|| *Comments on the 1997 Daytona 500:* View the most recent comment <#104> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Jake posted: 07.28.2004 - 8:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'll never forget when Dale Earnhardt got out that ambulance and back in the car after it flipped over. That showed how tough he really was. 2. Jack Lewis posted: 08.17.2004 - 4:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hendrick cars finished 1-2-3 for the owner who had (at that time) just begun his battle with leukemia. It was Jeff Gordon's first Daytona 500 win, and the first of 10 wins on the year. 3. Tim Seay posted: 01.17.2005 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bill Elliott finishes 4th after leading 30 laps in the final stages. On the last lap restart, he is ganged up on the Hendrick trio. 4. 3x8=24 posted: 02.08.2005 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) yeah tim, jeff gordon went down while terry labonte and ricky craven went the the high side, leaving elliott in middle without draft. 5. Ted Lipka posted: 02.28.2005 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (7) (4) "Leukemia" that just happened to flare up when Hendrick was about to go to jail for mail fraud and tax evasion. ;) 6. je24go posted: 07.19.2005 - 10:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) After the restart for the Earnhardt wreck, another crash happened involving around 10 cars...Johnny Benson hit the wall alot like Earnhardt did in 2001 at about the same spot, but walked away. 7. Anonymous posted: 09.03.2005 - 11:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And another crash that is extremly over-looked. Robert Pressley got MAJOR air, turned the whole way over in the air in fact, and landed on his wheels. The crash didnt damage the body of the car but the suspension was trash... 8. Thomas Wells posted: 11.07.2005 - 8:59 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) The Robert Pressley crash happened on about lap 5. He got back out later to run a few more laps. Johnny Benson broke his toe in the 10 car crash. Ken Schrader made contact with Steve Grissom, who was the pole sitter, going into turn 3 and they both crashed. Jeff Gordon made some smart ass comment that he would have put Bill Elliott into the infield barbecue pits to pass him. I'll never forget his cell phone call to Hendrick in victory lane, because Ted, you are correct, as he happened to have leukemia at the same time he was on house arrest for fraud. 9. chad richardson posted: 03.02.2006 - 11:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 1-2-3- hendrick cars finish in daytona 500 since 1989 10. CanucksAndNASCAR Fan posted: 05.14.2006 - 7:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Correction: Hendrick finished 1-2-4 at the Daytona 500 in 1989 1. Darrell Waltrip (Hendrick) 2. Ken Schrader (Hendrick) 3. Dale Earnhardt (Childress) 4. Geoffrey Bodine (Hendrick) Can't you all note that Dale Earnhardt finished 3rd in the '89 Daytona 500? 11. XAC33 posted: 08.01.2006 - 3:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) One of the best 500s of the 90's, several cars capable of winning. Gordon, Elliot, Marlin, Martin, and Earnhardt all had strong cars. Front row taken by two no-names at the time (and now reall) Mike Skinner and Steve Grissom. During the infamous Earnhardt crash. (You know the one where he barrel rolls 18 times, cuts himself out of his own car, jumps out of a moving ambulance and finishes the car on 3 wheels and in 2nd gear, yet at top speed.) A hood, I believe off Ernie Irvans car flies into the stands breaking a spectators legs. This would lead to NASCAR's implementing of hood tethers a short while later. Also a great demonstration of the chevy vs ford war of the mid to late 90s. Notice only one pontiac in the top 10. 12. Thomas posted: 08.25.2006 - 9:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) My mistake, Steve Grissom started 2nd, not on the pole. Joe Nemechek was in the ten car wreck at the end with Johnny Benson. He failed to qualify his #42 Bell South Mobility Chevy, so Felix Sabates bought longtime restrictor-plate race veteran Phil Barkdoll's #73 X-1R Racing Chevy. Barkdoll made the Daytona 500 for the first time since 1992. 13. dylan posted: 09.06.2006 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The two spectators hurt were: Edward W. Suders, 42, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, suffered a broken wrist, and George Ray Anderson, 44, of Chase City, West Virginia, suffered a badly bruised knee. 14. Anonymous posted: 01.21.2007 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Awesome Bill had the best car in this race, I thought. 