2001 Daytona 500 Post Race: Dale Earnhardt Fatal Crash - Michael Waltrip Winner's circle - Retro VCR

[@gregsoto4777]

Seeing Darrel holding back by not telling Michael that Dale Sr. was in trouble was heart breaking. He knew something was tragically wrong and did not want to ruin this moment for his brother. What a strong will he has to do the right thing and try to enjoy the time even when heart broken.

[@kevinsalyers690]

As soon as Mike mentioned Dale he started frowning but he didn't say a word

[@classique4654]

Yes I saw that. He knew there was something wrong. You could tell. Sad day.

[@kevinsalyers690]

Photos of inside the car says it all

[@the.worldofcars]

@@kevinsalyers690 where can i find them?

[@bitemeThEre]

You are very correct Sometimes less is more One of the saddest days ever

[@travisburton2948]

I can remember everything about this day, sitting in my dad's garage working on the hot rod and watching the race with my old man, I was 14. My dad was pissed to see him go into the fence, but also happy to see Mikey and Jr triumph. Later that day when the news broke, it was the only time I ever saw my dad cry. It was as if he lost his own brother. In my dad's eyes, along with many others, that was the day NASCAR died as well. He never watched another race. RIP to my dear Father and Dale Sr. You two are finally togehter.

[@Christian-en2kf]

I can definitely relate, it was a very heavy day...still bothers me tbh. Senior was the people's champion! Dale Earnhardt, and his very relatable personality, will always be sorely missed. As for the sport, died right there and then. May he, and your father, both rest in peace my friend!

[@englishmuffin5274]

I was 13 and dad was pissed too about the wreck. We celebrated the DEI win and said "still a great start to the year". Later in the day I had to be the one to tell dad that Dale passed, and like you said, it's the only time I've ever known my dad to cry. He went out to the garage though, so I didn't see it myself. We watched more races, to cheer JR on, but it was never the same, and basically stopped watching around '08-09. I tried to continue loving the sport, but it just didn't feel right, like a shoe on the wrong foot.

[@jackblack2321]

I call BS

[@geezydoesit6205]

Got chills reading this man. I'll neverforget walking in the house that day to my pops crying in the living room saying dale died. Man.

[@Bernie_tube]

Dale was the common man who climbed up to the throne with an ability to become one with a machine and use it in such a way… amidst the speed and chaos -Like he could somehow lasso a hurricane and ride it out to a shower. Everyday American blue collar men had a rep and a damn cool one at that.

[@natereg9747]

I met Mikey last weekend, wearing a 3 Earnhardt hat. He thanked me and said he liked his old bosses hat. Such a cool dude.

[@jh6925]

That whole entire segment, Watching the face of Darrell Waltrip trying to hold back not wanting to ruin his little baby brother's moment. Ken schroeder's face, you knew Dale was not ok. That was by far the saddest moment in nascar history next to what happened about a week ago.

[@DWQJVB]

What happened a week ago?

[@ExploitGarage]

@@DWQJVB Bobby East was stabbed to death at a gas station

[@Cheryl_Haydon]

I still feel bad for Michael Waltrip. He finally wins a race after so many losses, only to find out his friend and mentor was killed. I couldn't even begin to imagine... If you get a chance to watch the movie Blink Of An Eye, do it. It's the emotional story of that day, Michael's win, the subsequent loss of Dale and how Michael coped with it all.

Same thing with Charles Leclerc Formula 1 driver, a day before his best friend Anthonie Hubert Formula 2 driver passed away horrible crash in Spa

[@reborndiajack9612]

pierre gasly's best mate@

[@chipdiamond5104]

I'm going to have to check that movie out. I can't imagine hoing one of the best days to one of the worst days of your life. In an instant...

[@Moose6340]

That Kenny Schrader interview...he knew. You could see it in his face. He was one of the toughest SOBs in the sport, nothing shook him up, and he was shaken to the core.

[@JohnWhiteECU]

he knew and just paid respect to let others tell the final story, he was sad and did his duty on interviews, etc but held back on what he knew already

[@Grandpaneedsblood]

He looks like Barry Dylan or yung lean

[@hazelhuffman1681]

Kenny was one of Dale's best friends-a fishing buddy as I recall.I think Daryl Waltrip was very concerned too. You could see it in his face. He held up the excitement for his brother winning the race, but he knew something really had had happened.

[@solodolo4098]

@@hazelhuffman1681 yes as much as everyone was selfish on the track they all appreciated one another... except some individuals tbh

[@mrFiiSKiiS]

Dale Sr was known to say he'd never let them cut him out of a car if there was any other option. He'd even crawled through the car and kicked out the back windshield on at least one occasion. They were cutting his roof off during that interview. They didn't know, but they knew it was bad.

[@skylordawesome9547]

Imagine if Dale had lived... this would've gone down as the greatest story in NASCAR. Dale, Mikey & Junior all working together to get Mikey his first Cup win. Dale would crash at the end, but that's okay, he still gets to walk away to celebrate in the end. If Dale hadn't died, this would have been the biggest underdog story, and probably the most heartwarming story in *any* sport. If Dale hadn't died...

