Rolling bricks with mechanical grip and lots of horsepower. Inside, drivers that understand that respect and understand the danger. A beautiful sight. Nothing NASCAR pumps out today can hold a candle to this.
I dont know if its because theyre the first presenter and commentators i can remember hearing but Squier, Ned and Buddy will always be the voices of Nascar for me. Also i have to add BP to that as he will forever be my favorite o and Dr. Punch. *They just dont make 'em like this any more. They keep searching for ways to make the sport bigger (cough..more profitable) yet most of what theyre doing is taking the sport away from the people that made it great - these people are the backbone of the sport. Sadly if you take away pretty much anythings backbone it will collapse. A big xxxx you to Nascar for leaving Wilkesboro and Rockingham to rot - even if they had small capacities, they would be packed with real fans. Real men and real ladies that love and live for this sport.* My bad. My ranting essay is over. Hope everyones well an good an definate congrats if you read down here, you deserve a prize.... maybe get yaself a beer and pretend its from me?
Yea, to me BP was my favorite voice in the booth. BP and Neil Bonnett were very well spoken, even as drivers. They tried like crazy to shake the "country" off when Brian France took over and they keep doubling down on it. It isn't working for them either. Nascar wasnt just southeastern, it's fans were from small town USA. They want to be the NFL so bad and it killed them!
@@mitchellschool9950 The reason Earnhardt died is basic physics: "An object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by another force." The reason Sr died in 2001 is that he had no "Another force" (HANS device) to counteract him continuing into the steering wheel and column, in addition to wearing open face helmets.
I know why this race was moved to october. The sun. it was always hot at those summer talladega races. Sure, we could get some cool clouds but, it is cooler in octoger than july and they don't want people to die of a heat stroke.
Dale: this one was rough. Man I got tossed around really good and got broken bones and a bruised pelvis. I have to heal up some now so I can prepare to race again. Great interview Dale! Get well soon. the Oppermans from Texas
Fun fact- this would be Gordon's only Talladega win with Ray Evernham, which is surprising considering all the different tracks they won at. It stands out considering his success here with other crew chiefs- won 4 times with Robbie Loomis, swept the 2007 races with Steve Letarte
+Chris Kreager Ray Evernham's only win with Gordon was Summer 1996, but Robbie Loomis got 3 wins in Spring 2000, Spring 2004, and Spring 2005. Yes, Steve Letarte's 2 wins were the 2007 sweep of both the Spring and Fall races.
This race started a bad trend for Dale Sr., this wreck, '97 Daytona 500 flip, another Talladega crash in the fall of 1997, the mysterious blackout at the start of the 1997 Southern 500 the crash at Talladega in May 1998 where he got burns on his face a crash in Atlanta in March of 1999 where he hurt his back and neck, it wasn't until the winter of 2000 when he finally had surgery to repair his lingering injuries, if only he could have lived he could have raced another 5 years at 100%
The wreck at Atlanta in 99, was so hard it chipped part of a vertebrae off and it got wedged into his main nerves in his neck. Can u imagine the pain he lived with from Atlanta 99 until his surgery? Also, his injuries from Talladega in 96, weren't fully healed to 100% until about the 6th or 7th race of the 97 season. So he raced the rest of 96 hurting bad, at the beginning of 97 hurt.
Tough man our racer Dale Earnhardt Sr. He was the best in our eyes! He always came back until 2001! We lost our Dale and we never watched the races since. Never been the same for us! Now Jerry and Sugar Bear have joined Dale in Heaven and enjoying watching him race for God and the blessed in Heaven!
Last time this race was run in July a few weeks after Daytona. The next year the race was moved to October because the fans complained about the sizzling heat, and unpredictable Alabama thunderstorms. Even if Dale's crash didn't happen, they would not have made it the whole 188 lap/500 mile distance. If the crash didn't happen, NASCAR would have shortened the race to 150 laps/400 laps. It's been done at Kansas in 2007, Talladega in 2013 for the Nationwide Series, Pocono in 2002, and the 1997 Coca-Cola 600.
If I remember correctly, this was the race that was delayed by rain and then right as they are rolling off pit road, CBS switched over to golf in a lot of areas. (Including mine!) CBS caught so much flack they did show the whole race the next weekend. Must have been an off weekend for NASCAR.
