2001 EA Sports 500 At Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Winston Cup Series
EA Sports 500 Presented by Dodge
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
October 21, 2001

[@ericbarth547]

There is simply nothing like the sound of the gen 4 cars on the plate tracks.

[@fatpatlives1998]

Gen4 was the greatest Era of racing can't tell me no different

[@CloudStrife8894]

2001 was the darkest year for both the NASCAR world and America itself.

[@WhoopityDoo]

Jesus Christ, the memories. Amazing how they ruined the shit out this series in the span of 10 years.

[@christenn32]

Whoopity Doo yeah I laughed when people were saying the race that Stenhouse won at Talladega a few days ago was exciting. Doesn't even come close to this or any other plate race in the early 2000's.

[@zanemarte9877]

chris r It's only because of this aero package with a near vertical angle rear spoiler and additional roof spoiler. But the good thing is that the aero packages today are getting really close to what we had in this race and in all of the plate races in 2001 and fall 2000 when NASCAR first enforced that package.

[@Forthecasuals]

What exactly is different about the series now than then as to plate racing? There are more lead changes and position swaps today than back then.

[@RippingItAllSportsCards]

@@christenn32 Show them the 2000 Daytona 500. Worst Superspeedway race ever?

[@WhoopityDoo]

@@Forthecasuals A couple of things that gets missed by today's NASCAR crowd that weren't around for the '90s/early 2000s. One, there were no BS cautions. You didn't start seeing those until 2003/2004, but they were allowed to race. Secondly, no stage racing, which is just another way to bunch up the field. No Chase, meaning consistency was king and you weren't going to be taken out of the championship just because of one race. My comment was less about this race individually, but the series as a collective whole.

[@justinknust2395]

One of the greatest races of all time and I'm so happy I got to witness it live.

[@SMIFFTV]

FINALLY, a quality upload of this race! Well done, sir!

[@JJA1987]

The start of domination for Junior at Dega. 6 wins & counting

[@gerrrymckinnon5082]

the best race in 2001 what ansome race love it

[@garethwood3474]

I'm from the UK and I was lucky and proud to be at this race. After 9/11 many people said I was crazy going to the USA but I had been to phoenix for a cup race and wanted to go to a big track so Talladega it was. I went with my brother and we took our 80 year old grandmother to the qualifying session. She loved it. She stayed back in the hotel on race day. But me and my brother had a brilliant day. Have been back to phoenix. Think my next race will be Charlotte as we have friends in NC. Can't wait to go back racing.

[@dalejr183]

That plate package was the best restrictor plate package with the wicker bills on the roofs. It debuted in Dales incredible last win at Talladega in fall 2000 Winston 500 and they kept it for all the plate races in 2001. Its a damn shame they got rid of it in 2002 that was another overreaction to Dales death by Nascar and didn't contribute to the accident. It actually allowed great passes which the fans and drivers loved Reply

[@NotSteveCook]

Makes me wonder if this type of aero package could replace the restrictor plate; put a taller blade on the roof, and a taller spoiler on the rear to keep the speeds at 200-205 mph.

[@Ktaurus26]

JesusHippie the package today is very similar minus the roof blade. Spoilers are almost the same. Even taller. Cars have more throttle response now too

[@ethanweeter2732]

james david manning I like unrestricted motors because they have better throttle response to make passes. The 500 was a pretty good race even with the Newman wreck.

[@badmonkey2222]

@@Ktaurus26 you couldn't be more wrong, the Gen 4 can had 850hp without plates and about 700 with them, now they have a pathetic 650hp and 450 with the plates, there is no throttle response any more just about every track they go to a mile and half and over they are basically running wide open, no working the throttle in the corners it's all about momentum, you get out of the gas and you are fked, Harvick, Johnson and others have been complaining about the lack of HP and throttle response since they switched to those no HP engines in 2016, one reason I can't stand to even watch anymore and that's comming from someone who's been to over 50 races and life long fan, that's how bad it's gotten.

[@Ktaurus26]

Alan Peters I’m only talking about superspeedway racing and the aero package today at Daytona and talladega is close to the 2001 package. Why are you going off into left field about intermediate tracks? Obviously it’s completely different.

