The Eight-Inch Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway
- The setup: On April 8, 1990, the Valleydale Meats 500 came down to a four-car fight at Bristol. Davey Allison led Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin and Ricky Rudd into a frantic final stretch of the 500-lap NASCAR Cup Series race.
- The last-lap drama: A tangle between Rudd and Marlin cleared the way for Allison and Martin to charge side by side toward the checkered flag and resulted in one of Bristol Motor Speedway's closest finishes.
- The margin: Allison won by a reported eight inches — about the width of a bumper. The finish was so close that NASCAR reviewed start-finish-line camera footage to confirm the winner.
- The old-school detail: This happened before electronic scoring loops could instantly settle a finish. At Bristol, the camera had to tell the story.
- The milestone: The victory was Allison’s seventh career NASCAR Cup Series win and his only Cup triumph at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Notable: Allison became the first Cup driver to win at Bristol while pitting on the track's backstretch, which back then was deemed a considerable disadvantage.
- Reporter's take: “Prior to that day nobody had won Bristol pitting on the backstretch but Davey was packing tons of Robert Yates horsepower," recalled track historian and journalist David McGee. “He and Mark dueled it out at the end and it was impossible from my spot to tell which one won. It was an amazing finish and a great race.”
- Why it still matters: Bristol is famous for contact and close quarters, but this finish distilled the track’s identity into one unforgettable image: two great drivers, one stripe and almost nothing between them.
- Bottom line: At The Last Great Colosseum, even eight inches can become part of NASCAR history.
To witness more thrilling finishes and dramatic outcomes at The World's Fastest Half-Mile, starting with the tradition-rich Food City 500 April 9-11, purchase your tickets now at Bristol Motor Speedway or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
