- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 20 - Tony Stewart 12 - Jeremy Mayfield 28 - Ricky Rudd 26 - Jimmy Spencer 25 - Jerry Nadeau 40 - Sterling Marlin 77 - Robert Pressley Failed to qualify: Kevin Lepage (No. 4), Buckshot Jones (No. 44), Shawna Robinson (No. 84) This race was held on what would have been Dale Earnhardt's 50th birthday. His great friend and best adversary, Rusty Wallace, won an emotional race. The race marked the 54th career win for Rusty Wallace. With this win, Wallace tied Lee Petty for seventh on NASCAR's all-time win list. This was also Wallace's 16th straight season of winning at least one race (1986-2001). The streak would end after 2001, as Wallace did not return to Victory Lane until Martinsville in April 2004, 3 years and 106 races later. Pontiac Excitement 400 The Pontiac Excitement 400 was held May 5 at Richmond International Raceway. Mark Martin won the pole. Top Ten Results 20 - Tony Stewart 24 - Jeff Gordon 2 - Rusty Wallace 1 - Steve Park 28 - Ricky Rudd 10 - Johnny Benson 8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 17 - Matt Kenseth 36 - Ken Schrader 18 - Bobby Labonte Failed to qualify: Buckshot Jones (No. 44), Hermie Sadler (No. 13), Hut Stricklin (No. 90) The Winston The 2001 edition of The Winston, took place on May 19, 2001, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Rusty Wallace won the pole. This would be the very 1st running of the Winston that didn't feature Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip retired in 2000 and would now call the race from the NASCAR on FOX broadcast booth. Earnhardt died on the last lap of the Daytona 500 earlier in the season. They both competed in the 1st 16 events (1985 to 2000). With this win, Jeff Gordon would become only the 2nd driver to score 3 victories in NASCAR's All-Star Race, joining Dale Earnhardt. In 2013, Gordon's future teammate Jimmie Johnson would pass both drivers, and become the 1st, and as of 2023, the only driver to score 4 All-Star Race wins (2003, 2006, 2012, & 2013). Unlike Johnson however, both Earnhardt and Gordon would win all 3 of their races, and then go on to win those season's championships. Earnhardt won his 3 All-Star races and championships in 1987, 1990, and 1993. Gordon would win his 3 All-Star races and championships in 1995, 1997,