After two normal events, NASCAR's All-Star Race (as it is now called; because of federal tobacco regulations the title T. Wayne Robertson called the event from 1985-2003 is not legal; the Nextel years adopted the name “All-Star Challenge,” but the popular generic term of the race was adopted formally by Sprint in 2008) http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/05/16/all-star-pass-that-wasnt/ It was in All-Star Race III that the lore of this event began. A 202.5-mile event, the 75/50/10 format's desperation ten-lap shootout became the stories of lore. ABC televised the event, and after dominating the day, Bill Elliott was in trouble in the final ten-lap dash. During the middle of this race, a famous trip across Charlotte grass took place, and a piece of lore that for 25 years continues to be part of its legacy continues to this day.
Here was Keith Jackson's call of the Pass in the Grass:
Ten lap dashes are a part of motorsport lore. This was the one that made ten-lap dashes fun.
Note: Through a missions auction in 2000, the author purchased tickets to All-Star Race XVI, which was the last edition with two legends, and had one of the most famous finishes to the race of all-time. ◙
