By the time the checkered flag fell on the final restrictor plate race of the year everyone knew that the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. race team knew something none of the other teams did. How to be fastest on the big high banked tracks.

After all, the DEI cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Michael Waltrip had won 3 of the 4 races at plate tracks in 2001.

By lap 162, with 26 to go, Dale Jr had advanced to 4th. Yet, when the white flag fell indicating the start of the final lap he was trailing Bobby Labonte.

Entering turn 1 on the final lap the grandstands erupted as the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet moved low to the inside of race leader Labonte and into first place.

Tony Stewart would challenge Junior 1 final time going down the backstretch in front of the Allison Grandstands -- but it would be too little, and too late. Stewart could almost catch Earnhardt, but he couldn't pass.

But the drama wasn't over behind the leaders. The Big One is always a threat at Talladega, and a 15 car crash claimed several of the front runners. Including Bobby Labonte who was leading just a lap earlier, and Bobby Hamilton, the winner of the previous Talladega race.

Labonte's car crashed upside down, but he escaped uninjured, as did the other drivers caught up in the melee.

This race was one of the No Bull 5 promotions where series sponsor Winston paired 5 drivers with 5 fans, with the winning driver and fan each winning $1,000,000.

The 5 drivers eligible in this race were Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd.

During a routine post-race inspection the roof Earnhardt’s car was discovered to be 1/8 inch too low. NASCAR had mandated a minimum height of 51 inches.

Despite the fact that several competing crew chiefs publicly said it would have made no difference NASCAR fined crew chief Tony Eury $25,000 for the infraction.

The race distance was 188 laps on a 2.660 mile track, for a total of 500.1 miles.

Official NASCAR Timing & Scoring recorded the time of the race at 3 hours, 2 minutes, 45 seconds at an average speed of 164.185 MPH.

The pole speed was 185.240 MPH, but the race was slowed by 3 cautions for a total of 16 laps.

Official prize money paid to the winner was $165,773., but Junior received a bonus of $1,000,000 for winning.

The official margin of victory was 0.388 seconds.