Photo – Robert Laberge/Getty Images

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series made a visit to a California road course every year from 1958 to 1988.

Drivers weaved left and right around Riverside International Raceway.  Greats such as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and even road-course greats like Dan Gurney and Mark Donohue all won at the track.

June 12, 1988 was the last Cup Series race at Riverside and Rusty Wallace led 43 laps en route to the victory.

This was a time when drivers like Wallace and Ricky Rudd were some of the top road-course drivers on the NASCAR circuit.

Both drivers battled it out later that August at Watkins Glen for the victory.  Rudd had the lead going into the last turn and Wallace tried to pass him on the outside in the grass and couldn’t make it stick.

Although Riverside wasn’t on the schedule anymore, the Cup Series visited the brand new Sears Point Raceway in June 1989.

The two drivers would once again be in the outcome for the victory as Wallace started from the pole.

A late caution bunched up the field and set up a five-lap shootout.

Wallace tried to get around Rudd again on the outside, but the two beat and banged and the No. 27 was in the dirt once again.

After Watkins Glen in 1988, Wallace would learn not to pass on the outside again, but he did.  He came back and stalked Rudd for the rest of the race, but it wasn’t enough as Rudd won the inaugural race at Sonoma in an exciting finish.

The duo joined to win seven straight road course races from November 1987 to the end of the 1990 season.  It was nearly eight straight with Rudd until NASCAR penalized him on the last lap at Sears Point in 1991 and handing the win to Davey Allison.

1989 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 Top-Ten

#26 Ricky Rudd

#27 Rusty Wallace

#9 Bill Elliott

#3 Dale Earnhardt

#83 Lake Speed

#88 Joe Ruttman

#75 Morgan Shepherd

#4 Rick Wilson

#28 Davey Allison

#30 Michael Waltrip