| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 18, 2001 | ||
| Official name | Daytona 500 by Dodge | ||
| Location |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida, US | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Warm with temperatures reading up to 79 °F (26 °C); wind speeds up to 29.92 miles per hour (48.15 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 161.783 miles per hour (260.365 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Evernham Motorsports | ||
| Time | 49.029 | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | |
| Laps | 53 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 10.0 | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Joe Moore and Barney Hall | ||
| Turn Announcers | Kurt Becker (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Eli Gold (3 & 4) | ||
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.
- ^ "Sprint Cup Series Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Weather Information for the 2001 Daytona 500". The Old Farmer's Almanac. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2013.