15. myself posted: 02.19.2007 - 4:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (6) This race is ammunition for those that believe Nascar can, every now & then, fix a race. Debut for Rusty in the Miller Lite car. I thought this was one of the best 500s of the 90s, w/ Mark Martin having the dominant car. 16. Steve posted: 02.20.2007 - 12:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in this race Dale Earnhardt led his 562nd lap in Daytona 500 competition, which is the most by a driver who had yet to win the Daytona 500. Buddy Baker had led just over 400 laps before his 1980 win. 17. Thomas posted: 02.26.2007 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) They do fix races every now and then. But despite the perfectness of this one, I don't think they did this time. 18. Dan posted: 03.30.2007 - 5:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "They do fix races every now and then." Give me evidence, please. 19. biffle16 posted: 05.18.2007 - 1:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (4) Leave Thomas alone, Dan. If you watched the 2007 Daytona 500, you would know the definition of "fixed". ;) 20. Clayton Caldwell posted: 06.27.2007 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Awesome Bill, showed he was still Awesome Bill, that day! I remember being an 8 year old kid, and my dad and I watching/ routining for the man from Dawsonville, and Buddy Baker saying he had the best car all speedweeks! I remember being so disappointed when Gordon, Labonte, and Craven, passed him with just a few to go! Talk about Heart Break! For one day, though, I had hope that he might win in his own deal! It never happened! 21. SK posted: 09.20.2007 - 4:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The massive multi-car wreck occurred just as Jeff Gordon was about to cross the start/finish line to complete lap 196. Though some cars were able to drive away with moderate to minimal damage, numerous others were too badly maimed to continue on, most notably those of Johnny Benson and Dick Trickle. Interestingly, it appeared to the CBS commentators during the caution that a restart might take place with one lap of racing to go. But a lengthy attempt to help Trickle get out of his car and remove it from the track as it sat crunched against the inside turn 4 wall, along with an appreciable amount of oil laid down by the #1 of Morgan Shepherd and debris from the beaten car of Dave Marcis, prevented one from happening. 22. Nuck Chorris posted: 10.06.2007 - 3:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) When those three Hendrick cars beat Awesome Bill with 3 laps left was when I first hated Hendrick and Jeff Gordon (Now I hate them for a very different reason), and to top it off, Rick Hendrick was in jail at the time. 23. Mark posted: 12.31.2007 - 12:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Awesome Bill had the car to beat without a doubt. He hung around the top-5 all race, and when it got close to the end he went to the front. I still have this race on tape. It would have been a great finish if the last caution didn't come out. Ole Bill still had something for em. Don't know if he could have gotten the lead back, but it would have been fun to watch him try! 24. RaceFanX posted: 01.31.2008 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) While the #29 Chevy of Robert Pressley re-entered the race after the flip, Robert did not. Todd Bodine drove the car in relief. Harry Ranier's team, with driver Greg Sacks, leads their laps of their return to NASCAR in this race. Sacks had a surprisingly strong car, driving up to the front and putting the #20 Hardee's Ford up front for 3 laps, but took a good lick into the inside wall on lap 20 ending the team's day. It was their only good run 25. Clayton Caldwell posted: 02.23.2008 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Mark< I agree! I thought Ole Bill had somethin for 'em too! I was so pissed off at Jeff for this race! This one still gives me nightmares! What a terrible day, but a great race!! 26. myself posted: 02.26.2008 - 10:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's typical Greg Sacks as mentioned above! 27. Clayton posted: 03.08.2008 - 12:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dating back to 1996 Mark Martin had 16 consecutive top 10 finishes!! That's impressive!! 28. ChazzyJoe posted: 07.22.2008 - 11:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was also the first points race with Buster Auton driving the pace car, replacing Elmo Langley. 29. ChazzyJoe posted: 07.22.2008 - 11:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, another interesting note...This was the first race win which the Monte Carlos featured actual decals for their headlights. Previously ('95 and '96) the cars featured only the outlines of their headlights on the front of the cars. They now featured full pictures of the lights. 30. Anonymous posted: 10.23.2008 - 1:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I liked the outlines better. 31. Ryan posted: 12.16.2008 - 3:02 am Rate this comment: (3) (1) Mark Martin is weak! He had a great oppurtunity to put Gordon a lap down when Gordon had to pit under green for a flat, but elected to stay behind Jeff and then the caution came out. Gordon gets impatient and drives up into Earnhardt coming out of turn 2 to cause the big accident. 32. Anonymous posted: 01.28.2009 - 11:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last Daytona 500 for the Harry Ranier Team. Also most of the crashes in the Daytona 500 occured on the Backstrech. 