[@briancromartie3149]

The last 10 Laps of this race was some of the best plate racing I've ever seen. This was actually the first cup race I ever watched. (18 at the time).

[@zanemarte9877]

Brian Cromartie Agreed. Unfortunately multiple drivers ran to the NASCAR trailer in anger demanding change in the aero package for Daytona and Talladega.

[@naturewisdom677]

@@zanemarte9877 and the big one still persist to this day. What a waste of a complaint.

[@evanwilliams6406]

Chad Knaus's last pole that wasn't with Jimmie Johnson or Hendrick Motorsports.

[@SaltyChip]

Jr pulled at least 3 great moves in the last 2 laps.

[@DixytheGoat9]

Just like his daddy too

[@DixytheGoat9]

Hell old Dale Sr went from 17th to 1st in 4 laps the year before this

[@CORF.]

Wow I completely forgot what a great race this was! None of that single file follow the leader crap in those last 10 laps either everyone was really fighting for the win!

[@wolfywise]

It's extremely easy to draft these days, so single file racing has been a result of this.

[@zanemarte9877]

This was all because of that aero package with a near vertical angle rear spoiler and additional roof spoiler.

[@AlonsoRules]

the cars are too fast now

[@gagemcpherson4454]

I was 8 years old during this season went to my first race at Kansas that year and my driver Jeff Gordon won it was my first season watching i was never a big Jr fan but this was one of the best Talladega races I've seen

[@JesusTapdancingChristOnaCross]

The race that basically won Gordon championship number 4.

[@briancromartie3149]

@GN his '98 season, was better.

[@joshuasweeney7864]

Something I loved about the Gen 4 is it just always looked like there was a ton of cars in the race not just 43

[@AtlanticCoastJoey]

Best EA Sports 500 ever.

[@everyoneSalegend]

I was waiting for this quality upload for so long. Thank you sir!

[@parksed24]

One of the best races I've ever seen. Jr put the moves on everyone in the last ten laps, just a crazy finish!

[@JJA1987]

parksed24 He wasn’t gonna be denied VL at Dega and became equally as good as his Dad at Dega

[@zanemarte9877]

Another thing to think about is that if it wasn't for NASCAR asking drivers and teams to approve that aero package with that near vertical angle rear spoiler and additional roof spoiler we wouldn't have that kind of racing. I mean come on that package did create some of the most exciting plate racing we've ever seen. It's dissapointing that they had to get rid of it for safety reasons mainly due to those roof spoilers, but they could've kept that near vertical angle rear spoiler and the other good things in this rules package.

[@remaster1981]

Fantastic UL. Been wanting to see a quality version of this forever. You have delivered!

[@adama2809]

One of my all time favorite races! Thank you so much for the vid. I remember recording this on vhs yes people vhs...

[@FallingPicturesProductions]

A high quality upload of this race!? God Bless you man!

[@nascarfreak83]

thanks for this upload!!! awesome quality!!!

[@cjdionisi7407]

Omg thank you so much I've been looking for this for Years

[@ryanmorrison3699]

Mike. Great presentation! Great way to relive the excitement

[@personale-mail1393]

Fantastic video quality and clarity. Well done.

[@ericlagesse6132]

Can we please go back to this in NASCAR now? Dear god, please?

[@jasonrobbins7143]

My era of Nascar right here!

[@DixytheGoat9]

Mine too

[@redknightsr69]

this is the last cup race with that high drag package

[@zanemarte9877]

Disappointing. That aero package with that near vertical angle lipped rear spoiler and additional roof spoiler created some of the most exciting plate racing we've ever seen.

[@flamingguy21]

Heya, I’m from the future and I’m here to say that the 2019 Cup package is very similar to this

[@zanemarte9877]

The 2020 Daytona 500 and the remaining Superspeedway races will still have the 2019 superspeedway rules package, but then in the Daytona 500 earlier tonight on Feb 17 2020 Ryan Newman got flipped upside down and he landed on the driver side of the car injuring him.

