Saturday, May 16, 2009

Nascar Fans - How Much Does it Cost to Be One?


By Ryan Gilbert Platinum Quality Author

Being a serious Nascar racing fan can be a very expensive hobby. Millions of people throughout the USA love the excitement of Nascar racing and will do and pay anything to see it live and in person at least once per season. As a devoted fan there are dozens of different types of memorabilia, tickets, weekend getaways and Nascar events to take advantage of through any racing season. Let's go through the general expenses of Nascar fan throughout an average season of thrilling racing events.

First, there is no doubt that you are going to want to attend at least 2-3 top races throughout the season and these tickets can be expensive. For two tickets you can be sure to spend at least $100 for decent seats at a highly rated race throughout the year. It is likely that you are not from the area where the race is taking place which means you are going to have travel expenses to include as an add-on to your existing ticket prices. From the Nascar website you can find ticket and travel packages that include your hotel stay for a 3 day weekend plus the tickets to make for an easy purchase and travelling experience.

When you are not travelling across the country to see a Daytona 500 race, you are most definitely watching these races on your TV. This of course means that you have to get a special cable or satellite package to utilize these Nascar channels. Because there are so many Nascar fans today many of the cable and satellite companies have created special Nascar fan viewing packages that contain all the channels you need to catch every race of the year. Comcast is quickly becoming one of the leading Cable Companies today and they too have created the perfect Nascar viewing package for loyal fans like you. You will have access to all 70 races of the season on the Nascar FOX channel, ABC HD, ESPN 2 HD, ESPN, ABC and Fox. This package will cost you anywhere between $50-$80 per month depending on the other services and channels you include in your package.

During the Nascar racing season it becomes easier and easier to find Nascar memorabilia like Nascar personalized checks, t-shirts, mugs, flags, car decals, lights, bedding, wallpaper and so much more. As a loyal Nascar fan there is no doubt that you already have some form of Nascar memorabilia and when you visit the races throughout the year it is impossible not to buy a new t-shirt or flag to support your favourite racers. With top drivers like Michael McDowell, Regan Smith and of course Jeff Gordon, why not buy the memorabilia to support these great drivers? It is safe to say that the average fan spends about $65 per racing season on Nascar gear.

When you take the time to outline the different costs throughout the season it can be hard to believe just how much it costs to be a true, loyal Nascar fan! When you add up the $300 for race tickets, $400 for weekend stays for the races, $80 for Nascar cable channels and $65 for Nascar gear you are looking at about $845 per racing season in extreme Nascar fan expenses. When it is all laid out for you like this it can be really hard to believe just how much you can spend during the racing season but at the time, it is money well spent and without a second thought!

Ryan Gilbert has made a career of writing and photography but his favorite subject is Nascar racing. He believes that life should be lived to the fullest, that integrity is the most valuable asset a person can have and that life is too short not to spend as much time as possible fishing. Since most vendors don't accept Nascar race stubs as payment, he also markets personal checks and particularly likes the ones that Unlimited Checks offers. You may want to browse his website and the many ways you can personalize your own Nascar checks.

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Friday, May 1, 2009

Car of Tomorrow

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Car of Tomorrow on display.
Car of Tomorrow is also the title of a 1951 film by Tex Avery.

The Car of Tomorrow, sometimes called CoT or "Car of Today",[1] is the car style for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larger and boxier than the design it replaced, the Car of Tomorrow is safer, costs less to maintain, and makes for closer competition.

The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup season at the Food City 500 on March 25 and ran a partial schedule of 16 races. The plan was to require all teams to use the new car in 2009, but NASCAR officials moved the date up to the 2008 season.

Contents

Design

On January 11, 2006, NASCAR announced the Car of Tomorrow after a seven-year design program sparked mainly by the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the sport's most popular drivers, in a final-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.[2] The then-current cars were based on a design by Holman Moody first used for the 1966 Ford Fairlane.[3] The primary design considerations were "safety innovations, performance and competition, and cost efficiency for teams."[4]

The CoT has improved safety over the older car.[2] The driver's seat has been moved four inches to the right, the roll cage has been shifted three inches to the rear, and the car is two inches taller and four inches wider.[2] Larger crumple zones are built into the car on both sides. The splitter is a piece of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP, "fiberglass") used on the bottom front of the car to produce downforce, replacing the valence. The car's exhaust exits on the right side, which diverts heat from the driver.[2] The fuel cell is stronger, and has a smaller capacity (17¾ gallons, down from 22 gallons, which as of 2007 has become standard in all cars).

