|| *Comments on the 2002 Aaron's 312 at Talladega:* View the most recent comment <#104> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. tquievryn posted: 01.05.2005 - 2:13 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Jason Keller avoided a multi-multi-car wreck, which left him to keep Compton and Kenny Wallace in his mirror. The 29-car pileup, left those 3 as the main contenders. Compton ended up with no one to draft with to try to take the lead. Notes: Johnny Sauter took his first pole. Tim Fedewa finished 3rd in a 2nd Biagi car. Andy Kirby took his first career top-10. Casey Mears, Larry Foyt and Jimmy Kitchens all recored their first top 10s of the year. Joe Ruttman drove a 2nd Finch car. 2. Anonymous posted: 02.27.2005 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) Joke of a race. 3. Mr. Etc posted: 09.26.2005 - 5:50 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Everyone got owned. 4. Darrell posted: 02.24.2006 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f45EpVyo51s&search=NASCAR Video of the wreck 5. MOST posted: 06.04.2006 - 10:04 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) I know everyone hates when big wrecks happen but I like it when the 10th place car is 11 laps down every now and then. I like to see 4 or 5 cars on the lead lap. 6. Bill posted: 07.08.2006 - 11:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race had the biggest Busch Series wreck in history and HAD the biggest wreck in Talladega history (that record would fall the following you during the spring Cup race). But man, this race was BORING. Keller, Comption and Kenny Wallace were bascially the only 3 decent cars left. And when Wallace blew his engine, it became a 2 car race. Very boring ending. 7. Altamonteric posted: 11.13.2006 - 4:01 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Andy Kirby's only top ten ever 8. Bill posted: 12.02.2006 - 4:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race was snoozer. Granted, it had the biggest Busch wreck in history, after that, it was a 3 car battle until Kenny Wallace started to overheat and finally blew his engine (yet still finished 9th). 9. Steve posted: 01.09.2007 - 12:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Notables: (aside from the biggest wreck in BGN history) Chad Chaffin's best finish of 2002 (12th) Stacy Compton's first Top 5 and best BGN finish (2nd, 4 times) Tim Fedewa's best finish of 2002 (3rd) Larry Foyt's 40th start and best career finish (8th) Coy Gibbs' Busch debut (41st) Larry Gunselman's debut and best career finish (16th) journeyman Mike Harmon bit his tongue in the wreck (DNF in 39th) Andy Kirby's best career finish (6th, previous best was 16th) Jimmy Kitchens' best career finish (7th, next best is 15th) Casey Mears' first Top 5 (5th) Hank Parker Jr.'s 20th Top 10 (10th) Joe Ruttman's 20th Busch start (36th) rookie Johnny Sauter's first Busch Pole (DNF in 33rd) Skip "C.W." Smith's best career finish (14th) Kenny Wallace's only DNF in 2002 (BGN) 10. chad posted: 01.10.2007 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) a big wreck 27 cars was anyone imjured 11. biffle16 posted: 02.07.2007 - 12:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I believe the 29 cars involved were: Johnny Sauter, Scott Riggs, Shane Hmiel, Randy Lajoie, Greg Biffle, Jay Sauter, Kerry Earnhardt, Jack Sprauge, Tim Sauter, Jimmy Spencer, Joe Nemechek, Michael Waltrip, Joe Ruttman, Coy Gibbs, Mike McLaughlin, Jamie McMurray, Mike Harmon, Scott Wimmer, Larry Foyt, Lyndon Amick, Ron Hornaday, Todd Bodine, Shane Hall, Ashton Lewis, Kevin Grubb, Jeff Fuller, Mike Wallace, Tony Raines, and Hank Parker Jr. 12. biffle16 posted: 03.01.2007 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Add Casey Mears to that list. 13. DaleJrFan15 posted: 04.12.2007 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If i m correct it was 32 14. biffle16 posted: 04.24.2007 - 9:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Take away Casey Mears and add Jeff Purvis, Bobby Hamilton Jr., and Chad Chaffin. You are right, it was 32. 