On Sunday, February 18, 2001, the racing world was brought to a stunning halt when NASCAR President Mike Helton uttered four unbelievable words following the Daytona 500 – “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”
Inside the track, many already knew as word spread through the garages and media assembled at Daytona International Speedway. It then went into the ears and hearts of fans to newsrooms around the country. Shock was followed by disbelief, then tears and a sadness that swept the nation.
Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time champion and fan favorite, had succumbed to fatal injuries suffered during the last lap of The Great American Race.
Even though that took place 25 years ago, the memory of Dale Earnhardt still continues.
NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt’s Relevance Still Carries on 25 Years Later
It’s been a quarter century since the racing world was stunned to learn Earnhardt didn’t survive the multi-crash into the Turn 4 outside wall. As his car careened into the grass below, his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. drivers roared ahead to finish first and second.
Micheal Waltrip had finally won a race, doing so for the first time driving the No. 15 Chevrolet for DEI. Behind him was teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the familiar red No. 8 Chevrolet. Waltrip would go on to win the 2003 race, Earnhardt, Jr. the 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500s.
This past Sunday in the Daytona 500, fans paid tribute to their lost hero in a poignant and quiet fashion. It wasn’t the first time, but this one carried more meaning. As the field started Lap No. 3, 100,000 plus people stood as one, raised three fingers in the air and stayed that way until the lap was completed.
They wanted everyone to know their hero, “The Intimidator,” “The Man in Black” and icon wasn’t forgotten no matter how many years have passed. Adding to their reverence are the weekly tributes seen on Dale Earnhardt T-shirts, jackets and No. 3 flags flying in campgrounds at tracks throughout the season.
Reflections from Those There that Day
Tommy Baldwin, Jr. was the crew chief for Ward Burton in 2001. The team’s No. 22 Dodge led a race-high 53 laps but had their bid to win cut short in a lap 173 crash.
“Our car was so good that day, we were screaming around Daytona,” Baldwin, Jr. said. “When we wrecked out, we headed for the plane to get out of there. As we were taking off, we saw the wreck happening in Turn 4.
“We didn’t know what happened until we got home. It was unbelievable to think something like that could happen to Dale, especially a track where he’d had so much success.
“You look around today, and you can see he hasn’t been forgotten. We don’t want to forget about him. Dale Earnhardt is still very relevant in our sport and to the fans.” Of note, Baldwin and Burton would go on to win the Daytona 500 the following year.
JR Rhodes was Earnhardt’s Public Relations person for many years. Their close relationship extended beyond the track, but the darkest moment took place at one.
From the minute the wreck happened, Rhodes was contacted by everyone wanting to know how Dale was doing.
“It was tough because you went from the human relationship Dale and I had, to doing my job and keep the communication side going,” Rhodes said. “I had to deal with my personal feelings while being bombarded with questions from the media, crew members and so many people asking.
“There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think of him. To the fans, he was doing what they wanted to do. They wanted to hunt, fish, work on a farm and drive the hell out of a race cars like Dale.
“The one reason he won’t be forgotten and remains relevant today is simple. There hasn’t been another driver like him, and there hasn’t been one since.
“We will never experience another like Dale Earnhardt.”
NASCAR News Became National News
The grief of NASCAR fans, no matter who they pulled for, was felt by all who followed the sport. What would have normally been just racing news was now the No. 1 story on national outlets and print coverage. NBC, ABC and CBS all led the morning shows about the death of Earnhardt.
Magazines like Newsweek, Time, Life and People, to name a few, all gave way to their normal topics with Earnhardt’s mustached photo on their covers.
Ken Schrader Has Carried a Secret for 25 years
As the confetti flew in Victory Lane for Waltrip and his team that day, fans in the stands kept their eyes on the black No. 3 of Earnhardt. Kenny Schrader, whose No. 36 Pontiac was also involved in the crash, came to rest near the No. 3 Chevrolet. He was the first to the car, looked inside and quickly pointed to arriving track safety crews they needed to attend to his friend Dale.
To this day, Schrader has never divulged what he saw inside the cockpit. If you were to ask a Dale Earnhardt fan if they wanted to know what Schrader saw, they’d probably so “No thanks”
They had their favorite great memories and moments of him then, and they want to keep them that way today. And, they have for 25 years.