1997 SOUTHERN 500 AT DARLINGTON
JEFF GORDON’S MILLION-DOLLAR TRIUMPH LOOKING TO BECOME ONLY THE SECOND DRIVER TO CLAIM A $1 MILLION bonus from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and its Winston brand that was serving as the Cup Series’ title sponsor, Jeff Gordon needed to win the Southern 500 to cash in on his potentially huge payday, for which he alone was eligible by virtue of winning the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 – two of three “crownjewel” events that had taken place earlier in the 1997 season. Seeking his third consecutive Southern 500 win, Gordon not surprisingly showed up at the track “Too Tough to Tame” with an extremely fast race car. The only problem? Jeff Burton’s No. 99 Roush Racing Ford was just as fast – maybe even a tick faster – so when Gordon came out of Turn 4 to take the white flag, he had a review mirror full of Burton, who pulled to Gordon’s inside and made an aggressive attempt to pass. But before Burton could get completely up alongside Gordon’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, the 1995 Cup Series champion threw an aggressive block on Burton, pinching him down and forcing Burton to momentarily back out of the throttle before the two entered Turn 1. Gordon then held Burton at bay over the remainder of the final lap to join 1985 Southern 500 winner Bill Elliott as a recipient of the coveted “Winston Million.”
2001 PEPSI 400 AT DAYTONA
DALE EARNHARDT JR.’S EMOTIONAL WIN AT DAYTONA IN JULY 2001 ONE OF THE MOST EMOTION-FILLED WEEKENDS IN NASCAR history took place in July 2001 at Daytona International Speedway where the Cup Series returned to compete less than five months after the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt in a crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Racing with the heaviest hearts of all were Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had finished 1-2 in the Daytona 500 just seconds after Earnhardt – their team owner – crashed into the Turn 4 wall while running just behind them on the race track. Racing in memory of the man who had given them so much, Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip swept the top two finishing positions in the July Daytona race just as they did in February – only this time, it was Earnhardt Jr. coming out on top and Waltrip finishing second. After the race, the two teammates celebrated together on top of Waltrip’s car, as their pit crews joined in the fun just below and a jam-packed grandstand bellowed its approval.
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
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