Start Your Engines!

Inspired by Griffin Spier's One More Spark, the goal of this timeline is to focus on various what-if scenarios. All of his ideas will be incorporated, and even more will be included. The results to every race will be simulated in full using NASCAR Racing: 2003 Season.

1987

 * What if Tim Richmond is still alive? - After the NASCAR championship banquet in 1986, Tim Richmond fell ill and missed the beginning of the 1987 season. In this what-if, the #25 and #35 run at the same time. Richmond stays in the #25 Folgers Chevrolet, and Benny Parsons drives the #35 car until his 1988 retirement. Ken Schrader stays in the #90 Ford for Junie Donlavey until the end of the 1997 season.

1988

 * What if Bobby Allison never had his crash? - In the 1988 Miller High Life 400, Bobby had a scary crash that wound up ending his career. In this what-if, Allison retires at the end of the 1991 season. The #12 and #84 run at the same time in the 1989 season.

1993

 * What if Jeff Gordon drove for Bill Davis Racing? - The plan was for Gordon to move up to the Cup Series in 1993 to drive the #22 Maxwell House Ford. However, upon being noticed by Rick Hendrick, Gordon immediately jumped ship to Hendrick Motorsports. In this scenario, Gordon drives the #22 Maxwell House car in 1993, and stays in the ride until the 2015 season (with Maxwell House sponsoring in 1993 and 1994, MBNA sponsoring from 1995-1998, and Caterpillar from 1999 onward), after which he retires. Bill Davis Racing's downfall would never happen. For Gordon's Cup debut in the 1992 Hooters 500, Davis fields a second car, the #23, with sponsorship from Gordon's then-sponsor in the Busch Series, Baby Ruth. Bobby Labonte drives the #23 car until the end of the 1995 season, at which point Ward Burton takes over the ride until the end of the 2003 season. Randy LaJoie stays in the Busch Series. The #23 Ford fielded by Travis Carter from 1994-1999 is instead the #32. Because Gordon drives for Bill Davis, Jimmie Johnson (who Gordon discovered) drives a third car, the #24.