1987 “Pass in The Grass” A Defining Moment
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May 15, 2007
Twenty years ago the now legendary “pass in the grass” was born.
No still photograph of the famous maneuver by Dale Earnhardt in the 1987 NASCAR all-star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is known to exist; instead, it has been recreated by motorsports artists. And the story of the incredible car control Earnhardt exhibited that day has been retold numerous times through the last two decades with, as happens with legends, a bit of embellishment.
The “pass in the grass,” which actually wasn’t a pass, became the defining moment of that year’s all-star event. It was the first time the race consisted of three segments; 75, 50 and 10 laps. And it was those final 10 laps that caused sparks to fly.