[@zanemarte9877]

@Damar Fadlan What do you mean? Both Talladega races had 50+ lead changes among half of the drivers in the field. Plus most of the time those races were clean.

[@Chives5150]

Wow, that was a really hard hit for Benson.

[@sabastianmoore4774]

I remember Bobby Labonte flipping through that wreck on the final lap

[@DixytheGoat9]

And that was pretty much instant kharma on Labonte he cut off Bobby Hamilton which made him loose

[@skippingrhyme4386]

30:10 AB: "Sterling Marling Slowing Dow " *Running 2 MPH Faster than Leader*

[@Pifmeister]

From his previous lap, as you saw in the graphic "Last Lap Speed" lol

[@skippingrhyme4386]

@@Pifmeister My bad I didnt notice, Thanks!

[@evanwilliams6406]

That was his previous lap when he was up front. Sterling looked like he wanted to take a breather and get out of the pack for a while and play it safe, Ward Burton also dropped put of the pack because he saw something or felt something he didn't like. After all, the drivers are driving the cars, they see stuff that we on television don't see; like the bumps, the cars moving around like they do(they are moving around much more than they do on TV), the turbulence and all that.

[@chrismaxwell6192]

How Jeff Gordon avoided The Big One at the end I will never know.

[@mattkowal90]

What about Mark Martin? He had Labonte, Craven, and Benson come across his path, and then Mike Wallace a little later. Made it through the wreck to finish 9th.

[@DixytheGoat9]

I wonder how did Hamilton get through that cause Labonte turned over right in front of him

[@DixytheGoat9]

Plus that entire wreck was Labonte's fault cause he cut off Bobby Hamilton as he was going high which made him loose then he tried to block him again then Hamilton cliped him and turned him right over

[@darren.plateroti]

@@mattkowal90 Wow, Mark pulled off an amazing piece of driving to make it through that unscathed! Unflappable driving under immense pressure, and one of the few times the “Big One” bug did not bite him at a superspeedway.

[@mattkowal90]

@@darren.plateroti The top 10 were Junior, Stewart, Burton (ahead of the crash) Kenseth, Hamilton, Kenny Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin, and Kevin Lepage. Hamilton made it through because he zoomed past Bobby on the bottom, but had Benson come across his nose. Junior was able to pass Bobby because when they came to the white, he was too far out. Junior ate him up because Bobby didn't lay back to prevent anyone from getting a run (something Earnhardt Sr. taught us).

[@ethantaube2512]

Why did they get rid of this rules package

[@budamania1989]

Nice race there thanks

[@ethanweeter2732]

Craven had a concussion because of this wreck. Based on his actions he clearly either has a concussion or had the breath knocked out of him momentarily.

[@NotSteveCook]

It's fair to say that most of these guys already had, or ultimately would, experience a concussion in their career.

[@coca-colatrackhousewarrior9925]

April 1996 derailed the next 22 races after

[@Ghostmotorfinger]

I was at this race.

[@martymclochlin4836]

lucky

[@Ghostmotorfinger]

@@martymclochlin4836 Yes I was very lucky.

[@deletedaccount966]

Unbelievable fight for the win.

[@coldplayer112233]

Thank you

[@NotSteveCook]

Compton qualified 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and 1st for the restrictor plate races in 2001; an average of 1.75.

[@DixytheGoat9]

I think Stacy Compton is in that same category with JD Mcduffie as Cup Driver who shouldve won a Cup Race

[@dennissettlemyre917]

I miss Benny.

[@SteamKing2160]

Allen Bestwick Best hair Award.

[@rwilliams1283]

Holy shit, Blake Shelton looks slightly different.

[@zanemarte9877]

And he screwed up on the national anthem.

[@james40778]

MUCH better than BatallionFan's version. Thanks!

[@ryanbearden9709]

Back when the DEI cars at Talladega & Daytona were just better.

[@zandylovesrisk]

Since this was so soon after Dale Sr.'s death and being 9 years old at the time(and a Bobby fan), I started crying when I saw him get flipped. Now looking back, it's very lucky that no one hit him in the door while he was on the roof.

