Richard Petty’s Farewell, Jeff Gordon’s Debut: Why the 1992 NASCAR Cup Race at Atlanta Was Eventful

Back in 1992, there were a number of special circumstances pertaining to the season finale at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is because there were firsts, lasts, happy faces, the end of an era and the beginning of another one. First and foremost, it marked the final ever NASCAR Cup race for the legendary Richard Petty before his retirement.

Secondly, it also marked the debut of Jeff Gordon in NASCAR and paved the way for his legend to rise. It is also worth noting that Bill Elliott won the race, but Alan Kulwicki went on to clinch the championship from Elliott. So, in spite of Elliott winning the race, Kulwicki’s second place was enough to seal the title.

Gordon was actually in elite company, as he was up against Petty, Kulwicki, Elliott, and even Dale Earnhardt. Obviously, he would have been thrilled to race against such legendary and respected drivers. Gordon also had the honor of racing against Richard Petty for one last race.

How did this 1992 NASCAR race in Atlanta pan out?

Rick Mast kicked off the race from pole position ahead of Brett Bodine. However, Bodine got the better start and led the opening lap until they collided. Dale Earnhardt was not about to turn down an open invitation and snatched the lead. After several cars got wiped out when the leaders crashed, it transpired that five of the championship contenders lived to fight on.

While Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan constantly swapped the race lead, the championship contenders ran in the top 10. Additionally, Richard Petty was all the way down in 30th place and slowly working his way up the order.

Admittedly, Kulwicki encountered a few issues pertaining to his gearbox. It got to a stage in the NASCAR race where the crew had to push his car out of the pit box. Apparently, he lost first gear, so he was forced to run the entire race in fourth gear.

Later on, there was a massive crash, where Richard Petty became an innocent victim. The impact wrecked the front end of the car, breaking the oil cooler. Naturally, Petty’s car caught fire and he frantically screamed for a fire extinguisher. Sadly, The King’s participation was pretty much over.

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How did Jeff Gordon fare in the race?

Meanwhile, rookie driver Jeff Gordon endured some drama of his own, courtesy his team. During a pit stop, a roll of duct tape was left on the #24 car’s hood. As he left the pits, the tape dislodged and rolled onto the track, wrecking another driver’s race. Things did not get any easier for Gordon, who eventually crashed out of the race.

After much more drama and excitement, Bill Elliott won the race. However, Alan Kulwicki wound up in 2nd place and that was all that he needed to do to wrap up the 1992 NASCAR championship.

READ MORE – Bill Elliott Reveals When He First Knew That Son Chase Elliott Could Be a NASCAR Cup Series Champion