Countdown to Daytona: 5 most heartbreaking 500 moments
There's been a number of heartbreaking moments for Monster Energy Cup Series drivers since the first Daytona 500 in 1959.
And 25 days from now, the 59th annual running of the Great American Race on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX has all the potential to produce more.
In this edition of our Daytona 500 countdown, we're going to take a look at five of the most heartbreaking moments that really stand out.
5. 1975: David Pearson spins, Benny Parsons wins first Daytona 500
With just three laps remaining, Pearson had a solid lead when he got loose on the backstretch and spun his No. 21 Wood Brothers ride. As a result, Parsons was able to cruise to his first and only Daytona 500 victory.
4. 1979: Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wreck on final lap, Richard Petty wins
Also known as "The Fight," Donnie Allison and Yarborough crashed on the backstretch in a thrilling battle for the lead on the white-flag lap. After their wrecked race cars came to a halt, the two heated drivers tussled. Donnie's brother, Bobby Allison, also hopped into the fight after stopped at the scene of the crash on the cool-down lap to defend his brother.
Petty would go on to earn his sixth of seven total Daytona 500 victories.
3. 1989: Alan Kulwicki runs out of fuel, Darrell Waltrip takes the victory
In the closing laps of 1989 Daytona 500, Kulwicki and Waltrip were limbing to the finish line on fumes, as both elected to stretch their fuel mileage. With four laps to go, Kulwicki's strategy backfired and he ran out of gas in Turn 1. Waltrip was able to make it the distance to earn his first win in NASCAR's biggest race.
2. 1990: Dale Earnhardt blows tire on final lap, Derrike Cope steals one
Earnhart was so close to his a Daytona 500 win that eluded him for so long, he could taste it. But in 1990, it wasn't meant to be for "The Intimidator" once again. On the last lap, Earnhardt blew a tire at the entrance of Turn 3, allowing Cope to steal the show.
Eight years later, to quote our very own FOX NASCAR lead commentator, Mike Joy, after "20 years of trying and 20 years of frustration," Earnhardt finally broke into Daytona 500 Victory Lane in 1998.
1. 2002: NASCAR penalizes Sterling Marlin for making repairs during red flag, Ward Burton wins
During a restart nine laps remaining, Marlin was second behind Jeff Gordon when cars wrecked behind them. Right before the caution fell, Marlin ducked under Gordon to make a pass heading into Turn 1, spinning the No. 24 Chevy as Gordon went to block the move. The incident resulted in right-front fender damage on Marlin's No. 40 Dodge.
As track crewed cleaned up during a lengthly red-flag period, Marlin was the race leader when hopped out of his car to fix the fender. But according to NASCAR rules, the car cannot be touched during a red flag. Marlin was penalized and saw his hopes of winning dashed, which allowed Ward Burton to race his way to a surprise victory.
