Pearson should have just run Lebonte off the track to the left and one the damn thing. Earnhardt is just lucky his prime did not paralel with Pearson who would have owned him of course
What an incredible screwjob! Hard to believe that NA$CAR used to be so hillbilly. What that race needed was "scoring lines" around the track and a green-white-checker. I feel sorry for the fans. That race should have been decided in the corner, not at the start-finish line. What a shame!
Vintage NASCAR is awesome. I wish the cars of today actually looked like the cars they replicate. Wish they were actually made out of sheetmetal and didnt have so many damn restrictions.
I know we are supposed to love Earnhart - I never did. But with all due respect;; As tough a driver he was he would never match the driving expertise of David Pearson.
@1967mustanggta quite honestly, who could? Thered be no slighting Earnhardt in saying David Pearson was better than him. Richard Petty proclaimed him to be the best at once, thats a pretty good opinion.
@snappy452 I honestly think David Pearson was the best driver in NASCAR history, not Petty or Earnhardt. Imagine if Pearson raced full time more seasons than he did. He'd probably be the one with 200 and Petty would have 150 or something.
That's when NASCAR was experiencing its "Golden Years (70's-80's) before all the rule changes came in (most of them had to be implemented so not to kill drivers and spectators). What a great finish to the race!...and how disappointing it must have been for David Pearson and a young Dale Earnhart. What a race!! Remember it like it was yesterday!
Boy! if this wasn't a fluke win, you tell me what is! It pretty much sealed Pearson's deal with Hoss Ellington. Yes, he would have won 106 but for this accident.
It isn't. It's gotten so big it's all about selling a sponsor's product, and youth serves the selling. All the cars are the same, it's become AROC week after week. The teams with 3-4 cars win almost all the time. I'm not a Kyle Busch fan, but he's the closest thing to this kind of racing there is, maybe Tony Stewart as well.
mshjam- Pearson probably remembered the move from The 1976 Daytona 500 (I believe there is a tape of it posted on You Tube) when Richard Petty tried it on Pearson and smashed-up both cars only a few feet from the checkered flag...another unbelievable ending!
@mshjam You got that right, Earnhardt got schooled on that one. Nice and clean, without spinning someone out as Earnhardt had a bit of a habit of doing (with all due respect to DH)... Point is: Petty, Pearson, Yarborough, etc. all did it without intimidation. I guess I'm just too old for today's NASCAR...
A lot of viewers fault Jim Lampley because he really didn't know NASCAR when he and Sam Posey called the race, personally, I think it adds a lot to the finish.
Classic Terry: He just won one of the most exciting races ever, and he's not worked up at all, just playing it cool. They don't call him the Iceman for nothing. He's one of the great class acts of NASCAR.
"The winner is whichever car got to the line first."
Thank you, Jim Lapmley, for explaining that mess. If it weren't for you, none of the viewers would know what was going on! Announcers without a racing background SHOULD NOT CALL RACING.
What a crazy finish that was. I had known beforehand Labonte had won, but never knew how. Great stuff there.
And to add about Pearson from mkl62, Pearson won the Southern 500 the year before driving Earnhardt's #2....... Dale got injured at Pocono and missed 4 races. Pearson left the Wood Brothers after the pit road debacle during the Rebel 500 in '79.
A memorable moment in NASCAR history. Terry Labonte gets his first win by taking down one of the greatest drivers of all time in David Pearson. But don't feel for Pearson, though. At least he was there at the end, unlike the 1979 Rebel 500 when he lost his left tires coming out of the pits. That had to be the most embarassing moment in his career.
This is baptistbravesfan from the message board, and I have to say that this is incredible! I had always heard about this finish but never seen it. Thanks for putting it up!