A Car of Tomorrow body with Toyota Camry decals.

NASCAR officials say the car is less dependent on aerodynamics. It has a detached wing, which has not been used since the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird in 1970.[5] The windshield is more upright, which increases drag. The radiator air intake is below the front bumper of the car, which reduces overheating caused by clogged grilles. The front bumper is more box-like, which catches more air and slows the car. The front airdam is gapped, as opposed to being a flush piece on the older cars.

All cars are required to fit the same set of templates, using a device that has been named "the claw" that is designed to fit over the new cars. Yet there are still minor differences between the makes. In the first two races at Bristol and Martinsville Speedway, the garages were opened one day early and the inspections took up to 10 hours so that everyone (teams, officials, etc.) could get a better grip on the new unified template. NASCAR's old rules had a different set of templates for each manufacturer (Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota). NASCAR has frequently adjusted the rules to ensure that different car manufacturers have relatively equal cars.

Dimensions

This chart lists the CoT's dimensions compared with the dimensions of the cars represented.

Model Length Width Height Wheelbase Weight*
NASCAR Monte Carlo [6] 200.7in. (5097.8mm) 72.5in. (1841.5mm) 51in. (1295.4mm) 110in. (2794mm) 3400lbs (1542.2kg)
COT 206in. (5232mm) 78.5in. (1993.9mm) 53in. (1346.2mm) 110in. (2794mm) 3450lbs (1564.893kg)
Ford Fusion 190.2in. (4831mm) 72.2in. (1833.8mm) 57.2in. (1452.8mm) 107.4in. (2727.9mm) 3101lbs. (1406.6kg)
Chevy Impala SS 200.4in. (5090.1mm) 72.9in. (1851.6mm) 58.7in. (1491mm) 110.5in. (2552.7mm) 3711lbs. (1683.3kg)
Dodge Avenger 200.1in. (5082.5mm) 74.5in. (1892.3mm) 58.2in.(1478.2mm) 120in. (3048mm) 3820lbs. (1732.7kg)
Toyota Camry 189.2in. (4805.6mm) 71.7in. (1821.1mm) 57.9in. (1470.6mm) 109.3in. (2776.2mm) 3263lbs. (1480.1kg)

*Weight displays the curb weight of the least expensive trim level available for model year 2008 unless otherwise specified.

Testing

The Car of Tomorrow was first tested in December 2005 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Next it tested at the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway, then on NASCAR's two shortest tracks, Bristol (0.533 mi) and Martinsville (0.526 mi.), the 1.5 mile Lowe's Motor Speedway, the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway, and 2.0 mile Michigan International Speedway. Former NASCAR driver, current Sprint Cup pace car driver and Director of Cost Research Brett Bodine also tested the prototype car against cars prepared by current NASCAR teams.

Drivers have tested the CoT concurrently with the old car at some NASCAR tests and at special NASCAR-authorized tests. Some teams have tested the cars at the half-mile Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, NC, and the one mile North Carolina Speedway, none of which are Sprint Cup tracks, and therefore are tests which do not fall under NASCAR's restrictions.

Implementation

The Car of Tomorrow was first raced at the 2007 Food City 500 at Bristol, the season's fifth race. The tracks that saw the CoT twice in 2007 besides Bristol and Martinsville were Phoenix International Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Dover International Speedway, and New Hampshire International Speedway. Other than Talladega (for the fall event), Darlington Raceway and the road course races at Infineon Raceway (Sonoma, Calif.) and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International ran the CoT once each in 2007.

