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Daytona Crash Kills
Nascar's Greatest Hero
The beloved Intimidator of NASCAR's Winston Cup series crashed hard into the wall during Sunday's
final lap at the Daytona 500. Earnhardt was third at the time of the wreck and to the drivers for the New team that he owned. Michael
Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. running 1-2. Waltrip wins his first race, but the sport loses one of its greatest legend.
1951-2001
Dale Earnhardt
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Michael
Waltrip Wins Tragic Daytona 500
Michael Waltrip celebrates his victory before
learning
that his boss and friend Dale Earnhardt was killed. (AP)
SportsLine.com wire reports
Waltrip's win
overshadowed by tragedy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt, the greatest
stock car star of his era, was killed in a crash on the last turn of the last
lap of Sunday's Daytona 500 as he tried to protect teammate Michael Waltrip's
victory. The 49-year-old driver had to be cut from his battered car and was
rushed to Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries.
"He had what I felt were life-ending type injuries at the time of impact and
nothing could be done for him," said Dr. Steve Bohannon, an emergency physician
at the hospital who also works for Daytona International Speedway. Michael
Waltrip celebrates his victory before learning that his boss and friend Dale
Earnhardt was killed. (AP)
Earnhardt, considered a master of super
speedway racing, was locked in a battle for third place as his newest driver,
Waltrip, and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., headed toward the finish line for what
should have been the most triumphant moment in the brief history of Dale
Earnhardt, Inc. The accident happened a half-mile from the finish of the
NASCAR season-opener. Earnhardt, running fourth in his famed black No. 3
Chevrolet, grazed Sterling Marlin's car while fighting for position. He crashed
into the concrete wall at the fourth turn going about 180 mph, and was smacked
hard by Ken Schrader's car. "I guess someone got into Dale because Dale got
into me and then we went up," Schrader said. "We hit pretty hard and Dale hit
harder." The scene was grim as safety workers removed Earnhardt from the car,
and the accident removed all the luster from a glittering race that kept the
record crowd of 195,000 spectators on their feet most of the afternoon. Many
of them were well on their way home when NASCAR president Mike Helton made the
announcement, about 90 minutes after the race ended. "This is understandably
the hardest announcement I've ever had to make," Helton said. "We've lost Dale
Earnhardt."
Fans in and around the sprawling speedway wept after hearing the
news. The death of Earnhardt left NASCAR reeling in the wake of a 2000 season
in which three of its young stars were killed in separate accidents.
Adam
Petty, the fourth generation of stock car racing's most famous family, and Kenny
Irwin died in crashes two months apart at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Tony
Roper was killed later in the year in a crash during a truck race at Texas Motor
Speedway. All three died of the same type of head injuries that apparently
killed Earnhardt. Following those deaths, safety had become a front-burner
issue for the sport, with an ongoing debate over possible rule changes and the
use of new safety equipment. The death completely overshadowed the victory by
Waltrip, his first in 15 years and 463 starts in Winston Cup racing.
At
first, Waltrip, the younger brother of retired three-time champion Darrell
Waltrip, was jubilant, scrambling from his car in Victory Lane and shouting in a
raspy voice: "This is the Daytona 500, and I won it! I won the Daytona 500! I
can't believe it!". But he was somber as it became apparent that his new boss
was badly injured. "The only reason I won this race is Dale Earnhardt,"
Waltrip said.
The race, with two- and three-wide driving and constantly
changing positions, was also interrupted by a 21-car crash that sent Tony
Stewart's car flying through the air. He, too, was taken to the hospital, where
he was diagnosed with a concussion. Waltrip took the lead 16 laps from the
end of the 200-lap race at Daytona International Speedway and stayed in front,
with Earnhardt Jr. and the elder Earnhardt protecting his flank. "I thought
it might be too bold or bragging to say we could win it in our first race as a
team," Waltrip said. "But I thought we could. "I could never have won without
Dale Jr.," he added. "I could never have won without the belief of Dale Sr."
Thanks to the aerodynamic package that NASCAR came up with to promote better
racing after last year's yawner at Daytona, the 43rd version of the stock car
Super Bowl produced 49 lead changes among 14 drivers. Last year, there were just
nine lead changes and virtually no real racing. The first race with the new
super speedway aero package, last October at Talladega Super speedway, was just
as breathtaking. It had 49 lead changes and race-long action, but the drivers
somehow avoided what seemed inevitable -- a big crash. Not this time.
