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Love him or hate him the man is a American/NASCAR icon.
Tonight on Speed @ 10PM is the show "The Day". Its about #3 and that fateful day.
Love him or hate him, the portion of that program right around the 30 minute mark where they show the accident and the post accident actions, interviews, etc. really shows how shook up everyone was. Ken Schrader and brodcast team could bearely hold it together for the TV cameras and look on Mikey's face when Schrader came up to him in Victory Lane told it all.
I was at the2001 Daytona 500 and saw the crash. I admit when I heard Dale had died I shed a tear. I got to see him win the 98 Daytona 500 and see him win his last race at Talladega in 2000. I still miss him. He was the best driver who did what it took to win.
His success from 1986 through 1995 is one of the great periods of dominance in NASCAR history. During those ten seasons, Earnhardt won six Winston Cup titles, finished second twice and third once. His only disappointing season in that period came in 1992, when he finished twelfth. But in the modern points system, he still would have made the chase. Remarkable stuff.
I honestly didn't care much for him until about '96 or so, when Jr started coming up. Seeing how he was around him and how proud he was when his son did well showed a whole new side of him. If you read much about him the man was actually very generous. It was the track image he wanted, and the Intimidator personna served the purpose well.
I don't think he raced dirty. He was very competitive, yes. So were a lot of other drivers. I followed NASCAR from about '92 on and never missed a race until '06 or so. If you watch a lot of the old races you'll see it wasn't just E hat drove that way. He was just very successful at it. Like him or hate him, the man could do things in a car no one still can't touch. And at the time he died he was still in top form. I like Smoke because he has a lot of the same style, and while I don't care much for Shrub's personality that young man has a lot of the same style in his driving too.
I still miss the 3 every week on the track. It's like the 43. For old time fans when you see the 43 you still think of the King. I wish RCR would put the 3 back on the track. I don't really think E would have wanted it removed, but I do understand Harvick's hesitation in the beginning to try to drive that car.
If you get bored sometime look up the story of the '98 Daytona race and the lucky penny. It will give some insight into his real character.
Location: Common courtesy and common sense are not common.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 96LT4
I miss the old man, and watching him race. Been gone now 10 years.
Dale made Nascar, 10 years ago today......still can't grasp why he died that terrible day. Micheal Waltrip won and it was a very bad day for him as well
Earnhardt was the best driver in the history of Nascar. He could take a "junk" car and still win with it. He did more for the sport than any other driver ever. It's because of Dale that today's drivers get paid like kings. Earnhardt wanted to win more than any other driver out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OSHP1295
Basically everyone drove that way back in the day, but since he was the dominant driver he was dirty. NASCAR hasn't been the same since. Its been a steady decline and the empty bleachers prove that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Dlabay
I was at the2001 Daytona 500 and saw the crash. I admit when I heard Dale had died I shed a tear. I got to see him win the 98 Daytona 500 and see him win his last race at Talladega in 2000. I still miss him. He was the best driver who did what it took to win.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Camo4stealth
Just ONE example out of many instances. Punting Terry Labonte on the last lap at Bristol to steal a win and then laughing about it afterwards. Classless, at best.
Yeah, it was about as classless as Labonte hitting Dale three times to take the lead from Earnhardt the lap before. Go back and watch the replay of that race. I'm sick of people saying it was dirty of Earnhardt to win the race that way. Labonte got what he deserved that race.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 93Polo
My racing bug had been replaced by more interesting racing in the ALMS and F1.
Last week in the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello, driving for team Ferrari, led the race from start to finish, but did not win. "How might that happen?" you may ask. Well, just as he was about to cross the finish line, team Ferrari ordered him to slow down and pull over to let teammate and F1 points leader Michael Schumacher pass him for the win.
Yeah, F1 is better. And some people here say that Nascar is fixed.
I honestly didn't care much for him until about '96 or so, when Jr started coming up. Seeing how he was around him and how proud he was when his son did well showed a whole new side of him. If you read much about him the man was actually very generous. It was the track image he wanted, and the Intimidator personna served the purpose well.
