Race fans are in for a treat this weekend, beginning Saturday night on FOX Sports 1.
The 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway represented the fourth race of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Atlanta took place less than a month after the 2001 Daytona 500, one of the more somber events in NASCAR history, after a collision on the final lap of the race claimed the life of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt.
Stepping in to replace Earnhardt for Richard Childress Racing was a rookie named Kevin Harvick, making just his third start.
Shortly after the engines revved, there was an in-race tribute to the late Earnhardt.
Immediately after the tribute, an epic race ensued.
Dale Jarrett began the race in pole position and led the initial six laps, before being overtaken by Harvick on Lap 7, before Jeff Gordon took the lead on Lap 19 and held it until Lap 58.
Once he took the lead, Gordon led the race for a total of 118 laps before he ran out of fuel on Lap 141.
Gordon would not recapture the lead again.
Dave Blaney in the No. 93 car took the lead after Gordon's pit under green, and Blaney led 70 of the next 75 laps before misfortune struck his left rear tire.
From Lap 217 to Lap 319, it was a two-horse race between Jarrett and Jerry Nadeau in the No. 25 car, with Jarrett leading 34 laps and Nadeau holding the lead for 68 laps.
However, it all came down to Gordon and a rookie named Kevin Harvick.
Harvick only led 12 laps during the course of the race and his last lead was at Lap 18, before leading the final 6 laps of the race and earning the narrow victory.
Ironically, Harvick broke the record for fewest number of starts before earning a win, a record held by Dale Earnhardt Jr., the son of the late Dale Earnhardt – whom Harvick was stepping in for.