4:27 That was very strange seeing the top three cars go into the wall simultaneously
CaptNemo100 8 months ago
Pearson should have just run Lebonte off the track to the left and one the damn thing. Earnhardt is just lucky his prime did not paralel with Pearson who would have owned him of course
1967mustanggta 8 months ago
wow that was Terry Labonte first win... that was a good finish .. i think i was 5 at that time.. gees a good race.
CarlMadFast 9 months ago
Thank god for you-tube. I could stay in this time machine all day. It was so real and down to earth then.
1977SOUTHERNBOY 1 year ago
Always heard about this race, never knew it was essentially a photo finish.
Sunoco 1 year ago
What an incredible screwjob! Hard to believe that NA$CAR used to be so hillbilly. What that race needed was "scoring lines" around the track and a green-white-checker. I feel sorry for the fans. That race should have been decided in the corner, not at the start-finish line. What a shame!
caprad 1 year ago
@caprad Guess you didn't get hooked on this til like '97 or so,didn't you Cap?????
joboots007 1 year ago
@joboots007
I was NA$CAR when it was 20-30 minutes a week or two later on ABC's Wide World of Sports...guess sarcasm doesn't come through well.
caprad 1 year ago
Vintage NASCAR is awesome. I wish the cars of today actually looked like the cars they replicate. Wish they were actually made out of sheetmetal and didnt have so many damn restrictions.
APontiacof455cubes 1 year ago
I know we are supposed to love Earnhart - I never did. But with all due respect;; As tough a driver he was he would never match the driving expertise of David Pearson.
1967mustanggta 1 year ago
@1967mustanggta quite honestly, who could? Thered be no slighting Earnhardt in saying David Pearson was better than him. Richard Petty proclaimed him to be the best at once, thats a pretty good opinion.
snappy452 1 year ago
@snappy452 I honestly think David Pearson was the best driver in NASCAR history, not Petty or Earnhardt. Imagine if Pearson raced full time more seasons than he did. He'd probably be the one with 200 and Petty would have 150 or something.
erasetoimprove 1 year ago
i know i wish i had the race he won in 2003
AZMontana5 1 year ago
Labonte won this race again 23 years later.
vidEvWill 2 years ago 2
That's when NASCAR was experiencing its "Golden Years (70's-80's) before all the rule changes came in (most of them had to be implemented so not to kill drivers and spectators). What a great finish to the race!...and how disappointing it must have been for David Pearson and a young Dale Earnhart. What a race!! Remember it like it was yesterday!
5inthehole 2 years ago 2
Boy! if this wasn't a fluke win, you tell me what is! It pretty much sealed Pearson's deal with Hoss Ellington. Yes, he would have won 106 but for this accident.
TheMKEWERBY 2 years ago
Interesting how Terry Labonte's first and last wins came in the Southern 500.
penske369 2 years ago
It isn't. It's gotten so big it's all about selling a sponsor's product, and youth serves the selling. All the cars are the same, it's become AROC week after week. The teams with 3-4 cars win almost all the time. I'm not a Kyle Busch fan, but he's the closest thing to this kind of racing there is, maybe Tony Stewart as well.
spiderlarry 2 years ago
does not get any better than this. wish racing was half as good now
mustangjohhny 2 years ago 4
this is when nascar was about racing and not ratings. almost brings a tear to my eye when i think about what nascar has become.
checkfoldcallraise 2 years ago 6
Love seeing Pearson pull the crossover move that Earnhardt supposedely invented.
mshjam 2 years ago 14
mshjam- Pearson probably remembered the move from The 1976 Daytona 500 (I believe there is a tape of it posted on You Tube) when Richard Petty tried it on Pearson and smashed-up both cars only a few feet from the checkered flag...another unbelievable ending!
5inthehole 2 years ago
@mshjam Pearson pulled the crossover for all the years he raced against Petty - those two would crossover pass a lot.
