The dawn of February 18th began to lit the infield of Daytona International Speedway shortly after 6am. If the beginning of the day was any indication, this was going to be a tremendous day to ring in the 2001 Winston Cup racing season. The sun shown brightly as life at the speedway began to stir.
I was walking through the infield among the many motorcoaches many of the drivers called home during speedweeks. I turned the corner to one of the coaches and froze dead in my tracks. There, sitting on a folding chair outside a coach was none other than Dale Earnhardt. Noone was around and I didn't know how to react. Like a bear sensing immediate fear from it's prey, Dale looked up and sized me up for a long moment. I apologized for intruding and excused myself. "What, no autograph request?", he said quickly. I didn't know what to say or do. Looking back, I must have looked like a bumbling idiot.
Having met Dale several times in the past, I knew how temperamental he could be, especially when he was trying to enjoy a private moment to himself, out of the public eye. But on this morning, Dale was very hospitable. "Git over here and relax.", he said. With that trademark half grin of his, Dale immediately broke the tension and I walked over and took a seat.
Amazingly, Dale and I almost immediately struck up a conversation starting with the promise of good weather for the race. We talked about the fishing on Lake Norman, the completion of DEI's state of the art facility. We talked about personal relationships and even our faith in God.
As we talked, I sensed one thing more than anything else. On this morning, Dale didn't want to talk about his chances for winning the Daytona 500. He didn't want to talk about Tony Stewart beating him in the 125 qualifier. On this morning, Dale only wanted to talk about things away from the high banks of Daytona. On this early Sunday morning, Dale was not a race car driver. He wasn't the "Intimidator". On this morning Dale was a regular guy just shooting the breeze with a guy about the outdoors, fishing, and simple things in life. If one had never heard of Dale Earnhardt and his reputation as the fiercest competitor to ever sit behind the wheel, they would never believe it was him sitting in front of me on this morning.
After almost a half hour of chatting, Dale reluctantly told me he had to get going and get ready for the day's festivities. As I was getting ready to go, he invited me to enjoy the race from his pits. Without hesitation I accepted his offer. I spent the rest of the morning walking through the garage area and making my way through souvenier row among the colorful haulers displaying the colors of Nascar's elite.
Finally it was time to make my way across the track again and try to make my way to the pits. As I walked toward the pits, I worried that security wouldn't let me in to Dale's pits. As I showed my pit pass to the security and police officers, I waited for the inevitable reply, "Sorry, but this is a restricted area." But it never came. I was shown where to go and I proceeded to the pits and to my new seat for the 500.
I remember the driver introductions and the eternity it seemed to take for Dale to come down pit road. Finally Dale began his journey with Teresa and Dale Jr. toward his car on pit road. Teresa held Dale's hand as they walked. Dale was smiling and joking. The smart remarks flowing as he walked pat the pits of his competitors. When Dale got to Kyle Petty's pit, he walked over to Kyle. I watched as Dale leaned over and said something in Kyle's ear. Whatever was said must have really touched Kyle. Kyle hugged the Intimidator, and Dale hugged him back. I remember thinking just how human Dale was afterall. After a long embrace, Dale again made his way to the Gm Goodwrench Chevrolet. When he got to the car, he and Dale Jr. joked about something and he ruffled Jr.'s hair playfully. With that Dale Jr. made his way to his car leaving Teresa alone with Dale. Dale and Teresa talked quietly for a few moments. After their conversation, I watched as Dale kissed Teresa and embraced her. Looking back, as I watched them, it seemed like Dale kissed her a bit longer and held her a bit closer. He climbed into his car and strapped himself in. The reporters and cameras were surrounding his car like sharks preying on fresh meat. Dale gave the cordial interviews from inside the race car and waved to his crew and Teresa as the commands to fire engine was given.
As the cars rolled off pit road, I could hardly contain the excitement I had as I was going to witness the Daytona 500 from a hallowed place inside the speedway. The race began and I settled in for the exciting action unfolding before me. The last time I actually saw Dale was during a pit stop. He actually looked over and I saw that wry smile as his car was serviced. I gave him a thumbs up and in an instant he was gone down pit road.
