The 1987 season was a tough year. Up to that point, I was at the top of the world of racing. I had won three NASCAR Winston Cup championships and about seventy races. But in 1987, I was with a new team, and things weren't going well. We were the dream team with the best backing, yet going into the last part of the season, we still had not won a race. This hadn't happened to me since my first win in 1975.
In addition, we found out that my wife, Stevie, was pregnant. This was emotionally tough. Stevie had three miscarriages previously and had never carried a baby to full term. She is my best friend and had always been with me at every race, but now she couldn't go to the track. It was tough racing without her there.
On September 17, we were blessed with our first child, Jessica Leigh. I had to leave for the next race at Martinsville, Virginia, with no expectations of winning. As the race progressed, I was a lap down with just twenty-five laps to go. Dale Earnhardt was leading. When he stopped for fuel, I got back on the lead lap. Then a caution came out with about seven laps to go. On the restart, I was in third place behind Earnhardt and Terry Labonte. With just a few laps left, passing these two champions seemed impossible.
On the final lap in the final turns, Terry got beside Dale and left a tiny opening. I seized the chance, passed both of them, and won my first race of the year! It was much more special than just a first win. Earlier that Sunday morning, I found a little rosebud in my car with a note: "Win one for me, Daddy!" My first victory of the season was sweetened by occurring on the same day I was first called "Daddy."