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The Five Biggest Upsets In Recent NASCAR History

By Dhruva Byrapatna

Aug 1, 2016; Long Pond, PA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chris Buescher celebrates in victory lane after winning the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 1, 2016; Long Pond, PA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chris Buescher celebrates in victory lane after winning the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports /
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Greg Sacks, 1985 Firecracker 400

Greg Sacks wasn’t even supposed to finish the 1985 Firecracker 400. Sacks, who spent his career racing part-time for various teams, was hired to drive DiGard Motorsports’ R&D car at Daytona. It was supposed to be a one-off ride; Sacks would qualify the unsponsored car, log about 40 laps, and then pull into the garage for testing. However, fate had other plans.

Related Story: NASCAR: Chris Buescher Exemplifies Why The Chase Is Broken

Sacks qualified in 9th place, but even so, the team went into the race expecting to start and park. However, the car didn’t fall back into the pack as expected. Sacks moved the DiGard machine into the top 5 and challenged Bill Elliott for the lead. Amazed, the team decided to keep the R&D car on track. Sacks managed to pass Elliott and opened up a wide lead, leading 33 laps en route to his only Cup Series win. A journeyman driver took an unsponsored car to victory lane in what was the biggest upset in NASCAR history.

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