In 1986, Kyle Petty went from fifth to first in a straightaway to claim his first victory. Credit: Autostock

Enduring Performance: 1986 Miller High Life 400

After getting caught up in a 10-car accident earlier in the 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, fifth-place Kyle Petty was content just to stay on the lead lap and get a good finish.

Richmond has had its share of historical moments, whether it was on dirt or under the lights. Credit: Autostock

1986 Miller High Life 400 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kyle Petty Ford 2. Joe Ruttman Buick 3. Dale Earnhardt Chevy 4. Bobby Allison Buick 5. Darrell Waltrip Chevy 6. Bobby Hillin Jr. Buick 7. Neil Bonnett Chevy 8. Geoff Bodine Chevy 9. Dave Marcis Chevy 10. Rusty Wallace Pontiac • Complete results, click here RICHMOND REWIND June 21, 1959: "Tiger Tom" Pistone leads just one lap to beat Glen Wood and Buck Baker and claim the $900 first-place check.  April 7, 1963: Virginia native Joe Weatherly wins for the third and final time at Richmond, leading 63 laps in front of 15,000 on the dirt half-mile.  March 24, 1968: David Pearson beats Charlie Glotzbach by more than a lap to win the final dirt race at Richmond. The track is paved in time for the fall event.  Feb. 23, 1975: Richard Petty's No. 43 Dodge dominates, beating second-place Lennie Pond by six laps for his ninth Richmond victory in a 10-race span.  Feb. 21, 1988: Neil Bonnett edges Ricky Rudd by a second in the final race on the half-mile. The track will become a .75-mile D-shaped oval by the fall.  Kasey Kahne winsCatch all the highlights from Richmond last spring Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Imagine his surprise when a full straightaway ahead, leaders Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt commenced to wrecking with four laps remaining.

When the smoke cleared, literally and figuratively, Petty went from fifth to first, capturing the first Cup victory of his seven-year career and ending a three-year winless drought for the Wood Brothers.

"We'd been in that earlier wreck and the car just didn't handle right all day," Petty said. "It was a fifth- or sixth-place car the way we were running until the leaders wrecked."

While Petty celebrated, Waltrip and Earnhardt pointed fingers and traded barbs over the Lap 397 incident that ended Waltrip's day and collected third-place Joe Ruttman and fourth-place Geoff Bodine.

Glued to Earnhardt's bumper for several laps, Waltrip's No. 11 got beside his rival's No. 3 in the backstretch and attempted to complete the pass heading into Turn 3. However, Earnhardt's left front and Waltrip's right rear touched, sending both Chevrolets hard into the wall.

"Going down the backstretch, I thought I was all the way past him," Waltrip said. "Then in the third turn, it felt like my car had run over a land mine.

"It snapped my neck, blurred my vision and for a moment there, I was somewhere else."

Earnhardt took the blame, but claimed it was "just one of them racing deals."

"At the end, I didn't do anything [Waltrip] wouldn't do," The Intimidator said. "It was racing.

"To be honest, I was trying to dive under him in the third turn and I didn't make it. I barely clipped him in the rear and spun us both. I hated to tear up both cars since we had been racing so hard. I know he was a little upset with me because he hit me as we came around the track afterward."

Ruttman and Bodine, following closely behind, had nowhere to go, spinning into the fray. As Ruttman attempted to get his No. 26 Buick pointed in the right direction, Petty flashed past.

"Even when I got through the wreck, I didn't see Ruttman's car sitting down there in the infield," Petty said. "I thought for a minute that he'd made it through, too, and that I was going to finish second."

Instead, it was Ruttman who was the runner-up, followed by Earnhardt, Bobby Allison and Waltrip, who rammed Earnhardt's car as the field rolled to the checkered flag under caution.

Kyle joined father Richard and grandfather Lee as Richmond winners. The Woods hadn't won since Buddy Baker's 1983 victory in the 400-miler at Daytona.

"When you win a race, you're marked down as a winner," Petty said. "I'm tickled to death. This builds confidence for the future."

Earnhardt had the best line to sum up the day's fortunes: "You win some, lose some and crash some."