There will always be certain moments that we will never forget. They may be highlights from our favorite athlete or teams or just that single moment from a sport that will always stay with us; they are the ones that made us stop and stare in awe.
There's Richard Petty's and Dale Earnhardt's seven cup championships. There's Petty's two hundred victories.
There's Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s emotional victory in the Pepsi 400 and the image of him carrying the American flag after September 11, 2001 at Dover.
And who can forget Tony Stewart's (2001) and Clint Bowyer's (2007) wild rides in the Daytona 500?
The following are ten moments that I believe are some of the great highlights and defining moments of NASCAR.
10) R.J. Reynolds Leaves And The Chase Is Born
For thirty three years, NASCAR's top division was known as the Winston Cup Series. Their red and white colors were as synonymous with NASCAR as it's southern roots and generations of families.
In late 2003, R.J. Reynolds and Winston announced they were pulling out of the sport beginning in 2004, clearing the way for Nextel Corportation, now Sprint.
And along with a new name came a new way to race for the championship. The now twelve man, ten race Chase for the Championship was born.
The first year of the chase saw Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon in the closest title battle in history with Kurt Busch the champion by eight points.
9) Jack Roush Finally Wins A Championship
When Matt Kenseth won the 2003 Sprint Cup, it was the first for both himself and car owner Jack Roush. Roush had come so close so many times with Mark Martin who finished second in points on four different occasions.
"I feel like I've just crashed through a plate glass window. It's been painful getting through it...We've learned to come up short and to be able to get through it this time with Robbie (Reiser) and Matt, it's just a tremendous relief."
The following year Roush won his second championship with Kurt Busch.
8) A Dark Day In Martinsville
As the Sprint Cup Series raced in Martinsville, Virginia, a plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in the Bull Mountain area due to heavy fog.
All ten members on board were killed: Rick Hendrick's son Ricky and brother John, John's twin daughters Kimberly and Jennifer, Dupont executive Joe Jackson, HMS general manager Jeff Turner, chief engine builder Randy Dorton, pilot for Tony Stewart's plane Scott Lathram, and the pilots of the plane: Richard Tracy and Elizabeth Morrison.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won the race that day but the teams, fans, and media did not learn of the events until after the race was over.
Instead of a burnout and victory celebration, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter came on screen to tell of the horrifying event.
Victory lane sat empty and quiet.
For the remainder of the season all Hendrick Motorsports cars carried a special decal on their car hoods; Jimmie Johnson went back to victory lane the following week in Atlanta.
7) The Closest Finish In NASCAR History
There have been plenty of close finishes over the years, but nothing like Darlington in 2003.
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3 months ago
Kelly, all great moments for sure - and many more to come during this chase!
3 months ago
Great, great article Kelly! It gave me chills, perfection!
3 months ago
Great list, especially for those of us who haven't been members of the NASCAR nation for decades. I remember watching most of these as they happened, and those I didn't I have seen replayed or discussed many times since catching "NASCAR fever." And each and every one has only reinforced my belief that NASCAR is the most exciting, most dramatic, and most emotional sport around.
3 months ago
The first time I was interested in NASCAR was when I happened across an article or mention in a national Indian magazine of Janet Guthrie...later, I heard of Dale Earnhard's death and happened to see some races, it was quite an experience. You brought back some memories.
from 3 months ago
I didn't start watching NASCAR until 2001 so I'm only "educated" on the recent happenings of NASCAR. But I do remember hearing about the 1979 Daytona 500 and I've watched old tapes so I wanted to make sure that this list wasn't just recent moments, but had a bit of history as well.
Thanks for the comment!
3 months ago
I really wish I had been alive for the Allison vs. Yarborough boxing match during the 1979 snowstorm in the northeast/Daytona 500 a few hundred miles away. That would have been a hoot. Some additions I would suggest to make the list complete: the death of Alan Kulwicki, and sequentially the end of successful owner/drivers (although Tony Stewart could change all of that); Rusty wrecking DW to win the 1989 Winston (which pretty much ended Waltrip's decade reign as that generation's version of Kyle Busch); Jeff Gordon's first win in 1994 at the 600, and even more so his win later that year at Indy; and Bill Elliott winning the Winston Million in 1985, probably the first time million dollars and NASCAR were ever used in the same sentence.
from 3 months ago
Those are all great moments, and as I mention earlier, I only started recently watching NASCAR in 2001, so I tried to add a bit of the old days to this list. Those are all great moments, my list just included the ones that came right to my mind because they're ones that I witnessed.
Thanks for the comment.
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