Scenes from NASCAR's Peak (1999-2005) 

The only thing today's era has on 99-05 is double file restarts. Everything else from the sounds, the cars, the broadcasters, the camera angles, the graphics, drivers you name it was way better back then and those were my favorite seasons growing up. I would maybe go back as far as 95 or 96 and go up to 2006 but I think 1999-2005 nails it as it was smack dab in between the Gordon and Johnson dynasties. More different winners than ever and we saw a transition from the old guard of the 90s to the youth of the 2000s. 50+ cars were showing up for 43 spots so there was always a big name or 2 on the DNQ list. Really made for a cant miss Friday qualifying session. For me the COT is what really facilitated the downfall from 07 on. 2011-14 was another great period but the sudden retirement of stars in seasons after really killed the momentum that was starting to build up again. You had to be watching in that period to really understand how special it was.

This might just be the best NASCAR video i've ever seen made on RU-vid. Great work man.

I'm glad I grew up in this era I'm 30 almost 31 I still watch to this day but in my personal opinion nothing will top this era for me it was just magical growing up

Great video. Young fan, love this history of the sport but my first year watching Live was 2022 if you can believe it. Stuff like this, old races/Nascar classics are super awesome to see

I got into NASCAR in 2008, but I've seen moments like these, and they are definitely memorable. I still enjoy NASCAR do this day, despite its issues it currently has, but I still enjoy it.

Anyone know the tune is at the beginning

Did not expect to watch the whole thing. Wow, the nostalgia. This was my childhood. Those drivers were my heroes. What a special time for the sport.

I like how i got emotional watching Wallace drive with the Earnhardt flag, just as tears were starting to come it cuts to the 99 talladega big one and instantly laughed lol

The one thing I noticed about the 90s and 2000s, the paint schemes, color combos, and brand identify were on point. The car schemes now are bland looking. Almost every car is a mixture of ugly white. When they went to vinyl wraps, instead of painting, it took away some of the shine and color. The marketing was amazing. Marketing classes should just show 90s and 2000s nascar as the proper way to display your brand. The actual racing now is much better, but man did the cars look good

Where there was actual fans in the stands and didn’t boast about a “sellout” when 80 percent of the seats are torn down

Props to you on this video. This is an amazing video!

We used to be a proper country.

I'm a younger NASCAR fan (began in 2011, when I was 4...now I'm 18 at the time of writing this), but I love looking at the sport from the 80s all the way up to modern day, and this is a perfect video of that. Of course seeing clips involving Dale Jr make me smile because he was (& still is) my favorite driver growing up, though I have a few others now, haha! I've made lots of friends thanks to NASCAR & even we talk about how great this era was. It's so fun to see races from this era (and afterwards, like my childhood), and even talk about the drivers too. With the '24 season winding down, I've noticed fans, teams (and of course) drivers are having a wake up call & seeing some of the current stuff ain't working & want change. So, something at least similar to higher HP cars, gettin' a better format, etc., can help the sport overall. Also get rid of the higher ups & sell the sport lol. The sport ain't perfect but I'm so glad that NASCAR has been a big part of my life. Great video, my friend!

Ive been there for lil e 14th place finishes im telling you the fans loved him.nobody compares to the crowds and the 8s and 88s that roared.

41:02 something about this one is just so insanely comical

I believ the peak was 95 till 2010ish. now its flat with stages and commercials and no legends in sight.

I would go back another 5 years though.

2000 - 2005 I watched pretty feequently on VHS recordings. 2006 - 2010 had their moments. 2011 - 2013 was pretty good. Feom 2014 on I have watched maybe a combined 30 races. Just too much sports entertainent and forced storylines and not organic racing anymore....I miss old Fox and Gen 4 racing dearly.

Still got my Rainbow Dupont #24 diecast from 1998🎉

I grew up with 90s NASCAR, mostly starting in 1994. Starting really watching it in 1995 when my dad would record just about every race, including the the older Busch Series as well. I was only a little boy at the time 4 and 5 years old respectively. But I sure loved it.

Charleston, SC was 2+ hours from the closest Nextel/Winston Cup track and it was still probably the #2 sport here in this area behind college football. Almost every sports fan was into it during the year. The local TV stations would cover Daytona every year, and usually a few other races. The races were on the FM country station. Now you can barely find a station broadcasting MRN. Now even the Darlington races are often forgotten because it’s such a college football centric area and nobody knows drivers.

I would argue that NASCAR’s peak began in 1996. How is Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500 win not on here

Peak Nascar on Fox This is what we need back, todays Nascar on Fox is BORING

Allen Bestwick should kick Clint Bowyer in the sack just because

personally I'd include 2006 and 2007 as weird as that was

Where's this prime Nascar, i want it back 😢

I am glad I got to grow up with nascar at its peak

Thank you so much for making this video. I’m 30 now and have so many good memories of watching NASCAR with my dad. So glad I got to witness the golden era.

Everyone has their favorite era and it continues to move with people’s age

1990-2006 for me. After Toyota, the COT, and even more shaking up of the Chase rules, that was all I could take. I tried to watch for a while longer but I haven’t watched a NASCAR race since 2009

Curious how you end your timeline with 2005 considering the 2006 Daytona 500 was and will probably forever remain the most watched NASCAR race in history. I’d say the peak ended sometime in early-mid 2007 once the financial crisis started to come full force on average Americans and the COT fundamentally changed what a “stock car” was

Doesn’t matter what era you like the best. F1 racing will triumph over any racing. Even including this asscars

9:36 song?