15. biffle16 posted: 05.15.2007 - 2:59 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Such a funky race. 16. DaleJrFan15 posted: 05.16.2007 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Im good with remembering #s like that :) 17. WillG46 posted: 09.03.2007 - 11:40 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Looks like the finishing order of an early 70's Talladega race. 18. Mr. Big posted: 10.06.2007 - 4:13 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) How funny is that? Kenny finished 9th with a DNF. 19. Nuck Chorris posted: 10.12.2007 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (4) Smart move by Brad Teague and Christian Elder for Start and Parking to avoid the wreck. Almost as if they knew it was coming :) 20. Douche Bagolow posted: 11.19.2007 - 11:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenny Wallace's only DNF of 2002. And he finished 9th. 21. RaceFanX posted: 11.27.2007 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (8) (0) Kenny Wallace became the only driver in recent memory to go back to his motorcoach and have a nice warm shower before coming out and having interview. Now many drivers who hit the shower still end up with top 10s. This race was a weird one even after the wreck that destroyed all but the top 3 cars and several backmarkers who couldn't hold the draft and missed because of it... Tim Fedewa was in a field filler car and hadn't pulled off yet. His car was literally decaled up as the Biagi #4 but with a Ken Schrader #07 cruedly pasted over it. When they misssed the wreck they decided to stay in the race even though the car was only set up to run a few laps. Because it was set to go the distance, Fedewa wound up burning his foot. Also, the big Kingford decal on the hood of Compton's #59 car came loose and blew off in the middle of the race. 22. Taylor posted: 01.08.2008 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was actually Larry Foyt's 2nd top 10. His first came at Rockingham earlier in the year. 23. Brock Beard posted: 03.29.2008 - 7:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I remember correctly, the large Kingsford logo on Stacy Compton's hood came loose in the late stages and got stuck in the vent just beneath his windshield. 24. WillG_46 posted: 04.15.2008 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) The Johnny Davis Motorsports team debuts with a surprising 3rd place finish. 25. Spen posted: 05.25.2008 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Only top-ten for Jay Robinson's team. 26. Willy on Wheels posted: 02.13.2009 - 11:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Until Kenny Wallace's 3rd place finish at Memphis in 2008 27. GordonFan24 posted: 07.29.2009 - 9:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (5) Sad race for following reasons: 3 good cars were left after the wreck somehow they had 2 more cautions (probably for debris though) a driver in a late entry car finished 3rd andy kirby and jimmy kitchens finished in the top 10 kenny wallace lost an engine and finished 9th jack sprague was the highest finishing driver involved in the wreck (13th) larry gunselman finished higher than randy lajoie, scott riggs, bobby jr., mike mclaughlin, greg biffle, jamie mac, scott wimmer, ron hornaday, all 3 sauters, front row joe, mikey, jimmy spencer, and mike wallace 2 drivers combined to lead all but 20 laps, and there 7 lead changes bottom line: 14 laps plus big wreck equals boring race 28. Dan posted: 09.19.2009 - 8:34 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) After being involved in the big wreck, Greg Biffle's team put Coy Gibbs' ConAgra Foods hood on The Biff's car and sent him back on the track to make a couple laps and finish ahead of all the other wrecked cars. 29. jp posted: 11.28.2009 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I keep having this fantasy of the wreck happening in a battle for the lead, and 36 cars in it and only 2 cars still going that was in the wreck and 5 cars starting and parking, and only 4 cars coming out(including the 2 car :D) which leaves 6 cars still going :O like an IROC race with a big one in it :D 30. AutoRockinRacing94 posted: 08.18.2010 - 7:42 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) The only driver who was hurt was Mike Harmon, for biting his tounge and had to have stitches. 31. ii posted: 10.25.2010 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Fedewa was supposed to start-and-park but because of the big crash he stayed in and it payed off. 32. Anonymous posted: 11.17.2010 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tim Sauter started 10th in this race, not 30th. 33. Anonymous posted: 11.17.2010 - 4:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keller used pit strategy to get ahead of Compton, who had the faster car but due to the aerodynamics was trapped behind Keller and could never get enough of a run to pass him. Compton, Keller, and Kenny Wallace were the only three cars in the lead draft, and on lap 65 Keller and Wallace pitted together and left Compton on the track by himself. That extra lap without drafting help cost Stacy just enough time to lose the lead, and eventually the race. Jeff Purvis and Hank Parker, Jr ran 4th and 5th for the whole race until that same round of pit stops when Parker's brake pedal broke off while he was coming into his pit stall. Here are some drivers who missed the big crash or had minimal damage but had other problems while running in the top 10: Jeff Purvis (engine) C.W. Smith (engine) Kevin Grubb (overheating) Hank Parker, Jr (brakes) Kenny Wallace (engine) 34. Madison posted: 12.15.2010 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'd like to say I found all of this race very exciting. 