|| *Comments on the 1999 Goody's Headache Powder 500:* View the most recent comment <#74> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Beitaness posted: 11.19.2003 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Awesome finish beetween Earnhardt and T Labonte who spun 2 times in 10 laps ! Nascar need more finishes of that style... 2. Jake posted: 11.10.2004 - 1:17 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) One of the coolest races I'll never forget. That was something else when Dale spun Tery out to win. "I wasn't gonna wreck him, I just got to him and turned'em around. Didn't really to turn'em around, just meant to rattle his cage a little." Big E was definitely The Man. 3. HomeDepotKid posted: 12.06.2004 - 4:40 am Rate this comment: (2) (1) I remember this. I was about 10 years old, watching it in my parents' room. My family is an Earnhardt family, so we were all going nuts. Just to see that black #3 going through that smoke was simply... Unforgettable. The fans were a little pissed with Dale, as he was showered with boos. So what? He won. It was the last lap. 4. Anonymous posted: 01.09.2005 - 5:21 am Rate this comment: (4) (2) Earnhardt 'meant' to "rattle his cage" ... right. Pretty blatant. Earnhardt deserved the jeers he got when he hopped out of his car and started celebrating his "victory". He couldn't even look at the cameras in Victory Lane after the race when they came to interview him. 5. HomeDepotKid posted: 01.17.2005 - 5:45 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Lemme just say this:At least it wasn't the first lap that Earnhardt punted Labonte on. If you're gonna pull a move like that, do it on the last lap. 6. STP43fan posted: 01.26.2005 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (6) (7) another cheap shot by an earnfardt 7. Anonymous posted: 02.24.2005 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (5) (1) Tell that "last lap" bull to Ricky Rudd, who spun out Davey Allison at Infineon one year. He was black flagged, moved to second and Allison was given the victory, which is exactly what would've happened here if it had been anyone but Earnhardt. One of the most blatant shows of "looking the other way" by NASCAR. 8. Mike D posted: 03.01.2005 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anonymous I see its not just Dale Jr you hate. Its just the earnhardts. Regardless of the people, what a finish. Terry spins falls to 8th. In 2 laps comes back to lead, last lap gets spun by dale. 9. STP43fan posted: 03.03.2005 - 12:01 am Rate this comment: (1) (3) Bobby Hamilton ''Anybody can win like that. Earnhardt wouldn't have won from the back straight if he hadn't run over the man. It's that simple.'' dont know why the earnhardts can make a clean pass to win a race 10. Anonymous posted: 03.25.2005 - 2:07 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) i've seen the earnhardts make plenty of clean passes to win races and stp fan let's not forget about your boy hamilton hooking brendan gaughan into the wall at richmond in 2003 it was worse than earnhardt's bristol wreck with labonte and hamiton wasn't even racing brendan for the win 11. Anonymous posted: 03.25.2005 - 2:11 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) also note that hamilton wrecked brendan AFTER the finish line 12. Gordon fan posted: 04.09.2005 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Earnhardt should have been penalized for wrecking Terry. If you are not skilled enough to do a bump and run and not spin them out you have no business trying to do it. 13. ogarek posted: 06.14.2005 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) earnhardt didn't bump him going into the corner he bumped him coming off which is how you're supposed to do a bump and run 14. binno posted: 07.18.2005 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) earnhardt bumped labonte, big deal, every driver that has ever made to the cup series has bumped, punted, wrecked other drivers, any driver that says otherwise is lying, that is part of the game, driving "too clean" keeps your career on the local dirt tracks 15. Matthew Sullivan posted: 12.15.2005 - 3:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Terry Labonte has gotten over the incident. A while back he said that he wouldn't mind taking a few of those shots again from #3. 