NASCAR Classics: Races to watch before Phoenix

Throughout the 2024 NASCAR season, Ken Martin, director of historical content for the sanctioning body, will offer his suggestions on which historical races fans should watch from the NASCAR Classics library in preparation for each upcoming race weekend. Martin has worked for NASCAR exclusively since 2008 but has been involved with the sport since 1982, overseeing various projects. He worked in the broadcast booth for hundreds of races, assisting the broadcast team with different tasks. This includes calculating the “points as they run” for the historic 1992 finale – the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here are Ken’s suggestions to watch before this weekend’s Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. 1988 Checker 500 The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race held at Phoenix Raceway turned out to be another memorable first for a future Cup Series champion. Thirty-three-year-old rising talent Alan Kulwicki, in just his third full-time season, captured the checkered flag for the first time in his career. Kulwicki had a handful of fast runs throughout the start of his career, including second-place finishes at Pocono Raceway in 1987, Darlington Raceway in 1988 and Martinsville Speedway, just four weeks before the race at Phoenix. Kulwicki, who always seemed to be fast in qualifying, was coming off six top-three starts over his previous eight races. It was somewhat of a surprise when Kulwicki put his No. 7 car 21st on the grid. Another storyline was the late-season championship battle between Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace. Phoenix was the second-to-last stop on the schedule, meaning each driver needed to gain every single point they could in hopes of capturing their first series title. Elliott entered the event up 79 points on Wallace, with Dale Earnhardt sitting in third, 198 points behind the two drivers. Earnhardt still had a shot at the title, although it was a long shot with just those two races remaining. The two championship drivers each put their cars near the front of the field, with Wallace starting second and Elliott sixth. Once the green flag waved, it didn’t take long for Wallace to show that he had a fast ride, taking the lead on Lap 3. The strongest car in the field that day proved to be Ricky Rudd, but late-race engine troubles allowed Kulwicki to strike. He led the final 16 laps en route to his first career victory, as he celebrated with a “Polish Victory Lap” for the first time in the Cup Series. Elliott finished fourth, with Wallace one spot behind him in fifth. This gave Elliott a 79-point advantage over him in the standings. [caption id="attachment_423214" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images[/caption] 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500 The eighth stop of the 2007 campaign was the third time that the new “Car of Tomorrow” was used in a points-paying event. Jeff Gordon put his No. 24 car on the pole for the race, after he left Texas with an eight-point advantage over Jeff Burton in the point standings. As Gordon had his sights set on trying to capture his fifth championship, he had another milestone in his grasp. He entered the weekend with 75 career victories, one shy of tying Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time. Gordon’s chance at history almost disappeared late, as he was caught on pit road during the last set of green-flag pit stops. He recovered to hold off Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 132 laps, for the victory. He honored Earnhardt after the race by driving around the track displaying a No. 3 flag. [caption id="attachment_423213" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Stephen Dunn | Getty Images[/caption] 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 The 2009 season marked the first full-time season that Mark Martin competed in since 2006. It didn’t take long for the 50-year-old driver to show everyone that he was still one of the fastest drivers in the series. Martin qualified second for the Daytona 500. He backed that up with back-to-back poles at Atlanta and Bristol. He entered the race at Phoenix coming off three straight top-10 finishes, so it was no surprise when Martin put his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the pole at Phoenix. He dominated the race, leading a race-high 157 laps but a late-race caution put him in second for the final restart. He re-took the lead, took the checkered flag and became just the third driver in NASCAR history to win a Cup Series race after turning 50 years old. He honored his late friend Alan Kulwicki, winner of the first race at Phoenix, by celebrating with a post-race “Polish Victory Lap.” The victory was the first of five in 2009 for Martin, who went on to finish second in the final season standings. [caption id="attachment_423225" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Todd Warshaw | Getty Images[/caption]