35. 00andJoe posted: 03.15.2011 - 6:48 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) #19 - Elder didn't start and park. The #38 did, indeed, have a genuine engine failure on lap 3. 36. joey2448 posted: 05.03.2011 - 2:22 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) This is the race that made me a NASCAR fan. I was in seventh grade at the time, just bored at home, and as I was flipping through the channels on TV, I happened to catch the big wreck as it was happening, and the sheer awe of it is what hooked me. 37. ANorris posted: 08.04.2011 - 9:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race was televised live on Fox Announcers: Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds & Darrell Waltrip Pit-Road Reporters: Matt Yocum, Steve Byrnes & Dick Berggren 38. Destroyahirismix#666 posted: 01.05.2012 - 11:41 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) *Censored* One hell of a wreck. OTherwise, mediocre race. Still, somewhat exciting 39. Paul posted: 03.18.2012 - 12:43 am Rate this comment: (5) (0) Hank Parker Jr., Jeff Purvis, and C.W. Smith all had a legitimate chance for a top five finish, but each of them had issues late in the race that took them out of contention. Parker Jr was running 5th when coming down pit road, but (unknowingly) lost all of his brakes slowing down to avoid the big crash (which he did) and couldn't stop the car in his pit box. NASCAR wouldn't let him race without brakes, so he had to pull it behind the wall for about ten laps. Purvis was running in front of Parker at the time of his issues, thus losing his drafting partner as a result. About ten laps later, Purvis' motor blew and an easy top five finish was gone as he wound up in 15th. Smith, a retired Pennsylvania state trooper and frequent ARCA Series superspeedway racer, made one of his seven career Busch starts at Dega. Making it through the wreck, Smith found himself running inside the top ten. Unable to stay with Keller, Compton, and Wallace, Smith was running in the second pack with Purvis, Parker, Bodine, Mears, and Fedewa. Unfortunately, the six of them couldn't run down the leaders as Mears and Bodine spent more time racing each other than staying in line, Parker's brakes failed, and Purvis lost his engine. In an rare incident under caution, debris from another car came into Smith's path and punctured the radiator and ended his race while running in 6th place. Overall, this was just a bizarre race as even those fortunate enough to continue after the huge 27-32 car wreck (I've heard #'s in between those two) had problems that ruined what would've been a great finish. As crazy as this may sound, this is one of my favorite races and is one of only a few which I've re-watched the entire race; at least five times I've watched the entire race. 40. Paul posted: 03.18.2012 - 12:47 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also while Keller won this race and led the most laps (mostly due to Compton pitting a lap after Keller and losing the lead), this was the only speedway track that Keller won on. He has just two other victories on tracks larger than one mile, which were the 1.017-mile Rockingham Speedway and the 1.1-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 41. Kyle posted: 05.17.2012 - 12:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) for those of you that say this was a boring race, i bet jason keller thinks differently :) 42. 10andJoe posted: 05.27.2012 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #07 owner: Fred Biagi 43. Dan posted: 07.28.2012 - 9:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Wait a minute...the debris caution on Lap 76 was longer than the caution to clean up a damn 27-car crash? 