Dale Earnhardt’s untimely passing away not only left a void in the hearts of fans but also affected the sport’s allure. Following his passing, it seemed as though NASCAR’s popularity began to wane. Nonetheless, Earnhardt’s legacy includes an impressive 27-year stint in the series, during which he clinched seven NASCAR Cup titles with the help of 76 Cup race wins.
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Even leading up to his tragic accident at the Daytona 500 in 2001, he had secured two victories in the preceding season.
His first win in 2000 came at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during the season’s fourth race, while his second and final victory happened at Talladega, culminating in a second-place finish in the driver standings for the year. In his post-race interview, Dale Earnhardt attributed his Talladega success to Kenny Wallace.
Reflecting on the race, he remarked, “It was wild. I didn’t have any thought that I have a chance of winning this race, starting where I did on that restart. Boy, as we kept working away and got on the outside of Kenny — Kenny Wallace really worked hard with us and he done a good job. I don’t think we could have got back up there without Kenny.”
In what is considered by NASCAR as one of the most memorable finishes in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history, Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing started in P20 place. In the hectic final laps, he found himself shuffled back to 18th position.
Yet, as the pack thundered toward the white flag, RCR’s Mike Skinner was leading the pack on the lower lane, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in hot pursuit. On the high side, however, it was the senior Earnhardt, propelled by Wallace’s rigorous drive and flanked by Nemechek.
As they barreled through the final lap, Skinner’s resistance waned, allowing the leading trio to break away, with Earnhardt seizing the victory.
It was indeed Wallace’s push that catapulted Earnhardt ahead of Skinner to clinch the win. Reflecting on the moment, Wallace remarked, “It was just a deal where it was vintage. Here I am trying to win the race… He comes down in front of me and I’m thinking, ‘My God, I’ve got no choice now but to help this guy (Earnhardt) win.'”
Little did anyone know, the triumph would mark Earnhardt’s last one on Victory Lane.
