
4	14	Brett Bodine	400	96
5	1	Davey Allison	400	27
6	19	Ken Schrader	400	1
7	34	Ricky Rudd	399	0
8	12	Phil Parsons	398	1
9	3	Terry Labonte	397	0
10	36	Greg Sacks	396	0
11	24	Ken Bouchard	396	0
12	37	Jimmy Means	395	6
13	7	Dale Earnhardt	394	0
14	28	Bobby Hillin Jr.	393	0
15	30	Richard Petty	392	1
16	13	Kyle Petty	375	0
17	4	Bobby Allison	365	19
18	10	Rick Wilson	353	106
19	6	Bill Elliott	340	17
20	25	Joe Ruttman	339	0
21	15	Lake Speed	338 0
22	23	Ernie Irvan	328	0
23	22	Michael Waltrip	326	0
24	2	Geoffrey Bodine	317	1
25	18	Benny Parsons	294	0
26	16	Morgan Shepherd	270	0
27	20	Sterling Marlin	247	18
28	32	Eddie Bierschwale	243	0
29	27	Buddy Baker	243	6
30	21	Harry Gant	231	10
31	26	Jimmy Horton	230	0
32	40	Rodney Combs	227	0
33	41	Brad Noffsinger	191	1
34	38	Dave Marcis	166	1
35	35	H.B. Bailey	155	0
36	31	Neil Bonnett	113	0
37	8	Mark Martin	83	0
38	33	Cale Yarborough	58	0
39	17	Jim Sauter	57	0
40	29	Derrike Cope	57	0
41	39	Dale Jarrett	27	0