44. Robert Nelson posted: 10.30.2012 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) @43. Dan The 27 car crash brought out a red flag, they cleaned everything up under the red. 45. Ed posted: 04.09.2013 - 12:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Add Larry Foyt, Todd Bodine, and Kevin Grubb to the list involved 46. Ty (fourturns.blogspot.com) posted: 06.23.2013 - 12:14 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was at this race and I'd have to disagree with many of the posters. It was actually an exciting race, despite there being just three good cars after the wreck -- and after it, a lot of the fans left, but they should have stayed because it was actually a really good race. Was just hoping Compton or Kenny could've won because I was never a fan of Keller, but oh well. Still a good race. 47. Info posted: 07.14.2013 - 6:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Kitchens 7th? 48. kidracer posted: 12.01.2013 - 8:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wished Compton won after his somewhat failure in the 92 Melling team the year before. Same with Kenny. I knew Keller would still win races for a while. And that Bodine was racing Mears instead of being in line dosent suprise me. What a hack. he would rather race a guy instead of being conservative and try to hunt the 3 big dogs down. Wonder why he isnt the only Bodine not to win in Cup....(Bretts win was not a fluke...) 49. EyeofTheCougar posted: 01.21.2014 - 1:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) A retired State Police officer, C.W. Smith ran high as 6th.. was posed for a top 5 run until radiator problems took him out late in the race. Shows you every once in a while, a ordinary guy can have a good run 50. Gabriel Nunes posted: 03.14.2014 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Funny thing is: Kenny Wallace blew up his Engine, and STILL Finished 9th! 51. Anonymous posted: 04.22.2014 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race is definitely an interesting one, kind of a throwback to the old days. 52. Anonymous posted: 09.15.2014 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The race that later got idolized in Talladega Nights... 53. MAR posted: 11.06.2014 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The big one actually was a 30 car wreck some how the fox guys keep saying 27 cars they never counted Larry Foyt, Jeff Purvis or Kevin Grubb. 54. Ed posted: 12.27.2014 - 1:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MAR, they shouldn't count Purvis, he was the last guy through it before the track became blocked 55. We need more Onion posted: 01.31.2015 - 10:37 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Purvis himself said he got some front end damage in the big one and blamed it for his engine failure. 56. Jason24 posted: 05.17.2015 - 12:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race was wacky. Good times though, good times. 57. Big Mac Fan posted: 09.12.2015 - 1:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) For those who said that this was a joke of a race, be glad that you didn't watch NASCAR in the 70's. This is what it was always like. To be honest, this is actually one of my favorite races of all time. It was different from the normal packs of cars after the crash and it was just 2 cars battleing for the win. Love it. 58. Anthony posted: 10.04.2015 - 5:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (3) The only time in NASCAR where debris cautions were actually warranted!! 59. Sarf52 posted: 10.10.2015 - 1:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Great race. The full thing is on YouTube, I recommend it. Crazy, how this race influenced the career arcs of a number of drivers, namely Casey Mears, who leveraged this top-5 (his only of the 2002 season) into a Cup ride in 2003 with Chip Ganassi. Mears ran mid-pack all season for Wayne Jesel's team and was soundly outrun by his teammate Hank Parker Jr, yet it may be because of this result (and his family name) that he managed to land that first cup ride, and because of that he's still racing today. 60. Premium Doesn't Suck 62 66 94 98 posted: 10.10.2015 - 8:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) To the back: #66 Backup car #12 Engine change #54 Engine change 61. Premium Doesn't Suck 62 66 94 98 posted: 10.10.2015 - 8:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry, the #12 missed the drivers' meeting. 62. TeamDCR fan posted: 12.03.2015 - 11:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nemechek sponsor was cellular one 63. Maverick11 posted: 03.07.2016 - 9:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The red flag lasted 40 minutes to clean up the crash. 64. Maverick11 posted: 06.26.2016 - 9:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The real winner of this race was Rich Markle. 