There’s an often-used saying that goes something like “Live every day like it’s your last”.
Wise words, no doubt, considering most people don’t know exactly which day will be their last. I suppose one could apply a similar thought process to NASCAR race wins. After all, a driver never knows for certain what race win will be their final trip to victory lane.
However, occasionally, a driver wins a race and almost everyone can sense that it will be their swan song, a final moment of glory before the curtain comes down. Personally, I might feel that way when Denny Hamlin wins his 60th race. He’s made no secret of his desire to reach the milestone and has admitted that he will likely hang up his helmet soon.
There are a few instances in the past when it seemed a surety that fans were watching a last win. The most obvious indicator was an upcoming retirement already being common knowledge. This was the case with both Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Each had already revealed their intention to retire at the conclusion of the year.
So when Gordon scored a win near the end of the 2015 season, it felt like the grand finale of his Hall of Fame career. Gordon was in the unique position to be in championship contention during his final NASCAR Cup Series season. This is not only rare, but borderline unheard of. Championships are won by elite drivers typically in the prime of their careers. Most of the time, that a driver has narrowly missed winning one, they come back the next year to try again. Gordon came up short of a fifth title, but there would be no additional attempts.
Stewart also scored a hard-fought triumph in his final year as a full-time Cup regular. His 2016 win at Sonoma Raceway propelled him into the playoffs, but a championship run never materialized.
There was another aspect of Stewart’s win that is shared by many of the drivers whose final victories were apparent at the time. He was in the midst of a lengthy dry spell, having gone more than three years since his last win.
This is the same position that Terry Labonte and Dale Jarrett were in when they each took their last checkered flag in front. Labonte rolled to victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Labor Day Weekend in 2003, snapping a winless run dating to April of 1999.
Jarrett ended a dry spell of his own, albeit a bit shorter. Jarrett’s No. 88 Ford claimed the 2005 fall contest at Talladega Superspeedway, a full two-and-a-half years after his most recent win.
There are a few others that fit this category as well. Geoffrey Bodine, Rusty Wallace and Buddy Baker all made a final return to victory lane after winless seasons of futility had begun to tarnish the ends of their careers.
With for others, like Bill Elliott, it was more that they were leaving a competitive team coupled with an uncertain future. This made it distinctly possible that any win could be their last. With Kasey Kahne due to take over the No. 9 Dodge and Elliott moving to a part-time slate, his win in the penultimate race of 2003 looked to be the last hurrah for Awesome Bill, a prediction that turned out to be correct.
Despite these moments of predictability, there are plenty of instances of precisely the opposite being true. In the late ’90s, it seemed that Sterling Marlin might not win again. Then the veteran experienced a career resurrection, winning four times from 2001 to 2002 after going more than five years without a victory.
Then there are drivers who were regular winners, only to suddenly never return to the top of the rundown. After winning his seventh championship in 2016, Jimmie Johnson won three times in 2017, his 16th consecutive year with multiple wins. Inexplicably, Johnson has not won since and, with his limited schedule, may not win again.
Darrell Waltrip is one of the few drivers whose last two career wins came in consecutive races. Waltrip finished first at Bristol Motor Speedway and Darlington in late 1992, only to never finish better than third for the final eight seasons of his Cup career.
Every driver who wins at least one time will win for a final time at some point. While it’s occasionally apparent that a driver may be celebrating for the final time, history would suggest that they celebrate every win like it’s their last.
After all, it just might be.
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future.
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