33. myself posted: 02.13.2009 - 1:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (6) ""They do fix races every now and then." Give me evidence, please. Dan | 03.30.07 - 5:00 am" 1984 Firecracker 400 1985 Southern 500 1998 Daytona 500 just to name a few 34. jp posted: 03.07.2009 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) "1984 Firecracker 400 1985 Southern 500 1998 Daytona 500 just to name a few". Bullsh*t. The fixed races were the '07 Daytona 500, the '07 Kansas Chase race, and the '04 Aaron's 499. 35. Ben posted: 03.27.2009 - 11:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was the third time Terry Labonte finished 2nd in the Great American Race. 36. Art D posted: 06.26.2009 - 9:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 1st Daytona 500 win! 20th career win for J. Gordon. 37. myself posted: 08.17.2009 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (2) (5) Back on the fixed races......lets not forget about a very obvious one: 2001 Pepsi 400! Also......it was so gay sounding hearing Ricky Craven saying, "This one's for Rick." 38. Bobby posted: 08.31.2009 - 1:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Do I remember correctly that Tony Stewart was initially supposed to drive the 20 car for Harry Ranier? I could have sworn I remember that being talked about, and fell apart at the last minute. 39. SoxFan24 posted: 10.07.2009 - 12:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Leukemia" that just happened to flare up when Hendrick was about to go to jail for mail fraud and tax evasion. ;) You are an idiot. The man had a cancer that could have killed him. Leukemia just doesn't flare up" 40. Roger posted: 12.25.2009 - 8:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) Lots of guys haed good cars but Bill Elliott had the car. He had blown the doors off Gordon and Earnhardt when they tried to pass him. The only time Elliott was weak was when he was forced to the middle which cost him the race. I don't know if he could have got Gordon but he had the 25 and 5 covered if the caution doesn't end the race when it does. With about 2 or 3 more laps he had Gordon covered as well. One of the few cars all day that had the power needed to make passes on his own. As far as fixed races how the hell was the 85 Southern 500 fixed. Elliott just did what he was doing all year, dominating. When Elliott runs good at a race that is what he does best, dominates. See Indy 400 2002 among others...I can agree that some races are questionable but the 1985 race or any race Elliott has won is not one of them. If anything Nascar worked against Bill Elliott in 1985 see BS pitstop hold in 1985 pitstop. Hendrick was a crook and it was convenient the cancer came around when he was at his lowest. I've always believe you reap what you sow and Hendrick has suffered a lot over the past few years. I like to think anyone is capable of messing up in life and changing for the better. Maybe he has or maybe he hasn't. Anytime he wins a championship or race it leaves a bad taste in my mouth but I try to let the past go even though it still kills me he has had such success while owners that never broke the law have had to leave Nascar. This one was hard to swallow when Elliott had the best car but it wasn't the first or last time that happened. 41. Ryan posted: 01.31.2010 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) to myself... If it has to do with an Earnhardt winning, or Cale Yarborough losing in awesome fashion, then myself thinks it's fixed. '84 Firecracker 400- Yarborough got beat at the line by Petty '85 Southern 500- Yarborough got beat by Elliott '98 Daytona 500- Earnhardt wins!!! '01 Firecracker 400- Earnhardt, Jr. wins!!! 42. myself posted: 02.10.2010 - 10:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (5) Good list of Fixed races there, Ryan. 43. Mark O. posted: 03.13.2010 - 4:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby--Yes, Stewart was originally supposed to be in the #20. He had raced for Harry in the Busch series the previous season. However, as Tony notes in his autobiography, he didn't think the team/he was ready for Cup yet. Rainier disagreed and moved up without him. 44. Ryan posted: 08.11.2010 - 11:04 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) I forgot to mention rumors of fixes of the 1988 Daytona 500, 1992 Daytona 500, and 1993 Daytona 500... 45. Ryan posted: 08.11.2010 - 11:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) From 1987-1996 Dale Earnhardt finished in the top 10 in every Daytona 500 race and this one he probably would have finished in the top 10 or maybe even a win if not for the wreck. However, the next year he would finally get that elusive victory and that damn monkey off his back... 1987- 5th 1988- 10th 1989- 3rd 1990- 5th 1991- 5th 1992- 9th 1993- 2nd 1994- 7th 1995- 2nd 1996- 2nd An average finish of 5th during that time period... 46. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 09.07.2010 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) 17. Thomas posted: 02.26.07 - 3:28 pm They do fix races every now and then. But despite the perfectness of this one, I don't think they did this time. 18. Dan posted: 03.30.07 - 5:00 am "They do fix races every now and then." Give me evidence, please. 19. biffle16 posted: 05.18.07 - 1:42 am Leave Thomas alone, Dan. If you watched the 2007 Daytona 500, you would know the definition of "fixed". ;) Me- Uh, yeah. 2007 Daytona 500 couldn't of been fixed. But, the 1998 Daytona 500 and 2001 Pepsi 400 were sure as you know what fixed. This race, is the greatest Daytona 500 ever! 47. I love Japan posted: 02.26.2011 - 10:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) I don't think they started fixing races until 2004. Anyways, this 500 was the best shot Eliott had in winning in his own car. In my opinion this race symbolized the team racing movement that started kicking up in the late 90's. The 3 Hendrick cars passing the Single Car Eliott team is the epitiome of the movement's speed. In 1995, 6 single car teams finished in the Top 10 in Points. By 2000, none were in the Top 20. 48. 00andJoe posted: 05.28.2011 - 7:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The car owner for the #73 should probably be listed as Phil Barkdoll. 49. Anonymous posted: 08.12.2011 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #73 owner: Phil Barkdoll 50. Ryan posted: 08.16.2011 - 3:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Also......it was so gay sounding hearing Ricky Craven saying, "This one's for Rick." Agreed 51. Mike posted: 01.06.2012 - 10:42 am Rate this comment: (3) (5) What a joke these comment sections are,from the nutjob conspiracy theorists to this adolescent retard ryan's Earnhardt idolatry. 52. Daniel posted: 05.25.2012 - 3:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In using top 20/21 from duels: #15 Larry Pearson, #78 Billy Standridge, #91 Mike Wallace, #95 Gary Bradberry, #96 David Green, #97 Chad Little Out using top 20/21 from duels: #9 Lake Speed, #19 Loy Allen Jr., #25 Ricky Craven, #43 Bobby Hamilton, #73 Phil Barkdoll 43rd based on qualifying: #98 John Andretti 53. Chris posted: 11.04.2012 - 1:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was the first time since Richard Petty in 1979 that the winner of the Daytona 500 went on to win the Championship. 54. Evan posted: 12.15.2012 - 11:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) * Debuts Mike Skinner and Lowe's on the 31. * Monte Carlos would get real headlights as opposed to the outlines from previous years, I like the outlines. * The return of Harry Ranier's racing team. * Debut of the Blue and White Ford Thunderbird for Rusty Wallace when they abandoned the black and yellow Miller Genuine Draft colors and went with just Miller Lite. * Ricky Craven's debut with Hendrick, even though it did not last long. * Earnhardt's car became a notable diecast car for collectors, the crash car which looks like Earnhardt's crashed car after he flipped it and drove back to the pits. * Bill Elliott's debut of his 1997 scheme which he'd run again in 1998 as a Ford Taurus. * Jeff Gordon became the youngest man to win the Daytona 500. * Joe Gibbs Racing's debut with the Pontiac nameplate and Bobby Labonte's 1997 scheme which he would drive for four years and win the championship in 2000. * Jeff Burton debuts his purple and black scheme for EXIDE Batteries, a difference from his 1996 scheme. * Last Daytona 500 with Ken Squier as lead announcer. * First race with Kenny Schrader and Andy Petree. * Steve Grissom's 1st start with Larry Hedrick. * Darrell's Waltrip's debut with PARTS AMERICA stores, a new chain of Western Auto stores. This was what I felt was Waltrip's last competitive year. 55. Anonymous posted: 03.17.2013 - 10:36 am Rate this comment: (3) (5) Ryan regarding your comment about Gordon becoming impatient - correct me if I am wrong but wasn't this a race? Was he supposed to just ride behind Nascar's lord and savior Dale Earnhardt? Gordon didn't hit Earnhardt - Earnhardt got loose and into the wall and when he slowed Dale Jarrett got into the back of him. And of course he would have won the race if he hadn't wrecked, and he would have won that other one if he didn't cut a tire, and that other one where he.... Fact is it's a miracle Earnhardt didn't win about 17 Daytona 500's, 4 or 5 hundred races and 15 championships by this time. We could have "In Dale Earnhardt We Trust" put on all our money and Ryan would be a happy boy. 56. myself posted: 05.28.2013 - 2:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) this is one of the best threads on racing reference!! 57. 83andJoe posted: 06.24.2013 - 10:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #90 crew chief: Bob Johnson 58. Ryan W posted: 07.25.2013 - 2:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Anonymous get your man card first and put a legit name up and we may discuss this further. I haven't said anything that wasn't a fact or really close to it. Gordon did get impatient with 11 to go and ran Earnhardt into the wall. He even hit him because there was a doughnut on Earnhardt side. Get some balls and we'll discuss until then you are irrelevant. Mike, I stated facts about Earnhardt from 87-96. How is that being a retard? Truth be known he could have legit won about 10-15 Daytona 500's. He was in contention in the late going in all of these races, including his last one. 80, 84, 86, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 01. I think we all have a little bitterness with our drivers in particular races or seasons. If you don't you aren't a true race fan. 59. 