DECADE IN REVIEW: NASCAR's top upset winners 2000-2009

By SceneDaily Staff

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Richard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick (29) beats Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001.

Ray Shough
NASCAR Scene

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Fans love an underdog, and this decade has certainly showcased its share of surprise NASCAR Cup race winners.

From those who won quickly in their careers to others who ended lengthy winless streaks, even to those who won in an unorthodox manner, this decade has provided some intriguing and exciting upsets.

Here's NASCAR Scene's take on the top 10 upsets of the decade:

1. Michael Waltrip wins the 2001 Daytona 500. Waltrip had labored long without a victory in the Cup ranks, entering Daytona with a streak of 463 starts without a win. He had just joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. to drive for team owner and long-time friend Dale Earnhardt. And then he won the series’ most prestigious race, the season-opening Daytona 500. He did so in his first start for DEI and in a race remembered more for the loss of Earnhardt on the final lap.

2. Kevin Harvick wins the 2001 March race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. An emotional Richard Childress Racing group put Harvick into their car after losing Earnhardt in a fatal crash in the season-opening Daytona 500. Harvick went out and won three races later, holding off Jeff Gordon down the stretch in a win that was emotional for both the team and fans everywhere.

3. Jamie McMurray wins the 2002 October race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. McMurray had been announced as the Cup driver for Chip Ganassi Racing for the following season despite his lack of a win in what is now the Nationwide Series. While some wondered about the decision, McMurray ended up filling in for Sterling Marlin, who had led the standings before fracturing his neck, and winning in his second career NASCAR start.

4. Robby Gordon wins the delayed 2001 fall race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Gordon had driven for three teams over the course of the 2001 season and was making his 10th start for Richard Childress Racing. The New Hampshire race had been delayed to the final event of the season and was run in November. Gordon, who was winless in his first 61 starts, wrecked Jeff Gordon, who had already clinched his fourth series title, to earn his first Cup win.

5. Brad Keselowski wins the 2009 April race at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski entered the season as a rookie driving a limited schedule. He was driving some races for Hendrick Motorsports and others for Phoenix Racing, which attempts a full-time schedule with multiple drivers. Keselowski was challenging for the win on the final lap when he and Carl Edwards made contact, sending Edwards’ car into the catch fence, and Keselowski to victory lane in his fifth Cup start.

6. Jerry Nadeau wins 2000 season-ending race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nadeau had run 102 races and was completing his first season for Hendrick Motorsports when he shocked fans and competitors in winning the season-ender. Nadeau held off Dale Earnhardt in the race, which had been delayed to Monday, to take his first career win.

7. Elliott Sadler wins 2001 March race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Sadler debuted full time as a rookie with Wood Brothers Racing in 1999, and in 2001 he got both his first win as a Cup driver and the first for the Wood Brothers since 1993, when they had won the fourth race of the season with driver Morgan Shepherd.

8. Brian Vickers wins the 2006 October race at Talladega Superspeedway. Vickers, who was driving for Hendrick Motorsports, gained an unpopular win for his first Cup victory. He sparked controversy when he made contact with teammate Jimmie Johnson, who was battling Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win. The caution came out and froze the field, giving Vickers his first career win.

9. Ricky Craven wins at the October race at Martinsville Speedway. Craven's career had been sidelined in 1998 when he took a break from racing as he recovered from the lingering effects of a concussion. He returned to full-time racing in 2001, driving for PPI Motorsports, and battled Dale Jarrett on the final lap to take his first career win at Martinsville.

10. Steve Park wins the 2000 August race at Watkins Glen International. Park was competing in his second full season with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and in his home state of New York when he surprised the field by leading 53 laps en route to his first career win.