The big crash brought everyone to their feet. Everyone was on the pit road wall trying to see who was involved. Richard Childress breathed a sigh of relief when he got word from Dale over the radio telling him he wasn't involved. As the race wound down and the battle began to take shape for the win, we all watched as Waltrip and Jr. broke away from the rest of the field. As they came around for the final lap, it was obvious Dale wasn't in a position to win. We watched as the 15 and the 8 car came through the trioval. The screams of hundreds of thousands of fans couldn't hide the horrible impact of a massive crash in the 4th turn of the speedway. I looked over and watched in horror as Dale's #3 Goodwrench Monte Carlo slid down the banking into the grass with Kenny Schrader's car impaled in the passenger side.
I remember listening on the scanner as Richard Childress tried to raise Dale on the radio. There was nothing but a chilling silence. There was speculation that the radios were knocked out from the impact. I watched as the emergency crews made their way to what they thought was just another routine crash where the driver would walk to the ambulance. My first inclination it was much more serious was when I saw the fire trucks and heavy rescue truck rolling down pit road. Kenny Schrader was surrounded by the media as he was trying to get to the pits. By now Jr. had made it to pit road and Kenny whispered in his ear. I watched as Jr. took off running to the infield care center as fast as he could. By now the tarps were up surrounding Dale's car as rescue workers began cutting away the roof of Dale's car. The most chilling thing I'll remember about that day was how quiet the race fans got as they looked toward turn 4 and saw the events unfolding before them. The cheers were suddenly silenced.
Even the track announcer gradually stopped talking as they worked on Dale's car.
My heart began to sink. I thought back to Talladega 1997 when Dale was involved in the viscious wreck just past the start/finish line. Surely Dale will climb out of this and wave to the crowd again. Several long minutes passed. An eternity actually. By now noone could see the car and what was going on. A Nascar official came over and told Richard Childress something and he immediately disappeared. I stood in the background, away from everyone and waited and wondered. I was able to see the ambulance finally pulling away from the wreck and make it's way across the track to the gates. I knew then that this crash was far more serious than I had imagined.
I was sitting at the airport in Daytona waiting for my flight. Noone had heard anything about Dale's condition. The tv's were on ESPN, local news...any channel that might have news of Dale. Everyone was asking everyone else if they had heard anything about Dale. As I was making my way down the concourse, the announcement was made over the public address system. It was 7:13 according to my watch. "Could I have your attention in the terminal please. It is with much sadness that we announce that Dale Earnhardt, the 7 time Winston Cup Champion, has died as a result of injuries sustained in a crash on the last lap of today's Daytona 500." I remember my body going numb. Tears immediately filled my eyes and I watched as other people stopped in their tracks. My world as I knew it was changed forever. The man I had followed since the beginning of his racing career was gone. A member of my family was gone. The void was like the Grand Canyon.
Well, it's November now. the Winston Cup season is winding down. Throughout the year Dale's fans have weathered one controvery after another. From the threat of Autopsy photos being published in tabloid newspapers to controvery surrounding broken seat belts that may have contributed to Dale's death, to the controversy of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win in the Pepsi 400, it has been one firestorm after another. As I sit here tonight, I wonder how happy Dale is now as he looks down and sees the turmoil surrounding his passing. I know Dale wouldn't want us to carry on like this. But, in the same instant, I don't believe Dale realized how much he meant to so many people. Dale has been compared to Elvis Pressley in terms of popularity. But, I don't like that comparison. To me and all of Dale's fans, Dale was more than just a popular driver. Dale was FAMILY. Dale was loved and honored in ways some will never comprehend. There's not a day that goes by that a tear doesn't fall from my face as I think about Dale. The lasting image I have of Dale though is not of him slamming into the wall at 190mph. The lasting image I have is of him, Jr., and Teresa on pit road just before he climbed into the car. That image to me reminded me of just how human Dale Earnhardt was. And the way Dale was taken from us showed everyone how unselfish he could be. For the first time in the public eye, Dale showed everyone he WAS a caring and unselfish person.
I guess in the end he proved to everyone what had been so hard to show. Dale Earnhardt, the "Intimidator", "Ironhead", was human afterall.
And if Dale could read this, I want him to know that he is missed more than anything in the world. And if given the chance, I would have gladly changed places with him on that fateful Sunday afternoon in Daytona. Dale's fans carry on as best we can. Some days are rougher than others, but we manage to come out on top, just like Dale did time and time again. I guess the most important trait Dale left for his dedicated fans was the attitude to never give up, regardless of how bad the situation looks.
We miss you Dale. May God keep you in His tender, loving care until we all meet at the big superspeedway in the sky. Godspeed.
