Here are several reasons why that race holds a special place in NASCAR history.
Every so often in sports, there is a changing of the guard moment. Sometimes it comes in the form of a legendary player or coach retiring. Sometimes it’s when a dub defeats the leader of the pride. And sometimes it happens quietly when a promising talent climbs the ranks.
Richard Petty, The King (photo courtesy of FanBuzz)
It’s not always clear which is which, but it is clear that the changing of the guard happened on November 15, 1992, at the Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. A NASCAR legend rode for the final time, and a future legend made his Cup Series debut.
The legend in question was The King, Richard Petty. At the time, Petty was 52 years old and had been racing in the Cup Series for 35 years. In those 35 years, his statistics became the stuff of legend. Petty holds the record for most cup series wins (200), pole positions (123), races won in a single season (27), consecutive wins (10), Daytona 500 wins (7), and he is tied for most cup series championships (7).
The King decided to call it a career after the 1992 season, and that season was a farewell tour of sorts, with the Hooters 500 being the final stop. Unfortunately, Petty couldn’t pull off a final win that day; a fiery crash on lap 94 was the reason. Even though he was no longer in contention to claim the win (he finished 35th), his crew repaired the car in time for Petty to run the final laps of his last-ever race.
Jeff Gordon (photo courtesy of Accaging.org)
As the King rode into the NASCAR sunset on November 15, 1992, his successor came into view. The then 21-year-old Jeff Gordon made his Cup Series debut that day.
Jeff Gordon began racing in the NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the Xfinity Series) in 1990. Gordon quickly drew the attention of multiple Cup Series car owners. After a failed attempt to sign Gordon by Jack Roush of Roush Racing, Jeff Gordon was signed by Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports in 1992. That move set the stage for Gordon to make his Cup Series debut at the Hooters 500 in the very same race that would serve as the swan song for Richard Petty.
Much like Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon did not have a great day in the 1992 Hooters 500. Also involved in a crash in that race, Gordon finished 31st. Not to be deterred, Gordon would go on to the Cup Series championship four times and the Daytona 500 three times. Gordon also holds the record for most Crown Jewel race wins at 16 (three Daytona 500s, four Talladega 500s, three Coca-Cola 600s, and six Southern 500s). He currently sits in third place for most all-time Cup Series wins at 93.
While the crossing of paths between the end of Richard Petty’s career and the start of Jeff Gordon’s is notable enough, there are other important observations to be made about that 1992 race.
For one thing, the overlap between Richard Petty’s final race and Jeff Gordon’s debut makes that 1992 race the only time that Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt all took the green flag together. Another significant matter is this. Because the 1992 Hooters 500 was the final race of that season, the Winston Cup Series Champion would also be crowned that day. Heading into the race, six drivers mathematically had a shot at that championship: Davey Allison (the points leader going into the race), Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliot, Harry Grant, Kyle Petty (Richard’s son), and Mark Martin.
What happened during the race bears remembering. Three of those six drivers were out of contention by the time the race reached the halfway point. Kyle Petty and Mark Martin were both taken out of the race with engine troubles, and Harry Grant fell behind pace and lagged multiple laps behind. Then, Davey Allison was involved in a crash on lap 254, which left Bill Elliot and Alan Kulwicki to duke it out for the title.
If all of that wasn’t wild enough, Elliot won the race but not the Winston title. That’s because Kulwicki led more laps than Elliot, giving him the deciding edge in the points standings.
Bottom line? The 1992 Hooters 500 is remembered as one of NASCAR’s greatest races ever, the likes of which we may never see again.
