1985 Firecracker 400
Daytona’s summer showdown has been the sight of many first time winners over the years, most recently with Aric Almirola winning the 2014 Coke Zero 400. But few of these first time winners can say that Daytona was their only win of their career, and while that may be a burden to some, journeyman driver Greg Sacks wears that as a symbol of pride, in spite of the drama that would unfold afterwards.
Calling the victory by Sacks in the 1985 Firecracker 400 an upset may even be an understatement. Sacks was entered in the #10 car for DiGard Motorsports, the same team fielding 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison. The #10 car was meant to be an R&D vehicle, where Sacks would run a few laps and then park the car, much like start-and-park efforts of recent years. However, the team continued to race, and ended the day in victory lane, surprising many in NASCAR.
Perhaps even more surprised by the move were some of the DiGard Motorsports team members. Many felt the team had lost focus on the end goal – winning Bobby Allison another championship in 1985. This irked the veteran champion, and he would leave the team mid-season for Stavola Brothers Racing, taking his Miller sponsorship with him.
The drama wasn’t over for the team yet, as some in the garage area would accuse the team of using an oversized engine that they snuck through inspection. Regardless, the win stood for Sacks and though the team would stop racing in 1987, it played a key part in the beginning of the career of Greg Sacks.
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