# 2001 Daytona 500

The 2001 Daytona 500, the 43rd running of the event, was the first race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule. It was held on February 18, 2001, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, consisting of 200 laps and 500 miles on the 2.5-mile (4 km) asphalt tri-oval.
Bill Elliott won the pole and Michael Waltrip, in his first race in the No. 15 car for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., won the race. This was the first Winston Cup victory of his career, coming in his 463rd start, the longest wait for a first win. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and Rusty Wallace finished third.
On the final lap, a fatal accident occurred involving Dale Earnhardt Sr., Ken Schrader, and Sterling Marlin. Earnhardt's car crashed head-on into the retaining wall, killing him. The race was also marred by an 18-car pile-up on lap 173 that began when Ward Burton made contact with Robby Gordon, sending Tony Stewart flipping twice down the backstretch. After Earnhardt's death - as well as other notable deaths of other drivers in other NASCAR national touring series in previous seasons - NASCAR, implemented rigorous safety improvements in later seasons. The 2001 Daytona 500 is the last NASCAR Cup Series race to involve a fatal accident.

## Entry list

| No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
| 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Cingular Wireless |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt (W) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak Max Film |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra / Pfizer |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | NationsRent |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Bill Elliott (W) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs / Red Cell Batteries |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar, Inc. |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (W) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont Automotive Finishes |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart |
| 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco / Havoline |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 37 | Derrike Cope (W) | Qwest Motor Racing | Pontiac | K&N Performance Filters |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin (W) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
| 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Sprint PCS |
| 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 51 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Ford | Phoenix Construction |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Route 66 / Kmart |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
| 72 | Dwayne Leik | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines |
| 80 | Morgan Shepherd | Hover Motorsports | Ford | Hayes Jewelers |
| 84 | Norm Benning | Norm Benning Racing | Chevrolet | SoBe Beverages |
| 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | Mansion Decorators |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett (W) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | Kodiak |
| 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Amoco Ultimate |
| 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | Ford 100th Anniversary |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard |

## Qualifying

Qualifying to determine positions 1-2 for the Daytona 500 and the lineup for the Gatorade Duels happened on February 10, 2001. Originally, Bill Elliott and Jerry Nadeau were slated to start first and second, respectively. However, during post qualifying inspection, NASCAR determined that Nadeau had an unapproved shock absorber and spring shackle, and his time was disqualified. Stacy Compton, who was originally third, moved up to second.
Dwayne Leik would be the only driver to not set a time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | 49.029 | 183.565 |
| 2 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | 49.266 | 182.682 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 49.282 | 182.622 |
| 4 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 49.306 | 182.534 |
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 49.322 | 182.474 |
| 6 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | 49.337 | 182.419 |
| 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | 49.412 | 182.142 |
| 8 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 49.419 | 182.116 |
| 9 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | 49.419 | 182.116 |
| 10 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | 49.430 | 182.076 |
| 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson | Pontiac | 49.453 | 181.991 |
| 12 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | 49.502 | 181.811 |
| 13 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | 49.534 | 181.693 |
| 14 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | 49.543 | 181.660 |
| 15 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevrolet | 49.543 | 181.660 |
| 16 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | 49.566 | 181.576 |
| 17 | 96 | Andy Houston | Ford | 49.569 | 181.565 |
| 18 | 8 | D. Earnhardt Jr | Chevrolet | 49.586 | 181.503 |
| 19 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet | 49.632 | 181.335 |
| 20 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | 49.670 | 181.196 |
| 21 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 49.745 | 180.923 |
| 22 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 49.763 | 180.857 |
| 23 | 1 | Steve Park | Chevrolet | 49.769 | 180.835 |
| 24 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | 49.792 | 180.752 |
| 25 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Dodge | 49.798 | 180.730 |
| 26 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | 49.805 | 180.705 |
| 27 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 49.808 | 180.694 |
| 28 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | 49.822 | 180.643 |
| 29 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | 49.824 | 180.636 |
| 30 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Pontiac | 49.836 | 180.592 |
| 31 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | 49.839 | 180.581 |
| 32 | 14 | Ron Hornaday | Pontiac | 49.853 | 180.531 |
| 33 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | 49.893 | 180.386 |
| 34 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 49.899 | 180.364 |
| 35 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | 49.928 | 180.260 |
| 36 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Dodge | 49.967 | 180.119 |
| 37 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | 50.003 | 179.989 |
| 38 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Pontiac | 50.033 | 179.881 |
| 39 | 51 | Jeff Purvis | Ford | 50.062 | 179.777 |
| 40 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 50.124 | 179.554 |
| 41 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | 50.151 | 179.458 |
| 42 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | 50.187 | 179.329 |
| 43 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | 50.282 | 178.990 |
| 44 | 50 | Rick Mast | Chevrolet | 50.396 | 178.586 |
| 45 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 50.417 | 178.511 |
| 46 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | 50.529 | 178.116 |
| 47 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Pontiac | 50.764 | 177.291 |
| 48 | 84 | Norm Benning | Ford | 51.049 | 176.301 |
| 49 | 85 | Carl Long | Ford | 51.053 | 176.287 |
| 50 | 80 | Morgan Shepherd | Ford | 51.526 | 174.669 |
| 51 | 72 | Dwayne Leik | Chevrolet | Did not start | Did not start |
| DSQ | 25 | Jerry Nadeau* | Chevrolet | 49.224 | 182.838 |