Original implementation plans called for the CoT to be used at 26 events in 2008, starting with both races at Daytona, including the season-opening Daytona 500 and related events (Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duels), the spring race at Talladega and Michigan, both races at California Speedway, Pocono Raceway and the event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Based on the success of the February 28th test at Bristol, NASCAR considered requiring CoT cars for the full schedule in 2008 in order to avoid applying two sets of rules (as supported by a survey of NASCAR owners, with 80% favoring the switch), adding all three events (including the all-star event) at Lowe's Motor Speedway, as well as both races at Atlanta and Texas Motor Speedway, and single races at Chicagoland Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway one year earlier than scheduled.[2] This was confirmed on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 by NASCAR.[7] Had NASCAR continued with the original schedule of implication, the other tracks would have been added in 2009.

Debut

On March 25, 2007, the CoT debuted in its first NASCAR-sanctioned race. Kyle Busch won the race, the first win by a Chevrolet Impala since 1963.

Reactions to the CoT's performance were mixed. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., after finishing 7th, said, "It wasn't a disaster like everybody anticipated. It worked out, I reckon. Racing was about the same."[8] Drivers were also impressed with the car's ability to bump other competitors without causing a spin (as bumper heights were equalized; as street car development continued, nose-to-rear bumper contact caused spins that pre-1988 cars would not cause), and NASCAR officials were pleased with the improvements in safety.

Profile view of CoT at Daytona International Speedway

Several drivers and pundits expressed distaste for the car and what they perceived as a less exciting style of racing created by it. Kyle Busch, despite winning at Bristol, commented that "they suck" during his victory lane interview.[9] Retired driver and TV analyst Rusty Wallace stated on ESPN that the car created a boring, single-file racing environment with little of the passing, action, or crashing that has made NASCAR popular, though after NASCAR announced the COT would run the full schedule, he stated that it was "one of the best decisions NASCAR had ever made." Drivers who placed well at Bristol, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, claimed that the car allowed the use of a second passing lane not usually present at Bristol.[8] For the most part, however, the racing was strung out and single-file with drivers tentative in trying to make passes.

A major problem with the car's initial race was its front splitter. The splitter is a piece of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) used on the bottom front of the car to produce downforce. It replaces the valence. One car's splitter running into the tire of another car beside it sometimes punctured the second car's tire.[10] There were no problems with the splitter causing tire failure at the car's second race.

Another major problem has been that the foam used in the side of the car has caught fire, causing smoke in the cockpit. Kevin Harvick experienced this problem at the first CoT race at Martinsville costing him a good finish or possibly a win, and NASCAR decided to make modifications before the April 21 Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Avondale, Arizona.[11]

Another problem with the foam was that when the side door was ripped open, as Brian Vickers experienced at Watkins Glen, the foam would spill out, making a mess.

During the 2007 UAW-Ford 500, the CoT's first debut on a superspeedway track at Talladega, NASCAR assigned a 31/32 inch (24.6 mm) restrictor plate to allow the engines to run at around 8,800 RPMs due to the less aerodynamic design of the CoT. The previous generation car's engine would normally run around 7,000 RPMs with a ⅞ inch (22.2 mm) plate.[12] This was the most open restrictor plate to race at Talladega since 1988.[13] On February 24th, 2008, Casey Mears became the first driver to flip the CoT when he was hit in the rear by Sam Hornish Jr. Michael McDowell was the first to make the car barrel roll, and Carl Edwards ended up being the victim in the car's first airborne tumble.

Car models

Front view of Chevrolet Impala badged CoT at Infineon Raceway

Chevrolet teams continued to use the Monte Carlo SS name on the old style car while using the Impala SS name on the CoT. Chevrolet discontinued the Monte Carlo model after 2007 and switched full time to the Impala nameplate starting in 2008. Dodge teams used the Charger name on the old car while using the Avenger name on the CoT; however, for 2008 the Charger name was used on the CoT.[14] Ford used the Fusion while Toyota used the Camry, respectively, for both their old and CoT cars.