65. Maverick11 posted: 06.26.2016 - 9:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Rick. Totally ruined the joke. 66. Braindead Zombie posted: 06.26.2016 - 9:46 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) We still got people cars driving under cars! -Larry 67. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.26.2016 - 9:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The real winner of this race was Rich Markle." Christian Elder and the Akins team didn't make out too badly either-by blowing an engine in the opening laps, they still had a usable car after this race. 68. Dion posted: 09.04.2016 - 7:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sad Andy Kirby died a few months later. One of three drivers in the race no longer living. Kevin Grubb (suicide) & Christian Elder are the others. 69. Ak47 posted: 09.13.2016 - 10:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) One of the craziest races of this century. Probably doesn't even have competition for that title if we're being honest; you just don't see outcomes this bizarre these days 70. Sean posted: 09.13.2016 - 8:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 2002 Surfer's Paradise CART race tops it 2005 United States Grand Prix tops it Perhaps some of the tandem-era plate races top it 71. TTaylor944 posted: 11.25.2016 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I'm not mistaken, the #07 car was actually on its way into the pits when the accident happened and came back out on track afterwards. 72. Ed posted: 12.27.2016 - 4:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Todd Bodine, Larry Foyt, Kevin Grubb, and Jeff Purvis all sustained minor damage in the wreck but are not counted as being involved in the wreck 73. Evan posted: 02.01.2017 - 7:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tim Fedewa was running a car that was supposed to not run all day, and he stays out and finishes third. Kenny Wallace gets 9th, sitting in the garage. 74. Tide1732 posted: 02.01.2017 - 9:41 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Compton,Fedwa,Mears,Kirby,Kitchens,Larry Foyt and Kenny Wallace. One of the most Busch Series races with a surprises in top-10 75. Mile501 posted: 02.15.2017 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I just re-watched this entire race on YouTube (little by little over the last couple of weeks). It might have been a boring race in some respects, but it was quite fascinating and intriguing in other ways. Here are some career-best stats from this race: Stacy Compton: best career finish; most laps led in a race Tim Fedewa: next-to-last career top-5 finish Casey Mears: first career top-5 finish Andy Kirby: only career top-10 in any of NASCAR's top 3 series Jimmy Kitchens: only career top-10 in any of NASCAR's top 3 series Larry Foyt: best career finish in any of NASCAR's top 3 series Chad Chaffin: last career top-15 finish C.W. Smith: best career finish Larry Gunselman: best career finish in any of NASCAR's top 3 series 76. rw posted: 03.03.2017 - 10:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looking back at this race makes me wonder how many cars would be at the finish if the 5 minute rule was in effect, there'd probably only be 8 cars running. 77. Maverick19 posted: 04.20.2017 - 12:48 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) In honor of the craziness that happened 15 years ago, we need to sit back and reflect at how a race outcome like this will NEVER happen again. I mean seriously, a 32 car crash? (This site says 27, but a couple others who were damaged aren't listed). Jimmy Kitchens finishes 6 laps down and gets 7th? Kenny Wallace blows a motor with 10 to go and finishes 9th? Jack Sprague finishes 37 laps down and gets 13th? Tony Raines finishes 62 laps down and gets 20th? Greg Biffle finishes 90 laps down and gets 26th? I don't remember seeing attrition quite like this. And then if the huge wreck wasn't enough, other drivers who weren't majorily involved dropped like flies, ironically due to the aftermath of the wreck. Jeff Purvis barely hit Sauter's flipping car and was able to continue, but then he blows the motor, most likely due to the damage. Hank Parker, Jr. avoids the wreck but has to go to a complete stop, and so later he loses his brakes and has to go behind the wall (and still finished 10th!). C.W. Smith was running 6th when debris (most likely from a wrecked car) punctures his radiator, ending his day. Then Kevin Grubb, Todd Bodine and others had minor damage but it ultimately slowed them down compared to the rest of the field. So this was almost like an earthquake, where the huge wreck was the earthquake and the later attrition