NASCAR HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS BY YEAR - 1990's
1990 - The 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup season arrived with NASCAR's wheels churning progressively forward. Several motivated, energetic, youthful drivers were pressing the seasoned veterans for membership in the elite status of NASCAR Winston Cup racing. A number of the old warriors were conceding to Father Time as they fell further and further behind the newcomers, and the heated race for the championship would be decided by only 26 points.
1991 - By the end of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup season, driver Dale Earnhardt was far enough ahead in the points race to capture the championship simply by starting his engine in Atlanta for the last race. But there was plenty of other action throughout the season to keep fans on the edges of their seats. Harry Gant, a 51-year-old driver, captured quite a lot of attention and more than a few headlines with his dramatic comebacks and wins, and NASCAR Winston Cup racing also attracted a new television venue in 1991 when The Nashville Network (TNN) scooped up five events, taking them away from ESPN.
1992 - The 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup season was touched by sadness, as 82-year-old NASCAR founder Bill France passed away in June, but this loss was counterbalanced by the excitement of one of the closest races for the Winston Cup in years. 1992 was also distinctive in that Dale Earnhardt was not a contender -- plagued with a car that couldn't quite keep up and just some plain bad luck. Richard Petty ran his last race and retired at the season ending race at Atlanta. This race would also be the first for future Cup star Jeff Gordon.
1993 - The 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup season offered its usual share of exciting races, but it was also touched with tragedy as two of NASCAR's up-and-coming stars -- 1992 champion Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison -- were both killed during the season. oddly enough both drivers deaths were not on the track. Kulwicki had flown to a fan meet & greet at a Hooters restaurant close to Bristol Speedway where the Cup series was racing that week. On the return flight, the plane crashed and all on board perished. Allison died when his private helicopter crashed as he had flown it over to Talladega Speedway to watch friend David Bonnett practice. Upon trying to land the copter went down and Allison was killed. Long time racer Red Farmer was also on board but survived with minor injuries. Although driver Rusty Wallace offered a late-season streak -- winning five of the last eight races -- he was no match for Dale Earnhardt, who won his 6th Winston Cup championship in 1993. NASCAR also mandated the use of roof flap on race cars. The flap would let air escape from for the car and hopefully help prevent blow over accidents.
1994 - 1994 was the young driver Jeff Gordon's first year on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, and Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace held their usual season-long battle for the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Earnhardt ended the season far, far ahead in the points battle -- even though Wallace won twice as many races. This season saw Earnhardt win his seventh Cup Championship; tying him with Richard Petty.
1995 - NASCAR as a sport was experiencing a burst of growth in 1995, both at its corporate headquarters and because of a successful new race -- the Brickyard 400 held for the first time in 1994 in Indianapolis. Both Forbes and Sports Illustrated magazines featured cover stories about NASCAR in 1995, and the sport launched its website this year as well. This excitement also spilled onto the track as driver Jeff Gordon began giving dominant champion Dale Earnhardt a run for his money. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series also kicked off this year. Mike Skinner won the first ever race.
1996 - In 1996, NASCAR became a big enough operation to command a New York City office, and Jeff Gordon had his best season ever on the tracks, winning 10 races. However, he was outmaneuvered for the Winston Cup, which went to fellow Chevrolet driver Terry Labonte instead.
1997 - Driver Jeff Gordon began the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup season with a victory at the Daytona 500 and went on to 10 more victories and a Winston Cup championship. And his winning ways were just beginning -- Gordon had plenty left for the 1998 NASCAR season as well.
1998 - The 1998 season marked NASCAR's 50th anniversary, and the 40th running of the Daytona 500. Adding another layer of significance to the occasion, popular NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt registered a dominating win -- after 20 attempts -- in this crown jewel race of the NASCAR Winston Cup season. Jeff Gordon, however, would take the season's ultimate title for the second year in a row.
1999 - NASCAR prepared for the new millennium with a whole fleet of new young drivers, and Dale Jarrett won the Winston Cup championship in 1999 after a long points battle with Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin. There were also more eyes on the NASCAR Winston Cup series race tracks than ever before as television ratings soared and extra seats were added in many locations to meet the demand for tickets. In 1999, only National Football League events ranked higher in popularity among Americans than NASCAR events.