Throwin it back to 1989

1989 was a year of change, excitement and growth for NASCAR. Superstar veterans such as Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Benny Parsons and Bobby Allison had hung up their fire suits, while Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip continued to dominate and younger drivers like Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin made a splash on the premier racing scene.

'The Intimidator' had become a household name among race race fans, having won two championships leading up to the 1989 season. He wouldn't win his third title until 1990, but did lead 2,735 laps in 1989, his second-highest single season total of his career. He also made five trips to Victory Lane in the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet. Here, Earnhardt is pictured with young daughter Taylor, who was born in 1988.

This is the cover of the 1989 Daytona 500 program, featuring Bill Elliott, who was the reigning champion heading into the season.

Darrell Waltrip had already won 73 premier series races and three championship titles heading into the 1989 season. But DW had never won NASCAR's version of the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 -- until that year. Waltrip started 'The Great American Race' on the outside pole and led 25 laps en route to his first and only Daytona 500 victory. In Victory Lane, he famously performed the 'Ickey Shuffle' dance.

The 1989 Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro is the race that many Dale Earnhardt fans point to as the race that lost their driver the '89 title. Earnhardt was leading Ricky Rudd and Geoff Bodine after the final restart when Rudd closed in on Earnhardt on the final lap. Rudd's No. 26 touched Earnhardt's No. 3 and both cars slid up the track in Turn 1, leaving third-place Bodine to win the race. Eventual champion Rusty Wallace finished the race seventh, while Earnhardt finished 10th. Earnhardt cursed on live television in his post-race interview, as Rudd needed security to leave the track.

The Winston race in 1989 changed two drivers' images in the eyes of race fans. Darrell Waltrip was wildly successful, but not as well-liked with fans, while Rusty Wallace was a young popular driver known for aggressive driving. In the waning laps of the race, Wallace made contact with leader Waltrip, producing what is now known as the 'Tide Slide' as Waltrip's No. 17 Tide Chevrolet slid up the track. Wallace won the $1 million prize and the two crews fought on pit road. The contact -- whether intentional or accidental -- made Wallace wear NASCAR's black hat for many years.

1989 fashion saw big earrings, shoulder pads, floral dresses and oversized hair bows as worn by Linda Hendrick, wife of Rick Hendrick, and Stevie Waltrip, wife of Darrell Waltrip.

And let's not forget the big ole glasses with the flatbill hat, as shown here on Brett Bodine.

Already a five-time winner in the now-XFINITY Series, fan favorite Mark Martin earned his first career victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 1989 at Rockingham. Martin led 101 laps -- second only to Rusty Wallace's 194 laps led -- en route to Victory Lane, beating Wallace by 2.98 seconds across the start-finish line. The future Hall of Famer would go on to win 39 more premier series races in his storied career.

After losing the 1988 title to Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace came back on a mission; he won six races that season and was going head-to-head with Dale Earnhardt for the '89 title. Wallace took over the points lead after a fourth-place finish at Martinsville and finished ahead of Earnhardt in the season finale months later by a mere 12 points. The 32-year-old driver celebrated his first premier series championship with a famous jump off the roof of his No. 27 ride.