SPEED will televise the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV and the NASCAR Sprint Showdown live on May 17, as well as provide more than 90 hours of support programming prior to the event. Stay tuned to SPEEDtv.com for frequent updates... » More Photos

But there was another theory, one often alleged, but never proven: Johnson equipped Waltrip’s car with a hugely oversized “mountain motor,” and Waltrip simply played possum until the race’s closing laps, when he took advantage of a couple hundred extra horsepower to run down the defenseless Gant. As he crossed the finish line, Waltrip pushed the clutch in, ensuring his motor would grenade itself and not be able to be torn down by NASCAR inspectors afterwards.

During a rain delay while covering the 2001 Winston, Waltrip and fellow commentator Jeff Hammond, his crew chief in 1985, had a good laugh about what happened in that first race.

“We won that first race in ’85 with an engine that even today is called into question,” said Waltrip, struggling to keep a straight face.

“We got to keep the trophy, we got to keep the check, we must have been legal!” Hammond shot back, laughing.

And that mystery – whether the victory was due to Waltrip’s late-race brilliance or Johnson’s chicanery under the hood – is why the 1985 Winston comes in 10th among NASCAR’s greatest All-Star moments.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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SPEED will televise the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV and the NASCAR Sprint Showdown live on May 17, as well as provide more than 90 hours of support programming prior to the event. Stay tuned to SPEEDtv.com for frequent updates on the history of the event and all the details about this year’s action. Watch and Win!