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The '84 Western World at Manzanita the one with Lealand Mcspadden lapping the field in the Bailey Bros #01car and crashed.  Then a week Later Bubby Jones wins Pacific coast nationals  at Ascot by beating Steve Kinser going down to the wire to do it. 

Wow, this thread brought back some memories. A couple I had even forgot about, like the '94 Ethonal Classic with Dude and Steve's amazing twin features and Carmen Manzardo vs Steve Kinser. I counted 12 of those already mentioned that I was in attendance. Guess I've been pretty lucky to have seen that many great races, plus the ones I'm about to add to this thread. 

Wesmar, I'm glad you added that I-70 race. I quit telling people about that race, because when I would tell them that Sammy won after going to the back three times, they'd look at me like, "sure he did." Im glad there's someone else out there that actually still remembers it. If I remember right, Sammy made the pass for the lead coming out of two, headed for the white flag. 

My favorite has to be the 1980 Nationals. My all time favorite/hometown driver, Tom Corbin, came from the C Main to third in the A Main.  It always amazes how little recognition Corbin gets for that run. Especially since it was a Sunday afternoon on a very dry and abrasive track. Not a good track for passing. That whole week was action and drama filled. Steve Kinser destroyed Karl's car on Wednesday. Karl Kinser and Bob Trostle put together a car for Steve to qualify Thursday. Steve ended up winning his first Nationals that year. The Saturday night show got fogged out. That's why they ran Sunday afternoon. Sammy Swindell was qualified for the front row, with Mike Brooks, for the A Main in the Federal Express 91. Story I heard was Sammy and the owner had an arguement Saturday night and I don't think the car was even unloaded from the trailer Sunday afternoon. 

Second, has to be the first time I went to I-55, at Pevely. As soon as I saw the track, I thought to myself, "this is gonna be GOOD!!!" It didn't disappoint. I don't even remember who won that night. All I remember is there was action all over that track. From the front of the field to the back and three grooves. 

In no particular order, of course some of those already mentioned, like the 2010 Nationals, 1990 Nationals, Wolfgang's run from the D, 1998 Nationals, and Schatz from the B. 

Also, no particular order, sorry I couldn't narrow it down to three. 

In the late '70's, Sedalia had a big Sunday day race. A lot of the drivers made their way 30 miles up US 65 to the 1/4 mile Saline County Speedway, in Marshall, MO, for their weekly Sunday night show. Bobby Allen, in the 1a, and Sammy Swindell, in the Bobby Davis Electric 71, put on one hell of a show. Allen had the lead, stuck to the bottom, and Swindell was second. I'd be willing to bet there wasn't a square inch of that track that Sammy didn't touch trying to get around Allen. Sammy tried everything, lap after lap, and never could pass Allen. 

1974 Nationals. Dick Gaines passing Jan Opperman coming out of 4 on the last lap. 

Mid '70's at the Sedalia mile. Bill Utz passed Earl Wagner through 3 and 4 on the last lap. 

I don't remember the year, but Sammy Swindell's run from his E Main to 1st (or was it 2nd) in the A Main before the motor let go.

Late '70's at the Sedalia half mile. A day race. Sammy Swindell was in the Bruce Cogle 44 and Doug Wolfgang was, I think, in the Speedway Motors 4x. Swindell had a decent lead and the motor was starting to smoke. Wolfgang had come from back in the pack to second. On the white flag lap, someone spun. As they were coming down the front stretch, lining up for the restart, Wolfgang pulled up beside Swindell. Looked like as if to say, "I'm here." Lol. They took the green, then the white with Swindell still leading. Someone spun again. Swindell comes down the front stretch, motor still smoking, beating his fists on the steering wheel. Again, Wolfgang pulls up beside him. The next time, they made it to the checker with Swindell 1st and Wolfgang 2nd. 

Big H Motorspeedway

Richard Cooper on the bottem and Ricky Lee Tankersley on the top(Of course) for what seemed like the whole race side by side.

Texas Super Sprinters non-wing!