STP43FAN1 11 months ago
@mshjam You got that right, Earnhardt got schooled on that one. Nice and clean, without spinning someone out as Earnhardt had a bit of a habit of doing (with all due respect to DH)... Point is: Petty, Pearson, Yarborough, etc. all did it without intimidation. I guess I'm just too old for today's NASCAR...
chw59 1 week ago
A lot of viewers fault Jim Lampley because he really didn't know NASCAR when he and Sam Posey called the race, personally, I think it adds a lot to the finish.
spiderlarry 2 years ago
Too Bad For Pearson...Could have made it 106 wins
jasoncarby 2 years ago
Real stock car racing. Plain said.
BSNFabricating 3 years ago 5
Classic Terry: He just won one of the most exciting races ever, and he's not worked up at all, just playing it cool. They don't call him the Iceman for nothing. He's one of the great class acts of NASCAR.
Enzofan24 3 years ago 14
@Enzofan24 I wish people respected Jimmie Johnson for the same thing. I guess cool, calm, collective characters aren't popular with these new "fans"
erasetoimprove 1 year ago
"The winner is whichever car got to the line first."
Thank you, Jim Lapmley, for explaining that mess. If it weren't for you, none of the viewers would know what was going on! Announcers without a racing background SHOULD NOT CALL RACING.
FrodothePuppet 3 years ago 4
With NASCAR's 2008 rules, they might just need to explain that to the viewers again -- just ask Regan Smith!
luvender 3 years ago 3
Sounds like he was just trying to explain NASCAR's yellow flag rules, which most Americans probably weren't familiar with back in that time.
jwcalla1 3 years ago 3
WOW! What a finish!
nadeau1064 3 years ago 2
Great video, too bad Jim Lampley is at the play by play. Sam Posey great when it comes to IndyCar, stock cars... Another story.
racermac1988 3 years ago 4
Not only are they racing against each other, they are racing against the Lady In Black!! This is some great Darlington racing!
Crisgo3d 3 years ago
Terry is still racing a few cup races. He raced the #10 GEM Dodge yesterday at Pocono.
DC322 3 years ago
And he becomes the YOUNGEST WINNER EVER!!!!!! Can it get ANY Better!!????
KingSnowman 3 years ago 2
And it's his FIRST WIN!!
KingSnowman 3 years ago 2
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS RACE!!!!!!!!!! This is the GREATEST NASCAR Race EVER!!!!
KingSnowman 3 years ago 2
WOW!! Thanks for this upload! Terry has been my fav since 1986!!
briancalibergbmd 3 years ago 2
What a crazy finish that was. I had known beforehand Labonte had won, but never knew how. Great stuff there.
And to add about Pearson from mkl62, Pearson won the Southern 500 the year before driving Earnhardt's #2....... Dale got injured at Pocono and missed 4 races. Pearson left the Wood Brothers after the pit road debacle during the Rebel 500 in '79.
Browndoor1986 3 years ago
Perhaps Darlington's closest finish 'til
Craven nipped Kurt Busch in '03,BTW!!!!
joboots007 3 years ago
Thanks! Love this old school clip. Hope you have lots more like this one and the 1980 Pocono race.
toomuchcountry 3 years ago 2
A memorable moment in NASCAR history. Terry Labonte gets his first win by taking down one of the greatest drivers of all time in David Pearson. But don't feel for Pearson, though. At least he was there at the end, unlike the 1979 Rebel 500 when he lost his left tires coming out of the pits. That had to be the most embarassing moment in his career.
mkl62 3 years ago
i've read about this one being an amazing finish but wow i didnt know how close the competition was before the wreck.
Kinda crazy though, Texas Terry finished in the top 5 in the points in 81 and 82 but was winless until late in '83 at rockingham
carguysn 3 years ago
Thanks a lot ! Priceless !!!
ElQuiocos 3 years ago
This is baptistbravesfan from the message board, and I have to say that this is incredible! I had always heard about this finish but never seen it. Thanks for putting it up!
braves15 3 years ago
wow what an amazing finish!
thanks for sharing!
battalionfan888 3 years ago