Editor’s Note: NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023. SPEED SPORT was founded in 1934 and was already on its way to becoming America’s Motorsports Authority when NASCAR was formed. As a result, we will bring you Part 48 of a 75-part series on the history of NASCAR as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News and SPEED SPORT Magazine.
Lee Petty, David Pearson, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Dale Earnhardt all dominated NASCAR Winston Cup racing for a time. Each won championships and each was considered one of the best, if not the best driver in NASCAR.
In 1995, Jeff Gordon served notice he was on his way to joining NASCAR’s elite.
Defending Winston Cup champion Earnhardt began the season where he left off. He won the Busch Clash among last season’s polesitters a week prior to the Daytona 500. However, the kickoff race at Daytona Int’l Speedway ended in frustration again for the seven-time champion.
Sterling Marlin won the race for the second year in a row, holding off Earnhardt over the final three laps.
The next week, Earnhardt took third at North Carolina Motor Speedway behind winner Gordon and Bobby Labonte.
Terry Labonte methodically worked his way from his 24th starting position to win at Richmond (Va.) Raceway on March 5. Gordon recovered from a poor showing in Richmond (36th) to dominate at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Rick Hendrick-owned No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was so strong, Gordon built an 18-second lead before a late caution flag brought Bobby and Terry Labonte to his bumper. Notably, all three drivers used Hendrick engines in their Monte Carlos.
Ford Petitions NASCAR
The impressive Hendrick-powered performance of the three Chevrolet drivers brought cries for change from Ford Motor Co. executives. Ford petitioned NASCAR to reverse the alleged “aerodynamic bodywork relief” the Monte Carlos had been given prior to the season.
Officials at Ford cited the fact that Monte Carlos did not fit two of the 14 templates, notably the ones which measured the rear deck. The wider cars had more downforce and a competitive advantage in Ford’s view.
Earnhardt’s crew chief, Andy Petree, offered another explanation for the Thunderbird’s seeming disadvantage. “Look at the Ford teams. Robert Yates has a new driver (Dale Jarrett), Rusty Wallace has a new crew chief and Mark Martin has had bad luck.”
Marlin added more evidence for Ford’s argument as he led fellow Monte Carlo pilot Earnhardt under the checkers at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Gordon then won over Wallace, whose second-place finish was the best Ford finish in the season’s first six races, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
The following week, Earnhardt won at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, besting polesitter Gordon.
Wallace was the first Thunderbird driver to win a race with his victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Another Ford driver, Martin, won the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway event the following week. Earnhardt led as the white flag waved, but the lapped car of Morgan Shepherd touched the No. 3 car on the backstretch, causing the car to spin into the wall.
Martin flew past the smashed No. 3 car to victory.
Earnhardt rebounded with the first road-course victory of his career at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Martin was leading the race with Earnhardt on his bumper, but hit grease and spun, ceding the victory to Earnhardt.
Gordon dominated The Winston on May 20, winning all three segments and $300,000. Bobby Labonte took the Coca-Cola 600, also at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A Pontiac Grand Prix visited victory lane for the first time this season, thanks to Kyle Petty. Petty broke his 59-race losing streak with a victory on the new concrete surface at Dover Downs Int’l Speedway.
Another Hendrick car won at Pocono Raceway, as Terry Labonte took the lead from Gordon, who missed a shift on a lap-194 restart. The victory was the fifth for a Hendrick Motorsports car at Pocono.
Still sibling rivals, Bobby Labonte met his brother’s triumph with one of his own at Michigan lnt’l Speedway. Marlin finished seventh and took the point lead from Earnhardt, who would not lead the points again this season.
Gordon Commences Title Run
Gordon began his run to his first Cup Series title with Earnhardt on his bumper.
A last-lap restart at Daytona saw Gordon lead Earnhardt under the green and white flags.
“I tried to keep Dale as close to my rear bumper as possible,” Gordon remarked about the last-lap showdown. “I’d start to pick up speed and see him drift back. Then I’d slow down and let him catch up. Here at Daytona, if you take a big jump on the start, that pack of cars will get momentum in the draft and blow you away down the backstretch.”
Gordon had to overcome another challenge the following week at New Hampshire Int’l Speedway. Gordon crashed while qualifying, but won with a backup car. His fifth victory of the season propelled him into the point lead over Marlin and Earnhardt.
Jarrett edged Gordon at Pocono as the Fords finally seemed to be rounding into top form. Thunderbirds led 164 of the 200 laps before the No. 28 Ford pilot won. Marlin beat Jarrett at Talladega but did not gain enough points to retake the point lead.
Earnhardt scored again in the second annual Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Driving a Monte Carlo specifically designed for the 2.5-mile oval, Earnhardt passed Wallace after the last round of pit stops and dodged a spinning Jeff Burton to win.
Martin drove a special Jack Roush-built Ford to his third consecutive Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l. The chassis in his No. 6 Valvoline Thunderbird had been built in 1990, but used only on the Watkins Glen road course, where it posted three victories, a runner-up spot and a fifth-place finish.
Bobby and Terry Labonte scored another one-two finish at Michigan, and Terry won again the following week at Bristol, despite a last-lap run in with Earnhardt that left his Chevrolet badly damaged.
Meanwhile, Gordon continued to grow his point advantage over Marlin and Earnhardt. Gordon won the Southern 500 at Darlington in part, because second-place finisher Earnhardt, and Wallace, raced each other so hard. The rivals pushed each other so hard during the middle portion of the race, neither had enough to catch Gordon at the end.
Wallace, Gordon and Earnhardt won the next three races at Richmond, Dover and Martinsville, before Martin returned to victory lane at North Wilkesboro. The event marked Ernie Irvan’s return from life-threatening injuries suffered a year earlier, and he finished sixth.
Earnhardt Vs. Gordon Battle Brews
Martin won again in the UAW-GM 500 at Charlotte, but Earnhardt was the real story. His second-place finish in the Charlotte race, combined with Gordon’s 30th, brought him to within 205 points of the point lead.
Nevertheless, only three races remained and Earnhardt would need Gordon to falter if he was to have a shot at his eighth title.
While Gordon finished 20th as Ward Burton won in Rockingham, N.C., fifth in Ricky Rudd’s Phoenix Raceway triumph and struggled home 32nd in the Atlanta finale, which Earnhardt dominated, Gordon secured the 1995 Winston Cup championship.
“Coming into this season, we never guessed we would be where we are today,” said Gordon. “Our goals were not quite this high, although you always go for the championship because you’re always going for the best.”
NASCAR’s other post-season awards fell to perennial Most Popular Driver Bill Elliott and rookie of the year Ricky Craven. Johnny Benson Jr. won the Busch Grand National title and Mike Skinner owned the first Supertruck by Craftsman Series title.
Slim Jim All Pro Series season honors fell to Hal Goodson while Tony Hirschman won the Featherlite Modified Tour championship. In the Goody’’s Dash Series, David Hutto emerged triumphant.
Kelly Moore won the BGN North title and Doug George was the Winston West champion.