Certainly not all, but here are 40 of NASCAR's greatest moments as presented by CMT (Country Music Television)
1. 2/18/1979 Daytona 500
The first live flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 culminates in an unforgettable finish. Running 1-2, Cale Yarborough
and Donnie Allison wreck each other on the last lap, handing Richard Petty his 6th Daytona 500 win. As Petty crosses the finish
line, CBS cameras catch Yarborough and the Allison brothers fighting in the infield grass between turns three and four.
2. 2/15/1976 Daytona 500
The penultimate moment of NASCAR's greatest rivalry. Richard Petty and David Pearson wreck each other coming off of the
final turn of the final lap. Both come to rest in the infield grass only a few yards shy of the finish line. While Petty struggles
to re-fire his stalled machine, Pearson rolls by in his mutilated Mercury and crosses the finish line at about 25 mph.
3. 2/15/1998 Daytona 500
After two decades of near-miss frustration, Dale Earnhardt finally wins the Great American Race.
4. 11/15/1992 Hooters 500 -- Atlanta
The final race of the 1992 season -- Richard Petty's final race and Jeff Gordon's first. Davey Allison enters as the points
leader, closely followed by Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki. Allison wrecks early, leaving Kulwicki and Elliott to duel. Elliott
wins the race, but Kulwicki leads one more lap, giving him five bonus points and the 1992 championship by 10 points -- the
closest margin in NASCAR history.
5. 2/22/1959 Daytona 500
The inaugural Daytona 500 ends with Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp crossing the finish line door-to-door. Beauchamp is
declared the winner, but both cars roll into Victory Lane. Three days later photos reveal that Petty is the winner.
6. 6/19/1949 Charlotte, N.C.
The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race is held on June 19, 1949 at the Charlotte Fairgrounds. The race is initially
won by Glenn Dunnaway, but he is disqualified for using illegal springs. Jim Roper is declared the winner. Sara Christian
finishes 14th and becomes the first woman to start a NASCAR race.
7. 3/18/2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 -- Darlington
Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven put on the greatest last lap show in NASCAR history, pounding on each other relentlessly for
1.4 miles. The two cross the finish line leaning on each other and spin as they finish. Craven wins by .002 seconds, the closest
margin in the history of the sport.
8. 7/4/1984 Firecracker 400 -- Daytona
Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough cross the finish line door-to-door in the front of Ronald Reagan, the first sitting
U.S. President to attend a NASCAR event. Petty wins by inches, earning his 200th and final victory.
9. 9/4/1950 Southern 500 - Darlington
The first race held on the Darlington Raceway and the first NASCAR event held on a paved track of one mile or more. 75
cars started the Labor Day event, won by Indy Car driver Johnny Mantz by running on the apron of the track with truck tires.
Other drivers chose to run up on the banking and used up so many tires at high speeds that they had to go into the infield
and buy tires from spectators.
10. 5/17/1987 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
The race often looked at as the birth of The Intimidator. Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott battle lap after lap, including
Earnhardt's legendary "Pass in the Grass". Earnhardt wins, but the normally cool Elliott expresses his displeasure
by nailing the number 3 car during the cool down laps.
11. 9/1/1985 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Soft-spoken Bill Elliott comes to The Track To Tough To Tame looking for a win and a record $1 million bonus from Winston
for winning three of NASCAR's four "crown jewel" races. He survives a couple of near misses as well as a late charge
from Cale Yarborough to become forever known as "Million Dollar Bill".
12. 5/6/1984 Winston 500 -- Talladega
The most competitive race in NASCAR history. Cale Yarborough wins by two car lengths over Harry Gant after a record 75
lead changes among 13 drivers, including fellow legends Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott,
David Pearson, and Benny Parsons.
13. 7/7/2001 Pepsi 400 -- Daytona
Dale Earnhardt Junior wins at Daytona in the first race back since the death of his father on that same track five months
earlier. The post-race celebration is one of the most memorable in the history of the sport as he stops his car on the infield
grass and climbs out onto the roof to celebrate with the grandstand crowd.
14. 3/11/2001 Cracker Barrel 500 -- Atlanta
Kevin Harvick beats Jeff Gordon by .006 seconds, ending a race that featured 25 lead changes among 11 drivers. It is Harvick's
first win in just his 3rd career start and the first win for the GM Goodwrench car since Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona
three weeks earlier.
15. 2/16/2001 Dura Lube 400 -- Rockingham
Steve Park wins by inches over Bobby Labonte. Park's win comes in a Dale Earnhardt Incorporated car just one week after
Earnhardt's death at Daytona.
16. 2/23/1986 Miller 400 -- Richmond
With three laps to go on the bullring short track, Darrell Waltrip makes his move to pass Dale Earnhardt for the lead.
The two tangle and hit hard into the turn three guardrail. The wreck also collects Geoff Bodine and Joe Ruttman, who were
running 3rd and 4th. 5th place Kyle Petty emerges from the smoke to earn his first career win.
17. 7/4/1974 Firecracker 400 -- Daytona
Coming to take the white flag, leader David Pearson realizes he is a sitting duck with Richard Petty riding second and
ready to slingshot into the lead. As he crosses the start-finish line, Pearson suddenly pulls onto the apron as if he has
a blown engine. Petty sweeps into the lead, but suddenly realizes that Pearson is back up to speed and running on his back
bumper. Off of turn four, Pearson sweeps into the lead for the win.
18. 8/6/1994 Brickyard 400
After decades of exclusion from the most hallowed ground in racing, NASCAR finally takes the green flag at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Hometown hero Jeff Gordon inherits the lead during the closing laps when Ernie Irvan cuts a tire going down
the backstretch.
