NASCAR’s short-track racing action has been unmatched by any other ovals or speedways. It’s a spectacle for race fans to see cars go bumper to bumper and churn out laps while conserving their tires. For some, this is the purest form of stock car racing, and it’s certainly entertaining. However, the 1999 Bristol Night Race is the one that stands out from the rest.

After 1992, the track at the half-mile Bristol was paved with concrete to replace the asphalt, and ever since, this surface has produced some iconic races. The night race from 1999 is famously known as the “cage rattler,” largely because Dale Earnhardt was at the center of a legendary race finish.

Back in the day, Bristol race wasn’t a part of the playoffs. Well, to be fair, NASCAR didn’t have the playoffs. But despite this, the night race at Thunder Valley was a big TV event for race fans.

Earnhardt didn’t have the best of the qualifying rounds and started 26th. This also meant that he would have to settle for a backstretch pit stall, which was a big disadvantage. But the driver of the #3 Chevy didn’t hold back and mounted a charge. He worked his way up the field, and by Lap 380, he managed to take the lead for the first time.

He wasn’t uncontested. Terry Labonte swapped the lead with Earnhardt multiple times as laps kept ticking to set up late race theatrics. However, after a fierce battle, Labonte got clear of his rival and looked to be on his way to a win. But then came the late caution flag. Instead of racing back to the line under caution, the HMS driver let his foot off the gas and got tagged by Darrell Waltrip. He was spinning on the track and lost the lead for the win.

Labonte was forced to make a call now as his lead just vanished in a split second. He opted for four tires under caution and restarted in fifth place. The guy leading the field was Earnhardt with just 10 laps to go. Committed to getting his lead back, Labonte charged through the field. He passed Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and even got by Tony Stewart on the next lap. The only car in front of him was the #3 Chevy, and time wasn’t Labonte’s best ally.

With just 2 to go, he nudged Earnhardt in Turn 3 and got by him in Turn 4 while taking the white flag. Tires played a big role as Earnhardt was on the older tires, and he knew he only had one shot to beat Labonte. Going into Turn 1, the Intimidator just spun the #5 HMS Chevy car and caused a big pile-up.

Earnhardt took the checkered flag, and what followed next has to be the most iconic post-race interviews of all time. ESPN’s Jerry Punch asked Dale to share his thoughts on the closing laps of the race. To this, the RCR driver responded, “Terry got into me in the middle of 3 and 4. I was gonna get back to him and just rattle him. I wasn’t going to wreck him. But I got to him and turned him around. Didn’t mean to turn him around.”

Then came the kicker: Earnhardt followed this up with, “Meant to rattle his cage, though.”

Years later, Labonte confessed he had planned to T-Bone the #3 car during Earnhardt’s victory lap in Bristol. The only thing that kept Labonte from retaliating against his rival was a mechanical malfunction. However, in the heat of the moment and after a failed wreck attempt, Labonte played it cool in the post-race interview.

“Wasn’t my night, I passed him down the front straight-away, and he hit me in the corner down there in 1 and 2 and turned me around. That’s about it,” Labonte said. It was a memorable night of Bristol racing, and the announcer Bob Jenkins knew that this was going to be etched in NASCAR history. “They’ll talk about this one for a long time.”