83andJoe posted: 09.17.2013 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #75 crew chief: Gere Kennon (same through race #10 this year) 60. 83andJoe posted: 10.08.2013 - 7:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #46 crew chief: Brad Noffsinger (same for all races this year though fall Charlotte) 61. Jeff posted: 02.15.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mike Skinner was the only first time starter in this Daytona 500 and he started from the pole no less. Pretty impressive. Only other Daytona 500 with 1 first time starter was in 1985 with Ken Schrader. Also, this race had only 42 starters, as opposed to 43 in 1996. NASCAR instituted the 43 car field for all tracks starting in 1998, so does anyone know why they had 43 starters in 1996, when most of the Daytona 500's before it and this one had 42 starters? Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. 62. Walleyewhacker posted: 03.06.2014 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) Earnhardt didn't finish the job at Daytona though with only one 500 win and two 400's. Richard Petty didn't have a problem closing out a Daytona win, neither did Cale, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, etc. Let's face it, Earnhardt had a lot of tracks where he struggled to win at besides Daytona. Those include MIS, Dover, Rockingham, Pocono, Watkins Glen, and the newer cookie cutter tracks. Even Richard Petty commented that Earnhardt didn't have a lot of wins for being a seven time Cup champ. He had a reliable car that finished in the top 10 a lot and was really only a consistant win closer at four tracks, Talladega, Atlanta, Bristol and Darlington. It's why I don't rate him as high as Petty, Pearson and Cale. I'm also tempted to rate Gordon ahead of Earnhardt as well. 63. numbah10hatah posted: 07.15.2014 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Did NASCAR have cars go to the back of the field during this time? Because Joe Nemechek would go to the back for a driver change. 64. ericthenau posted: 10.16.2014 - 2:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff, in the 1996 Daytona 500, there were 43 starters because Rusty Wallace used the champion's provisional to get into the race. Without it, there would only have been 42, which did not happen. Of course, it wasn't until 1991 that the champion's provisional was first instituted in NASCAR, so that was why most Daytona 500's for the past two decades before this one had 42 starters in the race, though in a few other years there were either 40 or 41 instead. To date, this was also the last Daytona 500 with less than 43 starters in it. 65. Craig posted: 12.15.2015 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It makes me wonder...could NASCAR have red flagged the race at lap 197 and then ensured at least 1, maybe 2, laps under green to finish? 66. Rainbow Warrior posted: 01.19.2016 - 12:42 am Rate this comment: (3) (4) Woulda, shoulda, coulda. All those chances Earnhardt had in the 500 and couldn't capitalize. DEAL WITH IT. "Waaaahhh, my favorite driver Bill Elliott was leading late and got passed and fell back, waaaahh, those Hendrick bullies, waaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!" You know you're on top and the man when you get comments like this. Man, how terrible Gordon didn't just pull over and let the mighty God Redneck Jesus Dale Earnhardt win the race. So terrible. It was all fun and games and laughter when Earnhardt plowed through people, but he gets tapped and crashes and it's so terrible and they should be fined and suspended. LOL 10 more wins and the Winston Million for Jeff. Domination. 67. Gordon7timeWinstonCupchampion posted: 02.02.2016 - 6:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "The little (bleeper) wrecked me and never touched me" - old dale Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar-sprint-cup/telling-it-it-sharing-memories-jeff-gordons-nascar-career#ixzz3z3TRYIXv 68. Bad Booking posted: 02.02.2016 - 9:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Surprised we're this far into the comments and no one mentioned Todd Bodine going into the 29 and making laps in the Scooby Doo machine. Robert Pressley went to Halifax to get a CT scan due to the lap 9 turnover, and for points' sake, Bodine was hanging around and was offered a 'Sunday ride' as Ken Squier noted. Did get Pressley approximately 3 more positions by the end. 69. Maverick11 posted: 06.26.2016 - 9:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last year that the winner of the Daytona 500 (excluding bonuses) won less than $1,000,000. Starting in 1998, the purse for the winner skyrocketed. 