Mike Skinner 8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 99 - Jeff Burton 22 - Ward Burton 2 - Rusty Wallace 36 - Ken Schrader 17 - Matt Kenseth 32 - Ricky Craven 93 - Dave Blaney 6 - Mark Martin 43rd Daytona 500 The 43rd Daytona 500 was held February 18, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway. Top 10 Results 15 - Michael Waltrip 8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2 - Rusty Wallace 28 - Ricky Rudd 9 - Bill Elliott 7 - Mike Wallace 40 - Sterling Marlin 55 - Bobby Hamilton 12 - Jeremy Mayfield 92 - Stacy Compton Failed to qualify: Dave Marcis (No. 71), Todd Bodine (No. 66), Hut Stricklin (No. 90), Rick Mast (No. 50), Derrike Cope (No. 37), Norm Benning (No. 84), Carl Long (No. 85), Morgan Shepherd (No. 80), Dwayne Leik (No. 72) With the changes in the aerodynamics package, this race was going to go down as the greatest Daytona 500 ever. Unfortunately, this race went down as the darkest day in NASCAR history, and perhaps in the history of auto racing. Dale Earnhardt, 7 time Winston Cup champion, and perhaps the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time, was battling for 3rd position, racing in defense mode in the closing laps of the race, trying to block the entire field, so he can protect the lead of his 2 team cars of Michael Waltrip and son Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. However, in turns 3 and 4 on the final lap, Earnhardt misjudged on blocking Sterling Marlin, who held his line on the inside lane, and got loose off of Marlin's right front fender. Earnhardt would over correct his car, shoot his car up in front of the field, collect Ken Schrader by making contact with Schrader's driver's side door, and both cars would crash into the turn 4 wall. The angle of Earnhardt's car getting into Schrader made him crash into the wall head on. Schrader's car sustained right front and passenger side damage. Schrader climbed out of his car right away. Unfortunately, Dale Earnhardt died instantly as a result of his injuries. His cause of death was a basilar skull fracture. Earnhardt finished 12th, and Schrader finished 13th, both 1 lap down. NASCAR's greatest race robbed the sport as a whole by taking the life of its greatest driver ever. After Darrell Waltrip retired from Winston Cup racing at the end of 2000, Dale Earnhardt