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NASCAR: Daytona Beach's Mark Martin First Entrant in DIS Test

28 May 1998

Mark Martin
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Daytona Beach resident Mark Martin, one of the hottest drivers on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with three victories in 1998, was the first official entrant for an open test scheduled at Daytona International Speedway June 8-10.

The special test session will give participating teams an advance look at the Speedway's new state-of-the-art lighting system which is being installed in preparation for the inaugural nighttime running of the Pepsi 400 on July 4.

Other teams scheduled to participate in the test are Martin's Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton, 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace, Bobby Hamilton, Michael Waltrip, Kenny Irwin, Mike Skinner, Steve Grissom, Kenny Wallace, Dennis Setzer, David Green and Volusia County residents Greg Sacks and Dan Pardus.

The Monday-Wednesday test will be open to the public free of charge with admission through the lobby of DAYTONA USA, "The Ultimate Motorsports Attraction." On Monday, the track will be open to drivers from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. while on Tuesday and Wednesday, the test will be conducted between 3:30-10:30 p.m.

The first official NASCAR activity under the lights in the 40-year history of the Speedway will be Pepsi 400 Pole Night on July 2. Gates open at 11 a.m. with NASCAR Winston Cup practice slated for 3-6 p.m. while Bud Pole Award Qualifying is set to start at 8:15 p.m.

In celebration of America's largest nighttime sporting event and to commemorate NASCAR's 50th Anniversary, the Speedway is offering a 1998 Pepsi 400 Collectible Pole Night Ticket. The special collectible ticket, the first such ticket of its kind offered by the Speedway, will provide admission to pole qualifying on Thursday, July 2 as well as admission to a full afternoon and evening of qualifying and practice on July 3.

The special offer is limited to collectible ticket buyers and the ticket must be purchased by 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. To purchase your part of Daytona history, call the Speedway ticket office at (904) 253-7223. For more information on Speedway events or DAYTONA USA, visit http://www.daytonausa.com.

Editors Note: The images displayed in this article (plus many more) can be viewed in The Racing Image Galleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.