It was a bittersweet moment, to say the least.
Over the weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series was in Daytona on Fourth of July weekend, and it also marked the 25th anniversary of a very special moment that occurred on July 7th, 2001 during the Pepsi 400.
Just months after his father’s tragic passing during the Daytona 500 on on February 18th, 2001, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to the Daytona International Speedway for the first time since that horrific day, where ultimately he scored what is widely considered one of the most emotional and iconic moments in NASCAR history.
Driving his iconic No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Jr. went from from sixth to first in the closing laps, securing the emotional win which seemed to be an incredibly healing moment for the young driver. Considering how emotional this day was, for Jr. to get the win in such an exciting fashion is something you couldn’t have scripted more perfectly.
The world was rooting for him, and Jr. delivered big time:
So this past weekend, some current drivers took time to reflect on what that moment meant to them and the sport as a whole, with the likes of Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Ryan Blaney explaining just how iconic it was, and it will give you a lot of good context as to what this all meant:
One of the greatest moments in NASCAR history.
Looking back at Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s iconic win at Daytona after his father’s passing ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Vmo0YCGRiY
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) July 5, 2026
It’s hard to put into words how raw everything still was with the passing of Dale Sr., and the world most certainly had their eyes on this moment. It really was a turning point for Jr. int terms of solidifying himself at the Cup Series level as a fierce competitor.
Dale Jr. now serves as a lead analyst for TNT’s NASCAR Cup Series coverage, and he had no idea they had put that video together, getting emotional as he explained what that moment meant to him on a personal level:
“That’s messed up. Y’all put that together and didn’t tell me about that. That was a great moment. I’m glad that it’s considered not only an iconic moment, but obviously a July 4th event. We just went there with a mission and everything worked out.
You know, it ain’t one thing, it’s a lot of different things that worked out to get us into that position, back from when you start working on those race cars in the middle of the offseason.”
In typical Jr. fashion, he gave a ton of credit to the guys working for him, acknowledging how special and talented everyone was:
And we put a lot of effort into that car, for that particular weekend, and we had the best guys on the team that could put a car like that together. Tony Sr., Tony Jr., I mean, there’s so many people involved. Richie Gilmore with the engines, our motors were special. They were.
And we had them beat at Daytona and Talladega, and that was kind of when the ball started rolling in that direction. That was one of the first wins, and then we rattled off a lot after that, but just a great memory. I’m thankful that everybody sees it as something unique.”
If you’re a newer fan to NASCAR, that’s certainly a moment to know about, and it’s wild to think that tomorrow will mark 25 years since it happened. Jr. has spoken extensively about his father’s passing and their relationship in general, and I can’t imagine how difficult it was for him to get back int he race car and keep going, but I know his dad was looking down on him very proud after this iconic moment:
But everyone in Victory Lane wasn’t celebrating the way you might think.
During a recent episode of Jr.s podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, he recalled a couple of details about the day and what he still remembers, and it included an emphasis on taking his time and not rushing off to Victory Lane. He famously parked his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet in the infield grass, alongside DEI teammate Michael Waltrip, and they hugged on top of the cars in what has become an iconic moment.
Jr. talked about all of the obligations that come with winning a race and how the drivers are expected to do so many things after the win, but he was going to enjoy it all. Back then, they did the post-race interview in Victory Lane, and now they do it on the track which makes it easier on the driver to just enjoy the moment.
But Jr. also recalled his uncle, Danny Earnhardt, Dale’s younger brother, looking quite down while everyone around him was going crazy celebrating. But Jr. recalled distinctly the “look on Danny’s face” in the midst of all the fun:
“When I watch that clip, the hardest part of it is there’s a real, short clip of Danny Earnhardt, my dad’s brother, and the look on Danny’s face.
While his team members and family were celebrating and “elated,” to use his own words, his uncle had a look on his face like the same one he had in February of that year when his older brother died tragically:
“Everybody around Danny is in elation. There are a couple people who got their hands on Danny and they’re shaking him and everybody’s just jumping and happy. Danny Sr. has this look on his face, like the same look he had on his face in February when we lost dad.”
Jr. called that the “hardest part,” because he was “Young and naive” then, and his uncle realised what he had lost, and knew everythign Jr. would face as a result.
Danny was just 17-years-old when his father, NASCAR dirt track legend Ralph Earnhardt, died of a heart attack in 1973, and Dale Sr. was just 22-years-old. Jr. several years older than that, but still only in his mid-20s (he was 26 when Dale Sr. died), and
“That’s the hardest part for me because I know that I was young and naive. I lost my dad but I was young and naive and I didn’t realize what I had lost. Danny did. He was old enough to know and so that was tough.
But just a really cool piece, and I just remember, we were going to get to Victory Lane when we got to Victory Lane. We weren’t in no damn hurry.”
I’m sure Dale Jr. had tons of father figures, like his uncle, step up and be there for him following the death of his dad, but of course, you can never replace that relationship and because Danny, and Dale Sr., had been through something similar with their own dad, he knew the battles Jr. would face and how hard his life would be for a while.
He always has such interesting stories and fascinating insight, and the full episode is available below.