16. smoke20ri posted: 03.30.2006 - 3:17 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I remember correctly Terry said something like "He never means to wreck anyone but he does". I remember being mad because Tony Stewart crashed and being mad at Dale over the wreck. But since Dale is now gone I certainly appreciate what he did for NASCAR and what he stood for. 17. Thomas posted: 07.13.2006 - 4:30 pm Rate this comment: (5) (1) This race epitomized Dale Earnhardt. He was a total jerk on the race track. The most irritating thing is that he of all people needed not to spin anyone out to win, same thing with Jeff Gordon and his "bump and runs". It's sad because Earnhardt was the nicest, most generous man outside of a race car. 18. XAC33 posted: 07.28.2006 - 7:32 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Another display of Earnhardts "Intimidation". Terrible that Earnhardts antics not only cost Terry Labonte a victory but also over shadowed one of the greatest closing lap comebacks ever. Labonte was spun out by Darrel Waltrip in a strange sequence of wrecks very late in the race, then Labonte passes 5 cars in less than 5 laps before being taken out by ol' #3. Im just thankfully Jr. has a little more class on the track. 19. JPM2007ROTY42 posted: 08.10.2006 - 7:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Two things, one the 1st top 5 for Ricky Rudd in 1999 2. Jerry Nadeau is penalized two laps for a wreck that Dale Jarrett admitted is his own. Proving that in NASCAR if you have a name, such as Earnhardt, Stewart, Gordon, etc. You can get away with such things as wrecking out competitors, hitting other drivers, and doing whatever you want to on the track. 20. Brock posted: 01.18.2007 - 6:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thought for sure Rudd was going to win this one, but that sure didn't work out. . . 21. biffle16 posted: 02.07.2007 - 1:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Earnhardt wins in his 700th start. 22. JacksonEdB posted: 02.22.2007 - 4:36 am Rate this comment: (1) (6) Man, I watched this race on ESPN Classic the other day. The Nadeau penalty was stupid. And for the last lap, I knew it was going to happen, but I was just as pissed off as if I had never seen it before. Earnhardt took out all of the lead lap cars besides him, Spencer and Rudd. Spencer actually sideswiped Earnhardt after he crossed the finish line, to give him what he deserved. He never should have won the Daytona 500, he should have flipped and finished last in every one of them if that's how he races. He's way worse than Stewart. And that's saying a lot. 23. biffle16 posted: 05.09.2007 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I counted right. 24. biffle16 posted: 05.17.2007 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (5) Also, this race is another example of how Earnhardt ( not "earnfardt", STP43fan ) was perhaps the greatest ever. 25. Anonymous posted: 05.21.2007 - 10:50 pm Rate this comment: (4) (1) "Also, this race is another example of how Earnhardt ( not "earnfardt", STP43fan ) was perhaps the greatest ever." That could possibly be the funniest thing I've ever read. Tell me, O 14 year old NASCAR expert, how hitting a car in the back and spinning it out makes Earnhardt the "greatest ever" 26. biffle16 posted: 05.24.2007 - 3:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (4) IDK, but you gotta admit, Big E was The Greatest. 27. chad posted: 07.03.2007 - 12:44 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) THEY SHOULD HAVE PENTALIZED EARNHARDT 28. Senninha posted: 12.16.2007 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Jerry Nadeau got screwed BAD by NASCAR. 29. Clayton Caldwell posted: 03.13.2008 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I remember watching this race! Earnhardt should have been penalized! It wasn't like Labonte wasn't giving him room, Terry was high on the track and Dale Goes high perposely and wrecks Labonte! Plain and Simple! He wrecked him! As for Earnhardt being the greatest, this race and 30 more races like this is what makes Dale the 5th greatest on my list behind Petty, Yarborough, Allison, Pearson! 30. rustyfan posted: 05.09.2008 - 7:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race still boils my blood thinking about it.Earnhardt was a great driver, but took a desperate cheap shot at a faster car with fresh tires.But DW's bonehead move spinning Terry was even worse.I remember SI's headline,"Man in black gives Nascar a black eye."This was a great example of Nascar being inconsistent in their penalties. 31. Scott posted: 05.14.2008 - 1:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Next to the 1995 race, this was awesome racing. 32. RLB posted: 05.20.2008 - 2:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Terry Labonte is a great driver but Dale was a legend still this race was Labonte's greatest ever and yet he only finished 8th and Earnhardt steals his 73rd career victory. 