NASCAR has some of the most exciting and dramatic finishes ever witnessed in racing. These range from the closest races that needed a photo finish to the races that touched the hearts of the drivers and the fans. Here are some of those dramatic finishes in the NASCAR history.
8. 2011 Daytona 500
Trevor Bayne, who was relatively unknown and not expected to accomplish much in that race, emerged the winner of the 2011 Daytona 500. This young driver was 20 years old and in only his second Cup Series start, but still managed to leave his more experienced counterparts behind to take the win. He pulled an upset on the race and proved that anything can happen on Sunday in NASCAR, including a relatively unknown driver to win the race.
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7. 2001 Cracker Barrel 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Kevin Harvick won his maiden Cup Series race at the 2001 Cracker Barrel 500 right after he had just taken the seat in the №3 car in place of Dale Earnhardt. Harvick won by a mind-boggling 0,006 seconds and slightly overtook Jeff Gordon in a very emotional and memorable finish. It was a perfect ending for the race and a spectacular tribute to Earnhardt for fans and the racing community.
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6. 2007 Daytona 500
Kevin Harvick won the dramatic 2007 Daytona 500 by just 0,020 seconds to Mark Martin. The final stages of the race were brought to a close by a spectacular crash by Clint Bowyer, whose car ended up crossing the checkered flag resting on its roof. Harvick’s victory, plus the amazing sequence of events and intensity at the end put this race in quite possibly one of the most infamous and sensational final moments of a NASCAR race ever.
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5. 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway
This is one of the closest NASCAR finishes where Ricky Craven defeated Kurt Busch by a mere 0,002 seconds. The closing stages of the race saw Craven and Busch racing hard in a thrilling side-by-side battle. This finish is usually highlighted for the intensity shown during the race and the outstanding performance of both drivers. It’s an excellent example of how exciting NASCAR races can be.
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4. 2011 Ford 400
In the final race of the 2011 season at the Ford 400 held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were battling for the championship. Stewart had to face many hurdles, suffering damage and making pit stops. However, thanks to his incredible drive, he was still able to win the race. Both drivers had the same number of points at the end of the season, but Stewart won on countback and was declared the 2011 champion.
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3. 1976 Daytona 500
Perhaps one of the most exciting and memorable final laps in NASCAR history, the 1976 Daytona 500 was a great duel between Richard Petty and David Pearson. Battling in the last lap, the two drivers crashed and spun around. Pearson, limping his car, was able to just barely get his car across the finish line to earn one of the most dramatic wins of all time.
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2. 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
Dale Earnhardt’s last Cup Series win was a pure exhibition of driving skills. From the 17th position and with only a few laps to go, Earnhardt managed to fight through the entire field to grab the lead and race victory. The incredible comeback from the rear to the lead within such a short time demonstrated his great skill and racing spirit, and therefore, this race will go down as one of the most exciting in NASCAR history.
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1. 1998 Daytona 500
The 1998 Daytona 500 was very significant because it marked Dale Earnhardt’s win, putting an end to his two-decade-long struggle to clinch this race. Earnhardt was known to dominate other race tracks but had come close to winning at Daytona many times. It was not only a victory, a race win for him, but an emotional event for the fans, and everyone in the NASCAR organization. It became such a heartrending culmination of his 20-year perseverance.
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