Ricky Craven
He won the closest finish in NASCAR history, a photo-finish victory that remains etched in the sport's memory.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American stock car racing driver and commentator·Birthday: May 24·Generation X
Biography
Ricky Craven won the 1991 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award after emerging from small-town Maine tracks. A series of severe crashes and injuries nearly derailed his NASCAR career, sidelining him for stretches. Driving for Cal Wells' underdog team, he clinched victory at the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 by edging out Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds. Officials reviewed the photo to confirm the finish. That triumph of tenacity became his signature moment. After retiring from full-time driving, he transitioned to television commentary. His analytical insight and calm, experienced voice translated the nuances of the sport for a new generation of fans.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ricky was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ricky Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ricky's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 in the closest recorded finish in NASCAR Cup Series history (0.002 seconds).
- Secured victories in four different NASCAR-sanctioned series: ARCA, Craftsman Truck, Xfinity, and Cup.
- Named the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
- Earned two career NASCAR Cup Series wins, both coming with the underfunded PPI Motorsports team.
Did You Know?
He is a distant cousin of country music singer Mindy McCready.
His first major racing victory came in the 1991 ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway.
After retiring, he became a farmer in Maine, raising blueberries and Christmas trees.
He was the first driver from the state of Maine to win a NASCAR premier series race.
“I knew we had won. I didn't know by how little, but I knew we had won.”
