There’s nothing like a photo finish to end a thrilling race of NASCAR. The occasion and the moment become extra special when fans are treated to door-to-door action where a naked eye cannot tell the difference between the winner and the loser. We had a three-wide photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2024, but the closest margin for a win in a nail-biting affair came at Kansas Speedway.
Chris Buescher thought that he had won his first race of the season against Kyle Larson. But after a lengthy check and the use of technology, the HMS Star was crowned the winner of the 2024 AdventHealth 400. The margin of win was the closest in the history of the Cup Series at just 0.001 seconds. But before this race, this record was created at the Darlington Raceway back in 2003, and it took Larson over two decades to etch his name in the history books.
Clean endings were not intended for Darlington. Because of its 1.366-mile layout, which was created as a compromise to safeguard a minnow pond, teams are forced to choose which end of the track to survive due to its mismatched turns. For decades, that combination has humbled the best, broken dominating runs, and eaten up veterans. It did something completely different on March 16, 2003: it put two drivers in a deadlock because they wouldn’t lift.
One of them would prevail. In contrast, the other would conduct a grueling, almost cinematic set of laps that left fans with a rare question: Is it possible to finish second and yet win the moment?
Control Lost in the Brutal Design of Lady in Black’s Grip
Kurt Busch confronted the paradox faced by all racers at Darlington Raceway in 2003 when the greatest drive of his career ended in a crushing loss. In what would become one of the most legendary finishes in NASCAR history, Busch lost by just 0.002 seconds to Ricky Craven—a margin so thin, many watching didn’t believe it until the freeze-frame replay confirmed it.
It was a moment that transformed victory into suffering for Busch. For Craven, it was the last confirmation of a career that had been all but destroyed by injuries. Together, they produced a conclusion that will always stick in Darlington’s memory. There were no high hopes for the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. As the race progressed, however, it became evident that just two unlikely competitors would remain. In the last 30 laps, Craven, who was racing for the underfunded PPI Motorsports, and Busch, who was driving Roush Racing’s No. 97 Ford, pulled ahead of the field.
With 34 laps left, Busch had taken the lead and was expertly controlling tire wear. But Craven was refusing to back down. With ten laps remaining, he started to close up despite having previously brushed the wall and battling with a loose car. Craven’s Pontiac sustained damage. The narrative on its right side described an automobile that had danced too much with the sandpaper-thin walls of Darlington. He continued to claw, lap after lap, toward Busch.
When there were five left, Craven was closing the gap with half a second every lap. The final lap saw Craven get alongside, battling for every inch. Busch slipped off Turn 2 on the last lap, letting Craven run low. They were going door-to-door as they came out of Turn 4. Engines screamed in protest as they bounced off each other at over 150 mph, sheet metal twisting with every impact, and then came the final blow—literal contact.
“I gave him room, and he gave me room, but we came off the corner locked together,” Craven recalled post-race. “We crossed the line and I had no idea who won,” Ricky Craven to NASCAR.com, March 16, 2003. At the time, it was the closest finish in NASCAR history. Busch’s crew was quiet when he coasted onto pit road. No one was certain whether he had won or lost. A moment later, the official outcome was announced on the radio: Craven had the upper hand. Busch kept his helmet in place. He didn’t yell. He clinched his teeth and smiled, something that only the calmest competitors can do.
Losing that race was more painful than simply losing. That day. To a driver whose underdog tale has now reached its climactic conclusion. Craven was pursuing atonement rather than merely a checkered flag. His career had been on the verge of ending due to concussions in the late 1990s. He didn’t attend races. He was deprived of luxury rides. A lot of teams had gone on. However, Craven drove like a man who had everything to prove and nothing to lose that afternoon.
“I knew if I let up, he was going to beat me,” Craven said. “I had to drive harder than I ever have. That’s not just a race win for me. That’s a moment I’ll carry forever,” Ricky Craven to ESPN, March 2003. His second and final NASCAR Cup Series victory. He didn’t have to go back to victory lane, but he would never do so. This was sufficient. In the end, Kurt Busch would win the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2004. He would go on to win 34 races in his career, including the Daytona 500 in 2017. However, Darlington 2003 is still a mark of honor and a scar. Although he lost, he raced like a champ.
“It hurts. I did everything I could. I raced him clean, I held my line, and I still lost,” Kurt Busch in post-race press conference, 2003 Darlington. In contrast, Craven retired after only two years. However, his name will always be associated with one of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport—a moment captured in time, in which his Pontiac was half a fender ahead of Busch’s Ford.
“That finish… that’s what racing’s supposed to be. No one held back. No one wrecked the other. We gave it everything. He just got me,” Kurt Busch added. From the white flag to the checkered, the finish took only eighteen seconds. However, the events of that era created legends, shaped careers, and reminded NASCAR fans of what this sport looked like at its best. By inches, Kurt Busch lost. Although he lost, he contributed to the sport’s most memorable finale. And that’s what brilliance looks like sometimes.
Speaking of Darlington heroics and the Busch family, Kyle Busch also suffered a similar fate last year during the Southern 500. Up against ropes, desperate for the win, Rowdy gave his all but wasn’t able to match strides with Chase Briscoe.
The Darlington heartbreak continues for the Busch
A lot was riding on the Southern 500 other than just a crown jewel win. For Busch, he wanted to keep his one-race-per-year streak alive and notch it to 20th and ensure his qualification into the playoff. Win and you’re in was the only formula that was going to come to his aid at the track Too Tough To Tame. And, despite bringing a well-oiled No. 8 RCR Chevy, he couldn’t hold out against the brilliance of Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 team.
Unlike the rest of the season, the Darlington race in the fall served as the regular season finale due to the Olympic break. Heading into the race, Stewart Haas Racing knew that they were going to shut down at the end of the season, and this race made their exit from the sport a tad bit sweeter. Birscoe, driving the No. 14 Ford, ripped through the field on a crucial and secured a lead late in the race. Busch, who was still in contention, didn’t give up and mounted a charge, especially during the restart on lap 351 with new tires.
But, despite eating the precious second with every lap, Busch couldn’t close the gap on Briscoe as he snapped SHR’s 73-race winless streak. Not only that he also made his way into the playoffs thanks to the clutch victory. Lack of grip hindered Rowdy’s chances to get a better momentum during the chase. “I think I just needed him to have maybe three or four more lap older tires for me to be able to break through the wake. Once I got within his air, I really didn’t have enough to power through that, to get closer. I was kind of sliding already.”
Not a lot has changed since the start of 2025, as both Busch and Briscoe are still eyeing their first wins of the season. It will be interesting to see how the two drivers compete now that Briscoe has moved to JGR and Busch’s RCR under the new leadership after a major offseason shakeup.
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