Tony Stewart on the death of Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500 | Undeniable with Dan Patrick

Tony Stewart sits down with Dan Patrick and talks about that fateful Daytona 500 in 2001 that claimed the life of NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt.
#NASCAR #daleearnhardt #daytona500

[@FloridaManRacer]

I've never heard Tony say he saw Dale that day at the hospital. That's a BIG revelation. I'm glad Tony hasn't said a lot about that. I'm glad Dan didn't ask him to go into any detail of what he saw. Ken Schrader was the first person to realize Dale was in bad shape and he's held what he saw close to the chest ever since. I'm glad Tony's decided to do so as well. That shows the kind of respect they both have for Dale and Dale's family.

[@Cruz55360]

Disagree, I watched this hoping he would have shared more. Drivers keep saying "he looked bad" but how bad really? I want details. I want to know how torn up Dale was and no one ever shares what they saw. The PDF on the accident report can only do so much but without any of the people who saw him that day we will never know how bad Dale really was.

[@eclark9965]

@@Cruz55360to be honest with you the fact that you want to know so bad is weird and disrespectful to both him and his family. Sorry you desensitized yourself to death by watching some bad things on the internet but it’s not normal bud

[@justinfrakes4186]

@@Cruz55360 his head/brain was literally violently separated from his spinal column. If that isn’t graphic enough for you I don’t know what to tell you. In the wake of his death the focus on proper safety equipment (full face helmet and HANS device) and its use moved all racing in the right direction as far as I’m concerned. Racing is dangerous but mitigating that danger should be a goal. I think Earhart’s greatest legacy will be the lives saved from his example.

[@TruthSeeker0831]

​@@Cruz55360, I have to agree with others. Your morbid curiosity for such gory details, are a truly disturbing thing. A man died. SMH at the depravity of the young folks 😢

[@mrjaycam18]

@@justinfrakes4186it wasn’t Dale Sr. That got the HANS device going. It was a young man Jimmy Johnson carried on his car every race named Blaise Alexander.

[@ThePartySquirrel]

I'll never forget that day. When Darrel looked down towards Dales car and said "I hope Dales ok" .The way Kenny reacted when he saw Dale and waved for help. I knew it was going to be bad. All these years later and I still tear up.

[@mistabone3899]

I had to tell my son that day, 96 In I lost my Dad suddenly, both were heroes to me .

[@thunderanderson]

I do too... It's only a car race, but when that happened, to me it was so much more. I lost my favorite racer, my hero, my reason to care about the sport. It's sad it has gone down hill so much since then, I end up watching old school races here on this platform just to be entertained in the sport I used to Love !

[@jodysales2362]

I was a super fan. I still remembering my mom crying at the kitchen table when that happened

[@corneliuscrewe8165]

I was no Dale Earnhardt fan, I cheered when he would get beat. He was the guy I loved to hate. Believe me when I say his loss was a terrible tragedy for everybody, I am not ashamed to say I cried that day, and I cried when they did the first silent 3rd lap. And probably the 12 after that.

[@MLJFireDragon747]

Kenny later said that he knew Dale was gone when he saw him. Kenny was actually the one who told Dale Jr. at the infield care center when Jr. came looking for his dad.

[@michaelnotigan7796]

Darrel Waltrip knew as soon as he saw it. In one of the most happiest moments of his life, as his brother Michael crossed that finish line as the winner, his commentary turned grave and subdued. He knew.

[@skeletonmakesgood]

You're right. I remember it well. Darrel definitely knew. I remember seeing the accident and thinking that didn't look so bad. Then I saw his reaction and knew I was wrong.

[@andrewbriggs9796]

They could tell because he never took the window net down and Schrader did. And then Schrader feverishly waived medics to come. That was a horrible day.

[@bashclassof04]

DW was told to go to the hospital tight away. he has said many times his wife and Dale were very close. before every race she would right a note with a scripture verse that he taped to the dash. she did the same for Dale Jr his whole career.

[@didickcheeseburger]

i remember how dw was when he saw his bro coming out of turn 4 in front. i didnt think anything of dale sr crash. it just didnt look that bad after seeing tonys crash earlier in the day

[@irongoatrocky2343]

@@skeletonmakesgood DW knew Dales Energy and Spirit were no longer amongst us at that moment.....its hard to explain but that but DW knew he'd lost his friend.