70. Josh posted: 07.08.2016 - 3:14 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) This is one of the best threads on RR. Enough comments where people who care and are knowledgeable have participated, but not in the hundreds to where your input will just get engulfed and never seen. I have been lurking on the site for a while now, even commented here and there, and now I'm starting to see some of the same names not only here but that I've seen elsewhere. Ryan is doing us all a service by speaking for every single blind Earnhardt fan, that way we only have to deal with one instead of the millions of poor sheep that cannot think for themselves and follow and defend their fearless leader no matter what happens. Clayton loves everyone from the early 90s, it's great. And the exclamation points, love the energy, brother. As far as Ryan stating that Gordon "wrecked" Earnhardt, I have heard this before from other Gordon-haters and Earnhardt-gobblers, so it's nothing new. He says it's clear Earnhardt was wrecked by Gordon because there was a donut on the side. Bro, there's a donut there, because Earnhardt lost it, hit the wall, then was so out of control he came back down into the 24 before the guys behind them couldn't check up and got into the 3. Earnhardt just flat lost it out of Turn 2, no other way to put it. You, of all people an Earnhardt fan, are going to also complain about Gordon getting "impatient" with 10 to go in the Daytona 500? That's some potent stuff, man. I'll have what you're having. Earnhardt was a slightly more talented and slightly more grumpy Tony Stewart. Sure, I'll block and rough up other guys when it's convenient for me, but if someone does it to me, I'll bitch until the cows come home and plead for NASCAR to suspend my "offender". Gordon made one of the most daring passes for the lead I've ever seen after this on Elliott (only maybe eclipsed by his own two years later in the '99 500 over Rusty Wallace). The GOAT at his best, and the 3 in tatters. I was loving it. 71. Anonymous posted: 07.08.2016 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Earnhardt was more than "slightly" talented that Tony Stewart. But keep letting your blind hatred get in the way of facts. 72. Josh posted: 07.12.2016 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Stewart has three championships over the space of ten seasons, one of which with his own team, and an extensive list of accomplishments in the open wheel ranks before he even got to NASCAR. I never denied Earnhardt was more talented, but it's not by a whole lot. 73. RaceFanX posted: 01.08.2017 - 5:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver Change: Phil Barkdoll- #73 X-1R Chevrolet (owned by Phil Barkdoll) 74. Anonymous posted: 01.19.2017 - 1:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Qualifying Speeds: 31 Mike Skinner 189.813 47.415 41 Steve Grissom 189.318 47.539 88 Dale Jarrett 189.286 47.547 2 Rusty Wallace 189.179 47.574 77 Bobby Hillin Jr. 189.111 47.591 98 John Andretti 188.834 47.661 28 Ernie Irvan 188.826 47.663 19 Loy Allen Jr. 188.474 47.752 20 Greg Sacks 188.281 47.801 3 Dale Earnhardt 188.151 47.834 7 Geoffrey Bodine 188.048 47.860 40 Robby Gordon 188.021 47.867 90 Dick Trickle 187.801 47.923 17 Darrell Waltrip 187.762 47.933 23 Jimmy Spencer 187.543 47.989 94 Bill Elliott 187.516 47.996 36 Derrike Cope 187.469 48.008 81 Kenny Wallace 187.453 48.012 18 Bobby Labonte 187.363 48.035 46 Wally Dallenbach Jr. 187.336 48.042 10 Ricky Rudd 187.301 48.051 24 Jeff Gordon 187.274 48.058 6 Mark Martin 186.951 48.141 5 Terry Labonte 186.904 48.153 73 Phil Barkdoll 186.889 48.157 25 Ricky Craven 186.811 48.177 75 Rick Mast 186.676 48.212 4 Sterling Marlin 186.594 48.233 33 Ken Schrader 186.575 48.238 97 Chad Little 186.494 48.259 29 Robert Pressley 186.436 48.274 44 Kyle Petty 186.397 48.284 21 Michael Waltrip 186.343 48.298 78 Billy Standridge 186.335 48.300 9 Lake Speed 186.301 48.309 43 Bobby Hamilton 186.278 48.315 8 Hut Stricklin 186.262 48.319 37 Jeremy Mayfield 186.112 48.358 1 Morgan Shepherd 185.958 48.398 99 Jeff Burton 185.904 48.412 30 Johnny Benson Jr. 185.897 48.414 22 Ward Burton 185.670 48.473 15 Larry Pearson 185.647 48.479 16 Ted Musgrave 185.571 48.499 11 Brett Bodine 185.571 48.499 71 Dave Marcis 185.151 48.609 96 David Green 184.271 48.841 95 Gary Bradberry 182.693 49.263 91 Mike Wallace 181.050 49.710 0 Delma Cowart 178.515 50.416 42 Joe Nemechek No Time 84 Norm Benning No Time 75. TeamDCR fan posted: 02.03.2017 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) owner of the 75 was Butch Mock, not Bob Rahilly. They had split several years before this 500 76. Cookie Jar posted: 02.23.2017 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Refuse To Lose 77. SK posted: 03.08.2017 - 7:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver change update: #29 Todd Bodine (relieved Pressley after his loop-de-loop slam). 