33. Clayton posted: 06.28.2008 - 10:21 am Rate this comment: (4) (4) He's right! The win should have been taken from Earnhardt and NASCAR changed this day for the worst. Labonte gave him the ENITRE BOTTOM LANE for Earnhardt to get by and Dale still comes up the track and wrecks him! That is crap. You people who believe this is "Racing" are not race fans!! Let me just say that!! You don't know what racing is! It takes talent to pass someone, and takes no talent to wreck them! Dale did that! He is so overrated it's ridiculous! This was the last straw and this is why I HATE the Earnhardts! I lost A LOT of respect for sr and NASCAR this day! You take the win away. Terry Labonte got wrecked, and Dale crossed the line BY ALOT in this race. Absoulte crap. Earnhardt was a chump. This is why he is not anywhere near the greatest driver ever, because of moves like this one!! NASCAR would have penalized Labonte if it was the other way around, and anyone who doesn't think that is an idiot! Just because it was Earnhardt, they let him take the victory! The right thing would have been penalized earnhardt 5 laps and let the second place driver get the win. Jimmy Spencer. It should have been Labonte but there was nothing you could do about it. But this is the way NASCAR thinks. Who would want Jimmy Spencer to win?? and so they gave Earnhardt the win!! CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP!! 34. Ryan posted: 08.12.2008 - 2:24 am Rate this comment: (4) (6) If any of you retards would go back and look at the replays you will see coming to the white flag that Labonte hit Earnhardt a good one out of turn 4 and then he went too hard going into one and his car washed up the race track allowing Earnhardt to come back at him... Labonte had to check up and therefore Earnhardt hit him, Big E isn't going to check up for him so Terry could get back in line on the last lap people! Get serious! I also don't think they would have took the win away from Terry if the shoe would have been on the other foot... No way, it was just hard Bristol Racing... Great for TV! 35. Clayton posted: 08.31.2008 - 10:08 am Rate this comment: (3) (3) No Ryan, Earnhardt cut off Labonte and there was contact made comming off of 4 on the final lap. Then Labonte gives Earnhardt, the ENTIRE BOTTOM LANE, and Dale punted him!! Oh, I just watched it again, and what crap it was!! 36. Ryan posted: 12.08.2008 - 12:23 am Rate this comment: (5) (1) Yeah, there was contact made from Labonte coming out of 4 punting Dale almost into the wall... Labonte didnt "give" the entire bottom. No one gives the "entire bottom" to anyone at Bristol! That's just a dumb comment. He went in the corner too hard and washed up the track plain and simple! Just hard Bristol Racing! 37. Cryin Ryan posted: 04.05.2009 - 9:14 am Rate this comment: (2) (5) Ryan are you like 12 or something? Terry made no contact with Dale at all except on the straightaway when Dale drove down into him. You must be a new fan. This was a terrible race that Terry should have won, but Nascar has to protect its sponsors. 38. ken posted: 05.07.2009 - 10:20 am Rate this comment: (2) (6) Your a tool Ryan.Your blind defense of every chicken sh*t move Earnhardt pulled in his career is hilarious.This was the mother of all cheap shots. 39. RR posted: 10.26.2009 - 11:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I had the pleasure of attending this race in person. Let me just say that those who think that Earnhardt was universally loved should have been at that race. Never seen so many middle fingers in my life. 40. 18fan posted: 02.07.2010 - 11:32 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Whoever said it was a desperate move is 100% right. Terry had fresh tires, and a faster car on equal tires, and Dale tried to tap him, but misjudged it and spun him. People, its the last lap at a short track, you go for the win! 41. Andre posted: 09.22.2010 - 7:24 am Rate this comment: (2) (1) I almost broke my hand smashing my hand in anger over Earnhardt's move on a coffee table that night. Dale had done the patented bump-and-run several times, and if that had been what happened, it would have been fine. He flat out wrecked Terry, though, and that got me all mad. Looking back, though, it obviously was awesome enough to keep fans and haters talking for 11 years, and will continue talking about it. ;) 42. Ryan posted: 11.05.2010 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (3) 37. Cryin Ryan posted: 04.05.09 - 9:14 am "Ryan are you like 12 or something? Terry made no contact with Dale at all except on the straightaway when Dale drove down into him. You must be a new fan. This was a terrible race that Terry should have won, but Nascar has to protect its sponsors." Terry probably should have won if it wasn't for Darrell Waltrip. Maybe you need some glasses. You can even see Labonte put the brakes on harder going into 3 because the sparks fly out. Anyways, Earnhardt got hit by Labonte coming out of