I remember the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2007 did the exact same thing when it got red flagged due to rain storms in the area. NASCAR on ABC went off the air at one point during the delay. When they got the track all dried off and got back to racing, the sun was out, and my local ABC station did not put the race back on. I checked all of the ESPN channels, and they didn’t have the race on either.
A damn shame! Sterling was closing in on Dale for the lead (with NO drafting help) until Irvan screwed up. If Sterling gets the lead in all likelyhood he's out front to stay. What amazed me was Irvan had the unreal nerve to blame Marlin for the crash! Really Ernie!?!? Even Dale noted that if Irvans car was really that loose, then he had no business being up in the lead pack. The truth is the Irvan just flat out screwed up. And he knew it.
JG's first 'Dega win. Whoever thought at that time that he'd currently be 1st among active drivers and second behind Dale Earnhardt for most Talledega win with six?
I love Larry McReynolds interview. "I seen Ernie on the apron, so he could not go no further and it looks like Sterling come down, caught us in the right front." Larry, u may want to look at the replay... When I heard that interview the very first time I was so pissed off. Bc everybody except Larry knew that Ernie clipped the apron, causing his car to push up into Sterling. What I don't understand is that when Ernie come off the apron, he never seems to try and lift, not does it seem like he tries to put extra wheel into it to try and stay out of the left rear of Sterling. But then again, this was after Ernie's head injury at Michigan in 94, and his reaction times were a lot slower. I just don't feel like Ernie's hand and eye coordination was good enough to be racing at tracks like this, at this speed. If it was now, I doubt NASCAR would have let him race bc he wouldn't be able to pass the tests they have to pass now.
Ernie's eyesight had nothing to do with the mis-judgment of the action. When Ernie's left-side tires hit the apron, the whole car took a set to the right and knocked Ernie into Sterling and that's how the wreck started. It's the exact same move plus consequence that Ward Burton did on Bill Elliott and Dale Sr. in 1998 yet no one craps on him.
Robert Yates couldn't get him out of the door fast enough after the '97 season. Just the same way that he pissed off Morgan McClure in '93. He had to leave NASCAR in '99 for good because of another head injury at Michigan. And no one cared.
People can say what they want, but Ernie Irvan was a hell of a race car driver. Before his wreck at Michigan in 94, was he too aggressive and wrecked a lot and cause quite a few weeks? Yeah, he did. But I respected that about Ernie, he was out there to race and race hard. Too hard early in races? Yeah... But before his wreck he was freaking awesome. If Ernie hadn't of had his wreck, I'm not so sure that Dale would have won his 7th Championship that year. I believe Ernie was going to def give him a tough time. Before Michigan Ernie was behind Dale by 27 points. But they were changing points lead almost every race. It was going to be very exciting. And when Ernie retired, I did care bc he was a great racer IMO.
@@trecooledge1326 Great comment. I completely agree with you. I follow Ernie on Instagram, but he rarely posts. I don't know if he's living the life he's wanted at this point, but It's nice to know some people still admire and appreciate him.
1:10:19 "Good" is probably an understatement. "Magical" is more like it. The way he charged through the field in the Pepsi 400 with it was nothing short of astonishing.
Exactly. And what about the Talladega race earlier that year. From the back to the front 3 times and still won and led the most laps. That car was just awesome. In fact, it was the best car Morgan-McClure Motorsports ever had. Won the 1995 Daytona 500, the '95 Diehard 500, the '96 Winston Select 500, and the '96 Pepsi 400. After this crash MMM never won another plate race.
Chappy H Races won with the same exact car.... 1995 Daytona 500 1995 Talladega race 1996 Talladega race 1996 Daytona race .....After that cars sad demise (While going for the lead in the race BTW), because of Ernie Irvan. Sterling Marlin never again won another Points Paying Restrictor Plate Race in his career. His next win didn't take place until 2001. That actually says more about his car then it does Sterling Marlin I think. .....If that car didn't wreck in this race Sterling Marlin could of used it until 2000. When they changed the body style of the Chevy's. That's very impressive. (BTW thanks for correcting me Chappy H)
The car that won the 1994 Daytona 500 was a Lumina, not a Monte Carlo. It might have been the same chasis, but I don't think it was. I'd need someone from MMM to clarify that.The Monte Carlo body style remained the same from 1995 through 1999. It didn't change until 2000, so theoretically he could've run the same car for another 3 years.
