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19-Year-Old NASCAR Record, Starring Kurt Busch, That Remains Unbroken to This Day

Published 09/03/2022, 5:29 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Darlington has had a knack for having dramatic events over the years. Ahead of the first post-season race of NASCAR at the Darlington Raceway, fans are bound to remember the most iconic finish ever recorded at the ‘Lady in Black’.

One of the protagonists, the now 23XI driver, Kurt Busch, was involved with Ricky Craven in the last lap at in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400.

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This duel between Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven went down to the fourth turn of the last lap. Both the cars locked door-to-door while crossing the checkered flag.

In the end, it was Ricky Craven and his Pontiac who won the race by .002 seconds.

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Interestingly, this record has never been broken to date. However, it’s tied with Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer’s finishing margin at Talladega Super Speedway in 2011.

Another close finish in NASCAR

Another dramatic finish took place in Alabama back in 2011. The Aaron’s 499 at the Talladega Super Speedway saw a blink of an eye finish with an eight-car dash to the finish line.

USA Today via Reuters

It was Jimmie Johnson who emerged victorious, just passing ahead Clint Bowyer with a huge push from teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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By squeezing his way past the checkered flag with a victory margin of two one-thousandths of a second, it tied with NASCAR’s closest finish in the series with the Kurt Busch-Ricky Craven duel.

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In the end, the NASCAR community will remember the fights for victory lane like these and drivers like these for the longest time. With playoffs around the corner, let’s hope for more such thrilling wins. Do you think this record will ever be broken or even equaled?

 

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Written by:

Sashwat Deo

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Sashwat Deo is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his undergrad in Mass Communication, he has set out to leave his mark in the field of journalism. Since he is an avid sports fan, it didn't take long for Sashwat to fall in love with the fast-paced and competitive world of motorsports.
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Edited by:

Ankit Sharma