The Day Dale Earnhardt Died

The Day Dale Earnhardt Died

Dale Earnhardt was the NASCAR racer whose rough driving style earned him the nickname The Intimidator, but a lifelong curse at the Daytona 500 earned him an early grave. He didn’t just stumble into racing, he was practically born with a steering wheel in his hands. Born on April 29th, 1951, in North Carolina, Earnhardt’s father was a legendary short-track driver in his own right, and with racing in his blood, it was only a matter of time before he took to the track himself, with or without a valid driver’s license. At 12, he secretly drove his father’s car, and it wasn’t just a joy ride. Legend has it that Earnhardt nearly snagged a victory against one of his father’s toughest competitors in a race. There were still, however, a few detours between Dale and NASCAR fame. Like any concerned parent, Ralph Earnhardt had his reservations about his son following in his tire tracks. Racing was dangerous, but when Earnhardt decided to drop out of high school to pursue it full-time, his father had no choice but to let him. Deep down, Ralph knew that his son had a need for speed, and not just from racing cars. Dale had a habit of living life in the fast lane, both on and off the racetrack. That’s why it wasn’t surprising when, in 1968, at the tender age of 17, Earnhardt married his first wife, Latane Brown. Just one year later, they welcomed a son, Kerry, into their family, but before the checkered flag could go up, his speedy marriage was already in trouble. Getting married young against their parents’ advice sounds like a true love story, but it was more of a marathon. Earnhardt’s marriage to Brown lasted about as long as the average NASCAR pit stop. By 1970, it was over, and the pair went their separate ways. Just one year after breaking things off with Brown, Dale Earnhardt swerved his way into another marriage.

This time, he tied the knot with another racetrack brat, Brenda Gee, who was the daughter of NASCAR car builder Robert Gee. In just three short years, they had two children, daughter Kelley and son Dale Earnhardt Jr. But you could blink and miss the rest of this marriage. Once again, Earnhardt managed to keep the details of his second marriage out of the press, but as his racing career was just about to take off, he wouldn’t be able to keep his private life private for much longer. Turns out, the Earnhardts weren’t just a family of racers; they were rivals. In 1972, Earnhardt faced off against his father, Ralph, on the track at Metrolina Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The race featured V8 and smaller V6 cars, and Dale just managed to make the cut. It was the one and only time that father and son raced against each other, but it was a race that no one would ever forget. Despite driving a smaller, less powerful car, Dale was speeding through the track, racing like a man possessed. As the race went on, Ralph’s experience eventually saw him catch up with his son. Dale noticed his old man in his rearview and, ever the respectful son, moved over to let his father pass, but he was in for a surprise. Ralph didn’t take the opportunity; instead, he stayed on his son’s tail, pushing him to his limits and beyond. What happened next was something Dale Earnhardt would remember for the rest of his life. Ralph, instead of passing, bumped into his car from behind. He was convinced that his father was trying to signal that he wanted to take the outside line to pass him. Ralph followed his son toward the infield and, increasing his speed, bumped into the rear of Dale’s car for a second time. Ralph wasn’t just rending him for fun; he was delivering an invaluable lesson. Eventually, Ralph passed his son and won the race, but Dale had gotten the message loud and clear: you don’t move over for anybody, even your own flesh and blood. Ralph was as tough a father as he was a racer, and he never went easy on his son.

Tragically, in 1973, just one year after their iconic race, Ralph died of a heart attack at just 45 years old. His sudden loss left Dale Earnhardt spinning out, and it took him years to feel like he had finally proven himself to the man who had taught him everything. When Dale joined Rod Osterlund Racing in 1979, he wasn’t the only rookie with potential, but by the end of the season, he had already set himself apart with one win at Bristol, four poles, and 17 top-10 finishes. He clinched the Rookie of the Year honors even after missing four races due to a broken collarbone. 1982 marked a low point for Dale Earnhardt. Although he snagged a win at Darlington, aka the track too tough to tame, he suffered some major setbacks throughout the season. His aggressive driving style saw him crash out of 18 of the 30 races he competed in, including a crash at Pocono Raceway that left him with a broken kneecap. By 1987, he had earned a reputation as a fearless and, some would say, reckless driver, but it was during the 1987 Winston All-Star race that he truly became The Intimidator. Forced into the infield grass while defending his lead, Earnhardt didn’t flinch. He gripped the steering wheel and deftly made his way back onto the track, all while holding his lead. Still got the lead, incredible. His driving skills became the stuff of myth. NASCAR fans dubbed Earnhardt’s stunt at the Winston All-Star Race the pass in the grass. Funnily enough, Earnhardt didn’t actually pass anyone during that famous maneuver. Nevertheless, his dominance on the racetrack quickly made him a NASCAR legend. Earnhardt’s aggressive driving earned him plenty of fans, but also a few enemies. After the Winston in 1987, an enraged fan sent a letter to the NASCAR president detailing a threat to Earnhardt’s life. The FBI took the crazed fan’s warning seriously, providing security for Earnhardt at his subsequent three races. Fortunately, they passed without incident, and the FBI concluded their investigation.

Nevertheless, the episode underscored just how polarizing Earnhardt’s relentless drive to win had become on the track. His aggressive style led to numerous rivalries and fans, but it also solidified his reputation. The 1986 Daytona 500 seemed like Earnhardt’s race to win as he battled Jeff Bodine in a thrilling two-car duel, but with just three laps to go, Earnhardt was forced into the pits for a quick stop. Just as he roared back onto the track, however, disaster struck: he burned a piston, allowing Bodine to sail to an easy victory. This heartbreaking loss marked the beginning of what many would call Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 curse. The curse continued at the 1990 race with a massive 40-second lead as the final caution flag came out. Victory and vengeance seemed all but certain. Leading the pack with just a handful of laps to go, Earnhardt looked unstoppable as he barreled through turn three of the track. His car hit a piece of a bell housing from a previous crash. The impact shredded his tire, sending him spiraling from first place to fifth. The next year, Earnhardt entered the Daytona 500 with renewed hope of finally breaking his curse. Early in the race, his car struck a seagull, which didn’t just rattle the windshield; it caused issues with the car’s temperature. Despite that, he found himself in a strong position as the race neared its end. With just six laps to go, Ernie Irvan managed to pass him. Needless to say, Earnhardt didn’t give up, but his car did. With just two laps left and Irvan in his sights, his car spun out, leaving him once again so close yet so far from conquering the Daytona 500. The 1992 season was another tough one for Dale Earnhardt, but he still managed to pull off a crucial win at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, but it was the only bright spot in a season that saw him finish a career-low 12th in points with three last-place finishes to boot. The 1993 Daytona 500 added yet another chapter to Earnhardt’s frustrating history at the Great American Race. He found himself leading with just two laps to go, but once again, victory slipped through his fingers as Dale Jarrett battled past him on the final lap flag. It was the fourth time Earnhardt had led the Daytona 500 in the closing moments only to lose the race. The curse continued to haunt him in 1996 and 1997, but it was clear that he was running out of patience. With 12 laps to go at the 1997 Daytona, Earnhardt found himself embroiled in a multi-car rollover crash. As medics tried to take him to safety, however, he noticed that his car was still functional, and what he did next was unforgettable: he sprung from the ambulance and drove his busted-up car to a 31st-place finish. However, he didn’t walk away from all of his wrecks. The 1996 DieHard 500 at Talladega was another race that nearly ended in disaster.

