Today in History

• Nov. 7 -- 2004: In his 600th Cup start, Mark Martin finishes 15th in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the win with Ryan Newman second and Jeff Gordon third.

• Nov. 6 -- 1977: G.C. Spencer finishes 25th in the Dixie 500 at Atlanta in his final Cup race. Spencer starts at least one race from 1958 through 1977. He is winless in 415 starts with 55 top-fives and 138 top-10s. His best season is 1965 when finishes fourth in the standings and records 14 top-fives and 25 top-10s in 47 starts.

• Nov. 5 -- 2006: Tony Stewart wins for the first time at Texas, beating Jimmie Johnson by .272 seconds. He leads 278 of 339 laps and has a Driver Rating of 149.7.

• Nov. 4 -- 1990: Only two drivers lead laps of the Checker 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Rusty Wallace leads the first 50 before his engine expires, and Dale Earnhardt leads the last 262 for the victory, winning by 0.67 seconds over Ken Schrader.

• Nov. 3 -- 2001: Willy T. Ribbs finishes 18th in the Auto Club 200 Truck Series race at Fontana in his last NASCAR start. Ribbs competes in 23 of the Truck season's 24 races and finishes 16th in the standings. It is his only season in the Truck Series. In 1986, he competed in three Cup Series races.

• Nov. 2 -- 1975: Richard Petty wins the only Cup Series race run in November at Bristol, beating Lennie Pond by more than a lap in the Volunteer 500. It also is the last of Petty's eight victories in the month of November.

• Nov. 1 -- 1998: Jeff Gordon wins the AC Delco 400 by .52 seconds over Dale Jarrett to sweep both races at Rockingham. It is Gordon's fourth and final victory at the Rock. In 23 Cup starts at North Carolina Speedway, Gordon posts 11 top-10s, with eight finishes in the top five. (Continued)