On the last lap of the Daytona 500, the NASCAR community saw Dale Earnhardt turned left by Sterling Marlin & t-boned by Ken Schrader. His skull was fatally fractured. He died instantly. A seven-time Cup champion & winner of seventy-six races & flag-bearer for a sport was gone. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second & Michael Waltrip, driving a car owned by Earnhardt, won the tragically historic race.
For a year after his death, every track NASCAR visited held a silent third lap in respect to the trailblazing racer. It was a touching tribute & fans raised their hands in the air with three fingers pointed skyward. His death ushered a revolution in driver safety. His legacy lives on in the SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) barriers which line the walls of all race tracks today. The Intimidator lost his life, but has saved many more. Rest in peace, Dale.
I really wish I'd been into NASCAR while he was alive. =( A legend.
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