[@ku4uv]

I could tell by the expression on Ken Schrader's face when they interviewed him that day, that Dale was gone. Ken didn't want to be the one to tell the world that Dale Earnhardt was gone, and who can blame him.

[@glennprince9983]

I knew it wasn't good when he looked through Dales window, jumped back and started waving for the rescue workers to hurry

[@fishrocker95]

ken looked like he’d just seen a ghost in that interview

[@ku4uv]

Yes, he did. @@fishrocker95

[@barrettbradshaw8602]

The look in his eyes on Jrs pod cast tells it all. You can see that it haunts him.

[@mesc681]

Ken Schrader said somewhere he knew right away Dale was dead when he looked inside but didnt wanna be the one to announce it

[@ricardobjj24]

Almost forget that Tony had a bad crash on the same day Dale crashed

[@nascarman38n88]

that's when Earnhardt loosen his belts and never tighten them up.

[@ValueDrew]

In fact if you watch the replays, Sr. actually drove under (he was close enough is what I mean) Tony while he was airborne. My dad always said that if Tony didn't get airborne, Sr. probably would have been caught up and may have survived...

[@nicolassanchez8318]

I always believed that those were two different races. Wow

[@pulsarlights2825]

I remember my friend saying a gay guy just won the Daytona 500 when he heard Michael Waltrip talk in Victory Lane...

[@kharnthebetrayer1575]

And Tony’s crash was worse that Dales. When smoke slumps on the wheel I thought the worst!!

[@hectorlopez1069]

The only race where dale didn't care about winning, he cared about helping his son Dale Jr. I really wish he survived that crash and didn't die. It was heartbreaking for Nascar.

[@davidhayes1456]

Trust me,Dale was trying to win.

[@pigs6486]

@@davidhayes1456 Not on the last lap. Stop.

[@hodawg7762]

Dale wasn't trying to win he was blocking everybody in site for the top two teamates. That was the plan going into the race. @@davidhayes1456

[@michaelsimmons9120]

Dale did not have a winning car. On the very first pit stop of the race, he got into the back of someone and had front end damage. Car would draft but he couldn’t lead very long at all

[@housesports000]

​@@davidhayes1456no he was not, he wouldn't have been only blocking Marlin's car otherwise holding him off for his 2 cars

[@Leroy_____]

Dan does a great job with this interview. Never knew that Tony say Dale in the hospital, how traumatic that must be for him.

[@bUdDh1stPsYcHo]

That was the first race I ever saw. I was 15. That insane crash and the death of Dale Earnhardt made me realize what these true sportsmen were putting on the line. Haven't stopped watching since.

[@justinfrakes4186]

If Dale hadn’t died I think that race would have been a great moment for NASCAR as a whole. Dale passing the torch to Mikey and Jr and beginning his graceful transition to team owner and a great personality. I didn’t even like Dale but respected him and I think once he wasn’t racing the world would get to know his personable side and loved him even more. Further, I believe DEI would have stayed together and Jr would have gone on to win multiple championships (unless he still got hurt.)

[@412hwc]

bruh they aint no athletes or none😂

[@icey2203]

@@412hwcway more athletic than you 💀💀💀💀💀

[@412hwc]

@@icey2203 100 percent doubt that! id bet everything in tha world on it😂😂 i play on tha steelers practice squad lets be real

[@rockzhard2009]

it's strange or idk funny but not in a haha way when you say "haven't stopped watching since", i watched every race i could that Dale was in, then that happened, and i haven't watched a nascar race since that day.

[@sirtom14]

I'll never forget watching it live when they came back from commercial after Dale's crash and there were already about 5 ambulances at the scene and safety workers on top of the car. Then they didn't show the crash scene again. I knew what happened but didn't want to accept it in the moment.

[@lgarcia67]

I was watching that day. When the accident happened I did not think anything of it. Like they said, it did not look that bad compared to other crashes I had seen. So that was an absolute shock when they said Dale had passed.

[@sinnedsinister]

Same thing. 4 hours the shock hit. 23 years later, the memory is as fresh as February 2001.

[@tnwhiskey68]

Yea, same here! I was not a huge 3 fan but I appreciated what he was doing at DEI. I was thinking they were going to get top 3 and then remember thinking he was willing to wipe himself out to make sure DEI got 1st and 2nd. Like "oh well, no big deal" then saw the announcement and was shocked!

