NASCAR: #ThrowbackThursday – Atlanta Motor Speedway
It’s a NASCAR Thursday once again so that means that it’s time for another edition of NASCAR: #Throwback Thursday courtesy of Beyond The Flag.
The second race of the Sprint Cup season now takes us to one of NASCAR’s most exciting and fastest tracks, Atlanta Motor Speedway. Located in Hampton, Georgia, the speedway is a mainstay on the NASCAR schedule and has been the site of some of Sprint Cup’s most memorable finishes. Remember Carl Edwards’ weekend sweep of the speedway in March 2005? What about Jeff Gordon capping off his third Cup title in 1998 by winning at Atlanta for his 13th win of the season?
The list goes on and on, but here are some of BTF’s favorite Atlanta moments.
Joseph Shelton, BTF Staff Writer – 2002 MBNA America 500
This was pretty big for me for more than one reason. Keep in mind this was the fourth race of the year, and just three weeks before at the Daytona 500, Tony Stewart blew his engine after two laps and finished in the dreadful 43rd spot – last place. But his rebound was unbelievably quick, and come Atlanta he ended up winning his first 500-mile event.
It’s also bittersweet because this was Stewart’s first of three 2002 wins, on his way to his first Sprint Cup championship. He was in the prime of his career, and considering how bad a shape he is in now, it does well to look back on the days when he was a legend in the making.
Brian Thornsburg, BTF Staff Writer – 2001 Cracker Barrel 500
When Kevin Harvick beat Jeff Gordon to the line on the final lap of the race only three weeks after Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death. It was just one of those moments where no matter who you rooted for on race day, you were amazed at what Harvick was able to do that day. He beat a veteran in the sport only three weeks after being plopped into the series with little warning.
Jonathan Pilat, BTF Staff Writer – 2000 Cracker Barrel 500
Bobby Labonte versus Dale Earnhardt in a fantastic finish that has become one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history. Dale barely edged Bobby by 0.010 seconds, which happened to be the margin of victory in the 2016 Daytona 500. That race was Earnhardt’s penultimate victory and one year later was the site of Kevin Harvick’s memorable and heroic victory.
Cole Mentzel, BTF Staff Writer – 1992 Hooter’s 500
November 15th, 1992 was a special day not just because of Richard Petty’s final race but also because of Jeff Gordon’s first race. The haircut. The epic mustache. It was all included in a much bigger event than people realized: the passing of the torch from one great to the next. That was the day that the Cup Series gained it’s next icon.
Bonus Slide – 1998 NAPA 500
Looking back, despite the fact the Jeff Gordon won many, many more races after the 1998 NAPA 500, it’s hard to believe that it was that season that Gordon had a career year. Aside from winning his third Winston Cup championship, Gordon scored 13 wins, 26 top-fives, and 28 top-10s – in 33 starts.
More racing: NASCAR: The Top-10 Closest Finishes All-Time
Gordon’s 13 wins was a modern era record, and to cap off an amazing season in such dominant fashion goes to show just how great a driver he was.