19. 12/1/1963 Jacksonville, Florida
Wendell Scott wins 200-lap dirt race over Buck Baker, becoming the first (and so far only) African-American driver to
win a NASCAR Nextel Cup event. Baker is initially awarded the win, but a scoring study reveals that Scott actually won by
two laps.
20. 5/5/1985 Winston 500 -- Talladega
Bill Elliott, with one brother serving as crew chief and another as engine builder, makes up two laps under the green
to win and set up a shot at the Winston Million bonus payout.
21. 10/15/2000 Winston 500 -- Talladega
Dale Earnhardt comes from 18th to 1st in three laps to earn his final Nextel Cup victory and a million dollar bonus from
Winston.
22. 8/28/1999 Goody's 500 -- Bristol
Dale Earnhardt spins Labonte again, but this time it is one lap earlier and Labonte doesn't recover for the win. Earnhardt
wins and celebrated amid both cheers and boos. The Intimidator had returned.
23. 8/26/1995 Goody's 500 -- Bristol
Dale Earnhardt spins rival Rusty Wallace early on and is penalized by going to tail end of the lead lap. He works his
way back to the front and punts leader Terry Labonte across the finish line, boosting Labonte to the win. Labonte drives his
wrecked Chevy to Victory Lane while Earnhardt and Wallace end up in a shouting match in the garage and have to be separated.
24. 9/6/1965 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Ned Jarrett earns the biggest win of his amazing career by 14 laps. The win essentially clinches his 2nd Cup title, after
which he shockingly retires at the top of his game.
25. 2/14/1993 Daytona 500
Dale Jarrett wins his first Daytona 500 by holding off Dale Earnhardt. Choking back tears, father Ned Jarrett calls the
win for CBS Sports.
26. 2/14/1988 Daytona 500
Bobby Allison wins his 84th and final Nextel Cup race by taking his 3rd Daytona 500 win. Son Davey finishes 2nd, and the
two share an amazing moment live on CBS as they wave to each other from their cars moments after taking the checkered flag.
27. 5/16/1992 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
"One Hot Night" is the first All-Star event held under the lights. Kyle Petty roughhouses his way to the front,
racing to the back bumper of Davey Allison on the final lap and spinning Allison across the finish line. Allison wins, but
has to be cut from the car and airlifted to the hospital.
28. 5/21/1989 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
Rusty Wallace spins Darrell Waltrip live on ABC and in front of thousands at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to win The Winston.
As Wallace drives to Victory Lane, Waltrip's Tide pit crew is waiting and a huge fight breaks out between the two race teams.
29. 2/19/1989 Daytona 500
Darrell Waltrip ends decades of futility by finally winning the Daytona 500. His Victory Lane celebration is still among
the greatest ever, including "The Ickey Shuffle" and his cry of "I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500!
Thank God!"
30. 2/15/1981 Daytona 500
Richard Petty and cousin/crew chief gamble on a late gas-only pit stop to take over the lead and win a record 7th Daytona
500.
31. 10/1/1967 Wilkes 400 -- North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Richard Petty wins his 10th consecutive race and his 27th race of the 49-race 1967 season.
32. 9/22/1991 Goody's 500 -- Martinsville, Va.
51-year old Harry Gant becomes known as "Mr. September" by winning four consecutive Nextel Cup races -- Darlington,
Richmond, Dover, and Martinsville. He also wins three Busch Series races during that time, giving him seven wins in a row.
33. 2/20/1977 Daytona 500
Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to drive in the Great American Race, starting 39th and finishing 12th. It is her
6th Cup start after making her debut at Charlotte the following May in the World 600.
34. 11/8/1998 NAPA 500 -- Atlanta
Jeff Gordon wins his 13th race of the season, closing out the most dominant season of NASCAR's modern era -- 13 wins,
7 poles, 28 top 10's in 33 races -- and clinching his 3rd Cup title in four seasons.
35. 2/23/1958 Daytona Beach
Paul Goldsmith wins the final race held on the Daytona Beach and Road course, marking the end of an era for NASCAR's birthplace.
Stock car races were first held on the beach in 1936, inspiring then-driver Bill France Senior to create the sanctioning body.
36. 4/23/2000 DirecTV 500 -- Texas
Adam Petty becomes the first 4th generation athlete in American professional sports history, starting 33rd and finishing
40th with a blown engine.
37. 10/23/1994 AC Delco 500 -- Rockingham
Dale Earnhardt equals a record that no one thought would ever be touched -- Richard Petty's mark of seven Nextel Cup titles.
He does so in style, winning the race and clinching with two races remaining in the season.
38. 10/211973 American 500 -- Rockingham
After a devastating crash early in the season's final race, points leader and hometown hero Benny Parsons and his team
frantically worked to get his car back into running shape. With Cale Yarborough closing in, Parsons and his team completely
rebuilt the entire left side of the car and finished 28th, running just enough laps to win BP's only Cup title.
39. 8/311997 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton bang their way around the track for two laps until Gordon wins by inches to clinch the second-ever
Winston Million dollar bonus.
40. 4/8/1979 Rebel 500 -- Darlington
Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty trade the lead four times during the race's final lap. DW decides to play chicken with
The King heading into the 3rd turn, pulling an outside-inside move to sweep to the bottom of the track and take the win. It
is also David Pearson's final race with the Wood Brothers after an embarrassing pit road mishap.
As said above, this is only some of NASCAR's greatest moments as provided by:
CMT.COM
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