Honoring the 100th race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, we at HardcoreRaceFans.com asked you to make your voices heard by voting on the most memorable race in the speedway's history on our weekly Poll question. The Hardcore Race Fans have spoken and after earning the majority of the vote, the 2001 Cracker Barrel 500 was chosen.

Just three weeks after the unexpected death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Kevin Harvick brought fans to their feet and tears to their eyes as he narrowly held off Jeff Gordon to take the Goodwrench Chevrolet back to victory lane. In one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, Harvick beat Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet to the line by only 0.006 seconds.

"Obviously that was an emotional win and day for all of us so it makes come back here special," Harvick said heading into this weekend's race.

With so much sorrow in both the garage, the stands and even in the drivers' seats the finish to that event sent chills down the spine of anyone watching or participating that day. Mirroring the photo finish between Earnhardt and Bobby Labonte the year before, the rookie in his third start for Richard Childress Racing pulled off a feat that seemed to be destined.

No matter what driver, team or manufacturer you pulled for that day, you couldn't help but cheer on that white No. 29 Goodwrench Chevrolet. Handed one of the most daunting tasks anyone could have been asked to fulfill, the young Harvick took command of the car and drove it not for himself, but for Dale Earnhardt and all of his Hardcore Race Fans in the stands and at home.

"Some where up there," Mike Joy told the viewers at home, "I bet Dale's smiling."

Narrowly edging Gordon, Harvick sent the No. 3 crew jumping into the air and celebrating in the same black and silver uniforms they started the season with. While Steve Park paid tribute to his late car owner by winning the week after his death in Rockingham, Harvick's win was the first time the Richard Childress Racing team could truly celebrate and honor their long-time driver.

Pulling onto the frontstretch Harvick smoked the tires with a signature burnout, turned around for a Polish victory lap and held three fingers up from the window as he shared the moment with the fans in the stands. With the crowd cheering wildly and emotions running high on pit road, everyone in attendance and at home that day were brought together, knowing they had witnessed something special.

"It's hard to say, I'm just thrilled," team owner Richard Childress told Matt Yocum with eyes full of tears and a smile on his face. "I kept praying to Dale asking him to help us, and he did. This one's for Dale."