[@Plockman29]

If only he'd swallowed his pride and put on a Hans device

[@michaelmcdonald3268]

It's just a BIG WHAT IF YEARS LATER

[@villy27]

In fact it was. At least for minutes.

[@brandanhall9943]

Easily one of biggest moments are sport would have had if Dale didn't die

[@Christian-en2kf]

I just wish Dale hadn't died, was just such a tragic loss for the sport. He was a true champion, always will be!

[@bottlerocket3218]

Darrell Waltrip was covering the race on live tv as a commentator and his words on air right after his brother Michael won the biggest race of his career and his good friend Dale Sr. was just in that serious crash were epic words of dueling emotions: "Way to go Michael!!! I just hope Dale's ok."

[@existent456]

man yea him saying as excited as he was for michael he was praying for dale, fuck man that hurts, why did it have to go this way

[@Livebroadcast2024-tv]

21 years ago, Dale Earnhardt he wasn't fatal accident at Daytona International Speedway.

[@danjenkins8981]

Dales in car footage is just haunting and gut wrenching. Knowing that’s the last thing he ever saw. Thankfully it was over instantly.

[@austincooper4508]

So sad seeing Kenny after this knowing now that he knew Dale was gone as soon as he pulled the window net down.

[@mcrichton46]

Darrel’s face at 3:37 when Mikey says Dale Sr. is heartbreaking. Even DW’s tone afterwards is so solemn. I can remember this day as a kid but I never picked up on that until watching it again just now

[@fungdark8270]

Yeah he was staring at a screen hoping to see something good come out of 3… At the same time telling his brother to enjoy his win. Dang

[@MikeLitoriss69]

The way he was talking to his brother who just won the Daytona 500 you could tell he knew something was gravely wrong.

[@limjahey6628]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ "If you don't follow my cult you'll forever burn in an imaginary land created by dictators 2,000+ years ago"

[@Lilchuckle2]

Yo his face DROPPED

[@timothycone1160]

I was 16 i Cried like a baby

[@Pifmeister]

As Ken Squire said, "We were just 7 seconds away from experiencing the greatest Daytona 500 race in NASCAR History. NASCAR's greatest race claimed its greatest driver ever."

[@randycoursey7230]

Richard Petty it's still alive. David Pearson died in 2018 I believe. They both rank ahead of senior Earnhardt. And David Pearson has the highest winning percentage of any NASCAR driver in history. Dale Earnhardt liked doing things his way, so he went out his way.

[@nascarandrc8296]

@@randycoursey7230 Dale was better than both of them

[@randycoursey7230]

@@nascarandrc8296 No he wasn't. Dale Earnhardt was a manufactured champion. NASCAR always look the other way when it came to him and his dirty driving. Chevrolet was always given a lot more than the other manufacturers when senior drove. Same holds true with Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Richard Petty and David Pearson earned their wins and titles. And like I said David Pearson has the best winning percentage of all drivers.

[@nascarandrc8296]

@@randycoursey7230 yes he was/is rubbing is racing don't be such a snowflake randy you're just mad he was constantly beating ur favorite

[@Pifmeister]

Look at the era Petty raced in, and look at the era Earnhardt raced in... Petty had BARELY any competition (Pearson, Allison, Yarborough, DW in the early days, BP, that was pretty much it) ....look at the competition Earnhardt had, and he STILL managed to win 7 championships! Dale Earnhardt is the ONLY driver to win 7 Championships under ONE POINTS SYSTEM, THE CORRECT POINTS SYSTEM! He is also the only driver in NASCAR history to finish either 1st or 2nd in the standings 10 TIMES UNDER ONE POINTS SYSTEM, THE SAME SYSTEM! 7 Championships and 3 Runner-Up finishes! And If you look at the era he was doing this in, he accomplished this feat when competition was REALLY starting to get stout! He did it while he was competing with drivers in their twilight years, guys like Richard Petty himself, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Benny Parsons, Buddy Baker, etc... AND THIS WAS WHERE THE COMPETITION WAS TOUGH! because he won all these titles against drivers who were reaching their peaks: Guys like Harry Gant, Morgan Shepherd, Darrell Waltrip, Geoffrey Bodine, Alan Kulwicki, Ken Schrader, Bill Elliott, Tim Richmond, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Jimmy Spencer, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, Mark Martin, Ernie Irvan, Kyle Petty, Davey Allison, Ward Burton, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, and more importantly, JEFF GORDON! How is Earnhardt not the greatest driver ever!? Richard Petty BARELY had any competition, and Jimmie Johnson had help from NASCAR by having several inconsistent "Playoff" points systems, which resulted in resetting the standings every time with 10 races to go. Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon are the 2 best drivers of ALL-TIME! PERIOD.

[@LasVegas68]

Saw another interview with Michael Waltrip a few weeks after this. Michael said it was the best day and worst day of his entire life.

[@chrisreaperva]

3:25 You can see his emotion change instantly, it’s heartbreaking

[@MrMark1325]

Schrader knew Dale was gone you can see it on his face

[@yepwhatever1142]

Yeah. He didn't want to talk about it. He seemed really upset.