78. oldschoolracing519 posted: 03.08.2017 - 7:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) there is no driver change for the #29 maybe a relief driver but that is not a driver change 79. Josh posted: 03.09.2017 - 10:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Pressley started the race in the 29 car so he gets credit for the finish. 80. nascarman posted: 03.09.2017 - 11:47 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Relief Drivers would be the next cool thing to add to this site. Not that hard of a stat to find either. 81. SK posted: 03.09.2017 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ I've noticed that relief drivers are popping up with the "DC" credit nowadays, as with Martin Truex when he filled in for Dale Jr after his fiery 2004 crash, and Ricky Rudd when he came out of hiatus to hop in Tony Stewart's car in 2006. They should probably be distinguished from a proper 'driver change' (where someone else qualified the car, for instance) but they definitely belong in the record. 82. Archie posted: 03.09.2017 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That is a proper "driver change" in this case if and only if Truex qualified the car in that 2004 race and then Earnhardt started the race. Otherwise Truex was just a relief driver, and I agree those should be tracked when they are known, but not lumped in with the driver changes as currently logged on this site. 83. The Great Dave posted: 03.09.2017 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So question about driver changes then. In 1996 Mike McLaughlin was going to run the truck that Steve Park raced. Due to Rain McLaughlin ended up having to stay in Richmond. Steve ended up both Qualifying and Racing the truck (unlike Ernie Irvan, who had someone else qualify the truck for him). Would that count as a Driver Change or a "withdrawn" for McLaughlin? 84. oldschoolracing519 posted: 03.09.2017 - 5:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) its not a driver change, did McLaughlin practice the truck at all? I dont consider an entry as a WD if the team still races, a WD should be if the team does not show up for the race. a DC is when one driver qualifies and another driver starts the race. case in point, a race well known, Aric Almirola used to only have one victory in Xfinity scored to his name, Denny Hamlin was schedule to start the race but did not make it there in time. Aric qualified the car and started the race, therefor got the credit for the win that Denny drove to. this is not a DC it is a Relief driver but if Denny had not got in the car he should of not been listed as a WD since the car did start the race. 85. Tide1732 (GO ENFINGER!!!) posted: 03.09.2017 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larry Pearson makes last cup attempt. 86. HD11 posted: 05.27.2017 - 6:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sadly this was Hall of Famer Ken Squier's final call in the booth of a Daytona 500. Ken had lost a little over time and CBS replaced him in the booth with Mike Joy, but NASCAR and its fans owe Squier a debt of gratitude for all he did for the sport. I'm thrilled to see him in the Hall of Fame. 87. Anonymous posted: 06.24.2017 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale Earnhardt crashes, gets back in his car and everyone loves him for it... Kurt Busch does the same thing, gets a penalty and a fine... Hmm... 88. Josh posted: 08.22.2017 - 2:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hut Stricklin's final Daytona 500. He DNQed for it in 1998 with Stavola Brothers, 2001 with Junie Donlavey, and 2002 with Bill Davis. 89. CJ posted: 04.18.2018 - 11:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Season best finish for Ricky Craven and Loy Allen. 90. Dorsal Fin posted: 05.09.2018 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Hendrick is doing pretty nicely 30 years later after having "leukemia" when he should've been in jail. What a fraud. 91. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.02.2018 - 11:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) First Daytona 500 start for Mike Skinner. Last Daytona 500 starts for Hut Stricklin, Loy Allen, Morgan Shepherd, and Bobby Hillin, Jr. 92. Anonymous posted: 10.26.2018 - 3:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The final qualifying attempt for journeyman Delma Cowart ends in a DNQ, coming five seasons after his last start at Talladega in 1992. 93. Tennessee Mountain Man posted: 10.26.2018 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #92 And he went out with a bang if you ever seen footage of Thrusday's Twin 125 qualifier when he lost control while being lapped early in the race, took out front runner Geoff Bodine. Both crashed and Delma's number 0 ford slide to a stop in the tri-oval grass unfortunately, ending his NA$CAR career 94. jp posted: 12.04.2018 - 12:17 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Update: #9-Lake Speed: Melling/MHCO U.S.A Source: http://www.rubbins-racin.com/forums/filedata/fetch?id=1332955 95. Jimnsimforever posted: 04.06.2019 - 12:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) How about Jimmy Spencer blasting into his jackman after Spencer was involved in the wreck that caused the 2nd