Sunday 21st May 1989

During the final ten-lap sprint of The Winston all-star event, Darrell Waltrip led with young Rusty Wallace all over his rear bumper. Waltrip had the faster car, and held off numerous pass attempts by Wallace. As the two drivers came out of turn four to see the white flag, Wallace tagged Waltrip in the left rear quarter panel, sending Waltrip spinning out and into the grass. Wallace took the lead and ultimately took the $200,000 victory. Fans booed, gestured, and pelted the track with beer cans. In the victory lane, when asked if he considered it “good, clean racing,” Wallace replied “I consider it The Winston.” As Wallace was being wheeled to victory lane, one of Wallace’s crew members bumped into and knocked over a crew member from Waltrip’s team, and a huge scuffle erupted. At least 25 people were involved in a huge fist-fight. After the race, Waltrip delivered his now-infamous line, “I just hope he chokes on that $200,000.” The incident was a turning point in both drivers’ careers: the once hated Waltrip, who had just won the Daytona 500 earlier in the season, turned face, while many fans began to jeer the presence of the previously popular Wallace.