1988 Pontiac Excitement 400

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Short description|Second race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Race_No=2|Distance_mi=216.8|Year=1988|Pole_Time=20.616|Race_Name=Pontiac Excitement 400|Course_mi=0.542|Scheduled_km=348.905|Distance_km=348.905|Course_km=0.872|Distance_laps=400|Scheduled_laps=400|Scheduled_mi=216.8|Official_name=34th Annual Pontiac Excitement 400|Location=Richmond, Virginia, Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway|Avg={{convert|66.401|mph|km/h}}|Season_No=29|Date=February 21|Car=75|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Network=TBS|Announcers=Ken Squier, Johnny Hayes|Most_laps=151|First_Driver=Neil Bonnett|First_Team=RahMoc Enterprises|Most_Driver=Dale Earnhardt|Pole_Driver=Morgan Shepherd|Pole_Team=Winkle Motorsports|Most_Team=Richard Childress Racing|Caption=The 1988 Pontiac Excitement 400 program cover.|Image=1988_Pontiac_Excitement_400.jpeg}}

The 1988 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the second stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 34th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 21, 1988, in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, a {{Convert|0.542|mi|km}} D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. Coming back from a two lap deficit, RahMoc Enterprises driver Neil Bonnett would manage to pass for the lead on the final restart with 48 laps left in the race, coming back with the help of a long green flag stint to gain his first lap back, and a period of back-to-back cautions to regain his second lap. Bonnett would manage to lead the final 48 laps to take his 17th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett Comeback A Triumph Despite Protest (Part 1) |pages=49 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-bonnett-comeback/126903772/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett Comeback A Triumph Despite Protest (Part 2) |pages=52 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-bonnett-comeback/126903794/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Harold |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett prevails in 400; confusion shrouds finish (Part 1) |pages=25 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-bonnett-prevails/126905244/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Harold |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett prevails in 400; confusion shrouds finish (Part 2) |pages=28 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-bonnett-prevails/126905257/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

The victory was disputed by second place finisher, Ricky Rudd, and his team, King Racing. In an appeal filed by King Racing, the team stated that the three of Rudd, Richard Petty, and Darrell Waltrip all believed that Neil Bonnett had an accidental lap added to his total, with all three insisting that Bonnett had run no more than 399 laps of the race.{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Harold |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett took the flag, but who is counting? |pages=22 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-bonnett-took-the/126949771/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} In an investigation done by NASCAR and their chief scorer, Morris Metcalfe, they maintained the validity of Bonnett's victory on February 23. Metcalfe firmly stated that he believed Bonnett had earned his laps back, stating in the Winston-Salem Journal that "We had everything under control the whole way, and we never had any doubt about who was leading, or who'd gotten lapped, or how Neil Bonnett got his laps back."{{Cite news |last=Mulhurn |first=Mike |date=February 23, 1988 |title=Metcalfe, NASCAR Stand Behind Bonnett's Richmond Win (Part 1) |pages=25 |work=Winston-Salem Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-metcalfe-nascar-s/126949795/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Mulhurn |first=Mike |date=February 23, 1988 |title=Metcalfe, NASCAR Stand Behind Bonnett's Richmond Win (Part 2) |pages=29 |work=Winston-Salem Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-metcalfe-nascar-s/126949799/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

The race was the final race using the former {{Convert|0.542|mi|km}} layout that Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway had been using at the time. The old track, one that was seen as an aging track and a track with few amenities,{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Harold |date=February 21, 1988 |title=Fairgrounds finale occasion for relief and remembrance |pages=41 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-fairgrounds-fina/126949660/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} was being torn down in favor of a new, {{Convert|0.75|mi|km}} long D-shaped oval named Richmond International Raceway that would be built near the now-former location of Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. The track was meant to be a more modern and expanded version of Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, with more amenities and seats being added.{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Harold |date=May 15, 1988 |title=Fruits of struggle |pages=40 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-fruits-of-strugg/126949673/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

The race was the first victory that featured a car using the Hoosier Racing Tire brand, who had entered NASCAR in 1988 as a direct competitor towards the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, who prior to the 1988 season, had a monopoly on tires used in NASCAR since the 1971 season.{{Cite news |last=Macenka |first=Joe |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett wins Richmond race |pages=21 |work=The Daily Item |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-bonnett-wins-richmond-rac/126947732/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} The victory was not viewed as a major victory for Hoosier Racing Tire, with Bonnett not showing a commitment towards using the brand for the entirety of the 1988 season. Bonnett would state that "We came here and tried the Hoosiers, and we found them to be the best tire for this track... we're going to run the best tire available at each track. Who knows? We might not run another race this year on Hoosier tires."{{Cite news |last=King |first=Randy |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett declared winner of wild race at Richmond (Part 1) |pages=9 |work=The Roanoke Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-bonnett-declared-winne/126949430/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=King |first=Randy |date=February 22, 1988 |title=Bonnett declared winner of wild race at Richmond (Part 2) |pages=12 |work=The Roanoke Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-bonnett-declared-winne/126949438/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}