Very true. Look at the races that car lost. 1995 Pepsi 400 (Daytona) - finished 2nd. 1995 Winston 500 (Talladega) - Broke a rocker arm and went to the garage for 40 laps. Returned to the race and pulled Jeff Gordon and others up to the leaders before getting out of the way to let them race for the win. 1996 Daytona 500 - burned a piston while leading. 1996 Diehard 500 (Talladega) - wrecked while battling for the lead. I mean, the only way that car lost (except for the one race it ran 2nd) was if there was engine trouble. Even so, it won 50% of the races in which it was entered. That's definitely awesome. I guarantee you, there's never been another plate car (that entered more than 4 races) that can boast that type of win percentage.
Ernie Irvan's fastest race pace would be smashed by Mark Martin's #6 Valvoline Ford Thunderbird in May 1997 (next race) with an average speed of 188.354 MPH. He completed 500 miles in 2 Hours/39 Minutes/18 Seconds, and Earnhardt was not a 5-time Talladega winner at that time, he had won there 7 times and his 3 remaining would be sweeping the 1999 events and his final win in the Fall of 2000. Unless they are talking about him winning the July race which would make sense (1983-1984, 1990-1991, and 1993 to that point, then won it a 6th and 7th times in 1999-2000). He won the Spring race in 1990, 1994, and 1999.
It's a damn shame that the speed record was set with a frigging restrictor plate on the car. This race you mention pales in comparison to the 1985 Winston 500!
Interesting after race interviews and camera. Seeing onboard with Jarrett it's true that Irvin got a little loose but I think not as loose as Irvin suggests. He could have handled it and recovered without going up into Marlin, if he was paying more attention and/or a better driver. He had enough time and space to straighten the car out.
While I will put Irvan at blame for the wreck, consider this: there's a slight apron in that tri-oval that pushed Irvan's car dead-right into Marlin's. It's the same maneuver in which two years later, Ward Burton took out Bill Elliott and Dale Sr. with. The yellow-line rule really helped with preventing wrecks like that to ever happen again.
Ernie hit the apron, and when that happens the dirt and debris get on the tires and shove the car to the right, or as the booth calls it "de-wedges" the car. Ernie was trying to correct but inadvertently started the (second) big one. Ward Burton made the exact same mistake 2 years later on Earnhardt and Bill Elliott.
Got to track infield at 6 am...from ATLANTA Olympics, bomb deal...to pouring rain all morning...LEFT while still raining...mid afternoon, as no way they would run Sunday. Got to Macon HOOTER'S before lap 100, beer and gone before 2nd wreck. . . listened to MRN to SC line...no Earnhardt status reports.
My first cup race to attend, & I was so scared, when they announced Earnhardt wasn't responding... Then the eerie waiting, while they cut him from the car. He had night terrors about this crash, w/ good reason. Rain delayed for most of the day... I honestly didn't think the race would begin. It did, just barely & Jeff Gordon won his 1st @ Dega.
Not to mention if it ran on Monday, if CBS did not sale the rights to another network, it would have been taped delayed anyway. Remember NASCAR was just starting the boom, and did not quite have the clout to preempt daytime programming scheduled for CBS, and they did not own TNN for about 2 years.
Correct, it is unlikely CBS would have aired the Monday running and it would have been tape delayed anyway in 1996. Once TNN was owned by CBS, it was likely that a postponed race would move from Sunday on CBS to Monday on TNN. ABC had ESPN to back them up (such as with Atlanta in March 1998) and cable networks were willing to go for a Monday race.
It was shown a week later, yes. It's good to know why CBS chose not to stick with the NASCAR event -- I was pretty irked about it at the time and have bashed CBS a few times since then for not showing the race the same day... but now I understand why. thanks for the explanation!
sivvybee try driving a loose racecar at talladega with the guy behind you right behind making you loose to begin with. not to mention going 190mph with the left side tires on the apron. lets see what you would have done different
I was so pissed at him. Me and a friend went and we thought Earnhardt had gotten killed . At the first race we go to. Thank God he was all right. RIP Dale Earnhardt
I see your point and your right but i think the yellow line rule made just things worse case in point brad and carl where carl flipped over into the fence.
Contractual obligations with the PGA. The time Nascar purchased had run out before the race could start and CBS had to honor its deal with the PGA and show the golf tourney. I actually think the race was shown a week after it was ran. I'm not sure why Nascar didn't just run it the following Monday because even had Earnhardt's crash not happened, they still wouldn't have had time to finish the race before it got dark.