turn 4 taking the white flag. I know you can see it. He almost put him in the wall. 38. ken posted: 05.07.09 - 10:20 am "Your a tool Ryan.Your blind defense of every chicken sh*t move Earnhardt pulled in his career is hilarious.This was the mother of all cheap shots." Takes one to call one. People act like Earnhardt did the bump and run so much on the last lap. He really didn't. People really exaggerate his bumping and hitting tactics. He just raced hard. I wish there was more of that in this day and age of Nascar. It's so dull without the Intimidator. You know people had been dogging Earnhardt around this time period that he needed to retire that he wasn't as competitive. A lot of it was due to his bad crash at Talladega in '96. I would rather have this argument than say he was just a stroker any day of the week. The week before he made his unofficial "comeback" at Michigan and this race he made it official. 43. DaleSrFanForever posted: 01.02.2011 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Jenkins: "Ohhhhhhhhhh and Earnhardt.............." (long silence while the stunned announcers try to figure out exactly what happened) BP: (sounding like he's just seen a dog get run over) Spins him. Jenkins: (in an equally stunned voice) Spins him out. Still the best announce team ever. 44. DaleSrFanForever posted: 01.02.2011 - 4:43 pm Rate this comment: (8) (1) Was it a dirty move by Dale? Of course. But let's not act like it was the end of the world. If you wanna take this win away from him, he's still got 75 wins. And even if you want to take away every win where he used his front bumper to win, he'd still have 70 wins. This whole "Dale just bulldozed his way through the field for his whole career" has been way overblown. The fact is Dale was in a bad streak in his career. He won 2 of the first 4 races in '96, but didn't win again the rest of the year and all of the next season. He finaly got his Daytona 500 win to kick off the '98 season, but the rest of that season was pure garbage (by his standards). In '99, he had won Talladega breaking yet another year plus losing streak, but overall wasn't contending the way he used to. So put yourself in Dale's shoes. What would you do? This comes down to the difference between greatness and really good. Would Terry have ever done anything like Dale did this night? No way. But Terry, despite his two championships, barely has 20 Winston Cup wins in his long career. He also has quite a few long winless streaks. Another great example: Would Mark Martin or Jeff Burton ever do anything like this? No way. But neither has won a championship and both have also had long winless streaks. For Dale, winning came first, courtesy later. It was this tunnel vision towards victory lane that made him so great (plus a LOT of talent and the most mental strenght on the circuit). Of course aggression on its own won't get you greatness if you can't temper it (see Busch, Kyle). And its something you can't do every week. But we can even look past Dale. How many times has Jeff Gordon used his bumper for success? Hasn't JJ bumped a few people on his way to 5 straight championships? And do you think Petty didn't use his bumper back in the day? Him and Bobby Allison (another legend) took turns knocking the crap out of each other in the late 60s and early 70s. So yes, what Dale did was dirty. But he didn't do it every week, and the willingness to do it to achieve victory is what seperated him from people like Terry Labonte. But overall, it was a fun throwback night. There was Dale, standing in victory lane, getting booed like hell with about 320,000 middle fingers raised towards him (assuming every fan had two hands). And Dale had that sheepish grin on his face. I love rewatching it. 45. martin-n-rusty posted: 05.24.2011 - 9:10 am Rate this comment: (9) (0) Reading some of these posts... Most people: WAH WAH WAH!!! EARNHARDT SHOULD OF BEEN PENALIZED!!! *years later* *a guy bumps someone, gets penalized* Most people: WAH WAH WAH!!! LET EM RACE!!! 46. Evan posted: 11.03.2011 - 12:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I think there were boos when Kurt Busch won after they parked Jimmy Spencer for punching him. The sponsors Rubbermaid were not too pleased that night as they stood in victory lane with their victorious driver. 47. Rob posted: 12.24.2011 - 8:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Used to have this on tape. must of seen it a dozen times. one of my all time favorite races. 48. Matthew Tesfaye posted: 06.23.2012 - 10:53 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) One of the best NASCAR races of all time. 49. Joe posted: 01.27.2013 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (4) (5) Ned Jarrett said it was the most disgraceful move he ever saw for a victory. 