The day a little
bit of NASCAR died. The day Dale Earnhardt died.
Dale
Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina in April of 1951. He grew up in
a racing family. His father, Ralph was a short track legend throughout North
Carolina. When Ralph Earnhardt died of a heart attack in 1973 Dale received his
father’s car. Dale made his Winston Cup debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the
World 600. In an Ed Negre owned car Earnhardt would go on to finish 22nd.
In 1978 Rod Osterlund hired Earnhardt to race his car, because Dave Marcis left
to pursue other adventures. In Dale’s rookie year he would win a race at Bristol
Motor Speedway and record eleven top five finishes. That year he would beat out
future Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte for rookie of the year. In 1980,
Earnhardt accomplished something that no other driver had ever done. He followed
up his rookie of the year season with a championship season. It would be his
first of a record seven championships.
In
1986, now driving the #3 Chevrolet owned by Richard Childress, Earnhardt would
win his second championship. In 1987, Earnhardt would have the year of his
career winning eleven races, a career high, on his way to his third championship
and his second in as many years. In 1988, Earnhardt started a relationship with
GM Goodwrench Service as his sponsor. GM Goodwrench would remain Earnhardt’s
sponsor until the end. This is when Earnhardt became the “Man In Black.” It
somehow seemed right that Earnhardt would be driving a pitch black car, it fit
right in with his persona. In 1990, Dale won nine races en route to his fourth
career championship. In 1991, Earnhardt won back-to-back championships for the
second time in his career. 1992 was Dale Earnhardt’s most disappointing season
of his career as he won only one race and finished twelfth in the points
standings.
Dale
Earnhardt was back to his usual self in 1993 as he won six races on his way to
his sixth championship. There is a frequent saying in NASCAR that goes “cautions
breed cautions.” Apparently in Earnhardt’s case “championships bred
championships.” In 1994 for the third time in his career Earnhardt won
consecutive championships. Earnhardt was tied with legendary Richard Petty with
seven career championships. The only thing that alluded Earnhardt now was the
prestigious Daytona 500, a race that he so desperately wanted. For years and
years Earnhardt had dominated the Daytona 500, but near the end fate would
always intervene. 1998 would be a different story, it marked the 50th
anniversary of the Daytona 500, and this would finally be the year that Dale
Earnhardt would win the Daytona 500. When Darrell Waltrip finally won the
Daytona 500 he jubilantly bellowed, “I won the Daytona 500. I won the Daytona
500.” When Earnhardt won he was quoted as saying, “Now I’ve finally got that
g—damn monkey of my back.” He was ecstatic that the weight had finally been
lifted off of him.
Three
years after winning the Daytona 500, the track claimed Earnhardt’s life on a
last lap crash 500 yards from the finish line. Dale Earnhardt died doing what he
loved. Four years have gone by now and the sport of NASCAR still has a void, an
Earnhardt sized void, a mighty big void. Even though the sport has more stars
now than ever, it is still no substitute to seeing the “Intimidator’s” devilish
grin every Sunday afternoon.
By:
Julian Spivey