I don't think he raced dirty. He was very competitive, yes. So were a lot of other drivers. I followed NASCAR from about '92 on and never missed a race until '06 or so. If you watch a lot of the old races you'll see it wasn't just E hat drove that way. He was just very successful at it. Like him or hate him, the man could do things in a car no one still can't touch. And at the time he died he was still in top form. I like Smoke because he has a lot of the same style, and while I don't care much for Shrub's personality that young man has a lot of the same style in his driving too.
I still miss the 3 every week on the track. It's like the 43. For old time fans when you see the 43 you still think of the King. I wish RCR would put the 3 back on the track. I don't really think E would have wanted it removed, but I do understand Harvick's hesitation in the beginning to try to drive that car.
If you get bored sometime look up the story of the '98 Daytona race and the lucky penny. It will give some insight into his real character.
This comes close to expressing my thoughts except that I was always a fan of him as a person and of his driving. He could do amazing things with a car even when it wasn't set up all that well. The recent features about his death that day by ESPN and tonight on the national news had me fighting back the tears all over again. Truthfully, I'll never get over it completely and I'm not a bit ashamed to admit it.
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I've never been much of a NASCAR fan so I never really understood the whole Dale Sr thing. When I did watch, he seemed to be a complete *** on the track - wrecking people who were "in his way". Which I understand that kind of action is what makes circle track racing appealing to so many, but if anybody else drove with the same disregard for the other drivers in the EXACT same manner, they were booed and were hated by the fans. Yet, this was how Dale Sr seemed to always drive - his style. I never understood the double standard for him. He came across to me as a very dirty racer - certainly not the kind I respect.
You should've stopped right there, because the rest shows how little you do know.
I've never been much of a NASCAR fan so I never really understood the whole Dale Sr thing. When I did watch, he seemed to be a complete *** on the track - wrecking people who were "in his way". Which I understand that kind of action is what makes circle track racing appealing to so many, but if anybody else drove with the same disregard for the other drivers in the EXACT same manner, they were booed and were hated by the fans. Yet, this was how Dale Sr seemed to always drive - his style. I never understood the double standard for him. He came across to me as a very dirty racer - certainly not the kind I respect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OSHP1295
You should've stopped right there, because the rest shows how little you do know.
I guess you haven't watched too many races over the years. Most racers have knocked another driver out of the way to get the position or the win. It happens most races by several drivers. It seems like they always made a point to replay it over and over when Dale Sr. did it.
If Dale Earnhardt hadn't died. Would he be the "big icon" he has been made into today or gone off into Michael Waltrip land not knowing when to give it up?
There were many great drivers along side him and to make him out as the best is bullsht. He gets himself killed and overnight he is now Mr Nascar?
Last edited by slewfoot1956; 02-19-2011 at 09:25 AM.
If Dale Earnhardt hadn't died. Would he be the "big icon" he has been made into today or gone off into Michael Waltrip land not knowing when to give it up?
He was already an icon and to compare him to MW is ridiculous. He finished 2nd in the points in 2000 and had a very strong showing at Daytona in '01 before the crash. He wasn't done yet.
Let the haters hate nothing you can do about it ............... I enjoyed watching Dale race and I am sorry he is gone.
When I did the Richard Petty experience in Las Vegas I gained a whole lot of respect for what these guys do, and thier lives are in danger the minute they get behind the wheel. I only did 165 mph in Dale jr #8 thatas scarey as hell getting so close to the wall and the G-orce is tremendous. I also did the Mario Andretti ride along and did 185 MPH that was insane there is not a whole lot between you and the concrete.
Yeah, it was about as classless as Labonte hitting Dale three times to take the lead from Earnhardt the lap before. Go back and watch the replay of that race. I'm sick of people saying it was dirty of Earnhardt to win the race that way. Labonte got what he deserved that race.
You're really reaching here. Labonte was WAY faster than Earnhardt at the end of that race. He didn't have to hit Dale intentionally to get around him. Any contact they had was incidental. In fact, it looked like Dale got into Labonte when they were side by side. Not vice-versa. The bottom line is Earnhardt took him out to win.
On the other hand, is this incidental contact? Watch the fans cheer when Dale gets black flagged. Justice served.
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Labonte got what he deserved that race. 
