|| *Comments on the 1987 Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400:* View the most recent comment <#46> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jake posted: 12.15.2004 - 2:50 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) The rule about not being able to touch the car under the red flag came into play after this race. While riding around under caution for rain, Dale Sr. was leading. After it was stopped, he got outta his car and actually wiped the rain off the winshield. Man, he was awesome!!! 2. HomeDepotKid posted: 01.17.2005 - 5:48 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) I don't think he was even out of the car when he pulled the move off. Earnhardt was actually steering the car with his knees, the car was moving(How did he work the gas?), and he cleaned his windshield. 3. Jake posted: 01.29.2005 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah he actually did it while driving. Thanks, HomeDepotKid. I kinda misunderstood the whole thing at first. 4. Mr. Etc posted: 07.14.2005 - 8:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ernie Irvan's Cup debut :) 5. Matthew Sullivan posted: 12.14.2005 - 3:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Earnhardt and Waltrip were penalized for racing down pit road. Both were able to overcome the penalty and in the final hundred laps, they waged a classic (but clean) duel with Earnhardt provailing. 6. Matt posted: 02.04.2006 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Final top 10 finish for Jimmy "Smut" Means. 7. Steve posted: 05.04.2006 - 8:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Jimmy Means hadn't finished in the Top 10 in nearly 4 years. An 11th place finish for rookie Steve Christman is his best career finish, same for Larry Pollard (13th), and the only start that Doug French ever made (28th). 8. Darrell posted: 09.14.2006 - 10:59 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I don't know why Christman didn't get a ride after 87. He showed promise during the season. 9. Steve posted: 09.16.2006 - 11:12 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) This was Earnhardt's 13th win in the previous 26 races. He was the man. 10. Mr. Etc posted: 11.30.2006 - 7:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Means leads 21 laps, o snap. 11. Matt posted: 12.22.2006 - 5:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQ: Phil Good, D. Wayne Strout, J.D. McDuffie, and Eddie Drury. 12. DNQ List posted: 08.31.2007 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Definitely SMUT MEANS's best career Cup race. 13. Anonymous posted: 09.30.2007 - 9:02 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) I remember listening to this race on the radio. Means actually passed Earnhardt and lead for a little while...I remember my dad just sitting there not believing what he was hearing. 14. WillG46 posted: 10.24.2007 - 3:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Steve Christman finished 11th, the best finish of his short Winston Cup career. 15. Anonymous posted: 10.30.2007 - 12:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ernie Irvan's career begins here! Too bad he finished 29th. He was my favorite driver... 16. Mark O. posted: 11.13.2007 - 6:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Means ran out of tires, and the car faded. Dale Jr. recounted this race in a NASCAR.COM feature about a year ago, and remembered crying about what happened to him at either this race, or the National 500. 17. Steve posted: 01.20.2008 - 7:15 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) It was the National 500 at Charlotte, when Jimmy got a car from Rick Hendrick and qualified 5th. His promising run was spoiled by an early wreck (I think Dale Sr. was collected in it, too), but Dale Jr. was more devastated about Jimmy than his own dad! 18. RaceFanX posted: 11.11.2008 - 10:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last win for Earnhardt's Wrangler #3. 19. Ryan posted: 12.11.2008 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) Wow, 11 wins in the first 22 races... Get some myself 20. myself posted: 07.28.2009 - 12:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Some, what? 21. 00andJoe posted: 07.25.2011 - 8:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ernie Irvan's #56 was the Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Chevrolet (the sponsor was Dale's dealership). 22. Brandon Caldwell posted: 11.04.2011 - 8:23 am Rate this comment: (1) (3) In the 2002 Daytona 500, when Sterling Marlin got out of his car and pulled out the front fender of his car, he referred to this Earnhardt incident. He had a point, Earnhardt got away with murder. 23. Brandon Caldwell posted: 11.04.2011 - 8:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Only Cup start for Jersey native, Doug French! 24. Matthew Sullivan posted: 07.10.2012 - 9:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) The infamous incident involving Earnhardt wiping his windshield didn't happen in this race. It was the 1986 race in February. And for the record, he did it while under caution, not under the red flag. 25. zuel660 posted: 08.23.2012 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Technically, though, to unbuckle oneself during the race with the car moving and partially exit it, even under caution, should have resulted in a black flag and a major penalty. 26. myself posted: 05.20.2013 - 11:26 am Rate this comment: (2) (5) It was Earnhardt. Nascar doesn't give harsh penalties to folks bearing that last name. 27. 