by Sweetbob

Created on: March 15, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

In February 2001, I watched my first NASCAR race. I've always been a casual observer of the sport, but never watched an entire race. Living in the Midwest, NASCAR is everywhere. People wear their favorite driver's sponsor on a jacket or hat, while they smoke a pack of Winston cigarettes, a former sponsor of the NASCAR championship. The first race of every year is the Daytona 500. In 2001, the race was pretty eventful, a few bad wrecks earlier in the race. The earlier wrecks were the reason I didn't think anything was wrong when Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s car headed straight at the wall. Instantly, the color commentator's voice went silent in fear that Earnhardt Sr. could be badly hurt. We lost Earnhardt Sr. that day, I feel like I missed out on knowing him.

The Dale Earnhardt Sr. that I know is the driver that was shown on SportsCenter trying to wreck Jeff Gordon on highlights. His nickname of "The Intimidator" was earned by his hard racing style and he struck fear in younger drivers. He was respected by all the drivers, even if Earnhardt and Gordon weren't that good of friends, Gordon respected him.

Earnhardt Sr. won 76 races and won seven Winston Cup Championships, which he tied Richard Petty for most all-time. He received about every accolade you could give a NASCAR driver. He won Rookie of the Year in 1979 and won at nearly every race track you would see in a season. He had some issues with the Daytona 500. He would always barely miss a chance at victory. It wasn't until 1998 when Earnhardt Sr. finally won a Daytona 500. After the race, every crew member from every team lined pit road to shake his hand. "The Man in Black," even shed a tear.

His death sparked a renewed interest in the driver's safety. Earnhardt's death might be a reason why a few more drivers are spared by NASCAR's new safety regulations like the HANS device and safer barriers. I guess the world lost a great driver at Daytona in 2001. Earnhardt Sr. changed the sport and is an icon for NASCAR.

Learn more about this author, Sweetbob.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.