“One of the Last People to Talk to Dale Earnhardt the Day He Died”: NASCAR’s Promising New Production Ahead of the Daytona 500

The upcoming Daytona 500 marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Daytona 500 that claimed the life of Dale Earnhardt Sr. NASCAR Studios and Fox Sports have announced that a new documentary that revisits the race will premiere on February 12 at 10 p.m. ET following the American 250 Duels on FS1. The film is told through first-person accounts and examines the after-effects of Earnhardt’s death.

NASCAR released a one-minute footage from the documentary, which has been titled “We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later,” in which the likes of Frankie Muniz and Kurt Busch can be seen telling their accounts of the terrible day. 

Their words served the purpose of increasing the curiosity around the film. Muniz said, “Malcolm in the Middle had premiered. I was probably one of the last people to talk to Dale Earnhardt the day he died.”

Busch added, “All of us were lost puppies without an owner.”

Mike Helton, who is the current vice-chairman of NASCAR, was the one who announced Earnhardt’s death to the public. The footage of him doing so has been added to the film as well. He said, “This is probably one of the toughest announcements I have ever personally had to make… we have lost Dale Earnhardt.”

It still hurts and it always will.

Watch We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt following the Duel at DAYTONA on Thursday, February 12 on FS1. pic.twitter.com/D2J4vo5lHE

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) January 27, 2026

The film, directed by Justin Burnett, also features Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Rusty Wallace, Ryan McGee, and Patti Wheeler. On the final lap of the race, the world lost Earnhardt in a moment that stunned the entire world. More than a tragedy, his death was an incurable injury to the heart of the sport. The documentary explores how life goes 25 years after that day and the impact that can still be seen.

John Dahl, NASCAR’s SVP of content, said, “When Mike Helton announced that ‘We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,’ it’s one of those rare moments when you remember where you were when you heard that devastating news. Through the prism of those indelible words, this documentary explores that fateful day and the profound impact it continues to have a quarter-century later.”

The main storylines include the challenges that the Fox Sports broadcast crew faced to cover the accident, the emotional weight that Helton carried when he made the announcement, and the safety revolution that blanketed the sport after that day.