Youre one of only a few to see the darkest moment for my dad. NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. crafted a perfect persona borne of belief in himself he often walked around wearing sunglasses and a stone-faced look. How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style, Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season, Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season Earnhardt Jr. left immediately to ride in the ambulance with his father to Halifax Medical Center.. ", Helton walked into the room packed with cameras, held his microphone and worked up the courage not to cry over the loss of his friend. To this day, all Schrader will say of what he saw is, "I just knew that it wasn't good. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He looked completely at ease as he rode his bright yellow motorcycle through the infield at Atlanta and was confident when he climbed into his race car and drove it to a season-high eighth-place finish Sunday in the Cracker Barrel 500. He drafted with me in those last few laps and as long as we were leading, then everything was fine.. Things got so bad in the days following the wreck that Marlin received death threats, which he essentially had no choice but to address. 3 | NASCAR's most beloved drivers. Rescue personnel work to free Dale Earnhardt Sr. from his No. But then Schrader's car hit Earnhardt in the passenger side door, creating a sudden surge of speed and turning both cars into the wall. Hours before the race, Schrader had told Waltrip that if he won, he would go straight to Waltrip's motor home to get the celebration started. Chase Elliott to return to NASCAR competition this weekend, Chase Elliott to return to NASCAR competition this weekend In the final 20 minutes of their two-hour podcast, Ken was informed that he has been the most requested guest in their 288 episodes. Earnhardt Jr. kept his car positioned directly behind Waltrip in the closing stages while Earnhardt appeared to be blocking Marlin, Schrader and Ricky Rudd. At the time of the interview, Ken still raced and 2020 marked his 50th year in racing, so it has been hard to schedule around that, but they finally got him. His autopsy revealed the underside of his chin had impacted the steering wheel, and hed suffered a second blow to the back of his head, as he rebounded from the impact back into his seat, which displayed scuff marks on the head-surround area. Months later, when the photos of the car were released as part of NASCAR's presentation of its crash investigation, hardly any image didn't include blood stains. The only big-ticket item missing from the show was the "Big One." Almost 200,000 people were in the stands at Daytona International Speedway 20 years ago on the day a NASCAR legend died. Them high-speed race tracks, you know you dont touch anybody because its going to hurt when you hit. The hardest part was yet to come. He called time on his 26-win Cup career in 2017, and successfully transitioned to a media career, both as a commentator with NBC and a host of his hugely successful podcast, The Dale Jr Download. Teresa Earnhardt, always quick to leave the grid and get back to the motorcoach in time to watch the start of races, instead uncharacteristically lingered. A broken collarbone at Talladega and Earnhardt's rushed return had taken away his feel for the car. He clearly understood that people were heartbroken over the death of such a legendary figure and perhaps thats why they were lashing out. #DJD pic.twitter.com/yuUtVhuJcB, NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 11, 2020. Just being honest, over the years what I remember is hearing his head was turned in an unnatural position and he had blood coming form his ears. I was sad, but unfortunately, death is a reality in racing. That sticks with you., Earnhardts son, Dale Jr, recalled what happened in hospital: I walked right into Dads room. Ive managed to find this: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2011-02-14-os-earnhardt-first-responder-0215-20110214-story.html. Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. 3. That opened the door for a wall of cars, three-wide behind Earnhardt as they entered the last turn. She didn't interrupt, she didn't, um, disrupt anything," he says. Reads Letter To Ken Schrader 19 Years After Deadly Dale Sr. From Senna to Earnhardt," published just prior to Hubbard's death in February 2019. While I was amazed at his talent, I also saw an obvious prickly side. That forced Earnhardt's car to ricochet back up into the steep 31-degree banking, cutting across the front of the pack of the cars behind him. At the time I was like, 'OK, man, I hear you.' Emotional Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sterling Marlin went on to finish fifth behind Waltrip, Earnhardt Jr., Wallace, and Rudd. He arrived at Earnhardt's car less than 10 minutes after the crash, after crews had already cut the roof off the car and a surgeon stationed closer to the scene had already been administering resuscitation efforts. I really appreciate you for who you are and the friend youve been to me.. Crash: Im Glad It Was You, Alligator Bites Off Leg Of Elderly Man At Florida RV Park, Coors Stock Goes Up As Bud Light Stock Takes A Hit Following Controversy, 6 Facts Youll Be Surprised To Learn About John Wayne, Cody