A large number of NASCAR fans are very familiar with Ricky Craven‘s second career NASCAR Cup Series win.
The sight of his No. 32 Tide-sponsored Pontiac barely edging out Kurt Busch at Darlington Raceway in 2003 is widely considered to be one of the, if not the, greatest finishes in the sport’s history. Even fans who weren’t born when it occurred could tell you that it was the origin of the “Have you ever? / No, I’ve never!” exchange.
But how much do they know about Craven’s first win?
Craven came into the Cup Series in 1995 with minimal fanfare. He didn’t drive for a big-name owner like Jeff Gordon did. But like Gordon, Craven did win the Rookie of the Year title.
After two years of demonstrating a knack for outperforming his equipment, Craven landed the opportunity that many (myself included) thought would lead to his first victory. In 1997, he joined Gordon and Terry Labonte at Hendrick Motorsports.
It started well, with Craven finishing in the top five for his first two races in the HMS No. 25. But a vicious crash at Texas Motor Speedway left him with a concussion, putting him on the sideline for two races. Yes, just two.
Craven probably should have sat longer, but the effects of such injuries weren’t as understood then as they are now. Craven wasn’t as competitive after the crash. He struggled through the next 17 races, finishing 12th or lower in all but one.
In 1998, missed more races after being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. This time, he was out of the car for nearly half of the year. By the time he returned, his days in the Hendrick car were numbered, and Ricky was out at HMS before the year ended.
After a couple years of part-time, uncompetitive rides, Craven was given the opportunity to take over Cal Wells’ No. 32 Tide-sponsored car for 2001, the team’s second year of existence. He scored top-five finishes at Rockingham Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway and finished a career-best second at Michigan International Speedway. Heading into the Martinsville Speedway race in October 2001, Craven sat 22nd in the standings, with his strong performances offset by six DNFs.
The race was postponed to a Monday by persistent rain all day on Sunday. Craven started sixth in the Old Dominion 500 and led 91 laps over the course of the event, one shy of Bobby Hamilton‘s 92 for the most.
With Craven running third with 28 laps remaining, Hamilton made contact in turn 2 with race…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …