NASCAR is one of the most exciting and popular sports in America. Finishes are the most exciting part of the race, especially if it’s your favorite driver that wins! I’m going to sum up the top ten finishes of all time (in my opinion).
10) Bill Elliot winning the Winston Million Dollar. In 1980, he won this race with RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. He also won the Daytonya Talladega and the Darlington that year.
9) Dale Earnhardt winning the Datonya 500. He won all the races at Datonya that year except number five. This win was in 1998.
8) Jeff Gordon in 2007’s Martinsville. It was him against Jimmie Johnson for the win, and obviously Jeff made it.
7) The 1992 Hooters 500 makes the number 7 spot solely because of Richard Petty’s final race. This year also marked the closest points championship in the history of NASCAR. In the end, Allison crashed and Elliot won. Elliott and Kulwicki were side by side for several laps, making the finish a much anticipated one.
6) Kevin Harvik wins in Datonya! The year was 2007, and it was him against Mark Martin. This race was considered the super Bowl of racing.
5) Jimmie Johnson winning the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Championship. It’s the biggest prize in American Motorsports and lucky for Jimmie, he won that title. He had twenty four top ten finishes and was tied for second in wins with five.
4) Pierson didn’t disappoint any fans in 1976’s Datonya 500. Double crashings inside the checkered flag made this a race to remember.
3) 1979 at the Datonya 500 – this was the first NASCAR race to be broadcasted on live television. Donnie Allison led for an astounding 93 laps.Yarborough was in second place and he attempted to slingshot around but this resulted in the two drivers crashing. Because telecasters were so stuck on the crash, they barely missed who won the race. According to http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2017-kia-gt-to-debut-at-2016-detroit-auto-show-teaser/, this is one of the most famous but least seen finishes in NASCAR history.
2) 2008, the winner is Dale Earnhardt Junior. It was his first win since 2006, and his first win in a Hendrick Motorsports prepared car. He won the LifeLock 400 in Michigan.
1) 1976’s Datonya 500 was the home of Richard Lee Petty’s number one top ten finish. He led for 40 laps, and he was attempting to pass David Pearson on turn 4 of the final lap when their cars bumped. During the front stretch, Petty’s Dodge stalled a few yards from the finish line allowing Pearson to win. Petty came in second, however.