Remember When a Man Stole a NASCAR Pace Car at Talladega in 1986?

In 1986, thousands of fans gathered at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, to watch race car drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Allison compete in the Winston Cup Series.

But, before the historic race began, one of the most memorable and outrageous stories in NASCAR history unfolded. A fan stole the pace car and took it for a few laps around the track before officials could finally stop him.

The man was later identified as a 20-year-old Alabama native named Darion Crowder, who hadn’t originally planned to find himself behind the wheel on a NASCAR track.

Rumors suggest that Crowder initially woke up that morning intending to buy a motorcycle. He traveled from Birmingham to Lincoln to check out a bike he was interested in.

While taking the bike out for a test drive, he got caught up in the traffic from the Cup series. For reasons unknown, Crowder decided to follow the cars to the event and somehow managed to enter the field without a ticket.

Witnesses there claim that Crowder, who was not wearing a shirt at the time, climbed over two fences separating the infield crowd from the racetrack and made his way toward the pits. There, he found the 1986 Pontiac Trans-Am Pace car sitting empty on the track with the keys inside. Seizing the opportunity, Crowder hopped into the car and drove off without anyone noticing.

On this day in 1986, a 20 year-old stole the pace car at Talladega. He got in it when it was parked at the finish line and the grand marshal was giving the command to start engines. pic.twitter.com/8nL425HBeB

— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) May 4, 2020

He managed to complete a full lap around the track at speeds reaching 100 miles per hour before officials realized something was wrong. The broadcast team quickly became aware of the situation, and it took a roadblock of police cars and motorcycles  to finally stop him. The entire dramatic scene was captured and broadcasted live.

Crowder was taken to jail and held on a $10,000 bond. He faced charges including grand theft and resisting arrest, though a DUI was not one of them. Despite speculations that he might have been under the influence during the incident, it was never actually proven.

The details of what happened to Crowder after his arrest remain unclear, but his name has certainly become a memorable part of NASCAR history.

Drunk man steals Nascar pace car at Talladega (1986) pic.twitter.com/rbqdVlVtCh

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) July 28, 2024