Memorable NASCAR Moments
Memorable NASCAR Moments
NASCAR moments are the little things that create legends. The incredible strategy used by the drivers to outwit their opponents is enough to leave the audience in awe. Incredible NASCAR moments cannot be remembered if not for the sheer intensity of the race and the fascination of the crowd. One NASCAR moment would be the first Daytona 500. This event drew almost 43,000 spectators to the newly constructed Daytona International Speedway. The record purse then was totaled at $67,760. The race was the first of many close and dramatic finishes in NASCAR history. It ended with a three-way closure amongst drivers Lee Petty, Johnny Beauchamp and Joe Weatherly. At first, the officials immediately announced Beauchamp as the winner. Persistent Petty was so sure he had won and continuously stuck around for three days persuading NASCAR officials. After reviewing still photos and footages of the finish, officials decided that Petty won by about 2 feet and was awarded with the victory. This happened in February 22, 1959.
Years have gone by and NASCAR has collected other moments that have kept fans wanting more. February 18, 1979 not only provided fans with an intense NASCAR race but also a live driver-to-driver fighting scene. Thanks to a massive snowstorm, audiences were left to watch a NASCAR race on a huge TV. During the concluding lap, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough were fighting for the win. In an effort to pass Allison, Yarborough got low and caused Allison to move down to block. The tires on the left side of Yarborough’s car touched the infield grass and the two cars bumped several times with each other and eventually crashed. As Richard Petty was about to win the race, both Allison and Yarborough got out of their cars and started to duel with words. As the banter between the two started to pass, Donnie’s brother Bobby stopped his car to defend him. This ended in a helmet-bashing and kicking action fiasco all shown live on national television.
Another NASCAR moment was Davey Allison’s victory in the 1992 all-star event. Allison, Kyle Petty, and Earnhardt were battling during the final lap for the win. Earnhardt spun coming off to Turn 3 while Allison and Petty were continuously dueling. Allison ducked under Petty to snatch the victory causing contact between the two cars. This sent Allison’s car into the LMS wall and the driver to the emergency room instead of the Victory Lane.
There are other NASCAR moments including Rusty Wallace’s spin against Darrel Waltrip in the 1989 all-star event. Wallace won inducing the anger of both Waltrip and his fans. Darrel Waltrip was not all that miserable during the year 1989. He was already a three-time champion but he came to Daytona without a victory in the 500 in his first seventeen tries. It was one for the books when Waltrip, conserving gas, managed to win the Daytona 500. He celebrated at the victory circle yelling “I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500,” repeatedly.
Of all the memorable NASCAR moment, nothing beats Dale Earnhardt’s “Pass in the Grass”. He managed to snatch a victory against Bill Elliott in the 1987 all-star race. The technique was executed in the infield along the front stretch of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This victory gave Earnhardt his first of three all-star victories.
Dale Earnhardt didn’t experience all victories. He experienced a share of losses but nothing was more hurtful than the Daytona 500 in February 17, 1990. The Daytona 500 kept eluding the Intimidator but it seemed that he was likely to finally achieve it when he was easily leading the race as he drove off the second turn of the last lap. If not for a piece of metal lost in the racetrack that pierced through Earnhardt’s car tire, Derrike Cope would not have accomplished the biggest upset win in Daytona 500 history. Cope drove pass the debris that is Earnhardt’s car and won making Earnhardt brood over his worst loss of his career.
That was Earnhardt’s worst loss, but NASCAR’s biggest loss was the death of Dale Earnhardt himself. Sad as it seems, this is one of the memorable moments in NASCAR history. Earnhardt was on the final lap of the race, falling behind Michael Waltrip and son Earnhardt Jr, when he got involved in a crash that did not seem serious at first glance. Minutes later, NASCAR’s biggest star was dead. This accident caused NASCAR to develop their Car of Tomorrow and other safety measures for drivers.
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