My Top 10 NASCAR Races over the Last Decade

It was a battle until the end, and it came down to two DEI cars and Tony Stewart.

In a controversial win, Tony Stewart beat Regan Smith. On the last lap, Regan Smith crosses down below the yellow line and is penalized for it.

He would later plead his case that he had a nose on the No. 20 car and that Stewart forced him below the yellow line.

The 2006 Daytona 500 was wide open. Anybody could have won it.

The usuals were strong like Dale Jr, and Tony Stewart, but in the end, it was Johnson that prevailed in the "Great American Race."

This was the closest finish ever recorded in NASCAR history. Ricky Craven beat Kyle Busch by .002 seconds. What a finish!!

With the death of the late Dale Earnhardt on everybody's minds and hearts, this was a much needed race for the NASCAR community.

Only a few weeks earlier, Kevin Harvick stepped into a ride that The Intimidater made so famous.

The young and talented Harvick did not disappoint. He won the same way that Dale Sr. had won the year before at Atlanta.

It was a very emotional win and a stepping stone to the healing process.

This was one of the craziest Talladega races I have ever seen.

With only four laps to go, Dale Earnhardt charged from out of the top ten to take the lead on the last lap and hold onto it for his last-ever win.

This was the craziest and most tense Daytona 500 I have ever seen.

With Mark Martin leading the race with one lap to go, he had his sights on finally achieving a Daytona 500 win. But Kevin Harvick had other ideas.

On the last lap, Harvick came from no where and charged on the high line to edge Mark Martin at the finish line.

A week before the All star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, track owner Humpy Wheeler made his prediction: the talented rookie, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A rookie had never won the event in the race's history.

All that changed that night when Dale Jr took home the trophy and the fat check.

It was exactly six years to the day that Dale Earnhardt won his first and only Daytona 500.

Dale Jr. had the fastest car all throughout speed weeks. And it time to show in the Daytona 500.

Throughout the race, Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart battled back and forth for the top spot. Towards the end of the race, they would eventually break away from the rest of the field and it would be a two car battle.

In the end, Jr proved he had the better car and powered by Stewart to win his first Daytona 500. Jr. would later go on to say: "This one is for my daddy. I wish he could have been here to see this one."

It was NASCAR's first time going back to the speedway that took the life of the late great Dale Earnhardt.

Dale Jr. had by far the fastest car the whole week, and he showed it.

Not only did he win, he dominated. After winning he pulled into the infield grass and stood on the roof of his car and celebrated with team mate Michael Waltrip, who finished second and also won the Daytona 500 that year.

This will go down as one of the best and most emotional races in NASCAR history.

Every year the question was asked. "Is this the year you finally win the Daytona 500, Dale?".

He seemed even more focused and more determined to win this year. Earnhardt had come so close over the years but just was never able to pull it out in the end.

This year he finally pulled it off. After doing donuts in the infield grass, every crew member from every team lined up to shake hands and congratulate Earnhardt on his win.

This will forever be my favorite race of all time, and it's also a race that will never be forgotten.