[@NotSteveCook]

2:33:48 Poor Ricky...

[@masonmetcalf4322]

The move Jr. put on Labonte at 2:31:44 was amazing.

[@DixytheGoat9]

Thats how the old man would do it

[@luisayalajr8139]

Best plate race of all time period. All the drivers were patient till the last lap. Racing for the lead 3-4 wide when the laps were winding down. Goo d racing all over the pack.

[@controlpadblues]

Yessssss!

[@byrontownsel7274]

Compton's Levi Garrett Dodge was one good looking ride.

[@DixytheGoat9]

Compton i think shouldve won a race hes in the that category with Mcduffie

[@ryanbearden9709]

Damn look at Blake Shelton's hair...

[@evanwilliams6406]

It's game time!

[@skippingrhyme4386]

1:21:13 Not hard to get, Harvick hit bodine more in the Right rear which turned his car left into Kenseth's and he bounced off turning head on Into the wall lol

[@gjam1617]

back when the cars bumpdraft and you could actually make passes

[@zanemarte9877]

This is only because of the aero package with that near vertical angle rear spoiler and additional roof spoiler.

[@mangupgaming7811]

5:48 This is Blake Shelton's First appearance

[@jrfan07]

apparently its just commonplace for the entire field to wreck on the last lap when jr wins a plate race. it happened in this race, and a shitload of times since then

[@timhughes5066]

Too bad Blake Shelton messed up the national anthem bad and forgot the words...see the blonde girl at 6:30 looking around afterwards like wtf is he doing singing?! Lol anyways GREAT race and Bobby Labonte had arguably the best paint scheme ever this race....

[@zanemarte9877]

Tim Hughes Tony Stewart had that same scheme too because he was part of the Coca Cola racing family. He's retired now.

[@evanwilliams6406]

Weird seeing Blake Shelton with long hair and clean shaven.

[@evanwilliams6406]

Bobby races in the Whelen Euro Series in a Green #18 car similar to his Cup days.

[@skippingrhyme4386]

Bobby Kinda Freaks me out, I feel like he Could snap in a second and destroy 30 people with his Fists and then just Quietly sit back down saying Mockingly "Ya Know, Its just Restrictor plate Racing" LMAO

[@buzzkill9991]

Yeah before he wrecked it on the last lap flipping it over

[@tj47racer]

How many cars are in a crash are on the final lap 16???

[@jacknapier8774]

I have the 01 through 08 seasons of the Cup, Busch and Truck series all record. May try to upload the full seasons if nobody has done so yet. There's even some IROC ASA ARCA and some Monster Jam also. Any requests?

[@NotSteveCook]

2002 ASA @ Madison, any other ASA races, and any 01-05 Truck races not already uploaded

[@jackpierce1724]

2:20:22 I take that the same onboard sound in the 2001 Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400?

[@NP0UTLAW]

Is it just me. Or does it seem like when he wins he's sick? Lol

[@VoltageTHD]

I wish Earnhardt was in this race as well.

[@coca-colatrackhousewarrior9925]

Mike Skinner too

[@ParasiteQueen1]

Big One around 2:31:55

[@chiefreiter]

whats the song at the end around the 2:42:05 marker

[@wakeywolf4640]

Fuel by Metallica

[@MurphyMonster]

2:49:00 Marlin's dead on

[@Jonathan83X]

Agreed, though ironically enough they would be running around 200MPH years later, but still have the pack on top of each other. They really need to do something to separate the packs of cars into smaller packs to keep it less chaotic. I enjoy a good plate race as much as the next person, but it's really turning into nothing more than a demolition derby now. I wish they could run something like they did in the 2004 Daytona 500. That was great seeing the packs split up like that. Makes me wonder why they went away from it right after.

[@naturewisdom677]

@@Jonathan83X that was mainly due to the tire compound for at the 2004 Aarons 499 we saw a COMPLETELY different race than what was seen in that 2004 Daytona 500. What makes the races bad today are the lack of good quality plate drivers. Only the Penske boys and Kevin and Kurt and Kyle have sense enough to know how to race these plate races today regardless of the how many times the package changed. The big one was always a problem. But HOW the big one happens today vs yesteryear is a complete embarrassment and speaks to the lack of brains drivers today have on plate tracks.