Criticisms

Criticisms of the CoT began with its first tests, with the magazine Speedway Illustrated noting the car's poor performance in traffic (February 2006 issue). The Winston-Salem Journal also noted extensive criticism of the project during 2006 testing, with drivers becoming more vocal by July 2007 and most fans rejecting the model, citing the falsity of many of its technical claims;[15] one angle of criticism was the differing philosophies of NASCAR officials Gary Nelson and John Darby, with Darby a particularly ardent supporter of the CoT based on a misreading of the sport's competition packages.[16] Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth were pointedly critical of the car's poor performance in traffic, with Gordon stating after the 2007 Lenox Industrial Tools 300, "I'd like to know who it was who said this car would reduce the aero push because I could have told you from when I first drove this car that it would be worse."[17] Kyle Busch, who won the very first race with the car at Bristol in 2007, proclaimed that the car "sucks" afterward and expanded on this criticism at Dover in 2008 in noting how the Car Of Tomorrow was "hitting a wall of air" in the wake of a leading car, thus neutralizing ability to close up on leaders.[18]

In the 2008 Brickyard 400, the longest run under green flag conditions was 12 laps due to extreme wear of right-side tires, especially the right rear. The Car of Tomorrow, in its first use at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, did not create any improvement of the conditions on the track, which is well known for its rough surface. The lack of downforce on the car and its higher center of gravity created conditions that made it very hard on the right side tires. During the race, the tires used on the cars generally lasted no more than 10 laps at a time.[19]

On April 4th, 2008, while qualifying for the 2008 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Michael McDowell struck the turn 1 wall head on at 165 miles per hour, and barrel-rolled 8 times with fire coming out of the engine compartment. McDowell emerged from his Toyota completely unharmed. Many criticisms of the car stopped after the crash, because of the safety. The impact was about 10 miles per hour more than Dale Earnhardt's fatal accident.

On April 26th, 2009, Carl Edwards got airborne at Talladega, destroying most of the car after it flew roof-first into the catchfence. Edwards was uninjured, and even ran across the start finish line on foot to finish the race.

References

  1. ^ David Caraviello (April 2, 2007). "Car of today, CoT seems like yesterday for Hendrick". www.nascar.com. http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/04/02/jjohnson.jgordon.kybusch.rhendrick/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jenna Fryer (February 28, 2007). "NASCAR may move COT to full schedule in 2008". Associated Press. http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-nascar-cottest&prov=ap&type=lgns. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
  3. ^ Biography of Holman Moody at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America; Retrieved March 8, 2007
  4. ^ http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/04/04/cot_martinsville/index.html
  5. ^ http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_06/articles/000061/006135.htm
  6. ^ "RACELINE CENTRAL: The NASCAR Car of Tomorrow Specs". http://www.racelinecentral.com/CarofTomorrow.htm. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
  7. ^ Car of Tomorrow Full Time In 2008
  8. ^ a b Newton, David. One race in, Car of Tomorrow does its job well, ESPN.com, March 25, 2007
  9. ^ Blount, Terry. Kyle Busch loves the victory, hates the new car, ESPN.com
  10. ^ Wells, Thomas (2007-03-27). "'Car of Tomorrow' debut causes wrecks at Food City 500 in Florida". The Daily Texan. http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/03/27/Sports/car-Of.Tomorrow.Debut.Causes.Wrecks.At.Food.City.500.In.Florida-2793218.shtml. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  11. ^ Hammond, Jeff (2007-03-27). "Gas 'n Go: Dale Jr.'s deal; foam fire fear". FOX Sports. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/6634758. Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
  12. ^ SpeedTV.com"CUP: NASCAR Midweek Notebook" Recovered: 11/25/07
  13. ^ Jayski.com restrictor plate statistics
  14. ^ Jayski's Silly Season Site - Dodge Past NASCAR News
  15. ^ Car of Tomorrow: Fuzzy Math and Fuzzier Logic
  16. ^ An examination of the CoT and John Darby
  17. ^ Plenty Of Subplots At New Hampshire
  18. ^ Postrace comments on 2008 Best Buy 400
  19. ^ Car of Tomorrow and Brickyard Tough on Tires

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_of_Tomorrow"

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NASCAR lore

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NASCAR lore has developed since the sport's founding in 1948. It includes NASCAR's colorful history of races along with the men and machines that have competed in them. Largely through the efforts of sportswriters and television, some events have become extremely famous, even mythical, in the history of the sport.

