The Winston was open to race winners from last season through the 1988 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The winner of The Winston Open advanced to complete the starting grid. Because the field did not meet the minimum requirement of 19 cars, the remaining spots were awarded to the most recent winning drivers prior to the 1987 season. Richard Petty lost his eligibility when Phil Parsons won the Talladega race a week earlier.
Tim Richmond opted not to participate in the race due to a then-ongoing legal dispute with NASCAR after he was suspended for testing positive for banned substances early that year. He died of complications from AIDS on August 13, 1989.[3][4]
The 1988 season saw the first of two tire wars between Goodyear and Hoosier. For this race, NASCAR allowed teams to switch between both tire brands once during pit stops.
As the race broadcast was using a boxing motif, the segments were referred to as "rounds".
Round 1 (75 laps)
Darrell Waltrip won the pole with a track record of 174.154 mph (280.274 km/h). Geoff Bodine started on the outside pole after achieving a qualifying time of 173.980 mph (279.994 km/h). Both drivers beat Bill Elliott's 1987 pole record of 170.827 mph (274.919 km/h). Sterling Marlin made the starting grid by winning the Winston Open. Bodine and Phil Parsons served as the onboard camera cars throughout the race. Waltrip and Bodine were first and second during the first five laps before the first caution was triggered by Greg Sacks blowing an engine and spilling oil on the track. Shortly after the restart on lap 9, Waltrip extended his lead over Bodine and the rest of the field. Davey Allison took the lead from Waltrip on lap on lap 34. The yellow flag was waved again on lap 49, when Cale Yarborough's engine expired. Harry Gant retired on lap 52 due to oil pan issues. Parsons blew an engine and was eliminated on lap 57. A precise strategy during the green-flag pit stop saw Dale Earnhardt take the lead. With one lap to go, Davey Allison closed in on Earnhardt until he reclaimed the lead on lap 74 and concluded Round 1 by collecting US$20,000. Following the end of the round, Earnhardt blew a right-front tire and slammed the turn one wall, requiring major repairs during the 10-minute intermission.
At the start of Round 2, Earnhardt's repaired car overtook Davey Allison, but quickly fell back as Waltrip, Davey Allison, and Terry Labonte overtook him. Lake Speed then took the lead from Waltrip halfway through the round. The caution was triggered on lap 98, when Ricky Rudd lost control and slammed the turn two wall; he collapsed after exiting his car and was rushed to the infield care center. He sustained a torn ligament on his right knee from the accident.[5] Round 2 ended with Elliott, Speed, and Marlin in the top three. During the 10-minute intermission, Davey Allison's pit crew installed a new rear end differential, but NASCAR ordered them to reinstall the old unit. Bodine was forced to retire after his pit crew were unable to resolve an engine problem.
Elliott and Speed duked it out at the beginning of the 10-lap shootout until Speed lost momentum and tagged the turn two wall while Labonte challenged Elliott for the lead. Both Rusty Wallace and Bobby Hillin Jr. experienced engine problems and retired. Marlin took second place from Elliott and slowly closed in on Labonte. In the end, Labonte extended his lead and crossed the finish line to win the race and collect US$200,000.
