1985 season recap

Two-time champion Darrell Waltrip won his third NASCAR Winston Cup Series title in a similar fashion as the first two. He used a late season charge to rally from behind in the standings and his momentum did not fade until he had raised the most prestigious trophy in NASCAR. Second-place finisher Bill Elliott turned in one of the best seasons in NASCAR history, winning the Winston Million in its first year and taking 11 checkered flags on the season, but he came up just short to 'ol DW in the season standings.

Although the final point margin was 101 points, the 1985 championship chase was one of the best of the decade.

FIVE RACES TO GO: North Wilkesboro, NC - Darrell Waltrip takes the point standings lead for the first time since the second race of the year as he finishes 14th despite losing seven laps while his crew tried to replace a burned spark plug wire. Bill Elliott, who had occupied the No. 1 spot since race No. 13, when he won at Pocono on June 9, finished 30th in a 31-car field as a broken flywheel sidelined him after only 118 laps. He now trailed by 30 points. Harry Gant won the race to move into third in the standings, only 171 points out of first. Neil Bonnett finished ninth and trailed Waltrip by 181 points.

FOUR RACES TO GO: Charlotte, NC - Bill Elliott finishes second at Charlotte to gain ten points on the leader, Darrell Watrip, who finished fourth. Elliott found himself 20 points out of first. Both Harry Gant and Neil Bonnett had their title hopes all but eliminated as they both suffered engine failure with Gant finishing 24th and Bonnett last in the 42-car field. Harry Gant was now behind by 235 points and Bonnett was 74 points behind him in fourth.

THREE RACES TO GO: Rockingham, NC - Points leader Darrell Waltrip wins the race to boost his point lead by 15 points as Bill Elliott finishes fourth. Bill Elliott left North Carolina Motor Speedway 35 points behind Waltrip.

TWO RACES TO GO: Hampton, GA - Bill Elliott wins this week to gain back the 15 points he lost in Rockingham as Darrell Waltrip comes in third. Heading into the season finale, Elliott trails Waltrip by a mere 20 points.

FINAL RACE: Riverside, CA - Darrell Waltrip wins his third NASCAR Winston Cup championship as he finishes seventh at Riverside, while Bill Elliott struggles to a 31st place finish after an eight-dollar part in the transmission ruined any hopes he had of winning the title. As a result, Waltrip won the NASCAR Winston Cup championship by 101 points.