NASCAR Flashback: 'One Hot Night' in Charlotte almost ends in disastrous fashion

The NASCAR All-Star Race has had some memorable moments throughout its history. The most memorable moment and finish arguably came in the 1992 edition of The Winston, also known as “One Hot Night". It is remembered for all of the wrong reasons though.

The 1992 Winston was referred to as “One Hot Night” as it was the first ever race held at a Superspeedway at night. 21 drivers competed in the Winston, including Hut Stricklin and Michael Waltrip, who had won the Winston Open earlier in the evening.

Davey Allison won Segment One of the Winston, and as a result, received an extra $50,000 bonus. He led all 30 laps in the segment. Before the second segment, the field was inverted as a result of the fan vote which put Allison at the rear.

However, four laps in, Kyle Petty took over the lead and went on to win the segment by two seconds, also receiving a $50,000 bonus. Allison, meanwhile, moved his way all the way up to the sixth place.

In the third and final segment, Petty pulled away to a significant lead before Darrell Waltrip brought out a caution. After the restart, Dale Earnhardt passed Petty for the lead which set the scene for the final lap.

Heading into turn 3, Earnhardt spun out and Allison got a run on Petty nearing the finish line. After some contact, Allison edged Petty at the line for the victory. However, the contact led to a heavy hit on the driver’s side of the car, which knocked Allison out momentarily.

He was airlifted to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and bruises to over half of his body.

Ultimately, “One Hot Night” could have ended in a disaster had Allison hit harder or in a different location. Tragically, Allison died from a head injury suffered in a helicopter crash near Talladega Superspeedway a little over a year later.