50. I love Japan posted: 02.24.2013 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Not a bad race lol. Decent finish too. Lol in all seriousness, this race started Terry's career tailspin. And it was a cheap shot, but Terry was roughing up right before that. Fun finish, and no one should fault Dale. Ya gotta do what you gotta do. Terry would have done the same thing as would most people 51. b4il3y posted: 05.30.2013 - 5:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Ryan... don't say that word. I'm serious. Not cool. 52. Go Speed Racer posted: 07.13.2013 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If i had been Texas Terry i would of been more po'd at decrepit DW than Big E. 53. The Terminator posted: 07.15.2013 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (2) (3) Meds are your friend Ryan. 54. Anonymous posted: 07.16.2013 - 12:44 am Rate this comment: (3) (2) I've spent a lot of time thinking about this wreck over the years. I don't really understand the arguments that Terry got into Dale coming to the white flag, as if you watch closely, Dale pinches him all the way down onto the apron, leaving Labonte with nowhere to go but up into the side of the 3 car. Then, if you watch closely after that, Earnhardt lets off early going into turn 1 on the last lap, cuts the car down low, and proceeds to drive straight up the track and right over Terry Labonte. Labonte's car was fast enough and his tires fresh enough to where he could afford to drive the car in a bit hard in order to clear Earnhardt and maintain the lead on the high side coming off the corner, but it doesn't matter if the car he's passing drives straight up the track after letting off to cut the car low, which is exactly what happened. While it was one of the dirtiest moves in NASCAR history, the fact remains that stuff like this made NASCAR what it was, until things started declining around 2004. I'd give anything to bring these days back. 55. Pork Rind posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One of the most memorable races in Nascar history and not even 100 comments? 56. Evan W. posted: 04.27.2014 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Winner:#3 Dale Earnhardt GM Goodwrench Service Plus Sign Earnhardt ran the GM sign car here and won. Sources:1999 Race Action, Earnhardt bumped Terry Labonte to win. 57. Eric posted: 06.05.2014 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This race didn't start Terry's Career tailspin. That already already way before this race because the 5 team was declining that year before the Bristol race. I remembered before this race at the time that I felt like Terry Labonte was on the decline based on how he was running at the points races after Texas. If Terry won the race, it wouldn't make a big difference in terms of a decline based on how his season was between Texas and the Summer Bristol race. While Terry won at Texas, and the Winston, he did struggled big time after Texas. Terry had 3 top 10's in the first 6 races in 1999 including the win at Texas, but he only had 4 top 10's in the next 17 points races in cup. The other thing is Terry got worse every season for rest the 1990's after he won the 1996 championship. I know the 5 and 24 had bad blood and wasn't sharing notes after Terry's championship while Ray was there. 58. Thomas posted: 04.27.2015 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Rudd at Sears Point comparison isn't really valid as Rudd dumped Davey coming to the white flag--not on the last lap. That's two different animals in NASCAR's eyes. The controversy overshadowed that Terry, Stewart, Spencer, and Rudd all had great runs for them at that point in their careers. Bobby should also share some of the blame for the excitement at the end of the race. His transmission problems led to Mayfield's spin, which led to DW punting Terry, which led to what happened on the last 2 laps. If Bobby had pulled into the pits right away, none of the rest of that likely happens. 59. Big Mac Fan posted: 09.30.2015 - 12:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The only reason this doesn't get much controversy is because this was 1999, back when rubbing, bumping, and dirty racing was more acceptable. If this was in 2009 with Kyle Busch spinning Dale Jr., people would hate him to this day. (Sound familiar?) 60. Thomas posted: 08.14.2016 - 7:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Something that's gotten lost in the controversy is that the podium for this race consisted entirely of cars that pitted on the backstretch. I think that's the only time that happened. 