[@chrismaxwell6192]

Nature Wisdom If drivers today knew how to race the super-speedways, there’s no Steward Haas Domination in 2018 at Talladega.

[@diegoabcdefghijklmno]

Na hora da comemoração do Dale Jr os caras cortam pra reprisar mil vezes o Big one da última volta Porra! Era a primeira vitória dele na pista que seu pai sabia todos os segredos E além de ser a primeira vitória, era justamente no ano em que o Sr morreu Marmelada total! 😒

[@WYATT6RABBIT]

Kenny Wallace finishing 5th isn’t that his best cup finish

[@PJonies919]

No he push Dale Sr in 2000 and he finished second

[@thelegendchrisb]

Dale Jr's car failed post-race inspection & was fined $25,000

[@rcracer8872]

So what He still won

[@JJA1987]

He didn't fail shit

[@zanemarte9877]

What's the song at 1:35:32.

[@racermac1988]

Zane Marte "Cum Feel The Noise" by Quiet Riot

[@zanemarte9877]

Thank you

[@the1streich339]

Was that blake Shelton?

[@racermac1988]

Yes it was.

[@Pifmeister]

2:48:14-2:49:40 Boy was Sterling Marlin right. You can't race like that. That was not racing at all. All it was, was beating and banging on each other, you couldn't go anywhere, there's no throttle response, and more importantly you couldn't help anyone after hooking up with anyone, because once you're hooked up with someone's back bumper, your car had a faster advantage, so it was basically a shove and go, then push and shove, and it kept going all race long, and that just proved that it was basically every man for himself, so it was more like chess playing and see who came out on top after everyone gets beat around.

[@zanemarte9877]

That aero package did have some downs but that package created some of the most exciting plate racing we've ever seen.

[@WhoopityDoo]

Earnhardt made the same quip during his victory lane interview after the 2000 Winston 500. Made the same comment that you couldn't keep your position, but you were just hoping to be shuffled to the front at the right moment. Only Earnhardt Jr's car looked like it could truly get to the front and stay when it wanted to.

[@zanemarte9877]

Ironically because Matt Yocum worked for FOX and NBC he and Sterling Marlin had the same interview in the Spring race.

[@NotSteveCook]

AJ Foyt would've called that "taxicab racin'"

[@snowman374th]

1:10 Starts on the pole and comes there too. wow. tmi...

[@Chives5150]

lmao Lepage with a top-10.

[@zanemarte9877]

Usually underdog teams only get those results when the big one knocks out all of the big name drivers except for a couple or few.

[@b66docos]

It boggles the mind that plate racing hasn't changed! I mean I don't think the drivers could have been any more subtle than they were about what they thought of it. Even Big E himself was against the plate. Here it is 2019 and they STILL haven't fixed it! That wack job France even doubled down on the danger factor by putting wings and splitters on them for a while because he thought he needed to make the car look more like CANAM or AMA cars to be taken seriously or some foolishness like that. France basically told them to come up with a way to do it without getting killed because it ain't going to be changed. Putting asses in seats at any cost is all they ever cared about. The France family may be responsible for starting NASCAR but they also killed it. From the conception of the restrictor plate, the chase and all the way to the gen7 COT, they took any semblance of driver control out of their hands.

[@TrueTallicaFan0343]

around 1:27:00 that's a load of shit. hornaday did not hit harvick. stop throwing the blame

[@joshawott331]

Idk but it's always seemed to me that Ricky craven was a drama queen. I get it he's paid his dues and only had a brief chance in top equipment. But I remember the week after he won at martinsville, he was wrecked or something and he was all mad and stuff. It's nearing the end of his career and he wants to act like a diva or throw a fit, anything for attention

[@NotSteveCook]

No one in the sport thinks of Ricky Craven that way.

[@Fultonfalcons86]

Bobby could have gotten some one killed by driving like an idiot #WAYTOGOJR!!!!!

[@tamezzodiac2862]

Same package got sr killed.