When it comes to the NASCAR All-Star Race, there’s a hot debate about which race was the best. From the first 1985 outing to Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tangling, NASCAR fans have their favorites, and we can understand why. All you have to do is go back to the One Hot Night.
In the spring of 1992, NASCAR made history under the new lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The All-Star Race, then known as The Winston, was held at night for the first time ever. The setting was electric, and the field was stacked. As the laps wound down, the crowd was on its feet. Dale Earnhardt, Kyle Petty, and Davey Allison battled furiously in the final moments. On the final lap, Dale Earnhardt was out front, fending off Davey Allison and Kyle Petty. But then came the wreck. As Petty spun Earnhardt, Allison charged to the front.
At the finish line, Allison and Petty again tangled, crashing after the checkered flag waved. Allison won, but instead of heading to Victory Lane, he went straight to the hospital with a concussion. The crowd was stunned. It was dramatic, emotional, and unforgettable. Darrell Waltrip called it “one that should be on highlight reels forever.” “Crashing sideways into the wall there at the checkers, we were all glad that Davey wasn’t hurt. It was a special memory,” he further said.
While the hospital visit overshadowed the victory, it made it one of the most intense finishes in NASCAR history. For many fans, that was Earnhardt’s most dramatic All-Star moment. But ask the old-school faithful, and they’ll take you five years earlier. Back to 1987. Back to when Dale Earnhardt didn’t just race, he rewrote the rulebook with what would become known forever as The Pass in the Grass.
The 1987 All-Star Race, then called The Winston, had it all. Intensity, rivalries, and raw driving talent. Dale Earnhardt came into the race red hot. He had already won six of the season’s first eight points races. But there was a massive weight on his shoulders. “Bring me the trophy or bring me the steering wheel,” Richard Childress told him. And if that wasn’t enough, Bill Elliott, his rival, was just behind in the standings. One drove a Chevy. The other is a Ford. It was the kind of setup you dream about, two titans clashing on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages. And the fans knew they were in for a show.
From the drop of the green flag, the race was chaos. Earnhardt, Elliott, and Geoff Bodine traded bumps, shoves, and positions after Senior started his climb from fourth place. They weren’t just racing for points. They were racing for pride, money, and the win. In fact, it was this duel that nearly ended Dale Sr.’s race in the first few laps after he entered Turn 3 on the top line alongside his rivals and nearly ended up against the wall. From there, Elliott seized control, leaving Senior to wage a difficult battle against Bodine for second place.
When the final 10-lap segment began, Bodine and Elliott tangled, and Earnhardt slipped into the lead. What came next defied logic and redefined aggression in motorsports. With just eight laps left, Earnhardt’s car got pushed through the grass on the frontstretch.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA 1000Bulbs.com 500, Oct 13, 2019 Talladega, AL, USA Car owner Richard Childress drives the car of former driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. prior to the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports, 13.10.2019 12:55:23, 13511160, Dale Earnhardt Sr, NASCAR, Richard Childress, Talladega Superspeedway, 500 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarvinxGentryx 13511160
His black No. 3 Chevrolet was sideways, churning up turf as sparks flew. But he didn’t lift. He didn’t panic. He kept his foot down, guided the car through 150 feet of grass, and somehow rejoined the track still in the lead. The crowd roared. Everyone watching was stunned. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. The term “Pass in the Grass” was born, even though Earnhardt didn’t actually pass anyone. Humpy Wheeler, the promoter of the race, called it “a save,” but a legendary one.
Speaking about it in the Victory Lane, Earnhardt didn’t mince any words. “Well, that was something else. Bill spun that 5 car out (Bodine) and caused a big mess. Then he came up there and tried to spin me out twice. I didn’t take it. I just held onto it. I did the best I could. I slipped him up high just to let him know I was mad. I didn’t try to wreck him or run him into the wall or nothing, then he tried to wreck me under the caution.” But that wasn’t all. Earnhardt had one more zinger locked and loaded. “I think he’s a little upset,” he added.
Bill Elliott was furious. He claimed Earnhardt tried to wreck him. “If a man has to run over you to beat you, it’s time for this stuff to stop. When a man pulls over and lets you by and then tries to run you into the wall, I’d say that was done deliberately,” Elliott fumed.
The tension spilled over after the race. Elliott’s brother Ernie even confronted Richard Childress, Earnhardt’s team owner. “He said it was chicken s—. I told him if he wanted to keep his face looking the way it did now, he better get the hell out of my pit stall,” Childress recalled. Meanwhile, Earnhardt stood firm. “This whole deal is between me and Bill. We knocked each other around, but it’s all over now as far as I am concerned. But if Bill still wants to do something about it, then I’ll stand flat-footed with him any day,” he said after the race.
That was Dale Sr. No fear. No backing down. He raced like a bulldozer in a field of go-karts, and fans loved him for it. Years later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on that night. He was just 12 years old and in the stands. “I was too young to really understand how those things really impact the sport. It’s still relevant today, and it’s still as awesome as if it would have happened yesterday,” Junior admitted.
For Junior and many fans, that race was more than just a win. It was the blueprint of what made Dale Earnhardt an icon. That 1987 moment has stood the test of time. It became a defining point in NASCAR’s history. Years later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would fight for his own All-Star glory. He won in 2000. But in 2002, the story flipped. A fast car, a tough battle, and one gutsy rookie left him watching someone else hold the check.
A hard-fought loss for Dale Jr.
In 2002, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a car capable of winning the All-Star Race. He’d done it before, taking the checkered flag in 2000 with a strategy that surprised the field. But this time, the format was different. The event was rebranded as “Survival of the Fastest” and featured eliminations, chaos, and a pack of young guns hungry for glory. Among them was rookie Ryan Newman, who had to race his way into the field just to have a shot.
Newman faced it all, qualifying heats, helmet-throwing drama, and restarts that tested his nerves. He passed Tony Stewart early in the final 20-lap dash and seemed to have it won. But Junior was charging hard in the final laps. He got to Newman’s bumper, bumped him, and nearly sent him spinning. But Newman saved it. Junior backed off, worried he’d wreck them both. “I let off because I didn’t want to spin him out. And that was the end of the race,” Junior said in 2017.
It was a moment of hesitation that cost him. Newman became just the second rookie to win the All-Star Race. Junior, despite having a fast car and the heart of a fighter, finished second. “We should have won that one. It was a fast car,” Junior said later. Even in defeat, Junior showed class, running over to Newman’s pit to congratulate him and his team. It wasn’t a win, but it was a lesson in respect and restraint. And that’s how Earnhardt’s name continued to stay in the grind of the All-Star Race.
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