61. RaceFanX posted: 09.16.2016 - 8:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Points leader Dale Jarrett came into this race with a streak of 19 consecutive top-10 races in points races dating back to Las Vegas in March. It went up in smoke less than 80 laps into the race when Jarrett got squirrely off turn 2 on the backstretch, spun, and triggered a multi-car wreck in turn 3. It got worse when he got rear-ended by Jerry Nadeau and crashed on the frontstretch not long afterward the #88 team changed a rear end housing and got his red, white, and blue Ford back in the race to pick up a few more points. 62. SK posted: 05.22.2017 - 7:11 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) All three Bodine brothers finish in the top-15 together for the final time. 63. Greg24ChaseFan posted: 08.19.2017 - 10:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Seems to be the race that "humbled" the Intimidator. After this he wasn't quite as dirty as he usually was. It seems the boo's got to him. At least my opinion. 64. Luke90 posted: 03.08.2018 - 8:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A great time in racing packed to the brim crowd and a hot one at that. It's a shame how far NASCAR and its popularity have fallen and unfortunately gets no mention on the national sports headlines anymore probably won't reach that type of frenzy again 65. larson42 posted: 04.02.2019 - 9:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hopefully Clayton has sought and completed therapy since his comments. Someone definitely getting wayyyyy too fired up about this. 66. Joshua posted: 04.02.2019 - 10:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Rubs hands together* I remember this race like it was yesterday. I watched it with my dad and I remember in my formative years cocking back to punch the tv. I think a lot either started to change (nothing changes or turns in one day, guys, but it can start to) or was realized on this night about NASCAR and certain competitors. First of all, about Terry Labonte. Terry was the kind of guy that raced within his equipment and what his car could give him that day. Terry is a very reserved personality and he raced the same way. But, when he had a car that could go, he would drive like hell. Earlier in this very same season, he had a very good car at Texas, but only in the last 15 laps you saw Terry turn up the wick and blow by Jarrett on the outside for the win. Back in 1996 when he was battling teammate Jeff Gordon for the title, he takes it to the next level at Charlotte when Gordon falls out and gains maximum points on the 24. When Terry wanted to put it in overdrive, he absolutely could; he just didn't do it very often. Tonight was one of those nights he did. He got those four fresh tires and ate up the track, passing cars left and right at Bristol, which at the time was about 0.5 or 0.75 of a groove. I was in shock watching that, because nobody did that at Bristol then. When he got the lead going into Turn 1, that should have been it. But... Dale Earnhardt. I understand that Talladega in 1996 knocked something out of E physically that he couldn't really get back until he had his surgery in 2000. I understand that DEI was really starting to take off and he probably had more on his mind than just strapping in and driving. His son was starting to make it at that level and I'm sure he was trying to flood Dale Jr with as much instruction as he could. But, I think we began to see tonight that Dale's judgment behind the wheel had slipped just enough to turn a bump n' run (which I do believe was what he was going for) to a massive pileup that took out everyone except himself and a lucky Jimmy Spencer. What is even more perplexing is that I think Dale thought he had to bump Terry and was dead set on doing that, but truth is he could have gotten alongside him naturally off of 2. Would he have had to get the lefts exactly on the apron and leave about 2 inches between his right front quarter and Terry's left rear quarter? Yeah, but it could/can be done, and guys did it all the time back then at Bristol, because you had to. I don't think he even realized that, or cared. Either way, not taking the inside and then being dead set on squaring the rear bumper of the 5 showed that E's precision skills had slipped a little bit. I'm not trying to take anything away from the man's ability or determination, but it happens to the best of us, and I think this is one glaring example of that. I also think when Earnhardt climbed out of his car in Victory Lane, he expected a rousing cheer. When at least half of the stands was loud boos, that surprised him. I believe when he heard boos instead of 90% cheers, that affected him a little bit, too. Ricky Rudd. I wouldn't say I feel sorry for the man, it was his decision to leave Hendrick and run his own stuff after 1993 (which in hindsight may be one