Track Smack: Stewart will build on All-Star victory (cont'd)

3. Sunday will mark the 50th running of the 600-mile event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Fans recently voted on the track's Web site to name Kasey Kahne's 2008 All-Star Race victory "the greatest racing moment" in LMS history. Were they on target, or did they miss the boat with this vote?

Joe Menzer: Glad you asked because this one has been bugging me. And I'm hoping now -- after I've written several imminently fair pieces about Kasey and even made peace with one of his family members who was convinced (wrongly) that I had some kind of personal vendetta against him -- that I will come off to even Kahne's loyal fans as simply being objective on this. But THERE IS NO WAY that was the greatest racing moment in this track's rich history.

Dave Rodman: It was their vote -- both for the moment and when they voted in Kasey -- so who are we to question it? I guess it figures, if they voted him in, in such an avalanche, then the obvious follow-up would be to vote it their favorite moment.

Charlotte Moments

Mark Aumann looks at the more memorable moments in Lowe's Motor Speedway history, including the fiery crash that claimed Fireball Roberts.

• 1960: Curtis Turner
• 1961: David Pearson
• 1964: Fireball Roberts
• 1975: Dale Earnhardt
• 1975: Humpy Wheeler

• 1976: Janet Guthrie
• 1983: Richard Petty
• 1989: Darrell Waltrip
• 1992: Jeff Gordon

Raygan Swan: Ummm, I was there and don't remember it so for me it was forgettable.

Joe Menzer: Roadman, are you serious? The fans voted it that way so you're just going to go along with it? It wasn't even the greatest moment in ALL-STAR history, let alone the entire racing history of the track. Not even close. When did you become milquetoast, Roadman?

Raygan Swan: Kasey Kahne is a fabulous driver, very popular with the ladies, etc. But when it comes to creating unforgettable memories on the track he does not come to mind. Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, those drivers come to mind and of course all the legends starting with Petty.

Dave Rodman: I said it was their vote. If you asked me my vote that would not even make the radar screen.

Raygan Swan: What is your vote Dave?

Joe Menzer: Well, Mr. Milquetoast (I've always loved that word), I think we ARE asking your opinion. The question is whether or not the fans hit the mark with their vote. Let me throw out a few better suggestions. How about we start with the All-Star Race? There was the 1987 Pass in the Grass (even though it wasn't really), the 1989 Tide Slide where Rusty Wallace spun out Darrell Waltrip, and, of course, what they have labeled One Hot Night in 1992 when Kyle Petty and Davey Allison dueled it out. Allison won but had to be taken to the hospital after wrecking at the line.

Dave Rodman: The best and most thrilling moment by far was when Kyle Petty loosened up Big E and, in a way, swatted him aside and then drove on to (try to) win the All-Star, only to have Davey Allison come arrowing up the inside to beat him at the stripe -- then wreck. You just can't, I'm sorry fans, get more thrilling than that.

Raygan Swan: That sounds more worthy of a vote, Dave, but for me I was stuck in open-wheel country growing up watching the Indy 500 while you all were down South so I'll just go with Gordon's first win in 1994 at LMS. I didn't watch it but he beat Rusty Wallace and that's spectacular enough for me! Joe, if you are opening it up to the All-Star Race -- then the Busch brothers wrecking in 2007 is my fondest memory.

Dave Rodman: Raygs, as far as being impactful, that was a great one -- especially him bawling in Victory Lane. I can't say the race was that great, or even memorable. But that's never the case -- a great finish always wipes out the fact of a pathetic race, every time.

Joe Menzer: As was the case last Saturday night at LMS, by the way. Great last 10 laps. Boring before that. But all anyone will remember is the finish.

Raygan Swan: Ok, well, I'm a sucker for a crying man so I'm sticking by my choice.

Joe Menzer: I am tearing up as we speak.

Dave Rodman: Geez, the All-Star Race is one after another. Luckily I was at a sports bar when that rainstorm debacle occurred -- when the field went down into Turn 1 and 2 and pig-piled, only to have NASCAR play the "special event" card and allow everyone to bring out back-up cars to cover up the fact that none of their spotters noticed it was raining. My point was, you had to eat and drink to get yourself through the couple hours in which they re-tooled the field and dried the place out. Priceless.

Joe Menzer: I actually was covering the NFL at that time, but was at that race as a fan with my parents, who were in their early 70s at the time. My mother, bless her heart, just would not let us leave early. We stayed until the bitter end after all the rain delays and I think my dad had to drive my brother straight to the airport for his flight out.

Dave Rodman: Actually, my bar tab that one time was kinda steep, from what I remember.

Raygan Swan: Oh, and the Casey Mears' waterworks show was good too guys.

Joe Menzer: If he wins one again, it not only will be memorable but this time Jack Daniel's will no doubt pick up the tab.

Dave Rodman: Have you ever noticed where no one goes back in history to pick on anything -- but that first 600, where the race track came apart and on-the-fly accessories like asphalt-chunk-screens were created has to rate for something.

Joe Menzer: The problem with fan votes on stuff like this is that they have incredibly short memories. No doubt some of the early 600s were far more memorable, but if they weren't on TV or they were more than 10 years -- or 10 minutes -- ago, they are quickly forgotten by the masses. That's the sad truth of it.

Dave Rodman: Even black moments eclipse Kasey's win, as cool as it was. Losing Fireball would rate in a list of top-five events of all time -- depends whether or not you want to list 'em by category or not.

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Raygan Swan: You're right Joe, and the sport has so many new fans. Young fans as well. Most of 'em don't even know who Fireball Roberts was.

Joe Menzer: The Fireball wreck certainly was memorable, if for all the wrong reasons. Also, what about the year Janet Guthrie ran in the 600? That's pretty memorable. What about the one where Richard Petty won but they accused him of running an illegal engine? You could go on and on. My point is that Kahne's victory, though I can see where many thought it was special, shouldn't rate anywhere close to the greatest moment in LMS history.

Dave Rodman: And in terms of being outright thrilling -- it would be difficult to hold the 600 up to the test in that light. Too long. Too much going on. And Joe, I think Richard's big engine episode occurred in a fall race -- but it WAS at Charlotte and you're right -- the poll was supposed to take in everything that ever occurred there, right? It all circles back to the fans and their sense of entitlement -- it was their vote, it was their win so it's their moment. Let 'em rest.

Joe Menzer: Yes. It includes the fall race and I think you are right about that. But after much deliberation in my own mind ... I vote for the day Raygs walked into the media center for the first time. But, dang it, now you've got me tearing up again.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.