1995 season recap

1995 gave rise to the second-youngest champion in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history and witnessed the birth of the newest generation of champions with Jeff Gordon taking the title. Seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt made a valiant effort to add his eight title, but he would succumb to the younger Gordon who was beginning to establish himself as a legend.

The 1995 championship chase was a close one, with Earnhardt giving Gordon everything he could down the stretch.

FIVE RACES TO GO:

North Wilkesboro, NC - With five races remaining in the 1995 season, third-year veteran Jeff Gordon led defending champion Dale Earnhardt by 275 points. At North Wilkesboro, Mark Martin's third victory of the season was overshadowed by the return of fellow driver Ernie Irvan who was returning from near-fatal injuries 14 months earlier. Irvan finished sixth in the race, while Gordon finished third and padded his points lead as Earnhardt finished ninth. Earnhardt trailed Gordon by 302 points as they took the show to Charlotte.

FOUR RACES TO GO:

Charlotte, NC - Mark Martin was victorious for the second consecutive week, passing Terry Labonte with just four laps remaining for his fourth victory of the season. Dale Earnhardt's second-place finish coupled with point leader Jeff Gordon's 30th-place finish, cut the Intimidator's deficit by nearly 100 points. Gordon broke a drive shaft while attempting to exit pit road on lap 139 and left Charlotte with a 205-point lead.

THREE RACES TO GO:

Rockingham, NC - Ward Burton scored his first career NASCAR Winston Cup victory and Dale Earnhardt continued to cut into Jeff Gordon's point lead. Burton survived challenges from Rusty Wallace, Earnhardt and Mark Martin and a confusing late-race caution to join Bobby Labonte as the season's only first-time winners. A late-race caution was thrown on lap 372 to make a scoring correction after Earnhardt had been black-flagged for missing a lug nut while running sixth on the track. The error was corrected and Earnhardt finished seventh. He gained 43 points on Gordon, who finished 20th. With two races remaining, Earnhardt trailed by 162 points.

TWO RACES TO GO:

Phoenix, AZ - Ricky Rudd continued his winning streak to 13 years with his victory a Phoenix International Raceway, and Dale Earnhardt's championship hopes were kept afloat with this third-place finish. However, Jeff Gordon finished fifth and needed to finish only 41st or to lead a lap in the season finale. Gordon led by 147 points going into Atlanta.

FINAL RACE:

Hampton, GA - Dale Earnhardt did what he needed to do - win the NAPA 500 and lead the most laps. However, Jeff Gordon covered his bases by leading lap 61 to win his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Earnhardt led 268 of the 328 laps. His victory continued a 10-race streak of top ten finishes. Gordon, on the other hand, struggled throughout the race with an ill-handling car, but took the lead during green-flag pit stops to clinch the title. He finished 32nd, 14 laps behind. He edged Earnhardt by 34 points for the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup championship.