of the worst moves ever) for what I believe was simply spite out of being outshined by the new kid Jeff Gordon. I think that finally came out on the race track at Charlotte in 1994 when he shoved Gordon and himself into the Turn 1 wall in one of the biggest punk moves I have ever seen. But I digress. Rudd had had to scrap and claw to keep that quaint and rather unique winning streak of no more than 2 wins a year (and most of the time, only 1) intact, winning very late in the year at places like Rockingham and Phoenix in recent years past. Rudd came into Bristol way down in the points and hadn't won since he cooked in the car at Martinsville in 1998. In the past few years, there were probably no more times than you can count on one hand that Rudd had a legitimate shot to win the race. He did here. He was third when Labonte and Earnhardt got together, and who knows? Maybe he gets by Terry and then gets by Dale when E has to slow to get by Terry, or they tangle in 3 and he gets by both. Instead, Rudd's and Labonte's noses met almost dead squarely and Rudd not only loses contact with the lead and the win, but ends up with a mangled race car. Rudd never really was in contention for a win after that in 1999; I think he ended up with a good finish at Talladega, but that was it. Thus his streak ended in his final year of running his own deal before joining Yates Racing for the year 2000. Tony Stewart. What's forgotten in the craziness of the white flag lap is that Tony Stewart really had the dominant car tonight and was running the best a rookie had ever run maybe since Davey Allison in 1987. Stewart would end up winning three times in 1999, but not on this night. For those folks who aren't happy when the best car doesn't win, they shouldn't have been happy tonight. Jimmy Spencer. A brief mention for the runner-up, I would almost give a bill to see what would have happened if Jimmy Spencer had gotten to E in 3&4. My money would be on a similar occurrence to what just happened on the backstretch. Spencer, like Rudd, didn't get a shot at a win much and I think he would have tried to knock Earnhardt to Kingsport if he could have. That little tap he gives Earnhardt after the checkered was, I think, intentional, and in my opinion was Spencer taking out frustration for running a close second again and also trying to give E a little something back for what he had caused on the backstretch. NASCAR didn't change directions on this night, far from it. Nothing changes directions in one day. If anything it made NASCAR even more popular and left fans wanting more. But for some competitors, it opened more eyes to reality, and it was an opportunity for more than one that, right or wrong, was taken by Dale Earnhardt. 67. nohbody posted: 08.28.2019 - 10:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Twenty years ago tonight. Terry ran into Earnhardt three times in the last half lap, then blew his entry into turn one. That allowed Dale to close and tap him. Labonte was so out of shape he couldn't hold on, then he stood on the gas and wrecked everybody behind him. Rudd and Spencer showed their cry-babyness after the race. 68. Darrell posted: 12.04.2019 - 9:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Chuck Norris was on the hood of Kevin Lepage's car for this race. 69. Gabriel posted: 03.08.2020 - 3:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race right here proves that not everyone is a fan of dumping someone for the win. The 140,000 fans at Bristol made that loud and clear. Granted, Dale Sr dumped a popular driver in Terry Labonte for this win, but imagine if it had been Bill Elliott that got dumped? Earnhardt probably would've needed a SWAT team to get out of there 70. Iamthedebris posted: 03.31.2020 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) As a NASCAR fan, I hate people who defend their drivers as if they were a God, but this race proves that fans even had their limits, even with the great Dale Earnhardt. 71. RyanM posted: 08.19.2020 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Despite all the rage, he still just rattled his cage. 72. Z posted: 08.19.2020 - 6:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @RyanM, "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" Would Certainly Make An Interesting Earnhardt Descriptor... 73. Rich posted: 11.26.2020 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons were the commentators. Dr. Jerry Punch, John Kernan and Bill Weber were the pit road reporters. 74. RaceFanX posted: 12.17.2020 - 11:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was old Ironhead's ninth and final win at Bristol. It was his first win here since 1994 and his second on the concrete. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: