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ROF= Ring of fire Odyssey MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus
AL= ALAbama journey
October 13, 2018
Talladega Speedway 2000 fall Winston 500.
One of my favorite races that I remember through a 45-year history at Talladega Speedway is the fall race of 2000.
What I remember is most of the race was the usual NASCAR, very exciting, excellent racing, a great race to watch. But then it became one of the greatest races of NASCAR history.
With about 10 to 12 laps to go all the race leaders made a final Pit Stop after a caution. I don't remember if it was a big one that involved many cars. or a one or two car spin out.
What I remember is coming out of the pits one of the up front leaders Dale Earnhardt, one of my favorite drivers, had got shuffled back to the end of the pack. A bad Pit Stop, something went wrong, took a long, longer pit time than normal.
Back on the track coming out of the pits were a new bunch of race Leader's up front.
Dale was way back in the pack. I mean like almost at the end. and I thought what in the hell happened. He was up front, now at the tail end of the lead pack, about 10 to 12 laps to go. This is usually a poor finish. Nobody can make up 20 cars lengths, make it back to the front in 10 laps. There is not enough race laps left. It takes a good skilled driver many laps to make a comeback push to the front.
I thought this race is pretty well-defined here with a few new leaders.
The last two cars out of the pits, the leaders field were already around in turn 1 and 2, and here comes Dale Earnhardt in his number three black Goodwrench Chevy, and Kenny Wallace in his number 55 Square D car. … blue yellow square D.
They began tracking the main field, Earnhardt got in front of Kenny, and motioned Kenny to come on and power draft, bump draft,.
Kenny Wallace, whose nickname racing was “Herman” had a very good strong engine and had run good all day.
Kenny begin drafting on number 3 Dale pushing him on the outside Groove.
They began making up , gaining race positions. They began pushing ahead of the back field on the outside line, each lap gaining to 2 3 racing positions.
Both of them hooked up in a draft that was the most powerful I've seen in NASCAR racing.
Dale was a master racer and could read the groove and would dip down into a slot when needed, to make it through a turn, then lift back up high and move ahead with Herman pushing him all the way.
End 10 laps they made up almost 20 positions, so now we're down to two laps to go, white flag territory, forming up for the end of the race, a real shootout as to who's going to win this. It's undecided who will win this at this point at 2 laps to go.
Dale and Kenny are now running 3 and 4 behind the 2 leaders. pushing around racing High On the Groove and drafting when they needed. the front-runner lead cars are strong engines of the day and I've held off everybody till now.
Going into the tri-oval on the White Flag, last lap of the Talladega 500, here's Dale and Kenny right in the thick side by side of the leaders going for the win.
It's nose Over nose all the way through the back stretch. everybody's got the hammer down running full out. Now it's really race maneuvering for position into Turn 3 and 4.
Dale and Kenny are pushing hard, a miracle comeback that I've never seen two cars come back this many positions and so few laps. It's not just the engine power this is driver skill, this is beyond what is possible.
I think coming out a turn for Dale jumps down coming down turn #4 to the N Side Lane and took the lead and held on sprinting to the Finish for the wind. Edging out Nemechek and Jeff Gordon. this was an amazing comeback this was really one of the best races ever.
Dale won the race, not a new thing for him, but to win this race was a real feat to come back at the end. The way they did it, the way they drafted through 20 positions in 10 laps at the end.
Dale won the race, but Kenny Wallace was the reason they came back to the front with his power draft, bump draft behind Dale. Kenny was the reason they made it to the front and finished 1 and 2. Kenny stepped up into a new category of driver from this race.
I've seen many great races at Talladega but this was one of the most memorable. This would rank the number two slot of the top 10 Talladega races I saw.
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the number three slot would be the year Dale caught up in a wreck in turn 3 and spun out down into the south end apron upside down.
Well the caution was out and the Crash Crews were cleaning up the track a wrecker tide the number 3 Black Goodwrench Chevy with tie straps and turned it over on to its 4 tires to toe it back to the garage.
Dale standing beside the Crash Crew workers asked the question, will it crank? climbed back into the car, cranked it up, put his helmet back on and drove it back onto the track., not to the garage but made a pit stop,. made some quick race repairs. got back out on the track, and finished the last dozen races up in about fifth or sixth position. that is got to be one of the best Racers that's ever lived.
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some more memorable races were seeing the Alabama gang, the Allison's, Bobby and Donnie, and Neil Bonnett run.
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and the 90s some of the Davey Allison races were spectacular.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
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