[@williamjames648]

They were good friends

[@Legio__X]

Yea he saw Dale in the car after the crash. Dale had a basilar skull fracture so he was dead on impact. It woulda been obvious by looking at him. Sad that Schrader had to see his friend like that.

[@jamessharp9790]

Oh yeah. Knew it was almost certain then. Still a shock.

[@versiongrind]

Yeah he knew for sure Dale was dead.

[@phillyeaglesforlife5127]

You can tell that Ken knew Dale was dead and didn't want to break the news, 10:10 is the moment you realize that, notice how fast he answered the question as if he wanted the reporter to leave and be done with the questions🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️, RIP Dale Earnhardt Sr.🙏🙏🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@khiosa]

I noticed the same thing. When he says " im not a doctor" its written in his eyes. So sad he had to keep that inside until the news came out. I can't imagine how hard that was

[@kentuckyman21]

@@khiosa I think he was on impact.

[@khiosa]

@@kentuckyman21 what do you mean? Dale's death was on impact as far as I know/heard.

[@kentuckyman21]

@@khiosa I’m saying I am pretty sure the report is true he died on impact.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

@@kentuckyman21 Yes, Dale Sr died on impact.

[@codyking4848]

As soon as they interviewed Kenny, I knew. Just the incredible suppressed emotion in his voice, edged with slight panic - Kenny knew Dale was dead.

[@ChewyGum]

I love the fact that even though he tragically passed in this race, he still finished ahead of 30 other cars. Rip dale.

[@bcracing9356]

He didn't finish

[@SuperBikerboy101]

@@bcracing9356 the guy means when his life ended on impact at that moment he was still ahead of 30 cars

[@derikbagley2958]

You have to admit Dale Senior went on the last lap of the last corner on Daytona 500 come on if you're going to die f****** do it that way

[@derikbagley2958]

You know Dale Earnhardt senior is a great race car driver he did what he could do we're all going to die one day right? Well until dyed the best way of his current driver can die the last lap of the last corner of the Daytona 500 we have to admit if you're going to go only only Dale Earnhardt Sr had that right to die on the last lap of the last corner of the Daytona 500 rest in peace yr

[@motorsportmoments]

@@SuperBikerboy101 If you look at the timing and scoring for this race Dale Sr. finished like 15th.

[@crowningchristopher8273]

I remember seeing the ambulance cruising along slowly like that and thinking to myself that he was a goner on impact. Otherwise they would be moving with much more urgency. Watching this again, it seems evident that Ken and Daryl probably knew Dale didn't make it but weren't able to say anything in the moment.

[@ylemscalamity]

I remember watching this live at my grandparents house, my grandfather loved dale and he was the biggest fan I have ever seen and the moment they said he had passed everyone in the house just started crying and we all just sat there crying and we all just knew what had happen. It is a memory I’ll never forget. I’m not even a nascar fan but this for some reason made a big impact on me. R.I.P Dale Earnhardt

[@Pinkkermit17]

My dad hated him, I felt the same so really felt nothing about it.

[@ylemscalamity]

@@Pinkkermit17 so your dad was probaly a Jeff Gordon fan wasent he?

[@motorbreathjz]

@@Pinkkermit17 you should make your own comment instead of shittin on someone elses

[@BlacktoothPodcastClips]

@@Pinkkermit17I was a Gordon fan as a little kid. Not necessarily a Dale fan. Neither was my granny. We were both devastated this day. Rip Dale, rip granny

[@danielblaise156]

You can see around 4:00 even though DW is staying positive for Mikey, his face shows how concerned he truly is.

[@johnsnyder8996]

they mind effed us again! that 4:00 minute mark you mentioned; look closely who comes up & gives Michael Waltrip a congratulatory hug; its Dale Earnhardt Sr. dressed up to look like he's a pit crew member of Michael's! the salt & pepper mustache is orangish brown (from a quick dye job that always turns hair orange). yet, he's supposedly lying dead in the car or ambulance. Deep state always mind effs us, or Sr. had to hide from them. just saying, replay it a few times. pause it. then do facial recognition. eyes, cheek bones, that famous intimidating mustache, jaw line, etc. It IS him!

[@klingenator]

I saw that too.

[@danjenkins8981]

Definitely. He’s watching what’s going on around Dale’s car.

[@Shawn6751]

I believe that deep down, he knew that Dale Sr was gone

[@Adamwinters]

The look Darrell has around @3:40 when Michael mentions Dale Sr. You just know DW is looking over to turn 4 with dread.

[@tigerwareagle1485]

9:09-9:14 the last thing Dale saw was his two cars racing to the finish line. Very bone chilling to think about.

[@1ZosoLZ]

The last thing he saw was that wall

[@BestTreadCarefully]

@@1ZosoLZ Don't. Please. Unnecessary brother.

