The 1998 The Bud at The Glen was the 20th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 17th iteration of the event.

It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix.

[3] Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:13.486 and an average speed of 120.023 mph (193.158 km/h).

[4] The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, August 8, at 2:15 PM EST.

[3] Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:14.353 and an average speed of 118.623 mph (190.905 km/h).

[6] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 1:13.298 and an average speed of 120.331 miles per hour (193.654 km/h).