Today in Nascar History May

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Today in Nascar History May 11th.

Winners on this date: Joe Weatherly, David Pearson, and Richard Petty.

All-Star Event Race Winners on this date: Bill Elliott (1986 Atlanta)

May 11th, 1963: Joe Weatherly wins a confusing Rebel 300 at Darlington. The race is run in two parts-like a doubleheader-each 150 miles a piece. Weatherly wins the opening race while Richard Petty wins the 2nd. A points system averages the races out to determine the race winner-giving Weatherly the win.

May 11th, 2010: The brand new Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte opens its doors to the public for the first time with opening ceremonies in the shining cathedral to Nascar's past and future.

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Today in Nascar History May 12th:

Winners on this date: Speedy Thompson, Nelson Stacy, Cale Yarborough (2 times), Darrell Waltrip, and Jimmie Johnson.

May 12th, 2000: Adam Petty loses his life in a practice crash at Loudon :(.

May 12th, 2012: Jimmie Johnson uses a strong car to hold off the field on a flurry of late race restarts to win the Southern 500 at Darlington. Johnson's first win of the season is car owner Rick Hendrick's 200th Cup Series victory, a huge accomplishment for the respected and renowned car owner.

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Today in Nascar History May 13th:

Winners on this date: Buck Baker, Darel Dieringer, Richard Petty, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, and Martin Truex Jr.

May 13th, 1954: Nascar President Bill France is escorted off the grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway during time trials for the Indy 500-according to Indy officials "we have a long standing disagreement with Nascar on what constitutes good racing." (40 years later of course the inaugural Brickyard 400 would be held)



May 13th, 1967: Richard Petty takes the win in the Darlington 400 a lap ahead of runner up David Pearson. The win is Petty's 55th career-putting him in first on the all-time win list. Ford driver Fred Lorenzen retires before the race and Pearson replaces him in the Holman-Moody Ford.



May 13th, 2006: Greg Biffle takes the win at Darlington for the 2nd straight year.

May 13th, 2007: Jeff Gordon takes a hard earned victory on a Mother’s Day Sunday at Darlington-the race is delayed due to rain on Saturday night which pushes the event to Sunday-Gordon holds on the final 50 laps despite massive overheating of his COT-the car spews water for the last 20 laps but Gordon’s ride holds together.



May 13th, 2017: Martin Truex Jr. passes Ryan Blaney and goes on to take the victory in Kansas. The caution filled event sees a vicious crash between Danica Patrick, Joey Logano, and Aric Almirola which sends Almirola to the hospital with a compression fracture to his back.

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Today in Nascar History May 14th:

Winners on this date: Ned Jarrett, Cale Yarborough, and Kasey Kahne.

May 14th, 2005: Kasey Kahne holds off Tony Stewart to win at Richmond to claim his 1st career cup series victory.

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Today in Nascar History May 15th:

Winners on this date: Danny Letner, Tim Flock, Jim Reed, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bobby Isaac, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Matt Kenseth (2 times).

May 15th, 1977: Cale Yarborough overcomes two black flags, two unscheduled pit stops, and comes from 4 laps down to win at Dover.

May 15th, 1978: When Willy T. Ribbs fails to appear for practice for the World 600 at Charlotte, team owner Will Cronkrite replaces him with an unknown driver named Dale Earnhardt.

May 15th, 1983: Bobby Allison holds off Darrell Waltrip in a tight battle for the win at Dover-the race finishes under yellow when a torrential downpour hits the speedway.

May 15th, 2004: Dale Earnhardt Jr takes the victory at Richmond.

May 15th, 2011: After running consistent for much of the day Matt Kenseth uses a smart 2-tire strategy to assume the lead late in the going and hold on to score his 2nd win at Dover. Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Clint Bowyer dominate much of the event, but the strategy call lead's to Kenseth's 20th career win.

May 15th, 2016: Veteran Matt Kenseth holds off a hard charging Kyle Larson in a great late race battle to score the victory at Dover. The race is unpredictably wild and is interrupted by an 18 car pile up on the front straight which eliminates many top contenders.

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Today in Nascar History May 16th:

Winners on this date: Red Byron, Tim Flock, Jim Paschal, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bobby Isaac, Donnie Allison, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Geoff Bodine, and Kyle Busch.

All-Star Event Race Winners on this date: Davey Allison 1992, Mark Martin 1998, Tony Stewart 2009.

May 16th, 1953: Tim Flock-riding with riding partner Jocko Flocko, wins the 100 mile event at Hickory. Jocko is a Rhesus monkey-and he has his own driver’s uniform and a custom built seat in the car. It is the first time a Grand National (Cup) race winner has a co-pilot (and probably the last).

