Firestorm '00, '01 The Years that Changed NASCAR

As difficult as the years 2000 and 2001 were, they brought about a revolution in motorsports safety. Today, every NASCAR competitor is required to wear a HANS Device and SAFER Barriers line virtually every square inch of every track on all three circuits.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Blaise Alexander’s death in an October ARCA race at Charlotte was the final blow in the years 2000 and 2001. Less than two weeks later, NASCAR mandated the use of head-and-neck restraint devices … and in the two decades since, not a single driver has sustained fatal injuries on any of NASCAR’s top-three national divisions. Alexander is remembered by his father, Blaise Sr., and good friend Jimmie Johnson.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

News of a broken safety harness in Dale Earnhardt’s car ignites a firestorm of criticism and conspiracy. Caught in the middle are Earnhardt’s family, Sterling Marlin, Bill Simpson and NASCAR.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Images of Ken Schrader waving for safety crews to come to Dale Earnhardt’s aid after their accident at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500 were the first indication that something was wrong. As the minutes passed, the sense of dread got stronger and stronger. Finally, NASCAR President Mike Helton stepped to a podium and confirmed the worst .. we’d lost Dale Earnhardt.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

The 2001 Daytona 500 was a thrilling event right up to the final turn of the final lap. A late-race multi-car crash left Tony Stewart barrel rolling down the backstretch and Ward Burton fuming. Then, as Dale Earnhardt Incorporated teammates Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced toward the checkered flag, their team owner impacted the fourth-turn wall in an accident that would change the course of NASCAR history.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Host Rick Houston, Dale Earnhardt Jr., journalist Steve Waid and fellow competitors Ken Schrader and Kyle Petty share their memories of the legendary Dale Earnhardt in this episode.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Tony Roper was a struggling driver struggling to maintain his place in the sport when he sustained fatal injuries during a Craftsman Truck Series event at Texas. It was third fatality, one in each of NASCAR’s top-three national divisions, of the 2000 season. Interviewed for this episode is Michelle Roper-Shue.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Fatal accidents involving Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin in the first half of the 2000 NASCAR season created an at-times heated conversation about safety in NASCAR. The controversy pitted New School drivers like Jeff Burton and Brett Bodine, who wanted to change the status quo, against Old School competitors such as Dale Earnhardt, who called out those he felt were afraid to race.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Less than two months after the loss of Adam Petty at New Hampshire, Winston Cup driver Kenny Irwin died during a practice session at the same track, in the same turn. Close friend Johnny Vance Jr.; Bob East, Irwin’s USAC Midget car owner; and Tony Glover, Irwin’s SABCO Racing crew chief, remember Irwin in this episode.

Executive Producer and Writer:

Rick Houston

Associate Producers:

Steve Richards

Peter Cellino

Steve Waid

Joe Estep

Todd Phillips

Adam Petty's fatal accident on May 12, 2000 jumpstarted a conversation about safety in NASCAR that would reverberate throughout the sport. The young man had grown up in the spotlight of racing royalty, and was the fourth-generation heir apparent to the Petty dynasty. In this episode, host Rick Houston; Chris Hussey, Adam's crew chief at the time of the accident; and Kyle Petty, Adam's father, discuss their memories of Adam, the accident and its impact on their lives.