I remember this day. I was a junior in high school. I didn’t watch the race but I heard about it afterwards and kept ESPN on all night. A legend gone too soon.
My parents were at this race… I remember they didn’t get home until way after midnight, everyone stayed at the track until they made an announcement… only a few times I’ve ever seen my dad cry… this was one of those moments.
They’d investigated deaths in motorsport crashes & found it was generally caused by a basilar skull fracture. Similar to how a neck breaks when people are hanged. The HANS system was designed to prevent this injured. Dale refused to wear it & unfortunately that’s exactly how he died.
@niagra898 You are doing more harm than good. You’ve been on here for the past 4 months making contradictory statements, arguing with people, putting other’s thoughts and opinions down as if yours is the only one that is right simply because you quote the Bible. As a fellow believer in Christ, please stop and seek discernment. You are doing more harm than good.
I still find it very endearing how Senna/F1 fans felt this deep inside, like, it hit home hard. It showed that no matter how much we are at each other’s throats thinking that our sport is better, a death is still a death. Especially Earnhardt’s that felt eerily similar to Senna’s, just in the way it happened.
Still makes me shed a tear every time. Dale Earnhardt is one of the single biggest reasons why people have ever watched NASCAR. May he forever be racing in heaven along side some of the other greats who have fallen doing what they love.
I was there that day… I can remember how quiet it got… a sad day in NASCAR for sure, he was and still is my favorite driver… his legacy lives on in Dale Jr. 3
@Elegant Elliott Offen sad to say buy I saw maybe the worst wreck ever at the grand nationals modifieds in phx. The guy hit the wall so hard than the car obliterated like a grenade.. 8 seconds later parts were still falling to the ground 200 yards away. We could here the rescue crew over a radio a guy in front of us had and they were saying “Oh my God, both hos eyes are popped out of his head”. About a week later we read in the paper that he had broken 68 bones.. his skull, back, both arms and legs, all ribs.. and popped his eyes out from the impact. But HE LIVED
@joshy the hand It’s tragic. You’re right, there have been much worse crashes that people have walked away from unscathed, but we are delicate bags of meat and NASCAR was still an archaic kind of motorsport at the time because no one liked the idea of using neck supports. The crash looked tame from a distance, but inside that cage, it did violence to his skull and the poor guy had no chance. Only after all that did everyone in NASCAR finally budge on the lack of safety regulations.
I wasn’t a Dale fan but he was one of the faces of the sport and I’ll never forget that day. I’ll always remember, he said something to the effect of : “It doesn’t matter if they’re cheering you or booing you, as long as they’re making noise.”
The immediate look on Darrell’s face shows that he knows, in the back of his mind, what might have just happened. Even all these years later it makes me want to cry.
@snavis so there’s this innate human emotion known as “empathy”. It is perfectly normal to feel the emotions of others, especially for a particularly emotional event. Im just guessing you have some repressed demons yourself and would love someone to relate to
One of the darkest days in motorsport. I remember it like it was yesterday. It stirred the same feelings in me when Senna crashed at Imola. Their talent and personalities transcended the sport. Both icons lost in front of our eyes and the sadness persists.
I rarely watch racing and I saw that crash. You see crazy wrecks all the time in Nascar, this one didn’t look serious. It showed a member of his pit crew run to the car and when he saw him- the way he took off running away, I knew it was bad. What a sad moment.
https://youtu.be/xWvhzGvyPOs KDad514 one of the darkest days? Dude have you seen this compilation of all the nascar Deaths? Luckily Dales death was Most likely quick and painless unlike all the other drivers in that video link i posted who were mostly incinerated alive
I remember this race well. My first reaction after the crash was being so mad that Dale Sr was robbed of possibly his last chance at a Daytona 500 win. I was happy for Michael walltrip though. Always liked him.
But Dale Earnhardt was my favourite driver. As an eleven year old kid, this was pretty devastating for me. I still got all my Earnhardt diecast cars from his pink K-2 car and a few wrangler cars to the iconic Black 3 cars.
He wasn’t retiring after that year. He was wanting to race for another 5-10 years he said… So it wasn’t anywhere close to his last chance at winning Daytona.
@motorbreathjz Steve Irwin death still gets to me. I never followed nascar however. I’m honestly just finding out that dale Earnhardt is dead TBH. That’s how much I follow it lol. But it’s tragic to learn even after all these years.
@Jking 0.o and then you watch old clips of terri and bindi shortly after his passing and its like how did they keep going on with life being surrounded by steves work.. all of his things in the house.. his face all over the park.. what a dark dark time that musta been.. all you can do is think of is the upper room.. with the big guy above.. our real home..
I remember watching that live, Ken Schrader’s post race interview was just as heartbreaking. I knew something was bad wrong by the look on his face. I wasn’t an Earnhardt fan, but never wanted anything bad to happen to him.
The fact that Dale went out seeing both his son and protégé barrelling towards the finish line in the #1 and 2 spots leaves me with an unimaginable sense of satisfaction. Like a wise guru sacrificing himself for his students he went out like a true champion.