May 16th, 1992: Dubbed by promoter Humpy Wheeler as “one hot night” the 1992 edition of the All Star race was the first to be run under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race did not disappoint. On the final lap leader Dale Earnhardt spun in turn 3 while trying to hold off 2nd place Kyle Petty. Petty’s loss of momentum allowed 3rd place Davey Allison to pass and get side by side with Petty coming to the checkers. The two collided at the start finish line with Allison ahead before smashing into the outside wall. Allison suffered mild injuries and was taken to the hospital, making it one of the only races in which the actual winner never went to victory lane. A true classic.

May 16th, 1998: Mark Martin takes a surprise win in the All Star race after leader Jeff Gordon slows on the final lap due to a fuel miscalculation.

May 16th, 2009: Tony Stewart takes a big win in the All Star race for his own upstart race team, Stewart Haas Racing. It is the first victory of any kind for the team in the Cup Series.





May 16th, 2010: Kyle Busch takes advantage of a late race speeding penalty on his main challenger for the win Jimmie Johnson and cruises to victory at Dover.

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Today in Nascar History May 17th:

Winners on this date: Lee Petty, Tom Pistone, Richard Petty, David Pearson (2 times), and Jody Ridley.

All-Star Event Race Winners on this date: Dale Earnhardt 1987, Jeff Gordon 1997, Jimmie Johnson 2003, Kasey Kahne 2008.

May 17th, 1981: Jody Ridley drives Junie Donlavey's #90 to an upset win at Dover. It was Ridley's first and only career cup win along with his car owner Donlavey-who had been fielding cars in the series since 1950. The win is somewhat marred by controversy as it is thought that a scoring communications problem took the victory away from Bobby Allison-who thought he was the actual winner of the race.



May 17th, 1987: Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott engage in a terrific fender-banging battle for the win in the All Star race at Charlotte with Earnhardt at one point miraculously saving his car in the tri-oval after a tap from Elliott and retaining the lead. Earnhardt would go on to win the event. (this was the famous “pass in the grass” although it was never a pass, just a great save).

May 17th, 1997: Jeff Gordon obliterates the field in the All Star race in a dominating performance for the ages. Nicknamed T-Rex due to its sponsorship and chassis builder Rex Stump, this certain 24 car would go on to win the Coca Cola 600 the following week and then was told to under no circumstances be brought back by Nascar. This car was tricked to the nines and many Nascar rules in the rulebook today are from things tricked on this car.

May 17th, 2003: 2nd year sensation Jimmie Johnson passes teammate Jeff Gordon to win his 1st career All Star Race at Charlotte.

May 17th, 2008: Kasey Kahne pulls away from the competition to win the Sprint All Star Race. Kahne becomes the first driver to win after getting into the big event based on a fan vote.

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Today in Nascar History May 18th:

Winners on this date: Dick Rathmann, Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, David Pearson (2 times), Bobby Isaac, Bobby Allison, and Geoff Bodine.

All-Star Event Race Winners on this date: Ryan Newman 2002

May 18th, 1947: Fonty Flock wins the first ever event at North Wilkesboro Speedway in front of over 10,000 spectators-a spectacular crowd for the time.

May 18th, 2002: Rookie Ryan Newman holds off a hard charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. to score an upset victory in the Winston.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po_Seayfh3Y

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Today in Nascar History May 19th:

Winners on this date: Buck Baker, Ned Jarrett (2 times), Jim Paschal, Cale Yarborough, and Bill Elliott.

All-Star Event Race Winners on this date: Davey Allison 1991, Jeff Gordon 2001, Kevin Harvick 2007, Jimmie Johnson 2012.

May 19th, 1957: Buck Baker is declared the winner of the Virginia 500 at Martinsville after a crash halts the race on the 441st lap.



May 19th, 1991: Davey Allison wins the Winston All Star Race in dominating fashion.



May 19th, 2001: In a truly bizarre event Jeff Gordon wins the All-Star race in a backup car. The race was delayed and then given the green and as the cars went into turn 1 it started raining, wrecking much of the field including Gordon. Nascar allowed the teams to pull their backups off the truck and prepare them. Gordon would drive his to victory.

May 19th, 2007: Kevin Harvick pulls off the win in the All Star Event. It is his first ever Cup Series triumph of any sort at the track. (this was also the race with the Busch brothers getting together)

May 19th, 2012: Jimmie Johnson plays his strategy perfectly and uses a dominant car to easily win the Sprint All-Star Race for a record-tying 3rd time.

[bakemeister52]

Thanks for the memories, love these posts and pics!