being the several aftershocks. Even cooler about all the attrition was that a ton of drivers and teams that ran in the back had a chance to shine. Stacy Compton's best Busch outing almost sees him lead the most laps and he ties his best finish. Tim Fedewa was driving an R&D start and park car (a la Greg Sacks) and finished 3rd, burning his foot in the process. Casey Mears got his first Busch top 5, Andy Kirby and Jimmy Kitchens got their only top 10's, Larry Foyt had one of his 2 top 10's, and Chad Chaffin, CW Smith (despite getting knocked out) and Larry Gunselman all had respectable top 16 finishes. And then the finish was even funnier, instead of a big pack there's just two cars left! And only 3 on the lead lap, a record that won't be broken for a long time. In short, I personally think this race is a classic. Not for the fact that it was exciting (it's pretty boring), but for the fact that this race was such a statistical anomaly and so wacky that I think that everyone needs to at least watch it once. 78. TeamDCR fan posted: 04.20.2017 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @76. Probably not even that many 79. Sean posted: 04.20.2017 - 6:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And only 3 on the lead lap, a record that won't be broken for a long time." You do realize the 1992 summer Cup Talladega race had only 3 cars on the lead lap and there was almost no attrition and even very few cautions? I personally find that a lot more interesting, since that WAS during the restrictor plate era. 80. Tim posted: 04.28.2017 - 7:47 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Apparently Fedewa was supposed to start and park because it was a backup car from an incident in practice and the team needed to save it. Well going to the pits at that exact moment of The Big One was lucky timing. So why not stay out when you're one of a few perfect cars left in the field and make the most out of a lucky break? 81. Mile501 posted: 04.28.2017 - 8:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I just thought about something. No one would have expected this at the time, because it was so early in his Busch Series career, but this was by far the most laps Stacy Compton ever led in a single race, and his best shot at winning a race, which he never did in the Busch Series. 82. Canadianfan posted: 04.28.2017 - 10:16 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) @80 More than doubled his take home pay that day by not parking. Over $31,000 rather than $13,100. A big deal for what was a relatively new team trying to run a second car. 83. Mile501 posted: 04.28.2017 - 10:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) One other thought: Many teams were able to repair the damage and get back on the track, resulting in roughly half the field (21 cars) running at the finish, plus 8 more cars that came back on track but then went out again before the finish. Under NASCAR's new damage repair policy, none of that would have happened, and we would have only had, at most, 12 cars running at the finish. 84. Windows Millennium Edition posted: 04.29.2017 - 1:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First career top 5/10 for Casey Mears in the Busch series. He would go on to only score one more top 10 that year, a 10th at Nashville. 85. NadeauFan91 posted: 10.19.2017 - 12:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Any reason Fedewa is listed as not scoring any points for the race? 86. Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted: 10.19.2017 - 12:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Late entry, entered only a couple days before the race. 87. Jack Johnson posted: 01.20.2018 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) How were all of those cars,that were trapped behind the pile,able to avoid going a lap down,when the first caution came out? 88. Danish Pie posted: 07.21.2018 - 10:33 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I always look at this races results and feel for Brad Teague and Jimmy Means team. If they hadn't parked it and retired so early, maybe they could have avoided the huge crash and kept going around clicking off laps. Teague could have very well gotten a Top 10, or at the very least a top 15. For a part-time team that start-n-parked every race they entered in 2002, that would have been huge for them. A pretty damning example of why you shouldn't S&P in the very early laps at a plate track. Anything can happen. 89. 