Some races are made famous by a dramatic last-lap battle for the win, while others are notable for special achievements or historical significance.

Contents

Races

1950s

1970s

  • Pearson Get His - 1976 Daytona 500[2][1][3] (February 15, 1976)
    After years of misfortune, David Pearson finally won the Daytona 500 in spectacular fashion. On the final lap, Richard Petty led Pearson down the backstrech. Pearson attempted a sling-shot pass, and took the lead into turn three. Petty picked up the draft, and returned the favor in turn 4 to take the lead back. Exiting turn four, the two cars touched, and spun out of control. Both cars slammed into the outside wall, and Pearson spun into the tri-oval infield. Petty continued sliding towards the finish line, and appeared as if he would cross the line spinning backwards. The car hit a grassy rut, and slid to a stop 50 yards short of the finish line. Pearson refired his wrecked car, and headed for the finish line. Petty's car was stalled, and Pearson idled by to win the race. It is often regarded as the greatest finish in Daytona 500 history.
  • The Fight[1][4] - 1979 Daytona 500[2][3] (February 18, 1979)
    For the first time in its history, CBS televised the race live flag-to-flag on national television. A major snowstorm, known as the Presidents Day Snowstorm of 1979, bogged down most of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, increasing the viewership of the event. Donnie Allison was leading the race on the final lap with Cale Yarborough drafting him tightly. Yarborough attempted a slingshot pass at the end of the backstretch, and Allison attempted to block. With both drivers refusing to give, the cars banged together three times until crashing into the outside wall in turn 3. Third place Richard Petty, running a half a lap behind, sailed by to take the victory. Donnie Allison and Yarborough climbed out of their cars and began to argue. Bobby Allison stopped at the scene, and a fight broke out on national television. The story made the front page of The New York Times. It is largely considered the point at which NASCAR arrived as a popular national sport.

1980s

  • 1986 Miller High Life 400[2][9] - (February 23, 1986)
    Rivals Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt battled for the win on the half-mile short track for the better part of the race. In the final five laps, Waltrip rode on the back bumper of Earnhardt, bumping and rubbing the whole way. Waltrip finally snuck underneath exiting turn two with three laps to go. Going into turn 3, Earnhardt spun Waltrip out, but lost control himself and both cars crashed hard. The wreck collected Joe Ruttman (3rd place) and Geoff Bodine (4th place), allowing 5th place Kyle Petty to slip by and take his first-career Cup victory. The incident drew a fine for Earnhardt, raised tempers throughout the garage area, and gave Earnhardt the "Ironhead" nickname. The incident was dramatized in the movie 3.
  • The Pass in the Grass[1] - 1987 The Winston (May 17, 1987)
    After two mostly uneventful runnings, in 1987, a new format was introduced for NASCAR's all-star event, The Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Two segments - 75 and 50 laps, respectively - were concluded with a 10-lap "trophy dash" sprint to the finish. With 7 laps to go, Dale Earnhardt led Bill Elliott in turn four. Towards the quad-oval, Elliott pushed his nose underneath Earnhardt, attempting to take the lead. Earnhardt swiped the car over to block, but slid into the infield grass. He was able to maintain control, veered back onto the track, back in front of Elliott, and held onto the lead. Earnhardt muscled his way around the track over the final six laps, and won. The event has since been become one of the most popular events on the calendar.