## Gatorade 125's

The Gatorade 125s are a pair of NASCAR Winston Cup series held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two 50 laps and 125 miles in length, which serve as heat races that set up the lineup for the Daytona 500. Both races set the lineup for positions 3–30. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd–numbered positions on pole qualifying day. The second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even–numbered positions. After qualifying races, the next six positions are determined by fastest times in qualifying who have not yet made the field. The final seven positions go to provisional starters based on last year's car owner points standings.

### Race 1 results

| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
| 1 | 4 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 50 |
| 2 | 26 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 3 | 14 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 4 | 9 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 5 | 17 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 6 | 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 7 | 24 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 50 |
| 8 | 25 | 51 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 9 | 7 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 10 | 13 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 50 |
| 11 | 18 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 50 |
| 12 | 12 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 13 | 19 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 14 | 15 | 44 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 50 |
| 15 | 20 | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 16 | 5 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 17 | 8 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 18 | 21 | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | 50 |
| 19 | 11 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 50 |
| 20 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 50 |
| 21 | 16 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 49 |
| 22 | 23 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 48 |
| 23 | 10 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 47 |
| 24 | 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 46 |
| 25 | 6 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 45 |
| 26 | 22 | 85 | Carl Long (R) | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 12 |

### Race 2 results

| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
| 1 | 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 2 | 9 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 3 | 12 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 4 | 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 50 |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 6 | 14 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 50 |
| 7 | 18 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 8 | 5 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 9 | 7 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 50 |
| 10 | 13 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 11 | 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 50 |
| 12 | 20 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 13 | 15 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 50 |
| 14 | 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 16 | 25 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 17 | 17 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 18 | 8 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 50 |
| 19 | 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 20 | 22 | 80 | Morgan Shepherd | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 50 |
| 21 | 23 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 50 |
| 22 | 19 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 50 |
| 23 | 1 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 50 |
| 24 | 21 | 84 | Norm Benning (R) | Norm Benning Racing | Chevrolet | 48 |
| 25 | 16 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 35 |
| 26 | 26 | 72 | Dwayne Leik (R) | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 20 |