[@NASCRASH]

@@BestTreadCarefully well, @Zoso ain't wrong

[@MiataManDan]

Wonder how yall will die probably miserable old and alone haha

[@orion2250]

I thought the last thing he saw was the steering wheel approaching his face at 200 mph

[@thejman3489]

Watching Blink Of An Eye you start to get an idea what Micheal was going through during this. I can't imagine what I would do or think in that situation.

[@homeschooled5683]

That look Darrel had right at the end of talking with Micheal sure looked like he was looking at the 3 car you could see the worry on his face. God bless Dale

[@richerwin6397]

Yes, he seemed to sense the tragedy of it right away.

[@roscoemichel2103]

Yes he was wiping tears away congratulate Michael

[@DOHCKSeries]

You can tell how uneasy schrader was talking about it

[@yojoeski]

This to me was the indicator as to the idea that he was likely dead. You never hear a driver answer the question about how another driver is in that fashion unless they know it's bad but they don't want to say anything. They always say something like "I talked to so and so" or something along those lines.

[@bmoretrading7295]

And Darrell

[@Christian-en2kf]

Thought the same thing.

[@pickitup7008]

@@yojoeski I agree with you 100%

[@Myke666]

Right. He said in another interview he didn't know he was dead when he pulled the net but I believe he probably did know.

[@justindakota2968]

The sound of Nascar reminds me of my dad. R.I.P. 1951 - 2019

[@BlacktoothPodcastClips]

That’s why I got back into racing this last year. Lost both my grandparents. We used to go to Dover both races every year. They watched every Busch and cup race, and I watched with them. Somewhere along the line once Dale Jr started his downward trajectory I lost touch with racing. Well when I caught the tale end of the martinsville spring race last year it really reminded me of my grandparents. A great nostalgic wave crashed over me. I was hooked all over again. I watch every Sunday again. Rest in peace memom and pop. Thanks for the memories. And rest in peace to your father as well. Cheers

[@davids.7567]

Wait, your dad was born in 1951, the year Earnhardt himself was born?!

[@Adamwinters]

I gotta say the FOX Sunday primetime lineup was impressive @11:22.

[@josephupholstery1416]

Bangers lol

[@jessrivera8225]

Good times

[@yeslek]

LOL i took a screenshot of that then saw this 😄

[@richardsiciliano7117]

Those were all good shows, and a few were truly special (Simpsons, KOTH, X-Files)

[@AZuLer4]

Yes!

[@McFly8245]

I’ll never forget this day, the day we all cried over a man we cheered for and loved for decades.

[@RickyHardin]

Sitting in the grandstands at the race that day...I felt this hush pass over the entire crowd as they worked on getting Dale out of the car. We just... knew. And by the time we got home, our fears were confirmed. It's the first time I ever cried because of something that happened in this sport... even though I was a Jeff Gordon fan all those years, and I had to deal with the Earnhardt fans insulting me and dragging me at every opportunity... I had an immense respect for the man, and that day changed me.

[@BeardedKayakFishing]

I remember this so well and remember thinking that even though they are at a high speed, Dales hit into the wall didn't look like he hit hard. Such a sad day. Lost a Legend and a class act.

[@Stevonoles1]

So glad Mikey got to enjoy it, if only for a few minutes.

[@BestTreadCarefully]

My 1st gut punch indication that he may be dead is when I saw how slooooow that ambulance was going. Kenny's lip and chin quiver just after that all but confirmed it. Nobody is to blame for it. It all happened way too fast. SloMo replay has people pickin everything apart about the accident but.....it happened the way it did and ended the way it ended and the way it will always end.

[@tmmyjay]

Blocking is a dangerous game to play.

[@rgarner2795]

While watching it live, I remember Schrader walking up to Earnhardt's car and looking into the window net and then frantically waiving the medical personnel over. The camera immediately cut from that shot. That's when I knew he was gone. I sure miss him!

[@belac327]

It’s so good to see everyone before the sadness. Mikey has never been the same.

[@Daytonaman675]

His friend died giving him his greatest triumph. I’d be busted up over it too

[@K9-758]

Jr was never the same either. He lost his aggressive edge in his driving.

[@gnnascarfan2410]

Michael Waltrip had been the butt of the joke for 462 starts. People thought Dale Sr was insane for giving Michael Waltrip a ride at DEI. You will never ever see someone get 462 starts Cup starts ever again before winning a race. Such a shame Sr wasn’t there to experience that victory lane.

[@YoursTrulyChris]

Ken was clearly shaken up and and composed himself very well especially with all the reporters in his face.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

Yours Truly, Chris, I worked at Daytona Speedway 1996-2006 as part of the security/safety teams. Our team was the first to arrive at that wreck scene. Kenny Schrader could barely say "it's bad." His main concern was getting to Mikey and Dale Jr before the media could.

[@gnnascarfan2410]

@@sergeantmasson3669 I’m not going to ask anything graphic, but did you and your team immediately know it was fatal?

[@sergeantmasson3669]

@@gnnascarfan2410 Dale Sr died instantly.

[@dawnieb.7394]

@@sergeantmasson3669 god bless the poor man. May he rest in peace and his family and friends find comfort. 😔

[@califcamper]

Is it just me but 2001, this was the start of about the crappiest 2+ decades in history... It just doesn't seem like it was the worst hit to that wall, but I guess it was...

