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NASCAR: $20,000 NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Doubles for Pennsylvania 500

21 July 1998

Winston-Salem, N.C. - WINSTON-SALEM, NC - RaceWire - Jeff Burton can flat-out drive a flat track.

The South Boston, Va., native scored his first victory of the season in dominating last weeks Jiffy Lube 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, leading 191 of the final 221 laps on his way to the checkered flag.

The victory made it two triumphs in a row in the Jiffy Lube 300 and was the fourth win of Burtons career. Three of those victories, including a 1997 triumph at Martinsville, have come on flat tracks.

Burton, ranked eighth in the NASCAR Winston Cup points standings, failed to capture the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus as points leader Jeff Gordon crossed the Loudon finish line third.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is awarded to any driver who wins a race and leads the NASCAR Winston Cup points standings at the conclusion of the event. The bonus starts at $10,000 and increases by that same amount for every race until it is won.

The Jiffy Lube 300 marked the first time in the last three races that the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus has not been awarded. Jeremy Mayfield won $40,000 in the Pocono 500 and Gordon picked up $10,000 for his win at Sears Point. Gordon now holds a 52-point advantage over Mark Martin. Dale Jarrett is third, 98 points behind. Teammates Mayfield and Rusty Wallace round out the top five in NASCAR Winston Cup points, 137 and 220 points, respectively, behind.

  1998 Winston Leader Bonus Results

  Race              Winner/Pts.    Pos.  Bonus      Points Leader
  Daytona 500       Dale Earnhardt (1)     ---      Dale Earnhardt
  GM Goodwrench 400 Jeff Gordon (3)        ---      Rusty Wallace
  Las Vegas 400     Mark Martin (7)        ---      Rusty Wallace
  Primestar 500     Bobby Labonte (6)      ---      Rusty Wallace
  TranSouth 400     Dale Jarrett (10)      ---      Rusty Wallace
  Food City 500     Jeff Gordon (3)        ---      Rusty Wallace
  Texas 500         Mark Martin (4)        ---      Rusty Wallace
  Goodys 500       Bobby Hamilton (13)    ---      Rusty Wallace
  DieHard 500       Bobby Labonte (7)      ---      Rusty Wallace
  California 500    Mark Martin (5)        ---      Jeremy Mayfield
  Coca-Cola 600     Jeff Gordon (1)      $110,000   Jeff Gordon
  MBNA Platinum 400 Dale Jarrett (5)       ---      Jeff Gordon
  Pontiac Excite-
       ment 400     Terry Labonte (6)      ---      Jeremy Mayfield
  Miller Lite 400   Mark Martin (3)        ---      Jeremy Mayfield
  Pocono 500        Jeremy Mayfield (1)   $40,000   Jeremy Mayfield
  Save Mart/
       Kragen 350   Jeff Gordon (1)       $10,000   Jeff Gordon
  Jiffy Lube 300    Jeff Burton (8)         ---     Jeff Gordon

  Top Five NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Individual Payouts

    Winner       Amount          Event
    Jeff Gordon     $160,000     1996 Sears DieHard 500 (Talladega)
    Jeff Gordon     $110,000     1998 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
    Jeff Gordon     $ 80,000     1997 Pocono 500 (Pocono)
    Jeff Gordon     $ 70,000     1996 MBNA 500 (Dover)
    Jeff Gordon     $ 50,000     1997 Bud at the Glen (Watkins Glen)