It has been 25 years since Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered one of the most emotional wins in NASCAR history. In the first race back at Daytona since the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr. drove to victory in the 2001 Pepsi 400.
Prior to last Sunday’s Cup Series race at Chicagoland, TNT Sports played a special video honoring the win 25 years later — unbeknownst to Earnhardt Jr. at the moment.
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As special as that 2001 night in Daytona Beach was to Earnhardt Jr., there was one moment he recalls that was the most difficult part.
Earnhardt Jr. recalls seeing dad’s brother: ‘The hardest part of it’
When Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line first in the 2001 Pepsi 400, he recalled on “The Dale Jr. Download” wanting to take a moment before victory lane.
That moment was when Earnhardt Jr. famously parked his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet in the infield grass alongside Dale Earnhardt Incorporated teammate Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet. The two embraced on top of the cars in an unforgettable celebratory moment.
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When going back and watching the footage of that emotional celebration, there is one moment Earnhardt Jr. does not forget.
“When I watch that clip, the hardest part of it is there’s a real, short clip of Danny Earnhardt, my dad’s brother, and the look on Danny’s face,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
While team members were celebrating all over the place, Earnhardt Jr. noticed the look on his uncle’s face looked similar to the one he had in February of that same year.
“Everybody around Danny is in elation. There are a couple people who got their hands on Danny and they’re shaking him and everybody’s just jumping and happy. Danny Sr. has this look on his face like the same look he had on his face in February (2001) when we lost dad,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
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Unlike himself at the time, Earnhardt Jr. said Danny Earnhardt knew the weight of the void left behind.
“That’s the hardest part for me because I know that I was young and naive. I lost my dad but I was young and naive and I didn’t realize what I had lost. Danny did. He was old enough to know and so that was tough,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
The significance of the 2001 Pepsi 400
Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time Cup Series champion and 76-time race winner, was killed in a crash at the conclusion of the 2001 Daytona 500. The loss was stunning as one of the greatest drivers to ever race in the sport was gone.
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Earnhardt was running third at the time of the crash, while Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to finish 1-2 in “The Great American Race.” For Waltrip, it was his first career victory in his 463rd career start.
Fast forward to July 2001, and the Cup Series was back at Daytona for the first time since the tragedy. In that race, Earnhardt Jr. drove from sixth place on the final restart to secure the win, with Waltrip finishing second.
The win is recognized by many in the NASCAR community as one of the most emotional moments in history and one that was a major healing moment for the sport.
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