Today in Nascar History April

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Before we start the month I feel it is necessary to give credit to the sources of info (which are all highly recommended) Nascar Chronicle by Greg Fielden, racing-reference.com, motorsport.com, yahoo sports, getty images, and google image search for the pictures.

Today in Nascar History April 1st:

I’m sure some good April fools jokes have been played in Nascar on this day lol.

Winners on this date: Curtis Turner, Emanuel Zervakis, Rex White, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt (2 times), Darrell Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, and Jimmie Johnson.

April 1st, 1951: Curtis Turner wins the big 150 lapper at Charlotte driving a Nash Ambassador. Bill Holland survives a wild end over end crash late in the event.



April 1st, 1979: A young, brash, and talented rookie named Dale Earnhardt passes Darrell Waltrip with 27 laps remaining and goes on to win the 500 lapper at Bristol, his first career Cup victory.



April 1st, 1984: Darrell Waltrip once again dominates at Bristol, giving car owner Junior Johnson his 8th consecutive win at the bullring.



April 1st, 1990: Dale Earnhardt beats Mark Martin to the line to win at Darlington. Neil Bonnett is injured in a hard wreck during the event. He suffers a major concussion and memory loss.



April 1st, 1993: Defending Cup Series Champion Alan Kulwicki dies in a plane crash in Tennesee. Kulwicki was on his way to compete at Bristol that weekend. Kulwicki's hauler does a tribute polish victory lap in his honor and race winner Rusty Wallace repeats the gesture of tribute.



April 1st, 2007: Jimmie Johnson outduels teammate Jeff Gordon in a thrilling finish to win at Martinsville. Gordon repeatedly hits Johnson but does not wreck him during the closing laps. On the final lap Gordon finally gets alongside Johnson, but it is too little too late as he loses in a drag race to the start finish line.

[nadeau01_johnson48]

To this day that '07 Martinsville race is one of my favorite JJ wins. I was 100% convinced Gordon would win that race one way or the other, but somehow Jimmie held him off with a slower car for the last 40 laps.

[race crazy]

To this day that '07 Martinsville race is one of my favorite JJ wins. I was 100% convinced Gordon would win that race one way or the other, but somehow Jimmie held him off with a slower car for the last 40 laps.

jeff was too nice about roughing him up since it was his car and he was still winning more than he is now-20 bucks says if that happened tomorrow Jeff would hit the left rear and send JJ spinnin or way up the track to win-just hitting him square wasnt gonna do anything to JJ since he has great car control haha

[race crazy]

Today in Nascar History April 2nd:

Winners on this date: Tim Flock, Cotton Owens, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Harry Gant, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Tony Stewart.

April 2nd, 1967: Cale Yarborough scores his first career superspeedway win in dominating fashion by leading 301 of the 334 laps to win at Atlanta.



April 2nd, 1989: Harry Gant ends a long winless drought by scoring the victory at Darlington. It is his 10th career Cup Series triumph.



April 2nd, 1995: Young gun Jeff Gordon continues his torrid start to the 1995 season by winning at Bristol. It gives Gordon his 3rd win in the first 6 races of the season.



April 2nd, 2000: Rookie and 3rd generation driver Dale Earnhardt Jr dominates in Texas and scores his first career Cup Series victory.



April 2nd, 2006: Tony Stewart holds off Jimmie Johnson in a battle of the home improvement stores to score the win at Martinsville.

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Today in Nascar History April 3rd:

Winners on this date: Buck Baker, John Rostek, Rex White, David Pearson, Bobby Isaac, Darrell Waltrip, and Kevin Harvick (2 times).

April 3rd, 1977: Darrell Waltrip passes David Pearson, Richard Petty, and Donnie Allison on the last lap for the win at Darlington as they slow for a crash in turn 4-DW keeps his foot in it and beats them to the flag in his car named Bertha.

April 3rd, 2005: Kevin Harvick holds off Elliott Sadler to win a wild one at Bristol. Many top contenders are claimed by the treacherous high banks during the event.

Race Recap Complete With Banjo! LOL

April 3rd, 2011: Kevin Harvick passes Dale Earnhardt Jr late in the race at Martinsville to score his 2nd straight victory in 2011 and his very first in the Cup Series at the Paperclip. Dale Jr and Harvick both pass the dominant car of Kyle Busch late in the race and duel amongst themselves for the win. The race sees a record number of lead changes for a Martinsville event and it is also the first race there in the last 9 races held at the track in which Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson did not win.

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Today in Nascar History April 4th:

Winners on this date: Fonty Flock, Dick Rathmann, Jack Smith, Ned Jarrett, AJ Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, and Elliott Sadler.

April 4th, 1948: Fonty Flock drives his Ford to victory at Macon Speedway in Georgia from the pole.

April 4th, 1971: AJ Foyt drives a Mercury to the win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

April 4th, 1982: Dale Earnhardt ends an 18 month winless streak by winning the Rebel 500 at Darlington-it was his first career win in a Ford.

April 4th, 2004: Elliott Sadler holds off Kasey Kahne in an epic final lap duel to win at Texas.





