It’s hard to believe the 2001 NASCAR season was 25 years ago, especially when you watch these clips from back then at Texas Motor Speedway in widescreen HD.
NASCAR has uploaded tons of vintage clips, and even complete races, to its NASCAR Classics YouTube channel, but the content team did something a bit different here. Instead of just pulling from the race broadcast, this is roughly 15 minutes of clips from trackside cameras with no commentary or narration. There’s nothing to interrupt the roaring engines and cheering crowds, and the unedited style gives it a home-movie vibe.
The 2001 season was one of the most memorable. It started with the death of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500. The seven-time champion fatally crashed in the final corner, just as Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for his own Dale Earnhardt Inc. team, secured a 1-2 finish. It all happened on a bigger stage than the sport had ever experienced, thanks to a new television deal and a fanbase that had just about reached its peak.
Dale Jr. naturally became the focal point of the rest of the season, stepping up with some great performances, including pole position in this race. He also scored an emotional win at that year’s Pepsi 400, which brought the Cup Series back to Daytona for the first time since Earnhardt Sr.’s death. The September 11th terrorist attacks added a further tinge of tragedy to the latter part of the season, with Dale Jr. also winning the next race after the attacks.
Sights & Sounds: 2001 Texas in Widescreen HD
This wasn’t just the season of infinite sadness, though. It was a classic year for NASCAR. The field was packed with greats like Jeff Gordon (the eventual season championship), Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett (who won the Texas race shown here), and Kevin Harvick, who was called up to replace Dale Sr. at Richard Childress Racing. And the colorful liveries reflect a time when more NASCAR teams repped useful things instead of casinos and sports betting.
HD and the trackside camera angles make this a great way to experience that era. You can almost smell the race fuel as those colorful cars parade by on their way out of pit lane.