Nascar 2001 was the final game that featured Dale Earnhardt as a regular full-time driver, prior to his death in the 2001 Daytona 500. Johnny Benson is also absent in this game, but it was the first NASCAR game to include Jimmy Spencer, Jerry Nadeau, and Elliott Sadler. The drivers Michael Waltrip, Kenny Irwin Jr., Richard Petty and Adam Petty do not participate in any of the races as a computer opponent, instead the player takes their place as the driver.