Here are some things I bet you didn't know about NASCAR:
| The last GN/Cup race on a dirt track was won by Richard Petty on September 30, 1970 at the half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was won by Richard Petty in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back for the race. | |
| The youngest modern era (1972-present) champion was Jeff Gordon in 1995 at age 24, the oldest was Bobby Allison in 1983, at 45. (Allison turned 46 during the awards banquet.) Bill Rexford won the 1950 Championship at the age of 21, making him the youngest champion all time. | |
| Benny Parsons, Bill Rexford, Ned Jarrett, and Matt Kenseth are the only series champions to have one single series victory and still win the title. No drivers have gone an entire season without winning a race, and still winning the championship. For Bill Rexford, that was his only career win. | |
| Alan Kulwicki was the last owner/driver to win the series title; Dale Earnhardt was the last to win it for a single car team, as RCR did not become a regular two-car team until 1997. It is considered difficult to accomplish either feat today. | |
| Tony Stewart and Cale Yarborough are the only drivers to finish last in the Daytona 500 and go on to win the NEXTEL Cup series title in the same season. | |
| Cale Yarborough is the only driver ever to win three consecutive championships (1976, 1977, 1978). | |
| The only teammates to win Nextel Cup Series titles are: <BR>Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports) <BR>Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth (Roush Racing) <BR>Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing) <BR>Bill Rexford and Herb Thomas | |
| Richard Petty is the single-season winningest driver with an unprecedented 27 wins in 1967; additionally, that season he was also the first to break the $100,000 barrier in earnings. The 27 wins took place in a 48-race season (although there were 49 races, the 100-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were championship races until the 1971 minimum distance requirement, and actually took 51 weeks, from November 13, 1966 (Augusta, GA) until November 5, 1967 (Weaverville, NC). Richard Petty holds the modern era record with 13 wins (in 30 races) in a season. Jeff Gordon also has 13 wins (1998), but his 13 wins took place in a 33-race season, with his thirteenth win being in the 33rd (and final) race. (Petty's 1975 season had his thirteenth win in the 30th race.) | |
| Two champions are sons of previous champions: Dale Jarrett is Ned Jarrett's son and Richard Petty is Lee Petty's son. Terry and Bobby Labonte are the only brother combination to have won championships. | |
| The Daytona 500 was not always the first points race of the year. NASCAR used to run at Riverside before going to Daytona in 1965 and 1970-1981. Until 1972, the qualifying races were points races. Beginning in 1982, NASCAR decided to begin each season with the Daytona 500. |
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.
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