NASCAR’s history of racing on Father’s Day
Sunday (June 21) will mark the first time since 2017 the NASCAR Cup Series will run a points-awarding race on Father’s Day.
The GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, originally scheduled for Sunday, April 26, replaced the now-cancelled race at Chicagoland Speedway after NASCAR announced a revised schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The race will be the first time Talladega will host a Father’s Day race.
Kyle Larson won the last Father’s Day Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, when he led the most laps en route to victory in the FireKeepers Casino 400.
HISTORY
Father’s Day became a national holiday in the United States on April 24, 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed into law the holiday to be observed on the third Sunday of June.
The first time NASCAR raced on the officially recognized holiday was at Riverside International Raceway on June 18, 1972.
Road course ringer Ray Elder picked up his second and final career win in the Cup Series driving for his father’s team.
The tradition continued for another 27 seasons with a majority of the races held at Michigan International Speedway. Other venues to hold a Father’s Day race were Riverside and Pocono Raceway.
In 2000, the streak came to an end, as inclement weather postponed the Pocono 500—originally scheduled for Father’s Day—to the Monday after.
The last Father’s Day race at Pocono to date was held the following year in 2001.
Michigan held races on the holiday thereafter through 2014, with the exception of 2009 and 2010 races at Sonoma Raceway.
OVERALL
Thirty drivers have won on Father’s Day in 43 total points-awarding Cup Series races.
Three-time series champion Cale Yarborough holds the record for the most wins on Father’s Day at four. 1988 champion Bill Elliott has the second-most wins at three.
Three drivers who won on Father’s Day went on to win the title in the same year—Richard Petty (1974); Cale Yarborough (1977, 1978); and Jimmie Johnson (2010).
Michigan has held 30 of the races followed by Pocono (8), Riverside (3) and Sonoma (2).
FATHER’S DAY WINNERS (CUP)
| YEAR | DRIVER | TRACK |
| 1972 | Ray Elder | Riverside International Raceway |
| 1973 | Bobby Allison | Riverside International Raceway |
| 1974 | Richard Petty | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1975 | David Pearson | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1976 | David Pearson | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1978 | Cale Yarborough | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1979 | Buddy Baker | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1980 | Benny Parsons | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1981 | Bobby Allison | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1982 | Cale Yarborough | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1983 | Cale Yarborough | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1984 | Bill Elliott | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1985 | Bill Elliott | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1986 | Bill Elliott | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1987 | Tim Richmond | Riverside International Raceway |
| 1988 | Geoff Bodine | Pocono Raceway |
| 1989 | Terry Labonte | Pocono Raceway |
| 1990 | Harry Gant | Pocono Raceway |
| 1991 | Darrell Waltrip | Pocono Raceway |
| 1992 | Davey Allison | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1993 | Ricky Rudd | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1994 | Rusty Wallace | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1995 | Bobby Labonte | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1996 | Jeff Gordon | Pocono Raceway |
| 1997 | Ernie Irvan | Michigan International Speedway |
| 1998 | Jeremy Mayfield | Pocono Raceway |
| 1999 | Bobby Labonte | Pocono Raceway |
| 2001 | Ricky Rudd | Pocono Raceway |
| 2002 | Matt Kenseth | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2003 | Kurt Busch | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2004 | Ryan Newman | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2005 | Greg Biffle | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2006 | Kasey Kahne | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2007 | Carl Edwards | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2008 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2009 | Kasey Kahne | Sonoma Raceway |
| 2010 | Jimmie Johnson | Sonoma Raceway |
| 2011 | Denny Hamlin | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2012 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2013 | Greg Biffle | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2014 | Jimmie Johnson | Michigan International Speedway |
| 2017 | Kyle Larson | Michigan International Speedway |
SOURCES
Dummies.com
Racing-Reference.info
TimeandDate.com