### Starting lineup

| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Notes |
| 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Fastest in pole qualifying |
| 2 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | Second in pole qualifying |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Race 1 Winner |
| 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Race 2 Winner |
| 5 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Second in Race 1 |
| 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Second in Race 2 |
| 7 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Third in Race 1 |
| 8 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Third in Race 2 |
| 9 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Fourth in Race 1 |
| 10 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Fourth in Race 2 |
| 11 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Fifth in Race 1 |
| 12 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | Fifth in Race 2 |
| 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Sixth in Race 1 |
| 14 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Sixth in Race 2 |
| 15 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Seventh in Race 1 |
| 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | Seventh in Race 2 |
| 17 | 51 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Ford | Eighth in Race 1 |
| 18 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Eighth in Race 2 |
| 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Ninth in Race 1 |
| 20 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Ninth in Race 2 |
| 21 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Tenth in Race 1 |
| 22 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Tenth in Race 2 |
| 23 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Eleventh in Race 1 |
| 24 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Eleventh in Race 2 |
| 25 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Twelfth in Race 1 |
| 26 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Twelfth in Race 2 |
| 27 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | Thirteenth in Race 1 |
| 28 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Thirteenth in Race 2 |
| 29 | 44 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Fourteenth in Race 1 |
| 30 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Fourteenth in Race 2 |
| 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Qualifying Speed |
| 32 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Qualifying Speed |
| 33 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Qualifying Speed |
| 34 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Qualifying Speed |
| 35 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Qualifying Speed |
| 36 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Qualifying Speed |
| 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Provisional |
| 38 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | Provisional |
| 39 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Provisional |
| 40 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Provisional |
| 41 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Provisional |
| 42 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | Provisional |
| 43 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Provisional |
| Did not qualify ||||||
| | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | |
| | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | |
| | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | |
| | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | |
| | 37 | Derrike Cope | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | |
| | 84 | Norm Benning (R) | Norm Benning Racing | Chevrolet | |
| | 85 | Carl Long (R) | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | |
| | 80 | Morgan Shepherd | Hover Motorsports | Ford | |
| | 72 | Dwayne Leik (R) | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | |

## Race summary

Polesitter Bill Elliott led the field to the green flag, but he only led one lap before Sterling Marlin (the winner of the first 125-mile qualifying race three days earlier) passed him for the lead. On lap 29, Rusty Wallace drove into his pit after his right front tire had suddenly gone flat. NASCAR determined that he had exceeded the pit road speed limit on his way in and he was consequently issued a 15-second penalty. As a result, he went a lap down and attempted to make up for it by skipping the first scheduled pit stop. The first caution came out on lap 48 when Jeff Purvis bounced off the wall between turns 3 & 4. The race restarted and stayed under a long green-flag run that lasted 105 laps, in which Ward Burton led the most. On lap 87, Dale Earnhardt and rookie Kurt Busch made door-to-door contact coming out of turn 4 while battling for fifth place. Earnhardt promptly flipped Busch the bird at 185 mph or, as described by lap-by-lap commentator Mike Joy, he simply was saying "Kurt, you're number 1".
The second caution came out on lap 157 when Busch, trying to pass Joe Nemechek, hit the front stretch wall and slid across the track right through the infield and onto pit road. On lap 167, Steve Park took the lead, only to be passed by his teammate Michael Waltrip on the next lap.

### The Big One

On lap 173, a huge crash eliminated 18 cars in a spectacular fashion. This began when Robby Gordon, coming onto the back straightaway, turned Ward Burton in the outside lane. Burton then hit Tony Stewart, who turned back across the middle of the racetrack, collecting most of the field behind him. Stewart took the worst ride of any driver in that crash, as his car turned against the wall after being hit by Burton, caught a pocket of air, got pushed airborne over Robby Gordon and flipped over twice, and then landed on top of Jason Leffler before coasting to a stop in the infield. Bobby Labonte's hood broke off and got attached to Stewart's car, causing his engine to catch fire. Stewart's vehicle was described as something similar to Richard Petty's rollover crash in the 1988 race. Mark Martin collided first with the outside wall and then got hit by at least two other cars, destroying the rear end of his. Martin managed to limp his car back to pit road and abandon it. Also involved in this crash were Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Andy Houston, Buckshot Jones, Dale Jarrett (the defending Daytona 500 winner), Jeff Burton, Elliott Sadler, Kenny Wallace, John Andretti, and Jerry Nadeau. Only a few drivers, including Earnhardt; Elliott; Ron Hornaday Jr.; and Ken Schrader, were able to avoid the crash with intact cars. The race was red-flagged for extensive cleanup. When the red flag was over, the race restarted on lap 180, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the lead. Marlin led the next three laps before Waltrip took over again.