Greg4fun dont get mad at me but when dale sr had to get neck surgery after a crash in '99, I honestly think that Earnhardt was warned about crashing head on and how it could kill him based on how messed up his neck already was. i honestly dont think Earnhardt was supposed to even race again because of the surgery. i suspect that he was taking a risk
But my point is that it started so late that there was no chance whatsoever that the entire race could've been ran before it got dark. They've delayed Sunday races to Monday due to weather plenty of times at Talladega. I realize it's a short week with Indy following, but Nascar owes it to the fans and their television partners to get the full race in if possible and clearly by running it on Sunday evening, even in a caution free race, would've been impossible.
I don't think there was a TV option for Monday either. CBS had no cable partner in 1996 (they acquired TNN in 1997) and they weren't going to pre-empt daytime programs to cover a NASCAR race in that era (except for possibly the Daytona 500, which was never postponed in the CBS era).
So frustrating that the commentators (as much I liked Ken and Ned) would not state the obvious... that Ernie came up and got into Sterling, thus causing the whole thing. Kept talking about how the 4 and 28 "got together". Well, a blind man could see that the 28 drifted up the track into the 4's left rear. Pretty simple. Really hated it for Dale who got hurt and for the 4 team who lost a GREAT car.
That's racing. Unfortunately the greatest didn't make it in 2001. Not only did we lose the best we lost the sport. Just as the NFL is in denial so is NASCAR. These are the last sports were it's men against men and all the politically correct BULLSHIT can go screw itself. I miss him too but I don't think he would have it any other way. Those guys were tough and would not stand for these baby carriages drivers drive today. Drivers of that time were different because you couldn't just show up and become rich and famous. It was all about winning.
Sad but so so true that day was sucky all the way around. Folks got tired of jimmy and now kyle back to back and nascrap starts its slow suffering death but stage ( heat ) raceing with points held some but the 2020 season is screwed up no more july Daytona. Pheniox is now last race two day two points racing at Pocono one saturday one sunday. Indy gets 4th of july race just sux now
+Marshall Baker He hit at a different angle than his fatal wreck. This wreck he hit the wall left front fender first, his fatal wreck was the right front.
Larry Mac tried to make it sound as if Sterling caused the wreck by not giving Irvan enough room, he HAD to say that cause he was Irvan's crew chief but he knew damn well Irvan caused that wreck... Sr prolly shoulda retired not long after this crash BUT he was a racer & he still had a few wins left, 6 to be exact...
McReynolds blaming MARLIN. BULLSH*T!! Irvin caused the wreck. Sterling did nothing wrong. Just like the wreck where Dale lost his life. Sterling held his line and Dale was blocking. If Dale drove hard in his final race the end, that wreck would NEVER had happen. RIP.
This crash was THE reason that NASCAR wanted Ernie Irvan out of racing for good. A legally blind driver equates to being a very dangerous driver. Irvan had lost over 60% percent of his sight in his right eye. In other words, he was legally blind and shouldn't have been racing at all that day.
I love you Larry, but don't try and tell everyone that Marlin came down on you guys, he was practically door to door with dale. Irvans fault and i'll always blame Irvan for Dale not getting #8
Swervin Ervin strikes again. Larry is a bit blind. Ervin got into Marlin. This turned Marlin into Earnhardt. I don't even know how Ervin kept getting a ride, he was the Maldonado of NASCAR.
Did you not see the tape of the wrecks? At Talladega, Irvan got into Marlin which caused Marlin to get into Earnhardt. As for the Daytona wreck, Dale was driving defensively those last few laps to protect Dale Jr. and Mikey. He was blocking guys left and right and came down on Sterling just enough to turn him. It's unfortunate that happened, but that's a racing deal. You can't really blame Sterling for those wrecks.
One of the dumbest and most ignorant comments I've read. I mean really, you can't be serious. Sterling was racing Dale clean just like he always did and then Ernie hit him in the left rear and turned him into Dale. At Daytona in 2001 Dale cut down across Marlin because he was trying to block for the 2 DEI cars in 1st and 2nd.
I tried to respect Ernie but after this one i lost all respect, he straight up caused this accident after saying oh he was going to try to drive less idiodically,but he just couldn't do it,i didn't know how many people he about killed but it was way to many.