Running second in points and chasing his eighth season title, Earnhardt got caught up in yet another massive crash. This time, it was Ernie Irvan who lost control of his vehicle and collided with Sterling Marlin, wreaking havoc on the track. The wreck sent Earnhardt’s number three Chevrolet slamming into the wall at nearly 200 miles per hour. His fans could only hold their breath and hope that he might survive. Due to rain delays, sports channels had canceled the live telecast of the race. As such, most NASCAR fans learned about Earnhardt’s dramatic accident hours later during the night’s sports newscasts. The crash was so bad that it appeared fatal, and Earnhardt’s fans worried that the worst had happened. The recording of the accident showed the medical team rushing toward Earnhardt’s mangled vehicle. Miraculously, just as it seemed like he had perished in the crash, however, the intrepid racer climbed out of the wreckage and waved to the crowd. Moreover, despite having a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade, he refused immediate medical attention. Dale’s terrifying crash in 1996, along with a similar incident that claimed the life of Russell Phillips at Charlotte, led NASCAR to take action. They introduced the Earnhardt bar, a metal brace designed to reinforce the roof and windshield of race cars. This safety innovation likely saved countless lives in the years that followed, but it couldn‘t save the life of its namesake. With so many broken bones, Earnhardt’s fans thought that he was going to sit the rest of the season out, but they were wrong. He couldn’t keep himself out of the driver’s seat and the very next week raced at Indianapolis. After the first pit stop, however, he had to hand the keys over to one of his teammates. 1997 was a tough year for Earnhardt, but the lowest point came at the Mountain Dew Southern 500 in Darlington. Early in the race, for unknown reasons, he blacked out and crashed into the wall. Disoriented, it took him several laps to safely find his pit stall. He later revealed that he had been suffering from double vision. On February 15th, 1998, after two decades of close calls and near misses, Dale Earnhardt finally did the unthinkable: he broke his Daytona 500 curse. In his 20th attempt, he crossed the finish line first. His celebration became one of the most iconic moments in NASCAR history. His long-awaited Daytona 500 victory sparked an unprecedented display of respect as he drove down the pit road. Every crew member from every team lined up to shake his hand, a tribute usually reserved for only the most revered drivers.

Then, in a move that would go down in NASCAR history, he spun his tires in the infield, leaving tire tracks in the grass shaped like a giant number three. In the 2000 season, Earnhardt made a stunning resurgence, surprising many who thought his best years were behind him. Thanks to neck surgery that fixed a lingering injury from his 1996 Talladega crash, he was back in top form. He edged out Bobby Labonte by just 0.01 seconds at Atlanta and claimed 17 positions in the final four laps to snatch victory at Talladega. It looked like The Intimidator still had it, but not for long. Going into the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt believed that he had lifted the curse. Tragically, however, it would be his last race. On the final turn of the final lap, Earnhardt made light contact with Sterling Marlin, causing him to slide off course. As his car sped out of control, he collided with Ken Schrader. The second impact sent him head-on into the retaining wall at nearly 160 mph. The impact was so severe that it sheared off the right wheel assembly, snapped the hood pins, and caused the hood to smash against the windshield several times. The tragic outcome was all but obvious. I guess he’s all right. Earnhardt’s son from his second marriage, Dale Jr., sped to a second-place finish just as his father’s wrecked car sled down the track and into the infield grass. His car, along with Schrader’s, came to a stop near the end of turn four. Instead of roaring cheers as the race ended, there was only eerie silence as the reality of the crash sunk in. Schrader climbed out of his car unscathed and ran to Earnhardt, but what he found was far from reassuring.

Earnhardt’s window net was still up, and when Schrader pulled it down, he was met with a grim sight. Frantically, Schrader signaled for the paramedics who were just arriving at the crash site, but secretly he knew the truth. By the time Earnhardt arrived at the hospital, medics confirmed what everyone already knew: Dale Earnhardt had died in the crash. They gave his official cause of death as a skull fracture caused by blunt force trauma. As NASCAR officials began to investigate what had really happened, they made an utterly chilling discovery in Earnhardt’s car. They claimed that the left lap belt on the seat belt harness had broken, making the fault a potential reason why Earnhardt’s chin had struck the steering wheel, causing his skull fracture. From there, the tragedy and mystery deepened. In the aftermath, the maker of the seat belt received death threats. They claimed that Earnhardt and his team had installed it in an unauthorized way to increase Dale’s comfort. A sports writer even attempted to obtain the autopsy records and photos. Ultimately, the investigation that followed found that belt failure hadn’t played a significant part in the accident. Bill Earnhardt left a NASCAR legacy behind unlike any other, and not just because he won 76 Cup Series races in his career. While he couldn’t ever truly escape his own Daytona 500 curse, his son did. Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed in his father’s tracks and won the Daytona 500 twice in his career, living up to the Earnhardt family tradition: you don’t move over for anybody, even your own flesh and blood.