[@merkcityboy834]

Your not alone an it’s just getting crappier each day.

[@arianebolt1575]

People have said that the worst crashes don't even look that bad. If the car's spinning and flipping and going airborne, that's dissipating all the energy instead of sending it into the driver.

[@califcamper]

@@arianebolt1575 true...esp in racing

[@spooge33]

I watched this live and Darrel was concerned from the beginning. He knew it was a big hit. He also protected Mike from potential bad news so he could celebrate his win.

[@mrn95]

Why would you protect someone from bad news? Celebrating a win is more important than life and death?

[@Lamtitude]

@@mrn95 it was his first time winning a race and it was the prestigious, Daytona 500. Why would you want to spoil that moment for someone? It’s not going to change anything for the better. Darrel let his brother bask in his victory because he knew those good feelings might not last.

[@brandondetroitfanmichaels4325]

@@mrn95 If you had family and someone who loves you, You'd understand... I'll pray for you kid

[@mrn95]

@@brandondetroitfanmichaels4325 lol hahahah . You mean yourself? Because I say life and death is more important and you imply driving around in circles is more important so something went wrong in your head.

[@davenic2471]

@@mrn95 Would you seriously walk up to someone in the middle of celebrating their wedding to tell them that their mom died in a car crash XD you sound like you're either a pretentious tween or you're pretty high on the spectrum.

[@LegendaryOldwarrior]

I still remember this. Not even a Nascar fan at that time but even I remember this. The next day at work people that didn't know anything about Nascar knew about Dale. That's how big he was. Like Michael Schumacher from F1. Like even if you didn't watch the sport you knew that name.

[@n.b.l.5709]

Cuz it was on the news duh

[@dawnieb.7394]

100%. I never watched a millisecond of NASCAR, didn't follow the sport at ALL - but I did know the name Dale Earnhardt.

[@Drow67p]

I remember coming back to the race and Mike Helton's press conference when he said "we have lost Dale Earnhardt," I just assumed Dale had snuck out of the hospital. His words didn't even register with me what he said. RIP

[@queenmum698]

I remember how frustrated I was that they just broke away and went back to regular programming. I thought it was poorly handled.

[@wapartist]

I was living in Daytona at the time. Its hard to describe but the town went dark. You really could feel it in the air

[@outlaw2772]

My father was a huge Dale fan and I was watching this with him the day it happened rip to both legends.

[@AshtonG2022]

Both Legends?

[@outlaw2772]

@@AshtonG2022 yes Dale Sr. and my father that passed in 2019 very suddenly from a heart attack at 56.

[@kjprodouctions9050]

​@@outlaw2772 I'm sorry for your loss

[@Pollard_jono]

Michael gave maybe the best winning speech every. No one remembers the victory lane part. That brotherly moment was absolutely gold.

[@theresahickson8326]

I remember this day like yesterday. We were watching the race and my dad's dog got super sick. We ended up having to put the dog down😭. We ended up missing the race and later that night heard Dale had died. He was my favorite driver. Bad day. Rip Dale and patches!

[@MadRockDrummer18]

My condolences to patches. R.I.P. Dale & Patches indeed.

[@bandingo652]

The Fox Racing music will always make me think of that day. I was a kid & we were moving that weekend, We didn't get a chance to catch the race. So my grandpa recorded it for us. Later Sunday night, we were getting the last of the stuff loaded off the U-Haul, Then my grandpa had came over with the taped race & he broke the news about Dale's death. I just remember all of us being stunned for a few moments, It didn't register right away when my gramps was like " Dale didn't make it," we were oblivious to the fact he had gotten killed in the final moments of the race. So after we got that news, my grandfather visited a little more & then left. We decided to take the rest of the evening & watch the race. As I watched the recorded race, the entire time I kept saying to myself, " There's no way, Grandpa is old & going senile." Watching the last lap of the Daytona 500 I was hoping that grandpa was wrong & playing a sick joke but it was sadly true . I know Dale isn't NASCAR but he sure did make it a bunch of fun to watch.

[@storeymizzell3019]

That’s nuts

[@colinfruend5537]

That was the last race I ever watched, hearing that Dale and the 3 were no longer with us tore me apart. Hasn't been the same since and will never be again without The Intimidator on the boards.

[@tonykickerkomp1653]

The look on Darrell's face he knew something ain't right

[@Dangansona]

I never thought could keep crying.. finding new ways to cry about this…. But Michael saying “when I see Dale Jr, I’m gunna give him a big kiss” and seeing Darrel’s face.. knowing he wasn’t going to be there… knowing he himself wasn’t going to be there. Being so distracted, looking over at Dale while talking to him… this is so heartbreaking to this day.

[@MakeitStop-er5kx]

Although I didn't really have an interest in Nascar growing up, I was always so impressed how my papaw could not just watch the race every Sunday in his recliner. It was impressive that he would watch the whole damn thing! The only time he would miss the race was when he attended Sunday evening church services. WIth that said, he just passed in May after 80 years of being on this Earth. And on Sundays, as I'm now the only one in his house, I still walk out into the family room and look towards the recliner missing his presence. Memories flood back of some races I would catch the end of or when he'd holler after a major wreck. No matter where someone lived, whether they were a fan of Nascar, it didn't matter for the brand that was Dale Earnhardt. You seen #3 jackets, lunchboxes, shirts, the black flags flying on people's porches and cars with the 3 standing out boldly. And I probably speak for many when I say that the Intimidator's untimely death was significant for the world, sports fan or not. Just like in aviation, sometimes lives will be saved after lives are lost due to accidents or other variables. And although Dale lost his life that day, the implementation of safety equipment means that other racers will survive what could have been another fatality. And from a business standpoint, NASCAR would undoubtedly had been a different organization had #3 not perished. They never quite seemed to get past the loss and they've struggled to grow their fan base. I always respected Earnhardt because he would race, bumping paint or wrecking you was just part of the fun!

[@mrkipling2201]

My condolences to you.

[@PlayitagainVHS]

I remember being at a flea market and as I was walking around,they announced that Dale died in a crash.I stopped dead in my tracks and said a prayer for dale.🙏Dale was the greatest Nascar driver who ever drove in the history of Nascar.Period !!!!There will never be another Dale Earnhardt. The day Dale died , was the saddest day in Nascar History.🙏

[@SiVlog1989]

Michael Waltrip, by being unaware of what happened to his boss and friend, Dale Earnhardt, had an incredibly sad switch of emotion when Ken Schrader spoke to him in victory lane. As he himself put it in "The Day": "That basically told me that the celebration was over. What I thought was the greatest day ever, was heading in a direction that would make it the worst day ever," Thankfully, two years later, he got the chance to properly celebrate a Daytona 500 win, with the rain shortened 2003 race

[@Leigh3420]

I didn’t know that thank you 😊

[@johntumbridge7638]

If Dale Earnhardt didn't die this would have been the greatest race in NASCAR history

[@MidTennPews]

It's a shame. NASCAR should have made the HANS mandatory before this season started. "That damn noose" as Earnhardt described it would have saved his life.

[@randycoursey7230]

Jeff Burton had a major impact in developing the Hans device. They knew they had to do something after Earnhardt senior died. Dale Earnhardt Sr didn't like being restricted. He was one of the last racers to have an open helmet and he didn't even wear his Simpson seat belt correctly. Like Frank Sinatra said, "He did his way!" Okay, Sinatra said "I did It My Way", but you get the meaning.

[@scottyoung7414]

NASCAR didn’t take safety seriously until the cash cow died. They had 3 fatalities and another one in arca in 2000 and did NOTHING

[@zackjay71]

He also had loosened his shoulder belts. I believe.

[@HenryDaNinth]

"That damn noose" was him referring to a full-face helmet, not the HANS device.

[@Shawn6751]

​@scottyoung7414 Dale Sr was definitely their cash cow, and Dale Jr. did a great job of being the face of the sport until his retirement in 2017.

[@codywaldron2486]

Poor Darrell knew. 0:34 “Those are the kind of accidents that…..absolutely are frightening.” I think he wants to say, those are the kinda accidents you don’t walk away from. It always amazed me to see his hood flapping around like a piece of paper. If that kind of force was exerted on sheet metal, it must’ve been disaster inside the car.

[@fatpatlives1998]

They said it was blood everywhere from the photos that were released you could definitely see dale lost a heavy amount of blood he was gone before he was loaded in the ambulance. Dale jr said he knew he was dead as soon as he walked in the room dale was in

[@gregbaker9857]

@@fatpatlives1998 He was effectively decapitated, there was no urgency in that ambulance leaving, which was telling.

[@Lycan_Jedi]

I've seen photos of the inside of the car.. just pools of blood all over the floor... I can't imagine how Dale looked when Schrader got to him.

[@sandrahunter5749]

God Bless Michael Waltrip 💗 he won and lost Dale Earnhardt same time. Prayers always with Michael 🙏 I love Michael Waltrip 💗 I'm Michael's biggest fan ❤️ RIP Dale 🙏

[@ayronsmama05]

Lost my mom and lost Dale 5 days later..worse week of my life! So sad that Micheals joy was dampened!! My nephew and his wife had taken his sister to the airport. His wife and I were on the phone on their way back and I knew Dale was gone...the feeling was there.

[@kjprodouctions9050]

I'm sorry

[@julianrangel8123]

D.W body language when his brother Mentioned Dale Sr his face is like oh I don't know what to tell him but we all know Dale Sr died doing what he loved

[@ericdanielsbenavidez5867]

This has such an Eerie unsettling feeling in the air even before anyone else knew anything. Schrader looked like he wanted just gtfo of there he looked terrified...he must've had not liked what he saw at all...

[@myrealworldtv5919]

It really didnt look a hard impact, it wasnt a sudden stop as it was sideways sliding into the wall, its tragic to see this as there have been far worse impacts in nascar, far worse, it really looked survivable

[@Gl6619]

I’m not a race car fan and thought the same thing….but the commentators knew

[@tonylewis5070]

That's why open faced helmets were banned after that tragedy...

