Pocono's Greatest Finish: The Day the Intimidator Got Intimidated!

It's a day that NASCAR fans remember as the day the Intimidator Got Intimidated!

It was June 19, 2000, and even though the race was ran on a Monday afternoon, the finish will go down as the best finish in Pocono Raceway history.

That Monday started as another rain delayed race that I couldn't see because I had school. Rusty Wallace sat his Miller Lite Ford on the pole and led 107 laps. Teammate Jeremy Mayfield showed his power early on as well Mayfield started 22nd, and passed Wallace for the lead on lap 23.

The middle of the race was a normal Pocono race. Long, fast, a lot of blown engines, and not many cautions. However, it was the last lap that would make NASCAR fans all around America remember this day forever.

Not many fans stuck around to watch the following festivities unfold, but many fans had wished they did.

With 15 laps to go, Dale Earnhardt passed Jeremy Mayfield for the lead. Earnhardt fans went crazy, thinking their favorite driver was going to win his 76th race in his career.

Coming into the final lap Earnhardt had a two car length lead over Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield was going to have to catch and pass Earnhardt, or so we thought.

Coming off of the tunnel turn Mayfield's Ford started to catch Earnhardt's Chevy, surprising many. I had just returned home from school to catch the final few laps, and as a boy who despised Earnhardt, I was angry he was in the lead.

When the leaders came into the final turn, it looked like there was going to be a battle for the lead. Mayfield had another idea.

Knowing how hard it was going to be hard to get around Earnhardt, Mayfield pulled "an Earnhardt" and pushed the back bumper of Earnhardt's car pushing him out the way, shocking the NASCAR world. I jumped off my couch and went crazy.

At that moment I thought of 1987 and "The Pass In The Grass" and how Dale cut off Bill Elliott. I thought of 1993, when Dale nearly killed Rusty Wallace at Talladega; and I thought of the previous year, when Dale wrecked Terry Labonte with one lap to go at Bristol.

With all those memories and many more, I couldn't control my emotions and my respect for Mayfield went up that Monday afternoon. It took a lot of balls to intimidate the Intimidator, and Earnhardt hated it.

So much in fact, Earnhardt thought it was appropiate to "tell Mayfield he was No. 1" (if you catch my drift).

In victory lane, Mayfield made the day even better when he said "I didn't mean to wreck him I just meant to rattle his cage a little. I think that's how it goes right?" as he smirked. A line Earnhardt made famous for many years.

It's one of the moments that made me fall in love with NASCAR. Thanks to Jeremy Mayfield.