Explained: The Controversy Surrounding the 2001 NASCAR Pepsi 400 ‘Fix’ Won by Dale Earnhardt Jr

2001 was a fairly dark season for the NASCAR Cup Series. This was mostly because of the fatal accident of Dale Earnhardt, one of the best and most loved drivers in NASCAR history. Later in the season, his son Dale Earnhardt Jr stormed to victory at the same track that claimed his father’s life. However, it is worth mentioning that the 2001 NASCAR Pepsi 400 divided opinions of many people.

Some wondered whether Dale Jr was handed an advantage for the race. The driver himself admitted that the question was valid since his car ran pretty well. However, he insisted that it would be ‘foolish’ for NASCAR to try to ‘fix’ the race. Many other drivers also backed Dale Earnhardt Jr’s argument. Dale Jarrett called the notion ludicrous and said that there was no way the winning driver received an advantage.

What else did drivers say about Dale Earnhardt Jr and his win?

Meanwhile, Rusty Wallace said, “There’s nothing fixed. None of that, and whoever’s dreamed that up, it’s ridiculous. It was a wonderful win for him and I don’t want to tarnish it in any way”. However, there were a couple of drivers who said otherwise and ignited the debate.

One of them was Jimmy Spencer, who claimed that something was ‘fictitious’. He also declared that he knew that the #8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr was going to win. Later on, Spencer laid the blame on the media for blowing his comments out of proportion. To be fair, he acknowledged that it was ‘dumb’ on his part to make the accusations.

Others like Johnny Benson insisted that on the occasion, the #8 car was just too fast. Even the various crew chiefs leaped up to defend NASCAR from the accusations. According to Dale Jarrett, there was nothing wrong with that race, apart from the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr was in the form of his life.

What is your opinion on the matter?

DIVE DEEPER