[@arwyss]

It was just a deadly combination of things going wrong

[@zachmcnerney409]

It was a pretty sudden stop. I've watched it a million times and even tho he was sideways he was kicked pretty damn hard head on into that wall. Shitty either way

[@ranndomundead9112]

Despite the narrative suggesting he broke his neck from the impact as being why he died, the autopsy report lists blunt force trauma to the head as cause of death. My guess is with the open face helmet he took the full force of the impact to his face on the steering wheel, which likely broke his neck aswell. Also explains the scattered reports of blood, and alot of it. head wounds bleed like a mfer.

[@ClearlyHunter]

Can we just talk about Michael Waltrip’s absolute disbelief that he finally won a race lol

[@scarletloki6315]

10:44, when MW truly learned how serious the dale crash was 😢

[@MarkSmith-ok1yi]

Ken Schrader told him about Dale.

[@Syd-41]

Remember this like it was yesterday. Still hard at times for me to accept Dale is gone.

[@mr.wilson8340]

That was the day that NASCAR dies for me. Sad to say, I have not watched an entire race since that day.

[@Pinkkermit17]

I moved on within seconds of knowing,, didn’t care one bit,, its not like i knew him personally ,, i think his name was played up way to damn much, still feel that way today

[@subicstationditosailor4053]

I was at a watch party for this race. When I saw the wreck I had a gut wrenching feeling and told my friend Preston that I thought Dale was gone. I still to this day do not know why I felt and said that.

[@kari8187]

I was stirring pudding to make banana pudding for dessert , I was standing in front of the TV watching the finish and as soon as I seen him crash I had chills on my legs and I said, that was bad, that was very bad.

[@poohbear1647]

It’s all exactly how I remember it 30 + years ago. No one is racing today that races back then, but it still hurts like it was yesterday sometimes.

[@TWProductions90]

Kurt Busch is the only one in this race who's racing today

[@ninabobina2006]

This was 21 years ago. But it does seem like longer. That year changed everything, as a sports fan and a proud 🇺🇸 American.

[@ManiacRider3113]

This was one of the saddest days of my life. I was so happy for Michael Waltrip though.

[@jessedavis7555]

I’m glad he got a few moments to enjoy it because after he found out it was nothing but heartbreaking 💔 #3 🙏

[@beatledan858]

Watched live. What we don’t see here is Schraeder’s reaction when he first got out of his car & walked over to the 3. He looked in the window & immediately started jumping up and down and signaling a “T” with his hands (head trauma). He’s carried that image in his head far longer than anyone deserves.

[@67JLBlues19]

DW knew it right away. Just like he said the TV doesn't do that justice. It was a very hard hit.

[@cygnustsp]

Never was a huge racing fan but I was watching this live, unforgettable

[@gloriaannopperman2734]

This was a sad day for us!Blink of an eye-- our Dale Earnhardt Sr was taken up to Heaven as he and #3 raced thru the gates of Heaven to continue to thrill everyone with his racing in Heaven! RIP Dale Sr! The Oppermans from Tx

[@Fitzpatrick65]

As soon as he got to Dales's car, Ken Schrader knew that Dale had died. RIP Dale Earnhardt Sr. Born: April 29, 1951, Kannapolis, NC Died: February 18, 2001, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

[@JayMac]

It’ll always blow my mind that a crash like this took the greatest driver.. It looks like the type of crash we see every single race but something about this one was just the “perfect storm” of bad things smh

[@cm1133]

Had Dale Sr not removed the HANS device, he’d still be alive. You can’t fix stupid.

[@James-nv8yr]

I was in Virginia when this happened. The whole town was calling everyone on home phones talking about this. The news was talking about it and then a nurse from the hospital told someone and shortly after they came on TV and said that Dale was gone. The next day I was working close to RCR's shop and my boss knew all of them. We went there and I had never seen so many grown men crying. Chocolate was there when we went in the back and I lost it when he leaned down and broke down in front of my boss. I was never much into Nascar but that day everyone lost something inside then.

[@Herecomesthethruth]

DW knew something was up as soon as he saw the wreck

[@baddgoat85]

Looking at the impact from the TV cameras it just didn't seem that bad, but when seeing the impact from inside Dale Earnhardt's car you then realize it was a very forceful impact. I remember being stunned that him hitting the wall like that actually took him instantly. I remember being upset he crashed at all and didn't then think for a second it had killed him.

[@davidoverstreet2875]

I think the most shocking thing about it all was that the impact against the wall didn't look that bad.

[@stevencramsie9172]

It doesn’t matter how many times I watch replays of that crash, it still doesn’t look bad. I still can’t fathom that that can be an instantly fatal impact. But it was.

[@davidjean6753]

You can see it on DW's face when someone starts telling him on the headset how badly SR. is hurt.

[@misakiyoshida]

never watched nascar but this is one I remember, the whole year really. I saw this live while bored on the couch and felt a great deal of concern for Earnhardt. My present day neighbor is a superfan of the guy, I think it's awesome.

