“Would’ve been one heck of a fight: When Terry Labonte explained what saved him from a potential Dale Earnhardt wrath 

Terry Labonte eyed another Bristol Night Race win after outdueling Dale Earnhardt Sr. four years ago in 1995. The Intimidator made a similar move during the final lap as he initiated in 1995, but unlike the previous attempt, succeeded in acing the 500-lap race. However, if a transmission fault in Labonte's Chevy hadn't intervened in his desire, the weekend would've ended with a brutal brawl.

Labonte led the penultimate lap at the 1999 race but had a brewing plan for when Earnhardt filled the former's rearview during the cooldown lap. The former, a Hendrick Motorsports driver, timed the sacrifice of his #5 Chevrolet to damage Earnhardt's legendary #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy.

It probably stemmed from a 1995 encounter at the 'World's Fastest Half Mile' oval when Labonte led the final lap and was about to etch the win but Dale Sr. wrecked the rival. The Intimidator's run-in didn't benefit him. Rather, it pushed Labonte's car further, which crossed the checkered flag before anyone else, albeit in a beat-up car.

Moving forward, Labonte intended a T-bone wreck over Earnhardt that would destroy both drivers' cars but he was all for it. However, his broken reverse gear intervened, leaving the car dead on the track. Thus, Dale Earnhardt emulated the 1995 wreck, sidelining the HMS rival for the Bristol win, while Labonte settled in eighth.

25 years after the fateful night, Terry reflected on the incident. He admitted that if the move had succeeded, a brutal fight against the Intimidator could've happened.

“I thought to myself, ‘You might be going to victory lane in that number three but the number five is going to be buried in the side of it.’ People always compliment me and say, ‘Terry, you were so cool in that moment. But if that transmission wouldn’t have blown, it probably would’ve been one heck of a fight,” Labonte said via HMS.

Dale Earnhardt snatched Labonte's final shot at a Bristol Race win as the latter couldn't park his car at Bristol's victory lane after the 1995 triumph.

"Meant to rattle his cage a little": Dale Earnhardt explained his final lap Terry Labonte wreck

Dale Earnhardt tried to move Labonte out of his way during the 1995 Night Race but his efforts were futile. But that didn't take away the RCR driver's intimidating driving style and he locked horns on the final lap against Labonte for the second time since their 1995 run-in.

While Labonte won last time in 1995, he couldn't make it past turn two this time. After a back-and-forth battle against the seven-time Cup Series champion, HMS' two-time Cup title winner finally took the lead. However, that was short-lived as Earnhardt took the inside lane and moved Labonte up the track. The #5 Chevy lost grip and spun on the track, and the many drivers behind crashed into the HMS driver while the RCR phenom took the checkered flag.

Following the race, Dale Earnhardt said he didn't mean to wreck Labonte and just wanted to slightly intimidate the rival.

"I was going to get back to him and rattle him. I didn't want to wreck him, I got to him and he turned it around. Didn’t mean to really turn him around, meant to rattle his cage a little," Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt grabbed one more win at the Talladega race and wrapped the 1999 season in P7.