On
lap 174, Stewart went flying and cars were crashing and spinning all over the
back straightaway. When it was over, eight of last year's top 10 in the final
points, including champion Bobby Labonte and three-time and defending Daytona
winner Dale Jarrett, were knocked out of the race or had severe car damage.
"There was no getting through it. It was like a wall of cars," said Jeff Gordon,
a two-time Daytona winner. Not everyone was happy with the tight, tense
racing. "Not a lot of fun," said Jarrett, whose Ford never got into
contention. "It just wasn't a good day. That's no fun for me at all. I mean,
you're totally at the mercy of someone else when you get three-wide. That's not
racing."
Rusty Wallace, also involved in the big crash, finished the race
with a jagged piece of sheet metal sticking from the side of his car. He wound
up third, followed by Ricky Rudd and pole-winner Bill Elliott in the highest
finishing Dodge.
This was the official return of the automaker to NASCAR's
top series after a 16-year absence. It appeared one of the new Dodge Intrepid
might win the race with Burton and Marlin dominating at times.
Burton's race
ended with the car on a flatbed truck after the wreck, while a punctured tire
nearly ended Marlin's chances. The multi-crash accident actually helped Marlin
move back into contention, but he faded at the end and wound up giving new
NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi a seventh-place finish.
Associated Press News
Service
Copyright 2001, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. -- Minutes after taking the checkered flag in the Daytona 500, the
greatest moment in his 15-year career, Michael Waltrip was all but forgotten.
Elation turned to grief as word came that Dale Earnhardt, Waltrip's longtime
friend and competitor and his new car owner, was dead, killed in a last-lap
crash.
The post race press conference for the younger brother of retired
three-time champion Darrell Waltrip was cut short as an official from the Dale
Earnhardt, Inc., team quickly ushered the winner out of the Daytona
International Speedway press box.
In the immediate aftermath of the race, in
which he won for the first time in 463 Winston Cup starts, Waltrip celebrated in
Victory Lane, saying, "I won the Daytona 500. I can't believe it." Waltrip,
considered by many the best Winston Cup driver never to have won a race, got the
best chance of his career over the winter when Earnhardt, who continued to drive
for Richard Childress Racing, hired Waltrip as a teammate to Earnhardt Jr. and
Steve Park at DEI.
Waltrip started 19th in the 43-car field and moved into
contention late in the race, taking the lead for good 16 laps from the end of
the 200-lap event. Asked when he knew he had a real chance to finally win a
points race, the 37-year-old Waltrip said, "I couldn't believe it was playing
out. I finally believed I was going to win with five to go. I put myself in
position to do it and I did a good job protecting the lead." Through most of
the late going Waltrip's flanks were protected by Earnhardt Jr. and the elder
Earnhardt, who fended off a series of challengers as they tried to set up their
own last-lap battle.
"We were all just trying to get to the end and then sort
it out," Waltrip said. But, by the time he was brought to the press
conference, his mood had turned somber. "My heart is hurting right now,"
Waltrip said. "I would rather be any place right this moment than here. It's so
painful."
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2001, The
Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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UPDATE: Stunned Racing Community Lauds Simpson Turner Sports Interactive By Dave
Rodman DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- On the day after he announced his resignation from
the racing safety equipment company that bears his name, Bill Simpson was lauded
as an innovator and a great friend, not only to the sport but to its
participants, who admitted they were shocked by the news. Simpson, 61, announced
his resignation -- which had been tendered two weeks previously Tuesday evening
after holding a 30-minute live chat on NASCAR.com. On Wednesday afternoon, a
reporter gave Ward Burton the word, Todd Bodine found out on the evening news
and Jerry Nadeau refused to believe it was true until he had a chance to speak
to Simpson himself. After years of literally putting their lives in Simpson’s
hands, to a man an informal poll of stock car drivers Wednesday said it would be
hard to replace the man. He was the innovator of so many things in the realm of
safety, said Nadeau, who had experience with equipment from Simpson Performance
Products first in open-wheel cars and later in stock cars. He was the guy who
came up with a lot of new technology in helmets and gloves and fireproof stuff.
His input has been a big aspect to each and every one of us in the sport. He’s
been one of the leaders in the industry from well before I came on the scene,
said Burton, who felt he was saved from more serious injury by wearing a head
and neck restraint system developed by Simpson when he was involved in a crash
last spring at California Speedway. He’s a good guy who put his whole heart and
soul into the company. We’ll all suffer a little bit from his absence, but if I
know Bill Simpson, he won’t be out of the sport for too long. I’ve been loyal to
Bill Simpson ever since I met him, and I don’t see that changing at all.
