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Daniel Suarez secured the title at the second race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series. His remarkable win came at a very thin margin as the Trackhouse Racing driver stood a mere 0.003 seconds faster than the runner-up, Ryan Blaney.
However, the recently concluded Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway isn't the only race to witness such a close call. Plenty of races on NASCAR's roster have registered themselves among the closest-margin wins, but the following five races stand out.
Jimmie Johnson v Clint Bowyer
Over a decade ago, 7x Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson took home the 2011 Aaron's 499 Cup Series trophy. On April 17, he secured the top spot at the Talladega Superspeedway, defeating P2 holder Clint Bowyer by a thin margin of 0.002 seconds.
Dale Earnhardt v Ernie Irvan
During the early 1900s, Dale Earnhardt secured victory against his closest rival Ernie Irvan. It happened during the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series DieHard 500 race when the 'Intimidator' triumphed at the Talladega Superspeedway. He took the P1 spot by a whisker, taking 0.0005 seconds less to complete the 500.8-mile run.
Mike Skinner v Dale Earnhardt Jr
In a close battle to decide the starting spot of the season-opener 2001 Daytona 500, Mike Skinner and Dale Earnhardt Jr closely fought for the highly-coveted P1 spot at the Daytona International Speedway. With a lead of a minute 0.004 seconds, Skinner defeated Junior as he took the top spot in the 2001 Gatorade Duel 2.
Daniel Suarez v Ryan Blaney (2024 NASCAR Cup Series)
After having a winless 2023 Cup Series season, the Trackhouse Racing driver clinched the Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway title. He did so after a neck-to-neck 3-wide battle with Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch where Suarez secured the title by a mere lead of 0.003 seconds, followed by Blaney in P2, and Busch in P3.
Ricky Craven v Kurt Busch
Officially declared as the closest-ever margin of a NASCAR race win, Rickey Craven secured the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 title at the Darlington Raceway. On March 16, after closely fighting for the win, Kurt Busch fell shy of just 0.002 seconds as Craven sealed the P1 spot for himself.