I can’t believe some people are throwing blame around some died and you have the audacity to say it’s his fault
If he wore the HANS device he may still have died you will never know this would is fucked because people take any chance to try and sound smart
@Luke Franey The Hans device had nothing to do with it. Him racing back and forth dangerously trying to block the faster cars is what caused the wreck. It was a hundred percent Dale’s fault for driving like that. Go watch the ending. Way before the wreck. His dangerous driving could have got more people killed.
I was really young when this happened, and I’m just now watching this crash for the first time. And the fact that one of the last things Dale Sr. saw was his son reaching the finish line? Dear God, that just pulls at my heartstrings. :'(
Rest in Paradise, Dale Sr.
This still shakes me. Watching that Black 3 car, as I grew up… Ken Squire said, “We were 8 seconds away from the greatest Daytona 500, in history.” If that doesn’t just tear your guts out. Other then losing my father in ’05, and our dogs, this ranks up there. It was like hearing Superman man had died, you just couldn’t imagine it ever being true.
64 comments
When one of NASCAR’s greatest moments became one of NASCAR’s darkest moments.
R.I.P. Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001)
Just don’t say rip dale earnhardt sr on facebook or it will break the guidelines
Notice how they say “one of”? Thanks for reiterating, I guess.
Repent to Jesus Christ
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
J
Far to short a life.He was a true legend
I remember this day. I was a junior in high school. I didn’t watch the race but I heard about it afterwards and kept ESPN on all night. A legend gone too soon.
I feel awful for Michael Waltrip… After 16 years of trying he finally wins, only to lose his friend and mentor… that’s gotta be rough.
@Know 1 What?
@Superdragon I believe they were wondering who the other Death was? I’m guessin you’re referring to Nascar???
@Harris Mustang281 Nope it was an ARCA crash at Charlotte eight months later
Seems to be the way it goes… even in formula 1, dad crashes but son gets his first win. God works in mysterious ways.
thats terrible
My parents were at this race… I remember they didn’t get home until way after midnight, everyone stayed at the track until they made an announcement… only a few times I’ve ever seen my dad cry… this was one of those moments.
Sorry to warn you but your dad might be gay
You know your dad likes nascar with a name like shantel
Your dad is no man.
Sounds like a bad dad with no emotion. Over a man he never met but you didn’t see him cry often wtf
@Anthony Lombardi people like you piss me off if you don’t know what your talking about don’t comment and act like a duesch bag
They’d investigated deaths in motorsport crashes & found it was generally caused by a basilar skull fracture. Similar to how a neck breaks when people are hanged. The HANS system was designed to prevent this injured. Dale refused to wear it & unfortunately that’s exactly how he died.
@Delaney Or over confident
@niagra898 You are doing more harm than good. You’ve been on here for the past 4 months making contradictory statements, arguing with people, putting other’s thoughts and opinions down as if yours is the only one that is right simply because you quote the Bible. As a fellow believer in Christ, please stop and seek discernment. You are doing more harm than good.
why didn’t Nascar make it mandatory?
I don’t think it had come out yet when he was racing and they made it because of the accident
RIP and long live Dale Earnhardt Sr. (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001), aged 49
You will always be remembered as a legend.
I watched this race live when I was 8 years old, my mom was a huge Earnhardt fan and I will never forget the look on her face when this happened.
I still find it very endearing how Senna/F1 fans felt this deep inside, like, it hit home hard. It showed that no matter how much we are at each other’s throats thinking that our sport is better, a death is still a death. Especially Earnhardt’s that felt eerily similar to Senna’s, just in the way it happened.
I mean yeah for sure. After all when a 7 time Winston Cup points Champion dies like that its kind of a big deal.
Damn.
Still makes me shed a tear every time. Dale Earnhardt is one of the single biggest reasons why people have ever watched NASCAR. May he forever be racing in heaven along side some of the other greats who have fallen doing what they love.
God bless you brother
I was there that day… I can remember how quiet it got… a sad day in NASCAR for sure, he was and still is my favorite driver… his legacy lives on in Dale Jr. 3
The last turn. The last lap. The last car he saw was his son. In the biggest race in NASCAR. Poetic.
I know right? You see guys roll in cars and land on their roofs and they walk away.
@Elegant Elliott Offen sad to say buy I saw maybe the worst wreck ever at the grand nationals modifieds in phx. The guy hit the wall so hard than the car obliterated like a grenade.. 8 seconds later parts were still falling to the ground 200 yards away. We could here the rescue crew over a radio a guy in front of us had and they were saying “Oh my God, both hos eyes are popped out of his head”. About a week later we read in the paper that he had broken 68 bones.. his skull, back, both arms and legs, all ribs.. and popped his eyes out from the impact. But HE LIVED
@joshy the hand plz kill me if I ever live thru that. It would be a mercy.