Johnson Drops Details About His New Album, Crowd Cheers As Riley Green Slams BUD LIGHT With Lyric Swap, Anheuser-Busch CEO Breaks Silence As Stocks Take A Hit, Relive The Country Music Sing-Off Between Steve Austin And The Rock. According to Legacy, his fellow racers dubbed him "The Intimidator." I knew right away when I saw him that it was just as bad as it could be. I do know that his children are polite and have been a pleasure to deal with in this industry. As the garage was emptying, we were soon shooed away from Earnhardts team hauler. The car was Adam's No. Earnhardt led four times for a total of 17 laps up front. To the 17 million people watching at home, the crash looked like nothing, especially compared to Stewart's spectacular accident a half-hour earlier. The engine stayed put, but everything around it moved, in some cases a full two or three feet to the right. What can be done to the walls? NASCARs crash report, published in August 2001, stated: Dale Earnhardt's death was most likely caused by a blow to the back of the head not from one single cause but from a combination of unusual factors. "I thought to myself in that very moment, 'I'm gonna have to do this by myself.' He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left ankle, but he was dead instantly from the damage to his head, which included a ring fracture of the base of his skull, via Autopsy Files. He got so excited that he leapt out of his seat. Earnhardt, 49, died after a crash into the retaining wall after making contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling And it was still there three hours later, when, in the infield grass at the bottom of that turn, Ken Schrader took that same window net down to talk with his old friend about their wrecked race cars, only to find the seven-time champion slumped over in his seat and the cockpit covered in blood. And I said, 'Do what she says,'" Bohannon says. Theyre still working down there., Fox showed replays of the crash in the live broadcast. Earnhardt was playing rear gunner to his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. team cars as they raced around the final lap of the race, to block any late runs from the chasing pack. They seem to be incredibly grounded. Greg Newman recalls his sons frightening Daytona 500 crash: It was pretty agonizing just to stand and wait. It was a surreal moment. Driving a race car, whether it is NASCAR, Formula One, or another type, is far more than just going around in an oval. Following a huge outpouring of grief from his legion of fans, the NASCAR industry made driver safety its number one priority. The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. Earnhardt crash haunts Schrader | CBC News Loaded. Ken Schrader would have the most accurate account. SPEED has filled in a lot of the gaps from one very dark day. His right-rear corner was struck by Schraders left-front, which crucially accentuated the angle of Earnhardts car before it nosed hard into the unprotected concrete. 40 Dodge and was turned to the left and onto the flat apron at the bottom of the track. "I didn't know what the final deal was, so I just told him it was big and Dale was in trouble," Schrader said. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. With the No. I saw it on TV and it didnt look that bad just another tough crash. It's been 13 years since Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. "I thought for us to be able to deliver it to Fox on their premiere Daytona 500," Helton says, "was everything we wanted it to be for the audience that was watching it on television.". I knew both those guys [Earnhardt and Earnhardt Jr.] would be right there at the end, said Waltrip. Because hes a racer, he has a very realistic attitude and has been able to cope with it.. His face was pale and his voice shaky when he lied and said he didnt know. "To this day, I don't know why I went to the hospital," Waltrip says. I am not sure if he lost all of his blood volume but seems like a lot of it. I saw a friend in trouble. More often, the signs are much smaller, much more personal. Kenny Schrader came to Victory Lane and said, I just want you to know that I saw Dale, and it aint it aint good., Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardts car owner and longtime best friend Richard Childress said: I thought it was just another crash. Earnhardts open-faced helmet had rotated forwards when he hit the wall, exposing the back of his skull. "Yellowstone" Stars Debut Relationship On Instagram, Dale Jr. It suggested that, had Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Tony Roper worn head and neck restraints, they would likely still be alive. I didnt think it was my place to tell the world, Schrader said. His 184-pound body was thrown far enough out into the right center of the cockpit that he suffered a blow to the back of his head. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. "Because he's a racer, he has a very realistic attitude and has been able to cope with it.". It looked -- and was -- awful. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a few hours later but Ken Schrader later admitted that he knew Earnhardt had passed the moment The final lap of the crash in the stands at Daytona International Speedway 20 years ago on the lap... 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