FOX Sports and NASCAR Studios are partnering to look back at one of the most searing moments in American sports history with a new original documentary examining the death of Dale Earnhardt and its lasting impact on NASCAR.
We’ve Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later will premiere Thursday, February 12, at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, immediately following the Duel at Daytona. The documentary marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Daytona 500, a race remembered as much for its tragic ending as for the sweeping changes it set in motion across motorsports.
“FOX Sports’ partnership with NASCAR allows us to tell stories that define the heart of the sport,” said Barry Nugent, vice president of development and original programming at FOX Sports. “Through this film, we are honored to spotlight Dale Earnhardt, one of the most iconic and influential figures in NASCAR, and carry his legacy forward.”
Told through first-person interviews, rare home video, archival broadcast footage, and cinematic storytelling, the film revisits Earnhardt’s final moments. It also expands to the emotional, cultural, and competitive consequences that followed. Rather than focusing solely on the accident, the project examines how the sport, its media partners, and competitors were permanently changed afterward.
Earnhardt’s death on the final lap stunned fans, teams and broadcasters nationwide. The shock was compounded by the fact that it occurred during FOX Sports’ first NASCAR Cup Series broadcast, forcing the network’s production team to navigate an unprecedented live television moment.
The documentary revisits that challenge while also examining how NASCAR leadership responded as the gravity of the situation became clear.
Former NASCAR president Mike Helton, who delivered the words “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,” offers an intimate reflection on that responsibility. The film also features drivers who competed in the race, including Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch. Kyle Busch, who attended the event that day, also shares his perspective. Current stars Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney share how Earnhardt’s legacy continues to shape the modern Cup Series.
Additional voices include Frankie Muniz, the honorary pace car driver at the 2001 Daytona 500. Longtime NASCAR and FOX Sports figures Ryan McGee and Patti Wheeler also appear. Together, the interviews portray a moment that transcended racing. It became part of the broader American sports consciousness.
“Through the prism of those indelible words, this documentary explores that fateful day and the profound impact it continues to have a quarter-century later,” said John Dahl, NASCAR’s senior vice president of content.
Directed by Justin Burnett, the documentary is executive produced by leaders from NASCAR Studios and FOX Sports. The collaboration underscores a shared effort to tell a deeply personal and historically significant story. Twenty-five years later, Earnhardt’s presence still looms large. This documentary aims to explain why.
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