Southern 500
Darlington Raceway — January 1, 1988
Bill Elliott
Winner
367
Laps
40
Entries
12
Leaders
Bill Elliott won the 1988 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on January 1, 1988, leading 186 of 367 laps. Rusty Wallace finished second; Dale Earnhardt rounded out the podium. The race featured 12 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Friday, January 1, 1988
Track
Season
1988
Winner
Leaders
12 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | Bill Elliott |
| 2 | 5 | +3 | Rusty Wallace |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 4 | 6 | +2 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 5 | 12 | +7 | Sterling Marlin |
| 6 | 21 | +15 | Phil Parsons |
| 7 | 4 | -3 | Geoffrey Bodine |
| 8 | 23 | +15 | Terry Labonte |
| 9 | 15 | +6 | Davey Allison |
| 10 | 29 | +19 | Ricky Rudd |
| 11 | 25 | +14 | Ken Schrader |
| 12 | 11 | -1 | Lake Speed |
| 13 | 27 | +14 | Benny Parsons |
| 14 | 30 | +16 | Mike Alexander |
| 15 | 3 | -12 | Alan Kulwicki |
| 16 | 24 | +8 | Neil Bonnett |
| 17 | 8 | -9 | Brett Bodine |
| 18 | 36 | +18 | Ken Bouchard |
| 19 | 7 | -12 | Mark Martin |
| 20 | 17 | -3 | Ernie Irvan |
| 21 | 13 | -8 | Rodney Combs |
| 22 | 38 | +16 | Dave Marcis |
| 23 | 32 | +9 | Jim Sauter |
| 24 | 28 | +4 | Jimmy Means |
| 25 | 14 | -11 | Michael Waltrip |
| 26 | 33 | +7 | Eddie Bierschwale |
| 27 | 34 | +7 | H.B. Bailey |
| 28 | 35 | +7 | Kyle Petty |
| 29 | 39 | +10 | Philip Duffie |
| 30 | 16 | -14 | Bobby Hillin Jr. |
| 31 | 20 | -11 | Ken Ragan |
| 32 | 22 | -10 | Rick Mast |
| 33 | 26 | -7 | Richard Petty |
| 34 | 18 | -16 | Dale Jarrett |
| 35 | 31 | -4 | Derrike Cope |
| 36 | 37 | +1 | Randy Baker |
| 37 | 40 | +3 | Jimmy Horton |
| 38 | 19 | -19 | Rick Wilson |
| 39 | 10 | -29 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 40 | 9 | -31 | Harry Gant |
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 1988 Southern 500?
Bill Elliott won the 1988 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway driving for Melling Racing.
Where was the 1988 Southern 500 held?
The 1988 Southern 500 was held at Darlington Raceway on January 1, 1988.