When Families Ruled NASCAR: Looking Back at the Iconic Cup Race at Miami Where 14 Related Drivers Raced Ft. Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace

NASCAR has never had a dearth of families on the race track. They have been big since the beginning of things in 1948 to this day. One of the most prominent displays of familial strength in stock car racing was during the 2000 Pennzoil 400 in Homestead-Miami when a total of seven families were on the race track through 14 individuals. The race ended with one of them in victory lane.

The event was the penultimate race of the season and featured five sets of brothers. They were the Bodines, the Labontes, the Burtons, the Wallaces, and the Waltrips.

Two father-son duos were also a part of the field. They were the Earnhardts and the Hamiltons. At the end of the 267-lap battle, Bobby Labonte ended up finishing fourth and clinched the Cup Series title.

The race was won by Tony Stewart. Interestingly, only Bobby Labonte from the 14-driver list made it inside the top 10. Jeff Burton was next best to him finishing in 11th place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the list with a 13th-place finish.

Some of these iconic families were crucial in NASCAR getting established as a major sport in the country through the later half of the 20th century and dominated racing for years.

The most legendary families in NASCAR

The Wallaces, for instance, were one of the strongest families. Helmed by Rusty, who entered NASCAR in 1980, they were a remarkable group. Rusty was particularly known for putting up a tough fight against Dale Earnhardt Sr. consistently. He won the championship in 1989 by beating the Intimidator. He was later supported by his brothers Kenny and Mike.

The Labontes, Bobby and Terry, both were Cup Series champions. The Waltrips played a big role in shaping the future of the sport. The Pettys serve as a synonym for NASCAR to this day thanks to their continual fan bonding activities.

But perhaps, the greatest of all these names is Earnhardt. The level of success and fame that Dale Earnhardt and his son garnered can be fully matched by none.

Earnhardt is a seven-time Cup Series champion. He was feared and respected by all for his formidable character and icy nature. He brought a lot of attention to the sport through his demeanor and made the platform a lot larger than it was when he debuted. He was a dominant driver right till his death in 2001. His son, Dale Jr., picked up where he left off.

Junior won the Most Popular Driver award a staggering 15 times throughout his career. Although he never won a championship, he made up for it by being a loved driver worldwide.

He has come a long way since he retired from full-time racing, but continues to make his contribution to expanding the reach of NASCAR through various activities like running a podcast network.