1995z71 posted: 06.19.2013 - 1:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another reason for the no penalty was it was 1987. Back then it was a lot less strict on safety. 28. Walleyewhacker posted: 03.01.2014 - 2:41 pm Rate this comment: (3) (3) David Pearson won 11 of 18 races he entered in 1973, far more impressive then Earnhardt's 11 of 22. David didn't get any dirty driving wins either in 1973, and Earnhardt had three of them in 1987. David would have won 12 of 19 had their been 2 races at MIS in 1973. 1973 was the only year that MIS only had one NASCAR event since the track started hosting NASCAR events. 29. 23andJoe posted: 05.11.2014 - 8:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Order of DNQs: 31. McDuffie, #70 Rumple Furniture Pontiac (owner J.D. McDuffie) 32. Good, #76 Williamsburg Motors Ford (owner Phil Good) 33. Strout, #97 Enginetech Oldsmobile (owner D. Wayne Strout) 34. Drury 30. wrongwaywillie posted: 07.08.2014 - 11:20 pm Rate this comment: (2) (3) I disagree Walleye! Pearson did it when there was only 5 or 6 cars that had a shot at winning. In 1987 Earnhardt did it when there were 15 or more cars that could win. 31. Anonymous posted: 08.15.2014 - 4:21 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) "I disagree Walleye! Pearson did it when there was only 5 or 6 cars that had a shot at winning. In 1987 Earnhardt did it when there were 15 or more cars that could win." Now That's What I Call Delusional 32. Walleyewhacker posted: 11.28.2014 - 10:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (4) Cars capable of winning in 1987? Let's start with the obvious #3, #9, #15, #22 #25, #27 and #28 that actually won more than one race in 1987 and were threats to win more than they actully did. Other than that who were consistant threats to win every week? Kyle Petty had one flukey win in the #21 in 1987 when a lot of cars blew engines. The #11 slipped badly and only managed one with with Terry Labonte. The #17 with DW was a start up and hardly a threat week in and out and squeaked to win one. Geoff Bodine's #5 slipped badly in 1987 and went winless, Mark Martin didn't start driving the #6 untill 1988, Alan Kulwicki in the #7 was too short staffed in cars and crewmen and a year away from running up front consistantly, Bobby Hillin Jr in the #8 was a joke, the #26 was constantly switching drivers, Cale's #29 Olds wasn't a threat, Harry's #33 was out to lunch in 1987, Benny Parsons #35 wasn't a threat except for the spring race in Atlanta and he was over the hill anyway and couldn't finish a race, Richard Petty was over the hill and wasn't a closer anymore and his cars lacked straight way speed. Sterling Marlin in the #44 was six years away from being a closer. Buddy Baker in the #88 wasn't a closer anymore and Kenny Schrader in the #90 was a year away from being a closer. 33. RaceFanX posted: 10.13.2016 - 11:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was Means first top-10 run in almost four years...but as said earlier he wouldn't finish this well again. 34. Josh posted: 02.09.2017 - 11:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Means' best finish after this I think was a 12th in the 1990 Pepsi 400. He was the last car that missed the big wreck that happened coming to complete Lap 1. 35. Ryan posted: 05.04.2018 - 9:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Some, what? Your boy Dale winning 50% of the races. In 1972 or 73 Pearson had Petty to deal with. That was about it. Earnhardt had more difficult competition year in and year out while he was in less equipment compared to others when he raced is why he is regarded as the best by many drivers, owners, and sportswriters. That and he when he was in his prime there wasn't as many races per year before and after his career. 36. Alex posted: 05.05.2018 - 6:09 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ryan's aggressive posting reeks of a total misunderstanding of the actual facts surrounding the entire history of NASCAR, especially Earnhardt's career. 37. Anonymous posted: 05.05.2018 - 7:31 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Ryan actually believes Earnhardt was in lesser equipment, lol. Childress had the best equipment for most of the late eighties and early nineties, aka Earnhardts heyday. 38. Anonymous posted: 05.05.2018 - 11:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @37, You are actually are off on RCR equipment with Earnhardt if you go by what Brad Keselowski said about Dale Earnhardt Sr. when the race hub had their top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time list. Brad Keselowski on the race hub ranked Dale Earnhardt Sr. 8th on his top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time list. Brad basically said Earnhardt didn't deserve some of his championships from a win total standpoint. Brad said what happened you have an aggressive driver that was a race team that is conservative equipment wise. What Brad said also can be used on why Dale should be ranked higher by Brad. What Brad said basically means other race teams were more aggressive and better in the engine department. RCR actually was not known for horsepower back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bill Elliott raced with better horsepower than Earnhardt did in the mid to late 1980s. Bill's brother Ernie was known for having the fastest engines in the mid to late 1980s. Ernie's brother Bill won a lot of times at Michigan, Pocono, Daytona before restrictor plates and Talladega before restrictor plates. Atlanta had horsepower, but mechanical grip played a big role at the track back in the 1980s and early 1990s. Robert Yates had the fastest engines as early as 1990. Roush gave Mark Robert Yates engines for the final race of the year instead of their own because of good Yates engines were. That basically means Davey Allison was underachieving with Yates equipment to a degree. 