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What should have been
the high light of Daytona history turned into one of
its most tragic events Sunday. On the final turn of
the last lap, the impossible became reality. One of
NASCAR's toughest competitors was taken from
us. Dale Earnhardt lost his life in a grinding crash
coming off turn 4 headed to the checkers. It is with
a heavy heart that we remember the Man in Black, and
pay tribute to his legacy.
February made me
shiver
with ever paper I'd deliver,
Bad news
on the doorstep...
I couldn't take one more step.
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
but something touched me deep inside.....
Don Mclean "American Pie"
Those lyrics were written by Don Mclean for the
fallen singers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the
Big Bopper some 30 years ago, yet after the running
of this years Daytona 500, those same haunting words
keep coming back to me. In a way, February 18th
could be called the Day Racing Died just as February
3rd is the Day the Music Died. One of racings most
celebrated and yes, controversial icons has left us.
Dale Earnhardt is gone. Those words seem somehow
incomprehensible. This is the man that was for years
was known as "One tough customer", "The
Intimidator", "The Man In Black". This was the man
that qualified at Watkins Glen with a broken
shoulder; flipped his car at Daytona and DROVE it
back..... he was Superman personified. Earnhardt's
reputation as one of the toughest men alive, inside
or out of a car wasn't just hype. The man was tough.
But, unfortunately as we all learned Sunday evening,
tough does not mean invincible.
Arguably one of, if not the best driver the sport has ever seen, Dale
will be deeply missed. To have seen him at work,
whether it was at the bull ring dirt tracks of
Concord or the high banks of Daytona, was to see a
master craftsman in action. Earnhardt's knack for
getting his car into and out of positions that most
drivers could only dream of was a site to behold.
Whether you were a fan of his or not, somehow your
eyes were drawn to that black 3 to see what he would
next. He was half of the show. It made no difference
whether he was leading or 10 laps down, he was still
out there hustling that car with the same tenacity
that lead to 7 Winston Cup Championships and 76 wins
overall.
As with his driving, there was no gray area in his popularity. You either
were or you weren't with him. You either came to
root him on or root against him, there was no
indifference when it came to matters of Dale. His
fans were among some of the most die hard loyal any
driver could ever hope to have. While Dale did have
his share of detractors, all had to nod in agreement
when discussing the mans tremendous abilities
behind the wheel.
But there was another side to Dale that came out occasionally from that
iron curtain he liked to hide behind. A playful, fun
loving side that when he dropped his guard, would
shine through. The stories of him and his late
friend Neil Bonnett are legendary, as are the
stories that are told of him and his good friend
Rusty Wallace. It was this side we saw late in the
race Sunday.
Ironically the last thing one would expect from Earnhardt will forever be
the thing he will be remembered for. In
uncharacteristic form Dale was a 180 mph roadblock,
holding up the faster cars of Sterlin Marlin and Ken
Shrader protecting his son and his other car of
Michael Waltrip, allowing them to decide the winner
amongst themselves. This ultimate act of
selflessness was what caused him to slip into the
pack and become involved in the maelstrom that
waited behind him. His two cars made it to the end,
but ultimately, Dale didn't.
As we all watched on T.V., we celebrated with Michael. We cheered the
underdog. It was a great Daytona 500, everything the
hype had built it up to be. But, there was still no
word from the three car. But it was Earnhardt.....
he can't be hurt. He has been through way worse and
passed it off as "one of them racing deals." But
still the nagging voice of Darrell Waltrip kept
playing over, "That's the ones that hurt you".... "
Dale's OK, ain't he?" But he wasn't....
If there is any consolation in the accident, it is in the fact that Dale
was where he wanted to be, in a racecar at Daytona,
racing some of his closest friends (Ken Shrader and
Rusty Wallace), all the while watching his car and
his son battle for the win in the Super Bowl of
NASCAR.
Dale has left us. He has left a tremendous void in the lives of millions
of people who cheered him on week in and week out.
He has left his loving wife and family. He has left
behind friends and colleagues alike. But he also
left us with hundreds of memories.
What Dale has gone on to is something much greater. He is now able to
spend time with his father, both of whom I know will
be watching over Dale Jr., and Kerry as they grow in
the sport. He has been re-united with his long time
friend, Neil Bonnett.I'm sure that Neil has staked
out the best fishing holes for the 2 of them.
Somewhere in my heart, I know God is a race fan, and you've got to
believe that right now, Harold Kinder is getting
ready to drop the flag as Elmo Langley leads them
off turn turn 4...... Can you imagine the spectacle
of Turner, Earnhardt, Weatherly, Allison, Roberts,
Kulwiki, Herb Thomas and all the others that have
gone before us in identically prepared Banjo Mathews
cars??? Man I can just imagine.
On a personal note..... If we can learn one thing from Earnhardt's
passing, I wish it could be this; Our time here on
Earth is limited. None of us know when it is up. So
before you go to bed tonight, be sure that you have
told those closest to you that you love them, and
that they are special to you. You may not get the
chance tomorrow. And keep the Earnhardt family in
your prayers as they go through this very difficult
time, as well as everyone else associated with this
sport we all love.
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