6183238952182128353645514393132225521528 posted: 09.08.2018 - 6:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (3) If this were to happen now with the caution clock we would have about 9 extra DNF's. for a total (including other reasons) of 33. Also, we had three sauter's in this race. The biggest crash in my mind in the 21st century 90. Corey posted: 01.02.2019 - 7:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @87 An immediate red flag stopped the leaders before the got by the backmarkers. 91. Maverick19 posted: 04.13.2019 - 1:49 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) The 51 laps Keller led in this race were the only laps he ever led at Talladega. 92. Foyt14 posted: 05.02.2019 - 12:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew: #71 Kevin Lepage Ford 93. Jimmie4life posted: 03.02.2020 - 9:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This could be considered for one of the worst NASCAR races of all time. Yes, we got to see some upsets in the top 10, but 3 cars in pack racing finished on the lead lap, and 30 cars wrecked out on one lap. It also had nothing else to offer, with only 2 drivers having any real shot anyways. Had the wreck not occurred, it could've been a great one, but no. Everyone out before lap 15. 94. RaceFanX posted: 03.02.2020 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Having watched this race live I disagree. The sheer bizarre nature of what you were seeing made it interesting in an "I can't believe this is real" sense. 95. NotSure posted: 03.02.2020 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I watched this live back in the day and enjoyed it very much. People always wondered just how big "the big one" could get and when the track became blocked and cars kept pilling in, we found out. If this isn't the most memorable moment in this race's history (Busch/Nationwide/Xfinity), I don't know what is. 96. SweetRich posted: 03.02.2020 - 9:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators for the race were Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip with Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes and Matt Yocum on pit road. 97. Rider77 posted: 03.02.2020 - 10:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenny Wallace ran a Chevrolet in 2002, but ran a Pontiac here, Michigan and the summer Daytona race. I believe it was because they believed the Pontiac was better for speedway aerodynamics. Stacy Compton ran a Chevrolet but had an issue with the hood decal peeling back and blocking the engine air intake. I remember this race well, and I enjoyed watching it. 98. Jimmie4life posted: 03.03.2020 - 10:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) And referring to my comment, I still find the race interesting. The way it played out was unusual, but quite bland with the few drivers left. I agree with hoe you believe, but just found the race not entertaining for fans who wanted to see competition, or something other than 3 drivers left. 99. Timothy_Eklund posted: 03.06.2020 - 11:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @76 We got an anser to that question during the 2019 truck race at daytona. 100. Paul88 posted: 05.25.2020 - 7:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A bit of an error I noticed with the #87 and #88 sponsors: #87 Joe Nemechek was sponsored by Cellular One, his regular sponsor at the time. As for #88 Jeff Fuller, the Scott Products sponsorship is correct, but his co-sponsor was Food World, not Food City. Sourced from the race broadcast and this picture (https://cdn-3.latimages.com/images/mgl/zxLOL/s5/open-uri20120928-22029-9bik2a.jpg). 101. SweetRich posted: 07.08.2020 - 11:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Busch whackers in this race consisted of Stacy Compton, Todd Bodine, Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Michael Waltrip and Jimmy Spencer. 102. danny posted: 07.17.2020 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race had fewest lead lap finishers ever at Talladega in the Xfinity series edition to biggest wreck in the modern era. And fewest since 1992 in a Major NASCAR series at the track. Prior to that race it was Darlington 1999 where there was fewer than 4 lead lap finishers for the Xfinity Series. Charlotte that all also had that in the Fall race. 103. Rich posted: 09.24.2020 - 1:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also being apart of the famous race were Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond, who were in the Hollywood hotel. 104. LS318 posted: 10.11.2020 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Imagine if this happened during the DVP era. I think there would be less than 10 finishers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: