Every year my birthday falls around the first race of the season at the Talladega Superspeedway. Known for its restrictor plate, tight pack, high speed, edge of your seat racing, Talladega is unlike any other place on this Earth. Having one of the best races of the year - one I always looked forward to watching - happen the weekend of my birthday was always a special treat.

For my ninth birthday party, a group of friends and I gathered for the typical birthday party routine. Also happening that day was the 1993 Winston 500 from Talladega, Alabama. A Hardcore Race Fan all of my life, it almost seemed as if the party came second to the race happening hundreds of miles away from my home in New Jersey.

The Intimidator himself sat on the pole that Sunday afternoon, with Jimmy Spencer in the Bobby Allison-owned No. 12 to his outside. Spencer was able to lead the first lap, but it was Earnhardt who took command after that.

Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Davey Allison and Mark Martin battled with Earnhardt and Spencer throughout the event for the top-spot. Slowed by only three cautions, the racing was intense lap after lap.

As the laps wound down, the competition intensified. A caution late in the race set up a restart with only two laps to go. Dale Earnhardt lined up behind the pace car, while Wallace, Martin and Jimmy Spenser geared up for the final restart of the race.

On the restart, Earnhardt was able to pull away thanks to a push from the black-and-gold No. 2 of Wallace. Coming through the tri-oval to get the white flag, Martin - who had Irvan pushing from behind - made his charge on the outside of Wallace.

Shuffling the running order and brining the pack together, the field went into Turn 1 two, three and four-wide. Wallace’s attempted block on the No. 6 of Martin backfired as the bottom line pulled ahead and Wallace dropped backwards.

With help from Martin, Irvan made his move for the lead going into the first corner. Moving Earnhardt to the outside, Irvan was able to take advantage of the push from Martin to take the lead on the final lap.

As Irvan led the charge towards the checkered flag, the drivers behind him jockeyed for position. Getting a great run off the fourth corner, Earnhardt looked under the No. 2 of Wallace going through the tri-oval. Wallace threw the block and tried to protect his position.

Just before the start/finish line, the two cars made contact, sending Wallace spinning backwards and lifting his rear wheels in the air. As the field took the checkered flag, Wallace slid across the line with only his nose touching the track. With his car in the air, Wallace then turned over on his side and flipped violently down the frontstretch, landing on his wheels.

With sheet metal torn off and smoke rising from the wreckage, Wallace remained in the wrecked race car until medical personnel arrived. Earnhardt ended up driving to the scene of the incident in a show of sportsmanship, taking Wallace’s gloves back to the garage.

One of the most memorable finishes in Talladega history, this all took place as I ignored my party guests and looked on horrified that my favorite driver had just taken the second wild ride of the season. A sense of relief came when Wallace was able to climb from the car without serious injury. A true Hardcore Race Fan, that day with friends and family there to celebrate my birthday I could not be pulled away from the screen after watching Wallace violently barrel-roll past the start/finish line.

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