Racing is a concept, a sport, and an art in all its splendor. The existence of racing predates human advancement, and it’s a competitive sport that leans on the extreme, making it a very dangerous one as well. And one of the most prominent crashes in the history of the sport involved race car legend Dale Earnhardt.
Dale Earnhardt’s career and life tragically met an abrupt end on Feb. 18, 2001 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida. The crash occurred during the 2001 Daytona 500 race.
Who Is Dale Earnhardt?
Ralph Dale Earnhardt was born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Though born in a textile mill town, he was born into a family of racing enthusiasts. His father, Ralph Earnhardt, was renowned for his skills with the engines.
Earnhardt recounted earlier memories shared with his father on the short-track race circuits, being taught all about riding stock cars and their engines. His father even converted an old barn behind the family home into a garage.
Dale Earnhardt dropped out of middle school after the 8th grade against his father’s will and started working different jobs. He finally gathered the courage to return to school and tried 9th grade twice. Acknowledging that school was most definitely not his thing, he focused on his expertise, racing.
Dale Earnhardt hit the dirt tracks with a pink 1956 Ford Sedan, which he had gotten from his neighbor, David, and Oliver. The engine of the dirt car was initially built by his father but was renovated by his friends.
Dale Earnhardt and his friends Frank and Wayne’s plans to paint the car avocado green ended up in ruins when the paint mix resulted in the car turning out pink. With not enough money to repaint, he rode around Charlotte, North Carolina, with a pink dirt car.
Dale Earnhardt got married before he was even considered an adult. He tied the knot at just 17. The marriage ended two years later, however, after his son Kerry was born.
Young Dale got married again at 19 and this union lasted just a little longer than five years before he divorced again. Within the period he was together with his second wife, he had two children: his daughter Kelley and a son named after himself, Dale Jr.
How Did Dale Earnhardt Die?
The 2001 Daytona 500 race came with a little plot twist. Little bits of changes were made here and there to bring more electrifying and excitement to the viewers.
This was done by NASCAR officials to increase the turnout of viewers, which in turn increased revenue. Unlike what drivers were used to, restrictor plates were installed on their carburetors and aerodynamic spoilers were added to increase drag on the race cars.
These new changes didn’t go down well with Dale. He also refused to wear some new head-guard systems, which helped reduce the impact in cases of accidents.
In the race, Earnhardt’s car first sustained some damage. With about 27 laps to be completed and 19 cars piled up in a crash, it became evident what the new changes were for. He knew he wasn’t going to win. His son, Dale Jr., however, was battling for first place with Michael Waltrip.
Earnhardt did a turn on the last lap and suddenly collided with Sterling Marlin’s car. There wasn’t much weight on the impact but Earnhardt’s car swung right and smashed into the wall, came right back into another driver, Ken Schrader’s path, and was forced into the wall again, crashing against it at 180mph after a futile attempt to evade.
He had survived minimal accidents before, sadly, this was an exception. Earnhardt died on the spot. Further investigations were made later to ascertain the cause of the death, and it was found that the seat belt had ripped apart on impact, causing him to be thrown into the steering column of the car.
This left the base of his skull badly severed, resulting in a basilar skull fracture. Earnhardt was pronounced dead by Halifax Medical Center at 5:16 PM ET. He was 49 years old.
Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001) drove on the NASCAR circuit for 22 seasons, won 7 Winston Cups, had 76 career wins, and made more money driving than any other driver in NASCAR history. He left a legacy as one of humanity’s most renowned and revered racers. Dale Earnhardt led an impressive record within the racing industry and brought fierce competition into the racing world.