tommyo Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 I still can't imagine where the time has gone, but we've now been 10 years without Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR. I've just finished watching the tributes on the NASCAR website, and I almost got teary-eyed (again). I was always an Earnhardt fan, always will be, and I don't believe I'm the only person who feels that NASCAR began dying too on February 18, 2001...I don't watch NASCAR anymore...well, maybe a bit. I did watch the Daytona 500 last year, and very small portions of a few other races, but that's all. I loved everything about NASCAR when Dale was driving. Today, not at all. I don't like the changes to the points system, the Chase - the whole idea of trying to make a play-off of something with a minimum of 43 players. I especially don't like the proliferation of rules...rules upon rules, upon rules, covering everything imaginable - drivers being fined money for breaking the rules has always been a part of the game, but now being fined points for off-track incidents (fights, etc.) I only watched the single race (Daytona 500) because I'd seen on the website that new rules were going to allow the drivers to actually drive the race, instead of being controlled by more rules. I was, of course, disappointed by the race - it was the typical restrictor-plate destruction derby - forcing 43 cars to run in packs rather than spread out and GO, simply to put butts in the seats. Dale was a natural leader, and EVERYONE in NASCAR listenedwhen he spoke - He would have been retired by now anyway, but I don't believe NASCAR would be in quite this mess if Dale had not died on that awful day. During the one single race that ANYONE ever saw Dale drive defensively rather than offensively. He drove the end of that race to protect his team, and to see either Mikey or Dale Jr win their first Daytona 500. NASCAR has done nothing but go straight down hill ever since - but that's just me!! (Oh yeah, and Dale Jr is NOT Dale!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tps48 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 We were in Oldfield Tower in Turn 4 when the wreck happened. I could see the whole thing clearly with binoculars. When the car came to rest and Kenny Schrader was trying to help I turned to Charysse and said " I think we just saw Dales last race" At that time I didn't think he was dead, just a career ending injury like Ernie Irvan or Steve Parks. We waited in Daytona until the news of his passing and then began the long drive home. Doesn't feel like 10 years. We used to go to Daytona every year since 1988. Have not been in a few years, just not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Dale, Sr. was such an icon of the sport, other teams used him as a bench mark for their success or failure .............. They would ask themselves .................. Did we win?/a top five?/a top 10?/ Did we at least beat Earnhardt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old sob Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 well said tommy nascar died with DALE R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Speed channel has a special about Dale on right this moment; it will shown again at 8 PM Central time. it is call "The Day". Very moving remembrance so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyo Posted February 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Replying to my own comments here - I forgot to say that I had continued to watch NASCAR after Dale was gone, but obviously it just wasn't the same. I found myself unconsiously looking for the black #3 on the track. Putting aside what NASCAR has down with the racing, if I were to watch it now, would I still be looking for the #3 car? I don't really know, but I do know that it would only make me sadder to watch NASCAR and NOT find that car - RIP Dale and NASCAR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam38 Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 My question is will the hard core Dale Sr. fans going to be upset when Austin Dillion brings the black 3 back to cup running with/for his granddad? I agree on Dale's death changing Nascar as we know/knew it. I remember where I was at when I heard the news bout Dale it was on the radio and I couldnt/wouldnt believe it till I saw it on the TV....then I couldnt believe that wreck killed him after seeing all the wrecks he had walked away from prior. Also, on the new show "The Day" they talk bout him driving with a broken neck a season or two prior to his death and him having neck surgery to remove a sliver of bone from the nerves in his neck...had anyone heard of that prior? I sure didnt remember hearing anything bout it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 FOR MANY MANY YEARS I COULD NOT STAND DALE ...BUT LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HE RACED I SORTA STARTING LIKEING HIM ....WHEN HE WON THE 500. I WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WAS ...NOT CUZ I LIKED HIM AT THAT TIME ...ONE .. I WAS TIRED OF HEARING EVERY YEAR HOW HE COULD NOT WIN IT ..SECOND I THOUGHT YOU RACE THAT LONG .WIN THAT MANY RACES AND CHAMPIONSHIP.S YOU DESERVE TO WIN THAT RACE ...............BUT YOU KNOW . AS HE WENT DOWN PIT ROAD AND ALL THOSE TEAMS WERE THERE TO GREET HIM ....SOMETHING SNAPPED IN MY BRAIN .......MY DISLIKE OF HIM WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE I ACTUALLY THOUGHT A TINY TEAR STARTED TO WELL UP .. ......THOSE PIT CREWS ON PIT ROAD MADE ME REALIZE JUST WHAT HE MEANT TO NASCAR ..THE RESPECT HE DESERVED WAS WELL EARNED ...I HAD TO OVER LOOK AT HIS WAY OF DRIVEING OVER OTHERS GET OVER.HOW HE SEEMED TO STAND HIGHER THAN ANYONE ...WHERE HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOD ....AND I THINK YOU COULD SAY HE WAS GOD ..A NASCAR GOD ..FOR NASCAR HAS GONE TO HELL SENSE HIS DEATH ..NOT SAYING HE WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS FUTURE AFTER HIM .BUT LOSING HIM PLAYED A LARGE PART .....WHEN WE FOUND OUT HE DIED I HAD JUST FINISHED COOKING SUPPER....I REMEMBER EVERY SECOND OF .IT THE FOOD JUST SAT THERE ....I WAS AT THE TEXAS RACE ..AND COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE THIRD LAP TO START .SO I COULD SALUTE THAT MAN ..HARD TO HOLD THREE FINGERS UP WHILE CHOKING .......RIP DALE ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwmbishop Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 When I heard Dale had died - the first thing to hit my mind was disbelief. Sometime later that night a name popped into my head - Action Products. They had exclusive to all of Dale Earnhardt Inc memorabilia and die casts (those rights were purchased for a mere 300K and were among the first rights granted in the market), and that exclusive amounted to 47% of their total revenue in 1990. I had just read an article about AP in January - they had aquired more exclusives from other driver's following Dale's lead, as well as having a membership clamoring for like products from other drivers and expected to double their sales. On feb 13th they were trading at 2.35 so I bought 1000 shares thinking the bandwagon of people suddenly becoming fans stating that "they always loved and admired him" so that they could share in the collective grief would increase value at least double... I was shocked when the value went to 58 a share in just a little over three weeks and even more so when end of year 1991 shareholder report showing that 93% of their income was from the DEI exclusive and sales had gone up 350%. I sold my shares almost two years later (and after the first split to Action Performance) at a gross of 47.26 per share. I am starting to well up with tears also - I gotta say that for his contribution to my family - I just LOVE Dale Sr in a way that words can not express..... Of course this also indicates that he DID have more fans in death than he did in life, but we won't ever admit THAT (or just how pronounced the "shift" in fans was). I for one do not think any one event drove the early to mid 90's growth of NASCAR and racing in general more than Dale's death. That is truly iconic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Didn't like him but I respected him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Here is a quote written by Kirk Shelmerdine (after winning back to back championships with Dale in 90 and 91) from the book American Zoom. "And when you get to the beach, you have to decide then whether you want to swim back out or not. That's a few chapters in the future. I'm anxious to see how things go the next ten years. I know about the last ten; the next ten will be different. No one knows how it will end, but it will end." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roosterracing Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Here is a quote written by Kirk Shelmerdine (after winning back to back championships with Dale in 90 and 91) from the book American Zoom. "And when you get to the beach, you have to decide then whether you want to swim back out or not. That's a few chapters in the future. I'm anxious to see how things go the next ten years. I know about the last ten; the next ten will be different. No one knows how it will end, but it will end." Well said from a fan since 79 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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