1990s

  • One Hot Night[10] - 1992 The Winston[2] (May 16, 1992)
    Lights were installed at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and it became the first non-short track to host night racing. The first race held under-the-lights was the The Winston "all star" race. During the final 10-lap sprint, Dale Earnhardt led Kyle Petty and Davey Allison. On the final lap, Petty nudged Earnhardt in turn three, spinning him out. Petty took the lead into turn four, but as he entered the qual-oval, Davey Allison pulled alongside. The two cars touched as they crossed the finish line, with Allison edging out Petty by less than half a car length. The two cars clipped, and Allison crashed hard into the outside wall, showering bright sparks over the track. Allison spent the night in the hospital instead of victory lane.
  • 1992 Hooters 500[2][5] (November 15, 1992)
    In what is considered one of the greatest NASCAR races of all-time, several sidebar stories complemented the closest championship chase in NASCAR history up to that point. The race served as Richard Petty's final career race, and the first start for future champion Jeff Gordon. Six drivers entered the race with a mathematical chance to win the title, the most in history. As the laps dwindled down the race, and the championship, became a two-man battle between Alan Kulwicki and Bill Elliott. Kulwicki, known to be an intelligent and calculating driver, was facing his final fuel stop. He stayed out while leading one lap extra than his pit crew requested, allowing him to lead a total of 103 laps during the race. Elliott led the rest of the way, and won the race, while Kulwicki finished second. Elliott's total laps led, however was only 102, and Kulwicki received the 5 bonus points for leading the most laps, and clinched the championship.
  • 1998 Daytona 500 - February 15, 1998
    After 19 years of misfortune, bad luck, and after several second place finishes, Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 in his 20th attempt. Earnhardt had won seven Winston Cup championships, over 70 Cup races, and 32 other races at Daytona International Speedway, but had never won NASCAR's crown jewel. Up front most of the race, Earnhardt dominated the final 60 laps, and clinched victory one lap early when a caution came out with one lap to go. Earnhardt was greeted on pit road by nearly the entire NASCAR brethern, then veered into the infield tri-oval grass to do a burnout. The tire marks in the grass eeriely resembled his famous #3.
  • Rattle His Cage - 1999 Goody's Headache Powder 500[2][9] (August 28, 1999)
    In the closing laps of the popular Saturday night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt led Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer. Labonte pulled alongside Earnhardt in turn four, and the two cars touched at they took the white flag for one lap to go. Going into turn 1, Labonte took the lead. In turn 2, Earnhardt tagged Labonte in the rear bumper, sending Labonte spinning down the backstrech. Earnhardt went on to win, and Spencer slipped by for second. Terry Labonte, however, collected six other cars and wrecked. When Earnhardt climbed out of the car in victory lane, many of the 170,000 fans booed and waved the finger. Defending his action, Earnhardt said in his victory lane interview, "(I) didn't mean really to turn him around, I meant to rattle his cage." Earnhardt was widely criticized for the move, and other criticized NASCAR officials for not penalizing him.

] 2000s

  • 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500[3][2][1] (March 11, 2001)
    After the shocking Death of Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500, Richard Childress Racing had to move quickly, but respectfully, to fill the vacated seat. Childress filled the empty seat with rookie Kevin Harvick, a Busch Series driver he had planned to develop over the next couple of seasons. Dale Earnhardt's famous black #3 car was repainted white, and the number was changed to #29 (a number of little significance, as it was simply the lowest number unused at the time). After strong finishes of 14th at Rockingham and 8th at Las Vegas, Harvick entered his third-career race at Atlanta. With five laps to go, Harvick took the lead, but was being chased down by Jeff Gordon. As the two cars came out of turn four, Gordon pulled alongside, but Harvick held him off by 0.006 seconds, the second-closest finish in NASCAR history at that time. Harvick performed a burnout on the frontstretch, holding up three fingers, fittingly representing his third start, and more importantly, in remembrance of Dale Earnhardt's famous #3.
  • 2001 Pepsi 400[3][1] (July 7, 2001)
    Less than five months after the Death of Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500, NASCAR returned to Daytona International Speedway. Much to the delight of the crowd, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. dominated most of the event. After a late-race caution, Earnhardt, Jr. charged from 7th place to first in less than a lap and a half, and took the lead with 5 laps to go. With teammate Michael Waltrip protecting the position in second place, Earnhardt took the dramatic victory. An emotional post-race celebration saw Earnhardt, Jr. mimick his father's actions by spinning donuts in the tri-oval grass.
  • 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400[3][2][5] (March 18, 2003)
    Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven battled in one of the greatest lap-lap finishes in NASCAR history. The two cars pounded each other relentlessly around Darlington Raceway for the entire final lap, and engaged side-by-side coming out of the final turn. Slamming fenders and turning into each other down the frontstrech, the two cars crossed the line together, with Craven taking the victory by 0.002 seconds. It was the closest finish in NASCAR history, since electronic scoring equipment had been introduced.