Any Marlboro Grand National at defunct Liverpool City Raceway, 100 laps of magic.  World Sprintcar Title at Claremont Speedway Perth in the 80's.  Gary Rush simply unstoppable.  Too many more to mention

Not for the win, but one of the earliest memories of excitement I have are from 1997, Chris Eash and Sammy Swindell putting on a show in an Outlaw show at Williams Grove. It was a very muddy track and Eash and Sammy were battling with about 4 to go when I believe Sammy and Eash bumped wheels coming out of turn 3 and Eash wrecked near the bridge. Sammy took the lead only to have his car experience handling issues when too much mud packed the tire and Mark Kinser went on to win. For me, I was 9 years old and it was the first time I can remember feeling the intense PA Posee vs WoO rivalry in the air and excitment as Eash and Sammy battled it out. Soo...it's always a memory for me.

Donny Schatz vs Brian Leppo at the National Open in a one off night ride in the CJB 51 Back-Up Car. I'm a big Leppo fan so seeing Brian get a shot and damn near shock the world to win the National Open over Donny SCHATZ WAS A COOL NIGHT FOR ME. even though he came in second, it was a redeeming night for a guy who had lost everything when Jesse Keen passed away. Hearing the emotion in his voice after the race talking about it only made me more of a fan.

Before I even read your post I already had one in mind, and it was your #1. The 50^th nationals. The race itself I’ve seen many better, but there was so much excitement in the air, seeing if anybody could snap Schatz streak. It was awesome.

I wasn’t there, but I’d have to say the night Hewitt swept all the classes @ Eldora had to be pretty awesome to witness as well. I’ve seen the videos on youtube, would have been a blast to see in person.

1973 - Eldora - USAC twin 50's, Final USAC Race of the season.

Rollie Beal uses his car, his back up car (Duke Cook) and Sam Sessions car to narrowly take the title from Lee Kunzman.

Drama at it best. Racing at it;s best.

First of all, if I could reply to every post on here, I would!  Some great race explanations and it makes you feel like you were actually there.  What makes it fun to bring these up is that fact that a simple rundown on paper for each of the races listed will do them no justice.  I saw a lot of examples where the winner of the race came from the pole--on paper.  But, there ended up being so much more to the race than the starting and finishing spots.  In one of my examples, the winner of the race started on the pole--but had to start on the tail after only 1 or 2 laps.  I heard numerous examples of Sammy and Steve being put to the back and coming back to the front. 

And, as I witnessed in the 50th Nationals, sometimes just the atmosphere makes the race unforgettable.  As Zach51 pointed out--I've seen better races than the A main on that night.  But the entire weekend as a whole was great.  To go through the range of emotions that the whole crowd (minus 2000 Donny fans) went through together:

1.  Sammy is fast

2.  Oh crap--Schatz is still too fast

3.  Oh wait--Sammy is faster--Schatz is going to lose this

4.  Crap--Sammy blew a tire--now Schatz is going to win after all    (Crowd is quite as hell--not a peep)

5.  Holy Shit!  Shaffer just passed him!  (loudest crowd I have ever heard--wasn't at the 90 Nationals so I cannot compare)

Does that just about sum it up for anyone that was there? 

Long story short, it is nice to hear these stories as the summary of the race doesn't give us a good picture of what went on at these events sometimes.

The 50th was incredible to watch. The battle between Sammy and Schatz was epic enough to make it a great race, but Sammy losing a tire (which was the story of the year that year (tire wear)) and then Shaffer out of nowhere. Wow, what a night.

I remember Eash and Sammy that night.  Good one for sure.  Standing on Beer Hell watching the Mopar dust Freddie on the last one for the Open in 99 was pretty cool too.  hehe  Who was at Syracuse in 92?  Nothing comes even close to that one.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

Too many to list,but....1988, Wolfgang from the C Feature to finish 5th in the Nationals A Main.....1989, Wolfgang wins the Nationals A Main, and 1990, Wolfgang comes from the D Feature to again finish 5th in the Nationals A Main. And also in the 1988 Nationals, the last 4 lap battle with Dave Blaney, Bobby Davis, Jr and Steve Kinser.....Kinser ducked under both in turn two to take the lead down the backstretch with two laps to go and winning, after running a respectable 3rd for most of the Feature.

Greatest race I ever saw in person was my first dash win with the USCS at Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC last year in October.  Terry Gray hit me coming out of turn four (not on purpose) on last lap but I never let off.  Pretty neat race to witness not seeing anyone in front of you at the line.  Unreal experience parking a sprint car on the front stretch and holding a checkered flag while people take your picture.  Not sure if that could ever get old.

Brandon McLain
United Sprint Car Series Driver
2014 Season
National Rookie of the Year!
National Points - 8th
Southern Points - 3rd
Asphalt Points - 3rd
18 Races, 3 Top 5's, 14 Top 10's

I am going to get into the "way back machine" for my first greatest race I ever have seen: Attending a AAA Sprint race at the Reading Fairgrounds with my dad (who just turned 92 but has severe dementia and is in a home, sometime I get him back when we talk racing).  I am not sure what year it was, but I think it was 1953 because mom was not there because of the brother was only several months to about a year old.  Any how Tommy Hinnershitz in the yellow Miracle Power 1 and Dale Van Johnson in one of Sam Traylor sprinters (think it was #9) went at for 15 or so laps.  We were in the main covered grandstands about 2/3s of the way up and everyone was standing up.  Me being a little kid, I could not see much if anything with everyone standing.  My dad asked the guy sitting (standing) in front of me to pleases sit down so I could see and the guy said something like "tough luck" he wanted to see what was going on also.  With that dad scooped me up, put me up on his shoulders and moved to the left end of the grandstand where we would not block other people's view.  Hinnershitz had on his blue coveralls driving suit but Van Johnson had a pale yellow shirt on and the back of it was flapping in the breeze.  Of course Tommy was up on the cushion shooting rooster tails high in the air and Dale was running all over the place trying to get an advantage.  Hinnershitz finally won by a few feet and when it was over van Johnson basically fell out of the car with exhaustion.  I am 67 years old and I am remembering through the eyes of a 6 or 7 year old, but wow, the sights and sounds of the crowd, the noise and the smell of the race cars, the rooster tails but very little dust settling on the track were imprinted on me that day.  Mom and dad were race fans before I came along in 1947 and we have many pictures of me in a "baby buggy" in the infield at Williams grove.  I liked racing before that day at Reading, but I am convinced I became a fan that day.  PS, My dad was at the first race run at Williams grove in 1939 when he was 16 along with his two older brothers and my grandfather who traveled all the way from Lancaster County (about 60 miles) to attend.  Saddly, none of my three kids or my wife enjoyed the races and I took them everywhere to try to get them interested.  However I have a three year old grandson who love watching sprint car videos with his "pop-pop" so sooner or latter we are going to go to the races and be in the infield somewhere.  Sorry to ramble on, but I have great memories of racing, especially when mom, dad and my brother were attending the races as a family 

100 laps at DuQuoin under the lights on the dirt... richie tobias riding the cushion 

- a definite classic

That's good stuff!

Excellent recap. Just reading that got my blood to pumping, again. With about three or four to go Sammy started to pull away just a bit, and I thought, "Sammy's actually gonna do it." Then that damned tire let go. I was one of those sitting there silent and dejected. You are exactly right. The next emotion was, "Holy Shit, Shaffer just passed him!!!" I was at the '90 Nationals and the crowd was very similar. 99% loved it. I'm a Sammy fan, but who could not be excited for Bobby Allen winning the Nationals. 

Great read, STP. Some of my best childhood memories are from racing trips with my family. 

Dewease started 13th.

First one was the 1992 WoO race during Super Dirt Week in Syracuse  NY.  Steve Kinser and Jac Haud in a wheel to wheel battle on the Moody Mile for 20 some laps.  Some rubbing was included at as Steve Kinser said afterwards, "at some very high speeds.". Both drivers using the inside banking in the turns to gain some kind of an advantage.  This was after the guardrail was removed and before the jersey barriers were installed. Left front wheels completely on top of the banking with no reduction in speed.  Awesome show!   

Second was the Nationals when Donny Schatz came from 21st to win.  What an incredible drive!

Third was the 50th Nationals.  Enough said.