In Memory of Dale Earnhardt

April 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001

I began watching NASCAR racing back in the late '80's when I was still in elementary school. I loved the racing and I liked watching all the racing shows on TNN like Inside Winston Cup Racing. Before too long, I had picked my favorite car to watch and gun for every weekend. The car I chose was none other than the black #3 driven by The Intimidator himself, Dale Earnhardt. A lot of fans in recent years were only fans because it was the "in" thing. I was a fan for a genuine reason. I just thought that the black #3 Chevy was the coolest thing running around on the track! It just happened to be that he was the best driver that NASCAR has ever seen and will probably ever see.

I guess another thing that I really liked about watching Dale motor around in the #3 car was his style. He drove that car as hard as it could possibly be done. He drove beyond the limits of the car and still kept it on the track. He had no fear, and MAN was he exciting to watch!

I watched him earn 6 of his 7 championships. I proudly proclaimed, "That's my driver!" to anyone who would care to listen. I stuck with him through the bad years in the late '90's when Gordon was taking it all. "He's lost it," people said. I never listened. He was just in a bad stretch. I had faith in my hero. I knew he would come back with a vengeance. I watched Dale fight year after year in February to try to finally win that one race that has eluded him all this time. In '97 at Daytona, I watched him roll and flip his car across the track and then, in true Intimidator style, get out of the ambulance and finish the race in his battered warhorse. Then, in '98 as I nervously watched the closing laps of the Daytona 500, the phone rang. "He's gonna win it!!!!" my friend exclaimed. And win he did. I felt a tear of joy as he took the checkered flag...finally in the Daytona 500. "The Intimidator" was back!

Earnhardt and his name were both growing stronger. In 2000 I was proud to watch in person as both Dale and Dale Jr. raced at Texas Motor Speedway and to see Dale Jr. earn his first ever Winston Cup win. It was a proud day for my idol and I as the younger generation was stepping up. Earnhardt proved in 2000 that he was not yet done racing. He was serious about winning that 8th championship and he was racing harder than ever. He finished 2nd to Bobby Labonte in the points race in 2000 and was ready to go all the way to the Cup in 2001.

2001 was going to be the year for Dale Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Inc had just taken on a 3rd Winston Cup team with Michael Waltrip driving the #15 NAPA Monte Carlo joining up with Dale Jr and Steve Park. To start the year off, Dale and Dale Jr. helped Andy Pilgrim drive their #3 Corvette to a 2nd in class finish in the 24hrs of Daytona. Dale enjoyed the race and I was looking forward to seeing him do it again next year. I watched as Eddie Cheever ran Dale into the grass at 185mph in the IROC race and Dale never missed a beat. He drove through the grass and right back up on the track without a blink. Cheever learned what happens when you mess with "The Man" when Dale nudged him and sent him spinning through the infield after the race was over. That was just the classic Earnhardt-style that made me such a fan.

Dale started the 2001 Daytona 500 from the 7th position. With him being the reigning king of restrictor plate races, I knew that we were in for a good day of racing. Earnhardt was near the front of the field all day long. Dale avoided the 19-car pileup near the end of the race that sent Tony Stewart skyward to land on Bobby Labonte's hood. At the restart, Dale and 2 of his 3 DEI cars, Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip were at the front of the pack and ready to battle it out. Michael Waltrip took the lead with 16 laps to go and never looked back. Dale Jr was hanging out in 2nd position with "The Intimidator" holding up 3rd. I just knew that the top 3 spots were going to have "Earnhardt" written all over them. Then, doing something that I've never seen Dale do before, Earnhardt changed rolls from "The Intimidator" and now became "The Protector." You see, Dale had tasted the victory at Daytona 3 years before. He knew what it was like. Dale Jr had never tasted the Daytona 500 and Waltrip had never tasted a points victory in 642 career starts. Dale Earnhardt did everything he could to hold back the charge of Sterling Marlin, Rusty Wallace, and Ken Schrader so that Little E and Mikey could battle it out amongst themselves for the win. Going through turn 4, it was Waltrip in front with Little E tailing in second. Big E was fighting to hold onto 3rd when he came down the track and was tapped by Marlin from the inside. Dale over corrected and went up the track collecting Ken Schrader's car on the way to the wall. The 2 cars ended up stopped in the grass inside turn 4. My friends and I were upset that he crashed and couldn't hold on to 3rd, but since Waltrip and Jr took the top 2 spots and Big E ended up with a 12th place finish, it was allright.

We watched as Michael Waltrip celebrated his first victory. It was good to see his older brother, Darrel, interviewing him and the joy in both of their eyes. But there was something else in Darrel's eyes. It was a look of concern. He was worried about Dale Earnhardt. Nothing was said about Dale after the race other than footage of Little E running towards the infield to check on his dad.

I had been out running errands with my mother and fiancee that afternoon. When we returned home, my fiancee was in the living room and I heard her screaming "NO!" I went to see what the fuss was about, and when I saw the TV, I just froze in shock. "It can't be!" I told myself. "They're wrong!" But I was the one who was wrong. Dale Earnhardt, "The Intimidator", the man who has been through everything that a driver can go through, was gone. It couldn't be, but it was. It was right there on nearly every channel. The impact with the wall in the final turn had taken his life instantly. It felt like someone had just kicked me in the chest. On February 18, 2001, my hero was tragically taken from this earth. Dale had gotten his final DNF.

I have shed many tears over this loss and I'm sure I'll shed many more before the hurting ends. It was always my dream to meet my hero someday. Now that day will never come. He was taken from my life before I ever had the oppurtunity. Even though I never met Dale Earnhardt, I felt as if I had known him personally for years. I shared my living room with him week after week. I had mementos of him all over my room...shirts, hats, cars, posters, calendars...I was a die hard fan, and I felt a connection with Dale.

A young fan places flowers at the memorial created by fans outside the DEI headquarters in Mooresville, NC.

On February 19, 2001, I wore a Dale Earnhardt hat and shirt for the last time. I took them off that evening and put them up. I will bring them out again once I have a proper place to display all of my Earnhardt memorabilia.

On February 20, 2001, a local radio station had a banner made up to send to the Earnhardt family. With a pain in my heart and tears in my eyes, I paid my respects and signed the banner and said good-bye to a legend.

The loss of Dale Earnhardt will forever change the face of NASCAR and Winston Cup racing. In many ways, Dale was bigger than all of NASCAR. His loss has left a huge void to fill. I will continue to watch NASCAR racing, though it will be hard to watch those Sunday Winston Cup races without my man in the black #3 trading paint with everyone. I will be watching though. I know Dale would want me to. I'll just have to support Dale Jr now more than ever.

Rest In Peace Ralph Dale Earnhardt. The checkered flag will forever be flying for "The Intimidator" in the hearts of all your fans. We love you, Dale!

"#3 in the clouds"
This picture was taken near the DEI headquarters in Mooresville, NC. It gave me chills. Coincidence or not, it is an amazing sight for any racing fan, whether they were Earnhardt fans or not.

A couple of fans stop to pay their final respects to Earnhardt on February 21, 2001. The items have been covered in plastic to protect them from the cold rain.

The memorial at TMS consists of flowers, pictures, signs and anything else that Dale's mourning fans are compelled to leave in honor of NASCAR's "Intimidator".

A group of fans gather to mourn the loss of the greatest driver ever. Some take pictures as a final souvenir by which they may remember him.

The American flag flies at half-mast as the black #3 Earnhardt flag flies proud in honor of "The Man".

Fans place flowers on a replica of the black #3 Earnhardt Monte Carlo at a memorial service held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 21, 2001.

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