39. Anonymous posted: 05.05.2018 - 1:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's not all about horsepower, especially at the shorter tracks. Childress's chassis more than compensated for any lack of horsepower when looking at overall performance. Elliott had the power, but it can't get to the ground without the chassis. A perfect example of this is Matt Kenseth. The entire time he drove for Roush he was rarely competitive at Martinsville, as soon as he went to Gibbs he was in contention every time he went to Martinsville. Do you think that's a coincidence? 40. ???? posted: 05.05.2018 - 3:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Additionally, #38, Brad saying that Earnhardt was in conservative equipment means that Childress didn't try to wring every last drop of power out of his engines, which had the actual benefit of making them more reliable. Earnhardt had very few engine failures in his career because of this, which meant fewer DNF's, and better average finishes which was the key to championships. That consistency and the chassis more than made up for the slight horsepower deficit. 41. Jimnsimforever posted: 12.03.2018 - 6:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Means didn't pass anybody for the lead in this race under green flag. He took over the lead during cautions each of the 4 times he led any laps in this race. 42. Darrell posted: 12.15.2018 - 9:39 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) According to Ernie Irvan's autobiography, the idea for Dale Earnhardt to sponsor him came from Ken Schrader when the three of them were sitting around drinking beer one night. Originally Earnhardt seemed to dismiss the idea and only offered to put his chicken farm on Irvan's car. After Schrader talked to him further, Earnhardt finally relented to sponsoring Irvan via his Chevrolet dealership, but he refused to pay Irvan for the sponsorship, believing he was paying Irvan in credibility (because why else would a guy like Earnhardt endorse an obscure newcomber like Irvan). Whether or not you like Earnhardt's logic, the fact that Irvan was able to parlay his early #56 runs into a ride with the slightly better-funded DK Ulrich and later on the major-league Morgan-McClure and Yates teams, it ended up being a shrewd "investment" on his part. 43. Jimnsimforever posted: 12.21.2018 - 10:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe he didn't pay what a sponsor would normally pay. I know on the broadcast where it first showed up on Irvan's car they pointed it out, had a pre-taped interview with Earnhardt queued up about it, then said afterword Dale only paid 3 thousand dollars to sponsor him. I think that was the amount they said. Although you can never count out the possibility that Dale lied to tv about paying him and told Ernie to keep his mouth shut because I'm Dale Earnhardt, 2 time National champ and Wrangler tough. 44. SweetRich posted: 02.16.2020 - 11:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Commentators For The Race Were Eli Gold And Jerry Punch. The Pit Reporter Was Pat Patterson. 45. AutoRockinRacing94 posted: 04.03.2020 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) The first caution involved multiple drivers in Turn 4 after Kyle Petty clipped into Terry Labonte, causing the field to stop and piling into each other. These were the ones involved that I was able to find from the footage: 5 - Geoff Bodine 6 - D.K. Ulrich 7 - Alan Kulwicki 11 - Terry Labonte 21 - Kyle Petty 22 - Bobby Allison 26 - Morgan Shepherd 30 - Michael Waltrip 33 - Harry Gant 43 - Richard Petty 44 - Sterling Marlin 52 - Jimmy Means 62 - Steve Christman 90 - Ken Schrader 46. AutoRockinRacing94 posted: 04.03.2020 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Additional caution info from the SETN broadcast: Lap 182 - NASCAR brought out the yellow to get an ambulance out of the infield and head straight to the local hospital which Jerry Punch reported it's for one of Buddy Arrington's crew members. This led DW and Dale storming into the pits side-by-side which the officials weren't happy about it and were put at the rear of the field. Sometime between after that caution and when Earnhardt took the lead for good (Laps 190-295), two more cautions of the next three were shown. Neil Bonnett and Ken Schrader tangled in Turn 1, sending Schrader into the wall. Benny Parsons got turned and spun behind them. The other was Ricky Rudd hitting Geoff Bodine in Turn 4. Nobody but Bodine was involved. Lap 296 - Big crash in Turn 1 involving heavy damage for Phil Parsons (55), Alan Kulwicki (7), Harry Gant (33) and Sterling Marlin (44). It brought out the red flag after the guardrail was damaged and require repair. Kulwicki said it had to do with Michael Waltrip (30) leaking oil. Last Lap - Neil Bonnett (75) crashed into the Turn 1 wall to end the race under caution. This was after battling side-by-side with what looked like Jimmy Means (52). It was a red and black car. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: