The 2001 Daytona 500 still goes down as the darkest race in NASCAR’s history. With the death of Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR had been changed forever.

Everyone remembers Dale Jr.’s emotional victory at the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. What’s less remembered is Rusty Wallace‘s 54th career victory at Fontana on what would have been Earnhardt’s 50th birthday.

Bitter rivals on the track and great friends off it, Earnhardt and Wallace battled throughout the late 80s and early 90s, competing for Winston Cups. Earnhardt ultimately won that battle, but Wallace more than held his own.

Rusty paid tribute to Earnhardt on his birthday with a polish victory lap while waving the famed #3.