- On this date in 1957, Banjo Matthews beat Fireball Roberts at Widenhouse-Cadwell Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Three years before the birth of Charlotte Motor Speedway (NC), the NASCAR touring series had a plethora of tracks to run in Concord and Charlotte. This track was only opened from 1949 to 1959 and it hosted several NASCAR Cup events and NASCAR Modified events like this one. Other notables in the field included Cotton Owens, Ralph Earnhardt, Ned Jarrett, Tony Lund, Wendell Scott, Glen Wood and many others.
THE THIRD TURN: 1957 US Modified Stock Car Championship at Widenhouse-Cadwell Speedway
- Richard Petty conquered Rockingham on this date in 1968. Petty and second-place runner David Pearson were the only two cars on the lead lap. Petty led 216 laps and was the dominant car after Bobby Isaac lost an engine in the final 100 laps. Petty and Pearson both won 16 races that season, which makes up 32 of 49 events. They also each won 12 pole awards.
THE THIRD TURN: 1968 American 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway
- The Marion Edwards Memorial has long been one of the most prestigious races in the Florida racing scene. Larry Rogero won the event on this date in 1979 at Hialeah Speedway (FL). The track closed in 2005 and hosted the event up until the track closed. The event would then be run at New Smyrna Speedway for a number of years afterwards.
- Back in 1985, Jack Johnson won the Eastern States 200 at Orange County Fair Speedway (NY). This was Johnson’s only win in the 200-lap race. He had finished second in the past and he would later finish second again after his win in 1985.
- In 1991, many remember that Harry Gant won four NASCAR Cup Series races, getting the name Mr. September. However many forget he won four of the last six NASCAR Grand National events. On this date in 1991, he won the season finale at Martinsville Speedway (VA). Gant came from ninth to lead 153 of 200 laps to beat Chuck Bown for the win. Bobby Labonte sat on the pole and led early and finished fifth to claim the NASCAR Busch Series title.
THE THIRD TURN: 1991 Winston Classic (Busch Series) at Martinsville Speedway
- In the 1991 season finale at Martinsville Speedway (VA), the Mighty Modifieds saw Mighty Mike Stefanik win the Winston Classic event. Stafanik led 87 of the 200 laps and held off Jan Leaty and Jeff Fuller. Stfanik had already clinched the title at a prior race after Stefanik posted 22 top-10s in 23 races.
THE THIRD TURN: 1991 Winston Classic (Winston Modified Tour) at Martinsville Speedway
- In 1996 and 1997, Bobby Hamilton pulled off the rare feat of winning NASCAR Cup Series races on the same date in consecutive years. First, he won at Phoenix International Raceway on this date in 1996. It was a monumental win, the first of Hamilton's Cup career as well as the first time the famed Petty No. 43 had been in victory lane since King Richard Petty's 200th career win in the 1984 Firecracker 400.
THE THIRD TURN: 1996 Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway
- Thanks to a rainout, the following year's ACDelco 400 at Rockingham would take place on Monday, October 27. Once again, it was Hamilton and the Petty 43 in victory lane. Hamilton took the lead with 22 laps to go and held off Dale Jarrett for the victory at "The Rock."
THE THIRD TURN: 1997 ACDelco 400 at North Carolina Speedway
- In one of the few times the National Short Track Championships ran in late October, Eddie Hoffman won the race for the first time in 2001. Hoffman would later win three more times to make his legacy in the event. Only Joe Shear and Steve Carlson have more, with eight each. When Hoffman wasn’t winning the race he was running well as he had five other top five runs.
THE THIRD TURN: 2001 EDC Water Treatment 400 at Rockford Speedway
-Photo credit: David Taylor / Getty Images