Ex-NASCAR Race Director and Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminisce about the All-Star wreck that wiped “half the field” 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR's former Race Director David Hoots went down memory lane and revisited the opening lap chaos at a decades-old All-Star Race. The 2001 debacle at the Charlotte Motor Speedway witnessed "half the field" getting wrecked after heavy downpours took over the race.

The exhibition race at the 1.5-mile oval marked the 17th NASCAR All-Star battle, where Jeff Gordon reigned supreme after a Lap 1 pileup red-flagged the debacle. Despite inclement weather conditions, the asphalt was deemed fit to let the drivers race.

However, as the pack steered through Turn 1, high-banked turns proved detrimental when combined with wet tracks. It spiraled into the high-octane cars losing control and creating havoc. Gordon was among the drivers who got wrecked, and his heavily damaged #24 Chevy was towed back to the garage.

Since it was an exhibition race, NASCAR allowed the wrecked drivers to use a backup car and give another shot at the battle. The Hendrick Motorsports driver dominated in the backup vehicle to claim his third All-Star Race win and upset the defending winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior reminisced about the fateful night race and discussed the chaotic moment with David Hoots.

"Who is the one that makes the decision that, 'Hey man, we're gonna mash the reset button?" Junior asked via Dirty Mo Media on X (0:13).

"We were sitting there and if I'm not mistaken it was Gary Nelson, myself," Hoots replied.

"I didn't hit anything and I'm thinking, 'Damn that's half the field. I don't have to race,'" Earnhardt Jr. said.

"Go back to the rules, that if you throw the red (flag) on the first lap, you get a do-over. The rules tell you that. We go down here in turn one, we don't see the rain coming, we don't have a spotter down there. And you wouldn't think on a mile-and-a-half, we need 300 yards. But that's how fast it came up there," the former race director said.

Jeff Gordon started tenth at Charlotte but dominated 10 laps in his backup Chevy to win the $515,000 paycheck and level with Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s All-Star Race win record.

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A look into Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s run at the wrecked All-Star Race

After the two preseason battles at the Daytona International Speedway, the NASCAR All-Star race marked Junior's third non-points debacle of the 2001 season. The Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) driver stood 15th fastest in the qualifying among the 39 high-octane cars.

The 49-year-old was lucky enough to prevent his #8 Chevy from getting collected into the massive pile-up that ensued on the opening lap. After the red flag hiatus, the race resumed and witnessed Earnhardt Jr. post a seventh-place finish. He aced the All-Star Race in 2000, but unfavorable weather and a mid-pack qualifying run the next year didn't let him defend the triumph.

Though his performance in the non-points race didn't affect his overall standings, he surely missed the lucrative prize money that Jeff Gordon secured after leading 10 laps for HMS.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrapped his 2001 Cup Series season with three wins, nine top-5s, and 15 top-10s, placing him eighth in the standings.