April 4th, 2008: Michael McDowell survives one of the worst wrecks in Nascar history during his qualifying attempt for the Samsung 500. Thanks to the many safety advancements made by the sport McDowell walks away uninjured.

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Today in Nascar History April 5th:

Winners on this date: Dick Passwater, Bob Welborn, Lee Petty, Rex White, Fred Lorenzen, Donnie Allison, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon.

April 5th, 1953:Dick Passwater wins in an upset at Charlotte Speedway (this isn’t Charlotte Motor Speedway and yes that is the man’s real name LOL).

April 5th, 1981: Richard Petty beats Dave Marcis to record his 15th career win at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

April 5th, 1992: The late Alan Kulwicki takes the Food City 500 at Bristol.

April 5th, 1998: Mark Martin passes Roush teammate Chad Little to win at Texas in an event dominated by Roush Racing cars. Many of the other top contenders were taken out in a HUGE wreck on lap 2 of the event.

April 5th, 2009: Jeff Gordon ends a long winless drought by finally winning at Texas in his 17th start at the Speedway.

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Today in Nascar History April 6th:

Winners on this date: Dick Rathmann, Richard Petty (2 times), Bobby Isaac, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Carl Edwards.

April 6th, 1985: Dale Earnhardt loses power steering early on at Bristol but still manhandles his car to victory.

April 6th, 1986: Rusty Wallace, driving the Alligard #27, beats Ricky Rudd to score his 1st ever career win at Bristol-a track he would have great success at over the course of his career.

April 6th, 1997: Jeff Burton scores his first career victory in the inaugural race at Texas Motor Speedway. The race featured several big crashes-including a lap 1 turn 1 melee.

April 6th, 2003: Alright Jr fans...LOL. After getting involved in a HUGE multi car crash early which started when Ryan Newman blew a tire in turn 2, Dale Earnhardt Jr rallies all the way from the back to win at Talladega (this was the infamous "he went below the yellow line race")

April 6th, 2008: Carl Edwards continues the Roush dominance at Texas by dominating at the Great American Speedway en route to his 2nd career win at the track.

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Today in Nascar History April 7th:

Winners on this date: David Pearson (2 times), Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Joe Weatherly, and Ricky Rudd.

April 7th, 1966: Ford announced that its factory teams will boycott the Nascar Grand National Season in a dispute over engine rules, as David Pearson takes the 100 miler in Columbia, SC.

April 7th, 1974: David Pearson takes another win at Darlington.

April 7th, 1990: Michael Waltrip survives an atrocious wreck in the Grand National race at Bristol. Waltrip’s car blows a tire and hits the unsecured entrance gate off of turn 2 causing his car to disintegrate. Miraculously Waltrip is unhurt.





April 7th, 1991: Ricky Rudd takes his only win of 1991 driving Rick Hendrick’s #5 Tide car to the win at Darlington.

The first ever edition of “Buffet Benny” appeared on this date during the race broadcast (RIP Benny)

Hard wreck for Dale Jarrett during the race





The finish

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Today in Nascar History April 8th: (busy day!)

Winners on this date:Tim Flock (2 times), Richard Petty (2 times), Marshall Teague, Bobby Isaac, Darrell Waltrip, Tim Richmond, Davey Allison, Dale Jarrett, and Matt Kenseth.

April 8th, 1951-Marhsall Teague won the first ever Nascar Grand National (Cup) race on the West Coast in Gardena, CA in his Hudson Hornet while Tim Flock won a Grand National race in Mobile, AL the same day-and you thought the point system is messed up now LOL.

Another interesting tidbit from this event-Frank Mundy drove a rental car to an 11th place finish in the California race and won 25 dollars, then returned the car to the rental place after dark so they wouldn’t notice he ruined the tires.

April 8th, 1956-Tim Flock wins at North Wilkesboro and then suddenly quits the powerhouse Kiekhaefer team.

April 8th, 1979-Darrell Waltrip beats Richard Petty in an epic last lap duel at Darlington-the 2 swap the lead at least 4 times on the last lap before Waltrip prevails-after the race David Pearson is released by the famed Wood Brothers #21 team. (Note-a lot of you guys have seen highlights of this last lap in highlight packages for Darlington-it’s a pretty famous piece of video-I cant find it on Youtube though LOL-watch for it at Darlington in a few weeks).

April 8th, 1990-Davey Allison beats Mark Martin to the line in a photo finish at Bristol-here’s the final laps (also included-Ricky Rudd vs. Sterling Marlin haha-good old Bristol racing)

April 8th, 2001-Dale Jarrett and Yates racing teammate Ricky Rudd battle in the final laps for the win at Martinsville before Jarrett prevails for the victory.

April 8th, 2002: Matt Kenseth comes from tailback on the field to easily win at Texas.

April 8th, 2011: Carl Edwards wins the Nationwide Series Event at Texas in a Ford Mustang, the first ever for the Ford brand name in Nascar (similar body styles had won previously in the 1960’s in the Cup Series but they were Ford Torino Cobras, not Mustangs)