IndyCar

Similarities between the 1992 NASCAR Cup finale & the 2015 IndyCar finale

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  • #304086
    Atticus
    Participant

    Sunday’s IndyCar finale – albeit with the major contribution of double points – could not have been closer with it being decided by a tie-breaker.

    With many contenders and many turning points involved, I was somewhat put in mind of the 1992 NASCAR Cup finale at Atlanta.

    – Both had six drivers going into it with mathematical chances of being crowned champion.
    – Both had a relative underdog winning it.
    – Both winners needed the bonus point from leading the most laps.
    – Both most laps led charts were tight.
    – Both main contenders were in pole position to clinch the trophy for the majority of the first part of the race.
    – Both main contenders were undone by accidents.

    The difference is – as I mentioned before – double points (NASCAR even had less then half of its current gimmicks in place back in 1992), but for pure spectacle, Sunday’s finale was up there for me as one of the most gripping I have ever seen in any categories. If the Atlanta showdown was, then the IndyCar finale was as well, given the many similarities between the two.

    #304115

    @Atticus-2 That’s some good knowledge! I don’t know much about NASCAR, who were the 1992 contenders?

    #304118
    Atticus
    Participant

    Leading the charge in the title race was Davey Allison, the third Allison in the sport and arguably the most naturally talented. Despite an early scare in the form of minor damage, he still managed to be in position for the championship for most of the afternoon, eventually taken out by a spinning competitor. Sadly, he lost his life in a helicopter accident a little more than half a year later.

    His main opponents with real chances were 1988 cup champion Bill Elliott (his prodigy son Chase Elliott is making his name in NASCAR as we speak) and relative underdog Alan Kulwicki who is probably best remembered – other than this race, that is – as the inventor of the so-called Polish victory lap when one takes on the track backwards as a mark of celebration.

    They ran 1-2 in close competition for the latter stages of the race with Elliott jumping Kulwicki during a late pit stop. He seeked to close a 10-point gap to his rival and with a 1-2 they comfortably cleared Allison from the picture. A victory, at that time, yielded 5 points more than 2nd and with both gaining the bonus for leading at least one lap it all came down to who led the most laps which was again worth 5 points. Elliott spent an awful lot in the lead at the end, racking up 102 laps for himself in 1st place and with those 5+5 points he would have beaten Kulwicki on the tie-breaker – but Kulwicki previously led 103 and so was happy to see out the final laps in 2nd place. Astonishingly, he also died mere months later and did so in a plane accident too.

    The other three drivers only had mathematical chances – they were Mark Martin, the Stirling Moss of NASCAR who came in 2nd in the overall standings for a grand total of five times and was never crowned champion, Kyle Petty, who worked as a, for me, rather annoying colour commentator until recently, and Harry Gant, about whom I actually don’t know anything.

    I caught the footage of the race a few years ago and I felt as if the tension was palpable during the event with the situation going back and forth numberous times. It was awesome to see.

    #304119

    Dang, the races are so good.

    #304120

    I was watching The Day documentary about that race and it was epic. I’ve a plan to download the full race.
    It should have the film version like Rush.

    PS: Alan was killed before Food City 500 (Bristol), while Davey was killed at Talladega (watching the test).
    Even better, in 1993 Hooters 500, Rusty Wallace & Dale Sr were doing Polish victory lap for them.

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