On February 18, 2001, fans of NASCAR around the United States. People of all ages, race and religion, watched either at a tailgate party, in their RVs in in the infield or on NASCAR on FOX's first telecast (with Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip) the Daytona 500. To most people, everyone expected the Daytona 500 to be like every other year, wrecks, great passes and great finishes. Yet on that day, the finish everyone had hoped for, came at a price. Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator himself, driving the GM Goodwrench #3 for Richard Childress Racing, comes out of Turn 3 on Lap 199 in third, and a whole pack of cars led by Rusty Wallace and Sterling Marlin on his tale. Sterling's Coors Light Silver Bullet #40 taps the back end of Earnhardt, who drops down and turns up, avoiding Rusty and crashing head-on into the Turn 4 wall, along with the #36 M&Ms car of Ken Schrader. Earnhardt and Schrader's cars came down the tracks and came to rest in the infield. The race had ended, with Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Junior first and second. This was Michael Waltrip's first win in 463 attempts. However, all of this, you could see Darrell Waltrip really on the verge of crying on air, for his brother winning his first race in his career and the fact that Dale Earnhardt had never left his car after the wreck. That's part of the story.
People asked me why I remember February 18, 2001 so well. I remember that day, age 9, I was home sick from having fun with friends and tuned on FOX 5, our local affiliate to see the running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prized race. I watched all 200 laps and 500 miles. Yet, the feeling that it left me to see Dale Earnhardt had not left the car and was on his way to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. The thoughts going through my head, although only age 9, were very depressing. Around 5:15 or so, the news telecast broke-in. I was upstairs in my parents room, lying on my parents bed and watching the small TV in their room. I know the telecast had been interrupted and they talked about Dale's death. I couldn't make it through half of the telecast without busting into tears. The loss of Earnhardt was just heartbreaking. My parents had to calm me down, but I had basically melted down on the blankets in tears, it was just that depressing.
Next year, February 18, 2011 will be 10 years since that fateful day. I know its depressing to talk about the events of that day. I haven't seen much into the date of when its to be held, but if I was NASCAR, I would honor him and host the race on February 18, 2011. NASCAR on Fox would have the first Lap 3 moment of silence since the end of the 2001 season. The honor Dale Earnhardt deserves. The TV doesn't do justice. This man was for real. He had sense and I feel he should be honored, despite the fact that he has passed on. He was NASCAR. He was a legend, an idol, a great owner and driver. You could hate him or love him, but he was still Dale Earnhardt.
The question I ask you, the faithful reader, where were you on February 18, 2001, and where will you been on February 18, 2010?
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