5 of the Most Shocking Moments in NASCAR History

 5 of the Most Shocking Moments in NASCAR History

By Brian H Cotnoir

*Disclaimer* I'm not including any driver deaths on this list because they are tragic and not shocking.  Also "Upset" wins aren't considered shocking either.   NASCAR has had its share of moments that have made fans jaws hit the floor and say, "no way!".  Here are 5 of those moments and be sure to let me know what other one's I may have missed in the comments.

1.)  Johnny Sauter drives through Mike Harmon's car

This spot was a toss-up between Mike Harmon and Ryan Newman's wreck at the 2020 Daytona 500, and i choose this moment because all parties involved walked way uninjured.  During Practice for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2002, independent owner-driver Mike Harmon car was sheared in half when he collided with the crossover gate.   The accident was reminiscent of Michael Waltrip's wreck at Bristol 12 year earlier when the same thing happened.   After Harmon destroyed his car, the wreck was not over.  Johnny Sauter drove through the remains of the wrecked car and narrowly missed hitting a completely exposed and unprotected Harmon.  Miraculously, Harmon was able to stand up and walk away, AND even managed to start the race that weekend, but he wound up finishing dead last in 43rd place.

2.)  Sterling Marlin has to "forfeit" the 2002 Championship

Another shocking event happened during the 2002 to Sterling Marlin.  Marlin had dominated the 2002 season leading the drivers' championship for 24 straight weeks.  He had a been on a bad stretch of three straight races where he failed to finish in the Top 20 but was still very much in contention for the championship.  Heading into the race at Kansas Speedway, Marlin needed to recapture some of that early season magic if he had any hope of winning the championship.  That was until lap 147 when Marlin took a hard head-on crash into wall.   Marlin would have to settle for a 33rd place finish.   Worst news came when it was revealed that Marlin suffered a crack vertebra in his neck, and he would be forced to miss the rest of the season, ending his chances of being a NASCAR Cup Series Champion.  Marlin's replacement at Chip Ganassi won his first ever Cup Race in his 2nd career start with the team.  Marlin would ultimately finish 18th in the final drivers' standings.

3.)  Jeff Gordon wrecks Clint Bowyer; Pit Crews Brawl at Phoenix

Retaliatory wrecks in NASCAR are nothing new in NASCAR.   It happens at every level of racing from local short tracks to the top rungs on NASCAR.   They're not necessarily "shocking", but I can think of one that absolutely blew the minds of NASCAR fans.   When Jeff Gordon intentionally wrecked Clint Bowyer at the penultimate race of the 2012 Season at Phoenix International Speedway.  It was shocking for a multitude of reasons.   Up into that point in his career, Gordon has always presented himself as the talented and clean-cut drive.  He was someone who did his talking on the racetrack and ran away with wins rather than use the "chrome horn".   To see Gordon, lose his temper and wreck another driver on purpose was shocking.  What was even more shocking was to see Clint Bowyer's pit crew go after and get into an all-out brawl with Jeff Gordon's pit crew.  Jeff Gordon is the last driver I ever would have expected any of this from, and that's why it's one of the most shocking moments in racing.

4.)  The 2003 NASCAR Truck Series Finale

For you younger fans in racing who don't remember (or don't know): there was a time where the championship wasn't decided at the final race of the season.   There were no playoffs and for a while it wasn't unusual to see a driver wrap up a championship a race or two in advance if they had been consistent enough.  If a championship did go down to the final race of the season it was a treat for the fans.   

The 2003 NASCAR Truck Series Championship went to Homestead-Miami with four different drivers in position to win the championship.   Brendan Gaughan went into the race the championship leader with Ted Musgrave in second, Dennis Setzer in third, and Travis Kvapil in fourth.   Ted Musgrave's owner, Jimmy Smith, had entered two additional trucks into in the race (in addition to the three full-time drivers they had) giving them a total of five trucks in the race.   One of the part-time trucks entered by Ultra Motorsports wound up taking out Brendan Gaughan.  A livid Brendan Gaughan gave one of the best soundbites in NASCAR History when he said, "Jimmy Smith can kiss my a$$!".   

It appeared Smith's unscrupulous tactics appeared to have helped his team clinch a championship, but on the final restart of the race with two laps to go, Ted Musgrave switched lanes before crossing the start-finish line.   Musgrave finished 6th on track, however, he and his team did not notice the black flag for his move on the restart.    Musgrave's move cost him and Ultra Motorsports the 2003 Championship, and after some delay, Travis Kvapil was officially declared the 2003 NASCAR Truck Series Champion.

5.)  Carl Edwards Abrupt Retirement

As a driver gets on in his career it's too be expected that they announce their retirement.   Their days of winning and championships long past, getting older in years, health concerns, and struggling to find a competitive ride, are typically reasons why a driver retires from the sport.   But when a driver in the prime of his career announces his retirement that's beyond shocking.   

Carl Edwards was one of the most competitive and successful drivers of his era.   He won the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Championship, he was a 28-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, and he almost won the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, but a tiebreaker determined by wins gave the championship to Tony Stewart.   Edwards stayed competitive throughout his entire NASCAR career, and in 2016 was competing for another Championship, when he wrecked on the restart at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The wreck cost Edwards the Championship, but fans and his team knew he would be back again next year and would most likely competing for a championship.

However, on January 9, 2017--a month away from that years Daytona 500--Edwards shocked the racing world, when he announced his retirement from NASCAR at the age of 38.  Many rumors have since swirled around to why Carl Edwards walked away from NASCAR while at the top of his career, but nothing has been confirmed.