@joshy the hand It’s tragic. You’re right, there have been much worse crashes that people have walked away from unscathed, but we are delicate bags of meat and NASCAR was still an archaic kind of motorsport at the time because no one liked the idea of using neck supports. The crash looked tame from a distance, but inside that cage, it did violence to his skull and the poor guy had no chance. Only after all that did everyone in NASCAR finally budge on the lack of safety regulations.
I wasn’t a Dale fan but he was one of the faces of the sport and I’ll never forget that day. I’ll always remember, he said something to the effect of : “It doesn’t matter if they’re cheering you or booing you, as long as they’re making noise.”
The immediate look on Darrell’s face shows that he knows, in the back of his mind, what might have just happened. Even all these years later it makes me want to cry.
@snavis so there’s this innate human emotion known as “empathy”. It is perfectly normal to feel the emotions of others, especially for a particularly emotional event. Im just guessing you have some repressed demons yourself and would love someone to relate to
@snavis you’re a clown
@snavisthank you so many comments are people trying to put there two cents in. Something terrible happened leave it at that
He’s excited for his brother not concerned for dale! If you knew the rivalry and how much he wanted his brother to win he was that happy!
One of the darkest days in motorsport. I remember it like it was yesterday. It stirred the same feelings in me when Senna crashed at Imola. Their talent and personalities transcended the sport. Both icons lost in front of our eyes and the sadness persists.
At least he died doing what he loved. R.I.P Dale Earnhardt
I rarely watch racing and I saw that crash. You see crazy wrecks all the time in Nascar, this one didn’t look serious. It showed a member of his pit crew run to the car and when he saw him- the way he took off running away, I knew it was bad. What a sad moment.
https://youtu.be/xWvhzGvyPOs KDad514 one of the darkest days? Dude have you seen this compilation of all the nascar Deaths? Luckily Dales death was Most likely quick and painless unlike all the other drivers in that video link i posted who were mostly incinerated alive
@MGr0man trying to wreck other drivers?
I remember this race well. My first reaction after the crash was being so mad that Dale Sr was robbed of possibly his last chance at a Daytona 500 win. I was happy for Michael walltrip though. Always liked him.
But Dale Earnhardt was my favourite driver. As an eleven year old kid, this was pretty devastating for me. I still got all my Earnhardt diecast cars from his pink K-2 car and a few wrangler cars to the iconic Black 3 cars.
He wasn’t retiring after that year. He was wanting to race for another 5-10 years he said… So it wasn’t anywhere close to his last chance at winning Daytona.
@motorbreathjz Steve Irwin death still gets to me. I never followed nascar however. I’m honestly just finding out that dale Earnhardt is dead TBH. That’s how much I follow it lol. But it’s tragic to learn even after all these years.
@Jking 0.o and then you watch old clips of terri and bindi shortly after his passing and its like how did they keep going on with life being surrounded by steves work.. all of his things in the house.. his face all over the park.. what a dark dark time that musta been.. all you can do is think of is the upper room.. with the big guy above.. our real home..
@motorbreathjz I really like your perspective.
I remember watching that live, Ken Schrader’s post race interview was just as heartbreaking. I knew something was bad wrong by the look on his face. I wasn’t an Earnhardt fan, but never wanted anything bad to happen to him.
I didn’t like Dale much, but Kenny was my #2 favorite. Seeing him that tore up even at 5 years old I knew it was real.
The moment where he says “I just hope Dale is okay” with that quiver in his voice and the knowledge we have of the incident, it just hurts my heart.
It’s so sad because you can tell how happy he is for the winner but concerned for Dale at the same time. Conflicting emotions. Such raw emotions.
mine too
The fact that Dale went out seeing both his son and protégé barrelling towards the finish line in the #1 and 2 spots leaves me with an unimaginable sense of satisfaction. Like a wise guru sacrificing himself for his students he went out like a true champion.
– RIP Dale Earnhardt. Legends never die.
I can’t believe some people are throwing blame around some died and you have the audacity to say it’s his fault
If he wore the HANS device he may still have died you will never know this would is fucked because people take any chance to try and sound smart
@Luke Franey The Hans device had nothing to do with it. Him racing back and forth dangerously trying to block the faster cars is what caused the wreck. It was a hundred percent Dale’s fault for driving like that. Go watch the ending. Way before the wreck. His dangerous driving could have got more people killed.
@Luke Franey Auto racing is BARBARIC!!! They’re ALL NUTS!!!!!
@R Voit that is a factual statement
He is a legend of life
I was really young when this happened, and I’m just now watching this crash for the first time. And the fact that one of the last things Dale Sr. saw was his son reaching the finish line? Dear God, that just pulls at my heartstrings. :'(
Rest in Paradise, Dale Sr.
This still shakes me. Watching that Black 3 car, as I grew up… Ken Squire said, “We were 8 seconds away from the greatest Daytona 500, in history.” If that doesn’t just tear your guts out. Other then losing my father in ’05, and our dogs, this ranks up there. It was like hearing Superman man had died, you just couldn’t imagine it ever being true.