Honorable mention

  • "They're not changing tires!"[11] - 1981 Daytona 500[8] (February 15, 1981)
    After over 40 lead changes, the race came down to the final series of pit stops. Bobby Allison's Pontiac LeMans was the class of the field, but Allison needed one more pit stop. After Allison took on tires and fuel, Dale Inman, crew chief for Petty, called his driver to the pits. With 24 laps to go, the crew gambled and took on fuel only. They decided not to change tires, and Petty's blazing 6.8-second pit stop allowed him to re-enter the track and hold the lead. A starled Ned Jarrett, working as a pit reporter for CBS, proclaimed "They're not changing tires! A change of pace for the Petty crew!"[12] Petty held off a shocked Allison by 3 seconds, and won his record 7th Daytona 500 crown.
  • 143 Lead Changes[5] - 1984 Winston 500 & Talladega 500
    The most competetive pair of races in NASCAR history occurred at Alabama International Motor Speedway in 1984. At the Winston 500 on May 6, the race recorded a NASACR record 75 official lead changes. That number only includes the leader of each lap at the start/finish line, and not any intermediate lead changes on other parts of the track, which were estimated at many more. Less than three months later, the Talladega 500 on July 29 nearly matched the record when it saw 68 official lead changes, the second-most in NASCAR history.[13]
  • The Iron Man Streak - 1996 First Union 400 (April 15, 1996)
    Terry Labonte tied NASCAR's all-time consecutive starts record at the final spring race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Driving an "iron grey" painted Kellogg's Monte Carlo, Labonte drove in his 513th straight race, tying the record set by Richard Petty. The streak was a culmination of seventeen years of racing, and his record would stand until 2002. Not only did Labonte take over the record, he won the race, and went on to win the 1996 Winston Cup Championship.

Famous cars

Herb Thomas' #92 Fabulous Hudson Hornet
Petty's famous Roadrunner Superbird, on display at the Richard Petty Museum
Melling Racing car that set the record for the fastest recorded time in a stock car - 212.809 mph at Talladega Superspeedway

Nicknames

Drivers

Tracks

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Greatest NASCAR moments: Nos. 10-1". Fox Sports. 2008-07-20. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7797480/Greatest-NASCAR-moments:-Nos.-10-1. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Greatest NASCAR Finishes". CMT. 2008-01-18. http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_nascar/series_featured_copy.jhtml. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Fans' Poll: Greatest Races". NASCAR.com. 2009-02-13. http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/features/02/02/top.races.10/index.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  4. ^ 2009 Daytona 500 telecast - FOX-TV, February 15, 2009
  5. ^ a b c d "Greatest NASCAR moments: Nos. 20-11". Fox Sports. 2008-07-20. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7795946/Greatest-NASCAR-moments:-Nos.-20-11. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  6. ^ "Bill Elliott". The New Georgia Encyclopedia. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2055. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  7. ^ "Bill Elliott NASCAR Cup Series Career: 1976-present". NASCAR.com. 2008-04-21. http://www.nascar.com/news/features/50.greatest.bill.elliott/index.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  8. ^ a b c "Greatest NASCAR moments: Nos. 40-31". Fox Sports. 2008-07-20. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7792908/Greatest-NASCAR-moments:-Nos.-40-31. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  9. ^ a b c "Greatest NASCAR moments: Nos. 30-21". Fox Sports. 2008-07-20. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7792908/Greatest-NASCAR-moments:-Nos.-30-21. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  10. ^ "One Hot Night". thatsracin.com. http://blogs.thatsracin.com/scuffs/2008/05/one-hot-night.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
  11. ^ 1981 Daytona 500 telecast - CBS, February 15, 1981
  12. ^ 1981 Daytona 500 telecast - CBS, February 15, 1981
  13. ^ "A Look Back In Talladega History: Competition". TalladegaSuperspeedway.com. http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/news/track_news/551064.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-24.
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