Under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR transforms into something otherworldly—a thunderous Last Great Colosseum of speed, sparks, and sheer drama. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race isn’t just another date on the calendar; it’s a 500-lap spectacle where tempers flare, sheet metal crunches, and legends are made. Over the years, it’s given fans unforgettable moments that still echo through the grandstands. Here are 10 spine-tingling memories that make America’s Night Race a must-watch year after year.
- Dale Earnhardt vs. Terry Labonte – “I Didn’t Mean to Wreck Him, Meant to Rattle His Cage Though”
Few finishes in NASCAR history are as iconic—or controversial—as this one. With the 1999 Night Race winding down, Labonte nudged his way past Earnhardt for the lead, but the Intimidator wasn’t having it. On the final lap, Earnhardt applied the bumper of his car to the rear end of Labtone’s car and sent the No. 5 machine spinning in turn two. Earnhardt then rolled on to the victory – his last at Bristol for all the stats geeks out there. The crowd erupted—half in cheers, half in boos—as chaos unfolded on pit road. Earnhardt’s post-race explanation became legend when he said “I didn’t mean to wrech him, meant to rattle his cage though”, and the moment remains etched in NASCAR lore.
- The ’92 Wreckfest: Darrell Waltrip’s Emotional Farewell to Victory Lane
The 1992 Night Race had it all: carnage, chaos, and a storybook ending. Veteran Darrell Waltrip, driving an unsponsored car for his own underfunded team, outlasted a wreck-filled night that eliminated many of the sport’s heavyweights. It was Waltrip’s 84th and final Cup win, his record 12th Bristol victory, and it came with raw emotion and old-school grit. Watching DW celebrate in Victory Lane that night still gives longtime fans goosebumps.
- Jeff Gordon vs. Rusty Wallace – Bump and Run
With just a few laps to go in the 2002 Night Race, Rusty Wallace had the lead and a shot at his first win in over a year. But Jeff Gordon wasn’t going to wait politely. He executed a textbook bump-and-run, nudging Wallace just enough to steal the win. What followed was classic Bristol: boos, cheers, and post-race fireworks between two of the era’s biggest stars. Gordon’s precision and Wallace’s fury made this moment unforgettable. While the victory was Gordon’s fifth Cup Series triumph at Bristol, it was his only win in the crown jewel Night Race during his legendary career.
- Texas Terry holds on to win 1995 Night Race
Terry Labonte passed Earnhardt for the lead late in the 1995 Night Race and the Intimidator stalked Labonte until turn four on the final lap and made his move. He put the nose of his No. 3 Chevy to the rear of Labonte’s No. 5 Chevy and sent the “IceMan” spinning on a wild ride across the finish line. Labonte’s out of control car impacted the outside wall two times before coming to a stop. The images of his heavily damaged race car smoking and leaking fluids in victory lane is a timeless capture of what transpired on the track. Labonte famously said in Victory Lane, "I hadn't put a scratch on it all night right there until the end, but that's just the way it goes."
- Kyle Busch Sweeps the Weekend (2010 and 2017)
Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch’s dominance in August 2010 was jaw-dropping. He became the first driver in NASCAR history to sweep all three national series races at the same track on the same weekend—Truck, Xfinity, and Cup—all under the lights of Bristol. It wasn’t just history; it was total domination. The feat left fans stunned and solidified Busch’s reputation as one of the sport’s most talented (and polarizing) drivers. Busch showed that his 2010 effort was no fluke by repeating the effort in 2017. Busch remains the only Cup Series driver in history to win all three NASCAR races in a weekend.
- NASCAR goes primetime on ESPN in 1985
The 1985 Night Race was the first primetime telecast of a NASCAR race in history. ESPN carried the race and the fans watching from home and at the track were treated to an awesome race as rivals Dale Earnhardt and Tim Richmond battled door-handle to door-handle throughout the race and even harder for the victory in the closing laps. Earnhardt used his patented bump and run maneuver to eventually get past the talented Richmond on lap 482 and hung on to the lead with Richmond hot on his tail until he took the checkered flag. Earnhardt called it “good, close racing” and a frustrated Richmond said it was Earnhardt’s “typical tactics” after the race. The race, which offered amazing action from two of the greatest to ever drive a stock car, is often pointed to as one that helped solidify NASCAR as a major national sport.
- Dale Jr. shouts It’s Bristol Baby! In 2004 Night Race victory
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2004 Night Race, his only Cup Series victory at the challenging bullring. When the television reporter asked him why the win was so special, he blurted out “it’s Bristol, baby!” and from that time on the phrase took on a life of its own. Today, it continues to be one of the track’s main mantras, and also serves as the track’s social media handle on nearly every platform. That weekend Earnhardt Jr. also won the Xfinity race on Friday night, giving him the first double win in Bristol history.
- Tony Stewart Helmet Throw
This moment didn’t feature an on-track winner, but it remains one of the most memorable in Night Race lore. In the 2012 Night Race, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart were racing hard and made contact coming off turn 4 in the middle of the race. Both cars spun down the frontstretch in the incident. As Kenseth was able to continue on, Stewart’s car had to be picked up by the wrecker. Stewart was furious and was standing on pit road with rescue members when Kenseth came rolling by after the incident. Stewart let it all out on Kenseth as the No. 17 car drove down pit road by throwing his helmet at Kenseth’s moving car. It was a perfect strike on the nose of the car.
- Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch do a lot of bumping
In the 2008 Night Race Carl Edwards bumped Kyle Busch out of the way en route to winning with a few laps remaining. After the race Busch retaliated and bumped Edwards in the cool down laps… then Edwards moved back down the track and returned the post-race bump to Busch, turning his car around. As tempers appeared to be fuming, NASCAR then called Busch to the pits so no more post-race bumping would occur. Edwards then performed his patented winning backflip at the start-finish line to celebrate his victory.
- The Water Bottle Toss
Another confrontation to come out of the wild and crazy 1995 Night Race that was won by Terry Labonte after he survived a tangle with Dale Earnhardt Sr., was a very hot-tempered Rusty Wallace going after Earnhardt in the pit area after the race. On the race’s fourth lap Earnhardt spun out Wallace as the cars came out of turn four and down the frontstretch. Rusty was not happy with that and as he hunted down the Intimidator in the Bristol pits he threw a water bottle at Earnhardt’s head out of frustration. It landed on his forehead. Then the two got close together and had an intense discussion before they were ultimately separated by their crew members before things could’ve gotten physical..
Bonus Chills: Every Single Start
The engines roar, the lights blaze, and thousands of fans rise as one. There’s simply nothing like the start of the Bristol Night Race—where every lap is a powder keg waiting to ignite. Click here to get your tickets now, or call the Bristol Ticket Sales Center at 866-415-4158.