caution. Wow, I don't know how that didn't seriously injure that guy. That car hit him so hard directly into his knees while he was holding a heavy jack and luckily threw him up into the air and over the car to the side landing on the pavement beside where the car passed. He could've been knocked down in front of the car and been killed if it ran over him. 96. Jimnsimforever posted: 04.06.2019 - 1:42 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) As far as if anything has been fixed in Nascar. You would have to be the most naive person in the world to think that things haven't been fixed in every big money sport. It has been proven without a shadow of a doubt in the NBA because of a criminal investigation that led to an arrest and a subsequent book that left them scrambling into damage control. MLB as well as pro Tennis off the top of my head that have flat out been caught fixing things. The other sports have fixed things too, there is too much money involved for the big wigs to not get greedy and look at who is making them the most money and let things slide when people cheat or make the calls benefitting a certain team. That's why I got into Golf for a while. No fixing or cheating in Golf. How would you do it? Talk every other player in to throwing a round so Tiger Woods can start winning again so their ratings will go back up? 97. Jimnsimforever posted: 04.14.2019 - 7:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Are you kidding me? Now the last sport left has been tainted. You're telling me a 43 year old man who won the last of his 4 Masters 14 years ago and hadn't won a major golf tournament at all in over a decade, with tons of knee and back surgeries and a fused spine is going to somehow find a way to now win The Masters for a 5th time. A little sarcasm after I remember posting the above post and Tiger Woods literally somehow wins the biggest tournament in golf a week later. That was awesome to see. 98. GregSacksIsYourGod posted: 07.24.2020 - 7:22 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Really impressive run for Dave Marcis in his 30th Daytona 500, he stayed on the lead lap the whole race and despite getting mixed up a little bit in the final wreck of the day, he still brought it home in 17th. Also I'd probably be doing my namesake a disservice by failing to also highlight that Greg Sacks had a pretty solid run going before crashing out. Although he took the lead only through a very fast pitstop (probably a 2 tyre call, but it didn't get picked up by the broadcast) just before halfway, and was quickly shuffled out of the lead on the restart, Sacks managed to hang on in 6th for a good while, until he was tapped into a spin by Jeff Burton and hit the inside wall off of turn 2. Wasn't the only incident like that, either - seemed like a lot of cars had issues with getting tight off of 2 and washing up into the cars on their outside, I think similar incidents happened with the early crash with Robert Pressley and Terry Labonte, and the contact between Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt which triggered Earnhardt's flip. 99. Rich posted: 08.04.2020 - 4:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators were Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett and Buddy Baker. The pit road reporters were Dr. Dick Berggren, Mike Joy and Ralph Sheheen. 100. Bodyblower posted: 08.08.2020 - 4:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe we can add relief drivers. In that case, Todd Bodine relieved for Robert Pressley in the 29. 101. Chris posted: 08.13.2020 - 1:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought the race was boring at the time. It was hard to pass and that was the case all speedweeks it seemed. Passing wasn't as hard as it was during the 2000 Daytona 500 but it was hard to pass. The cloudy weather didn't help matters during the race I don't think in terms of passing. It seemed like there was more passing in the 1996 Daytona 500 than in this edition of the race. 102. JJ posted: 08.13.2020 - 1:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One thing bugged me about Terry during this race. Late in the race when they passed Elliot in 1 he got a great run off 2 and looked liked he had a run on Gordon but stayed in line behind him. I always felt like he could of tried to pass him. Late in this race and its the Daytona 500. 103. Rich posted: 12.25.2020 - 6:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Along with being the play by play announcer, Ken Squier was the studio host. 104. Rich posted: 12.29.2020 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This Daytona 500 marked the end of several eras as Ken Squier would call the 500 for the 19th and final time before becoming the studio host for the next three 500s. And Mike Joy, who had been apart of the television coverage of the 500 since 1984 as the lead pit road reporter, became the play by play man beginning in 1998 and aside from '02, '04 and '06, he has been the lead commentator for the 500 on TV for 20 years on CBS and Fox. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: