Dale Earnhardt has wreaked havoc in plenty of NASCAR races, dominating the field that included some of stock car racing’s greatest drivers. The performances were so scintillating that if it weren’t for videos of the action, many wouldn’t believe they even happened. One such display of mastery from Earnhardt came in the 1991 Busch Clash at Daytona.
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NASCAR had introduced a new format for the exhibition event that season. Two 10-lap races were to be raced at the Daytona International Speedway. Following the first race, the field would be inverted for the second race based on the finishing position. Earnhardt started the first race from sixth place.
He took the lead in the second lap and kept it till the end. Ernie Irvan followed him across the finishing line. For the second race, he started from the back of the field. And what followed was stuff legends are made of.
Slicing through the pack to take the lead in 10 laps was a near-impossible task. But not for the Intimidator. Within two laps of the second race, he was back in the front, leading the field.
Mark Martin finished runner-up to him. Earnhardt himself couldn’t believe what he’d done.
“To come back leading the race in two laps, it was amazing to me. I didn’t believe we could do it. I told Teresa and [car owner] Richard Childress earlier in the week it would take King Kong to come from 14th in 10 laps, and I didn’t believe we could do it in two,” Earnhardt said after the race.
34 years ago today, 1991 Busch Clash @ Daytona, Dale Earnhardt goes from 14th to 1st in less than 2 laps @ the start of the 2nd segment.pic.twitter.com/eqDU2fWPXd
— Andrew (@Basso488) February 10, 2025
It has been 34 years since Earnhardt pulled off the twin victory in the Clash. The moment still lives fresh in the memories of racing fans, who celebrated the Intimidator’s greatness, commenting on a video of the action that resurfaced on X recently.
“It was spectacular to watch. And replays are still goosebumps,” commented one fan. Another added: “This will be one of the videos I show my kids as evidence of why Dale is the goat.”
This will be one of the videos I show my kids as evidence of why Dale is the goat
— Nick Walters (@DilouetteBandit) February 11, 2025
For another fan, the footage of Earnhardt reflected how far the standards of the Clash had fallen: “When the Clash meant something.”
It was through feats such as these that the icon earned himself a strong place in the hearts of fans, and it is why drivers still struggle to fill his shoes.
Back then, the Clash was held at the World Center of Racing as a buildup event to the Daytona 500. His performance in the Clash earned Earnhardt a status as the favorite to win the Great American Race. However, he finished in fifth place that year, with Irvan grabbing the winner’s honors.