Simpson, who said after a short hiatus from the sport that he would quite likely
re-enter the safety equipment realm, said Tuesday evening the emotional toll of
being involved with the company on a daily basis had become more than he wanted
to bear. Simpson sold two-thirds of the company that he started some 30 years
ago about three and a half years ago. He remains the owner of one-third of the
company. Simpson, who started his involvement in the sport as a driver, was
particularly stung by the death on the final lap of February’s Daytona 500 of
seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, who he called a good
friend. Five days after the accident, NASCAR held a news conference to announce
it had found a separated seat belt, manufactured by Simpson Performance
Products, in Earnhardt’s car. I find it unfortunate that Bill has found himself
in a position that this is necessary, 1999 Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett
said in another NASCAR.com chat on Wednesday afternoon. I have always used and
feel comfortable using his equipment. I use his helmets and seatbelts and I have
been fortunate with them. I am a friend of Bill’s and it is unfortunate it has
come to this point. I hope he will reconsider. He has done more for safety in
our sport than anyone else. We owe him more than we could repay. If he stays
retired from this, we will miss him -- but he needs to know that he was an
innovator and we have tremendous respect for him. Bill’s experience and
knowledge of racing in general -- because he was a driver he understands that
aspect of it -- is invaluable, Bodine said. You can’t put a price on it. Even
after the statement by NASCAR (about Earnhardt's separated lap belt) -- I know
in my heart and in my gut there was nothing wrong with the seatbelt -- something
was done to it or it was not properly mounted. I hope he does stay involved in
the sport -- especially in the safety area. He really cares and his knowledge of
our sport is a tremendous asset to it. Even NASCAR, whose investigation into
Earnhardt’s crash continues toward a highly anticipated resolution either later
this month or in early September, praised the man. Bill Simpson has contributed
immeasurably to the safety of motorsports over the past 30 years, NASCAR
president Mike Helton said. His many innovations are a testament to his ingenuity and passion for our sport and we wish him well. For his part, Nadeau was not looking forward to lifearound the tracks without
Simpson, who he credited with welcoming him to the
Charlotte, N.C., area some six years ago when Nadeau relocated from Connecticut to pursue a stock car career. Bill is a great guy -- I like Bill a lot, Nadeau said, recalling his first holiday season in North Carolina. I didn’t have a place to go for Thanksgiving -- no money, no family. Bill called me up and invited me out to his place at the lake. He had what you might call a poor boy Thanksgiving party -- there must’ve been a hundred people over there a lot young guys who were trying to break into the sport on different levels. Bill’s been around a long time. He brought the safety issue up all through the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and into the future. He’s done a lot for us -- he’s done a lot for this sport. And after paying him the ultimate compliment, Nadeau said Simpson deserved to spend some time with his children and grandchildren, which he said was his short-term goal. I think he’s done enough for the sport on the safety aspect that he needs to probably enjoy a little bit of his life, Nadeau said. Simpson has been good to me and my race team as far as making things better. I hope he has a good life, but I don’t see Bill sitting down too long. He’s too much of an innovator -- he just loves coming up with things.
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Below is an ESPN commercial in which a few different versions were made by well known
Nascar Cup Drivers.
The one I have here is of Dale Earnhardt and is truly the funniest of them all. I have made it available for download since
it was something that helped lift my spirits after Dale's crash. It was the only thing that kept me from being down after I witness the terrible crash at Daytona on live T.V. |
THE
DALE EARNHARDT'S
NASCAR - ESPN TV COMMERCIAL
DOGGY.ZIP
DOWNLOAD NOW
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THE LEGEND
Dale Earnhardt pages
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Dale Earnhardt & Family Quick Menu |
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ENTER |
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Transcript: Presentation of Earnhardt Accident Report |
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Teresa Earnhardt Interview - Feb.2003 w/(photos) |
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The Story - Part 1 w/New
in #3 car (photos) |
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The Story - Part 2 |
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Dale Earnhardt Statue is Unveiled w/(photos) |
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Dale Earnhardt Photo Legacy of Racing w/(photos) |
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Dale Earnhardt Final Career Stats |
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Dale Sr.'s ESPN TV Commercial |
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Dale Sr.'s Final Eulogy - Download |
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