[@frankrice5364]

Racing has not been the same

[@kevinkelley3906]

It's because now it isn't even real racing. It's just a tv show.

[@roscoemichel2103]

For me too

[@kevinkelley3906]

@@roscoemichel2103 I used to be excited and look forward to the weekends but now that I have dvr I watch each of the series through the week. It's really sad and depressing because I thought it would never be true. I just say meh. I'll watch a race whenever.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

Nascar has not been the same without you Dale Earnhardt, #3, The Intimidator, The Legend ! Rest In Peace 🙏 🪦

[@timsilva1944]

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[@Hazmathavok1222]

What a time capsule.....thank you for posting this and I'm surprised this isn't KZbin flagged

[@crittoneida958]

So many of us NASCAR fans were saying this seemed like a routine crash in the days months years after the race. Looked like a typical crash.....I loved hating dale the same way you hate Tom Brady or the Dallas cowboys or the Yankees. But whether you loved dale or hated him (as a driver) we all knew that every race was better when dale was contending and running strong and pushing for the lead every lap. When he won a race especially when he final won Daytona I enjoyed witnessing the greatness with utter appreciation. When he lost the race I knew the winner earned it because he had to go balls out to beat dale. NASCAR has not felt the same for me since then. I kept up with the sport and watched many races for several years later but it wasn’t the same for me. Still isn’t. RIP you tough intimidating ironheaded bastard

[@crk140]

Very sad.... remember watching this race like it was yesterday.

[@KevinLew-m1h]

Wow. Looking back we didn't know

[@aljohntabion2751]

I remember watching this… it just looked like any other race crash…but then the news came up and I was just dumbfounded

[@freeman7079]

I was 9 years old when this happened. We watched it live. I remember my whole family being cheeky about Mikey finally winning a race…but when we found out about Dale I’ll never forget seeing my mother cry for the first time.

[@BiggRigg6]

This is still hard to watch. I was 10 yrs old, my father was a HUGE Dale Sr fan. I had just lost him to cancer, and then to lose Sr it was like losing a piece of him all over again. 😔 I couldn't believe it.

[@SuperHns]

you lost your dad at that young age, RIP

[@chrisbrown-jw1fz]

Such great joy turned into such great sorrow.

[@J_Braz_]

I missed the race but later that afternoon my cousins came over to spend the night as we were kids. When they got to the house one of my cousins told me"did you hear Dale Earnhardt died?" I thought he was joking. I turned on ESPN and saw the reality that was. I wept for 3 days. Dale was my favorite. RIP Mr. Earnhardt.

[@leonlawrencez28]

Thank you Dale for helping Team Corvette Racing C5-R win the overall spot at the 39th running of Rolex 24 at Daytona international speedway. Would have never thought you would be gone on that same track a month later. I still get chills seeing your statue at Daytona every year. Truly a great race car driver.

[@edwardglamuzina3421]

In the video at 5:13 , the same time as Dale Srs. crash a backwards three appears in the sky above the crash site.

[@Shawn6751]

God's way of bringing him home and most likely God's way of telling his fans that he is with him for eternity.

[@altfactor]

This was also Fox's first-ever telecast of a NASCAR Cup Series race.

[@Johnny-lr5jt]

I subscribed to Nascar Weekly at the time and what was sad was seeing Dale slip lower and lower in the rankings after this race (that's right-they didn't remove him from the standings) until finally he was gone for good.

[@F3502000]

Schrader was so great in this interview. They just don't make them like him anymore. Always a favorite and this is the reason why.

[@KennyVengeance]

I remember watching that ambulance pulling away and thinking Dale was ok. it didn’t seem to be in a rush ya know? just a leisurely drive to the hospital. kinda routine. get checked and released. I guess I was young and ignorant. I think it was a couple hours later I heard the news and I was shook. I’m a huge Dale fan, and I could never watch nascar with the same level of attention and fandom again. it changed everything. it’d be different he just grew too old to race and retired a legend. but he was taken, and I know God has a plan for all of us, but I couldn’t help but feel the specter of death every time I watched a race after that day. even now I think of it at least once or twice during a nascar race. we all miss you Dale.

[@pamjarrett-s9s]

I remember this like it was yesterday! I was celebrating Michael Waldroup 1st Daytona 500 Win, then found out Dale had died. I had just gotten married and my husband wasn’t a nascar fan. He had no idea what I was going through. NASCAR has never been the same

[@ninabobina2006]

I was watching this when it happened. Heartbreaking day in racing.

[@ronbowman4145]

At 10 minutes into the video, they are interviewing Schrader and I truly believe he already knew how bad it was.

[@zzzzxxxxxz6017]

I’m just realizing hitting the 36 after the contact basically T-boned him into the wall at that angle 😞

[@thekevinharvick]

He said something along the lines of "if we don't get this safety fixed, it's gonna end up killing somebody" and well.....worst day in NASCAR racing.

[@m17x4v7]

4 tires for $99!?!!? How the times have changed 😕