### Death of Dale Earnhardt and finish

With less than two laps remaining, Darrell Waltrip in the Fox Sports booth commented that "Sterling [Marlin] ha[d] beat the front end off of that...that ole Dodge just trying to get around Dale [Earnhardt]." As the white flag waved for the final lap, both Earnhardt and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. were right behind Waltrip. Earnhardt Jr. was in second place in front of his father. Heading into turn 3, Earnhardt, holding third-place, ran in the middle lane of the pack. Marlin, who was behind him on his left, ran in the inside one. R. Wallace drove his navy blue No. 2 Penske Racing Ford directly behind Earnhardt, and Schrader ran in the outside lane driving his yellow No. 36 Pontiac. Just as the field headed into turn 4, Marlin's car made contact with the left rear on Earnhardt's car, causing the black No. 3 to slide off the track's steep banking onto the flat apron. Trying to correct at speed, Earnhardt sharply turned it up the track toward the outside retaining wall. Although it briefly looked as if he was going to avoid hitting the retaining wall, Earnhardt went right into Schrader's path and Schrader rammed into him behind the passenger door causing Earnhardt's car to snap, rapidly changing its angle toward the wall. As Schrader came into contact, Earnhardt crashed into the wall nose-first at an estimated speed of 155–160 mph. Both cars slid down the steep banking off the track and into the infield grass. While this two-car wreck was in progress, drivers were allowed to race to the finish under green flag conditions.
Seconds later, Waltrip (after 462 races without a win) claimed his first Winston Cup victory, with his teammate Earnhardt Jr. 0.124 seconds behind to finish second. The yellow and checkered flags came out simultaneously as Waltrip crossed the line, locking the rest of the field in their positions at that moment. R. Wallace finished third, Ricky Rudd finished fourth, Elliott (the polesitter) finished fifth, R. Wallace's brother Mike finished sixth, Marlin (who got loose after making contact with Earnhardt) finished seventh, Bobby Hamilton finished eighth, Jeremy Mayfield finished ninth, and outside polesitter Stacy Compton came across the line tenth. Nemechek finished 11th on the lead lap. Earnhardt and Schrader were credited finishing 12th and 13th despite not finishing the race. After crossing the finish line behind his teammate, Earnhardt Jr. stopped at the site of his father's wreck at turn 4. Earnhardt was extricated from his car and was transported by ambulance to the nearby Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:16 pm EST, reportedly surrounded by his wife Teresa, his team owner and closest friend Richard Childress, and his son Earnhardt Jr. The official announcement of Earnhardt's death was made at about 7:00 pm EST by NASCAR president Mike Helton. The death of the seven-time Winston Cup Champion largely overshadowed Waltrip's first Winston Cup victory as well as the 18-car crash on lap 173.

