2001 Daytona 500

February 18th, 2001. A new day in NASCAR history. Bright blue skies lined the Daytona Beach sky as a new era in TV began. FOX, FX, NBC, and TNT signed on for a new broadcasting TV deal. So many stories were given to FOX in their first Daytona 500. A day where Dodge returned, a day where a future president was in attendance, a new rules package, new cars, sponsors, and paint schemes, and a day where millions would sit on their couches at home and watch the 43rd running of the Daytona 500.
At the beginning of the season, Dale Sr. felt like a new man. Coming off of a second-place point finish in 2000, expectations were high for him to earn his eighth championship and break a tie with Richard Petty, who had seven. You could see how relaxed he was during the pre-race. You saw him talking, conversing, joking with fellow drivers. You saw him together with his wife Teresa. You can even see it in his pre-race interview with FOX's Matt Yocum that he had a new lease on life. All the hype, all the buildup, was leading to the green flag on the 2001 Daytona 500. On his team, three drivers lined the roster. Steve Park, coming off of his first career win in 2000, drove the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet. Dale Jr, his son, drove the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, And Michael Waltrip drove the #15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet. Waltrip was the only driver who did not have a win, yet Dale saw potential in him. When the 43 drivers settled into their cars, they had one goal in mind: to add to Daytona’s rich legacy. As the green flag was waved by FOX NFL’s Terry Bradshaw, an exciting season began. Throughout the day, 43 men battled back and forth through the pack, as FOX brought numerous cool graphics to the viewer at home. Cars made moves this race that were simply unheard of the year prior. After an 18-car wreck that saw Tony Stewart flip over violently and take out one member of the DEI fleet, the field was under a red flag. Who was 1-2-3? 15-8-3. The stage was set for what could shape to be an amazing finish. Michael Waltrip was leading with his teammate Dale Jr. pushing him all the way, and Dale Sr blocking all comers. It would be Michael Waltrip’s day to reach victory lane, much to the joy of brother Darell Waltrip, who called his first race on FOX.
Behind him, something terrible happened. As the cars raced to the win and Dale Sr did his best to keep the mad charge at bay, his black Goodwrench Chevrolet made contact with Sterling Marlin’s Coors Light Dodge, sending him hard into the wall, collecting Ken Schrader’s yellow M&M’s Pontiac. Immediately, Darell’s elation turned to concern. As the FOX cameras cut between a shot of Darrell and the crashed black #3, ambulances circled the two wrecked cars. When Schrader got out of his Pontiac and saw Dale’s condition, one look in his eyes told him the situation was bad. Panicked, he waved paramedics to the scene. Dale Jr was later seen running down the garage area to check on his father’s condition.
Eventually, Senior was taken to the Halifax Medical Center. As Michael celebrated a long-awaited win, he would later learn of what happened to his car owner and friend. At 7:00 on Sunday night, the news that would shock the racing world was heard. Dale Earnhardt was killed. It was a shock to many people across the country, and an announcement that would rock NASCAR to its very core, instituting many safety changes that have allowed drivers to walk away from savage crashes to this day. Across the country, this was described as the equivalent of losing Kobe Bryant. Later that next day when the Goodwrench Chevrolet hauler left the speedway, as it drove down the Florida highway, not a single car passed it. Fans across the sport and across the country knew of the impact he had on the sport. On the track, he brought a swagger to NASCAR. Off the track, he is an American icon.