## Results

| Pos | Grid | Car No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps Led | Time/Retired |
| 1 | 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 27 | 3:05:26 |
| 2 | 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 13 | +0.124 |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 4 | 30 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 5 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott (W) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 1 | Lead lap under caution |
| 6 | 27 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 7 | 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin (W) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 200 | 39 | Lead lap under caution |
| 8 | 35 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 9 | 38 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 10 | 2 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 11 | 32 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Lead lap under caution |
| 12 | 7 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt (W) † | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 17 | Accident (fatal) |
| 13 | 14 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 199 | 0 | Accident |
| 14 | 39 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 199 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 15 | 43 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 199 | 1 | +1 lap |
| 16 | 28 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 199 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 17 | 42 | 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 199 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 18 | 40 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 19 | 8 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 20 | 21 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 198 | 0 | +2 laps |
| 21 | 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | +4 laps |
| 22 | 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett (W) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 186 | 1 | Accident |
| 23 | 18 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 185 | 0 | +15 laps |
| 24 | 34 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 184 | 0 | Accident |
| 25 | 23 | 27 | Kenny Wallace | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 184 | 0 | Accident |
| 26 | 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 183 | 24 | +17 laps |
| 27 | 11 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 183 | 0 | +17 laps |
| 28 | 33 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | 181 | 0 | Engine |
| 29 | 29 | 44 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 181 | 0 | Accident |
| 30 | 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon (W) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 178 | 11 | Accident |
| 31 | 25 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 177 | 2 | +23 laps |
| 32 | 5 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 176 | 0 | Accident |
| 33 | 22 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 175 | 1 | Accident |
| 34 | 15 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 174 | 0 | Accident |
| 35 | 10 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 173 | 53 | Accident |
| 36 | 24 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 173 | 0 | Accident |
| 37 | 41 | 4 | Robby Gordon | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 173 | 0 | Accident |
| 38 | 9 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 173 | 0 | Accident |
| 39 | 36 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 173 | 0 | Accident |
| 40 | 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 173 | 3 | Accident |
| 41 | 26 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 169 | 0 | +31 laps |
| 42 | 20 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 135 | 0 | Engine |
| 43 | 17 | 51 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Ford | 47 | 0 | Accident |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||
| | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | |
| | | 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | | | |
| | | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | |
| | | 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | |
| | | 37 | Derrike Cope (W) | Quest Motor Racing | Pontiac | | | |
| | | 84 | Norm Benning (R) | Norm Benning Racing | Chevrolet | | | |
| | | 85 | Carl Long (R) | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | |
| | | 80 | Morgan Shepherd | Hover Motorsports | Ford | | | |
| | | 72 | Dwayne Leik (R) | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | |
| Sources: |||||||||

## Standings after the race

| Pos | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Michael Waltrip | 180 |
| 2 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 175 (–5) |
| 3 | Rusty Wallace | 165 (–15) |
| 4 | Ricky Rudd | 160 (–20) |
| 5 | Bill Elliott | 160 (–20) |
| 6 | Sterling Marlin | 151 (–29) |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | 150 (–30) |
| 8 | Bobby Hamilton | 142 (–38) |
| 9 | Jeremy Mayfield | 138 (–42) |
| 10 | Stacy Compton | 132 (–46) |

## Media

The 2001 Daytona 500 marked the first Cup Series race under NASCAR's new centralized television contracts, which shifted responsibility for NASCAR's media rights from the track owners (which led to events being inconsistently scattered across multiple networks, including long-time rightsholder CBS) to NASCAR itself. NASCAR entered into six-year deals with two broadcasters, Fox Sports and NBC Sports (with NBC sub-licensing cable rights to TNT, and Fox using its then-sister cable network FX), to serve as rightsholders for each respective half of the season in the Winston Cup Series and Busch Series. Fox and NBC alternated rights to the two Daytona race weekends annually.
Mike Joy joined Fox from CBS to continue as lead announcer. Former driver Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Larry McReynolds would join Joy in the booth as analysts. Joy, Waltrip, and McReynolds would consistently remain Fox's on-air team until 2016, when McReynolds became the rules and technical analyst, replaced in the booth by Jeff Gordon. Darrell Waltrip retired from broadcasting in June 2019, leaving Joy and Gordon as a two-man booth for the 2020 season until Clint Bowyer was hired for the 2021 season and Gordon leaving at the end of the season.