[@sinnedsinister]

@tnwhiskey68 I'll be very honest. I've been watching and following NASCAR since I was a toddler. I g4ew up watching NASCAR and Indy for a long time. Grew up with the Bettenhausen's and went to school with thier kids. I never liked him. Rusty, Alabama Gang, The Labonte's, Smoke, Kulwicki, basically every underdog in the sport all competing against him. Loved watching Jr too and was a fan of DEI. Still didn't like him, until that day. The world lost a truly important person imo that day. Anyone who loves any form of auto racing remember that day and the effect of it. There are few sports figures who are lost that are remembered as Dale is. Roberto Clemente, Ayrton Senna, are the only others that still stick in my mind. 23 years later, all I can still say is "Damm"!!

[@robertlane370]

Dale wore his harness extremely loose and it ripped in two at the adjuster. He slammed into the steering wheel.

[@waynemetevia7983]

I watched that race on TV. Like you, I didn't think the wreck was all that bad. Then later, when they showed the ambulance leaving the track, I remember thinking "why is the ambulance going so slow?" It wasn't until later that evening when I heard on the news on TV what happened.

[@ktarv6111]

One of those events where you never forget where you were at when you either saw or heard about it.

[@marcusjohnson7441]

I remember vividly. My grandfather didn't like Dale, but respected the guy as a wheelman. Even my grandfather shed a tear for Dale, saying, I might not like him, but the man sure could drive, and I always respected him for that. From one wheelman to the next, keep that hammer down!!!

[@JimmyS.25]

I never watched a single NASCAR race in full. I was never interested in it (I'm from Germany). But over the last couple of days I sort of fell into a NASCAR rabbit hole. And I am so glad to have learned about one of the greatest legends in motorsports. What a shame he left this world so early.

[@Evil-Rod-Farva]

To say that DE was big in the southern US would be an understatement. You still see people here with his #3 in their rear windows and he’s been dead almost a quarter century. He was the Schumacher for us hillbillies.

[@bobke114]

I am from Texas and go to races at Spa and Nurburgring once or twice a year. I always fly my Earnhardt flag while camping. It always draws attention and folks especially at The Ring like to talk to me about Earnhardt. I find that fascinating.

[@TheEarnit3]

watching the 500 I was so relieved that Earnhardt managed to escape the big one with Stewart. Twenty minutes after the race I wished Earnhardt would've been caught up in that big one instead.

[@Inthefoxhole]

Yes sir re bob.I've thought the same thing

[@richclay4209]

I'm a huge Earnhardt fan. Having said that, prior to his demise NASCAR talked about the possibility of making the Hans Device mandatory as a few drivers already used them. Dale told NASCAR that he would never use one.

[@mjb2093]

Yep, stubborn bastard made a choice, and it ultimately cost him his life. Not to mention his useless open-face helmet he insisted on. Life has consequences.....

[@icey2203]

@@mjb2093pretty sure the crash was too bad anyway. His harness also failed.

[@ceeinfiniti1389]

But he also made his son wear one too.

[@brandspro]

@@mjb2093HANS Device would have made zero difference.

[@mikedante4526]

@@brandspro, yes it would have absolutely made a difference. It would have prevented his head from abruptly snapping forward with such force and smashing off the steering wheel, which was the cause of the basilar skull fracture that killed him.

[@Dupont24ism]

I had never heard a black radio station mention anything about NASCAR until that day , Dale Sr meant a lot to a lot of people.

[@BlueSkyCrystals]

23 years later I still can’t watch Dale highlights without bursting into tears. I didn’t have a father to look up to growing up. All I had was Dale. I’ll never forget his last win. Dale was a real Superman that day.

[@briansefring4981]

How sad.....of a life :(

[@vinewood8295]

To be fair, I thought Dale's wreck at Talladega in 1996 was it BUT he walked that day...

[@Jason-si8iu]

He was never same after that wreck

[@bostonwarrior4824]

He also had a really close moment on July 25, 1982, Dale Earnhardt had a violent crash at Pocono in the Mountain Dew 500. Dale broke his leg when he and Tim Richmond got together going into turn one and went into the wall. The impact caused Earnhardt to get upside down and he had engine oil and battery acid dripping on him as he got out of the car. Richmond helped Earnhardt get out of the car and into the ambulance. That was another really bad crash that could’ve killed him but didn’t. Not saying it’s the worse one but still a pretty bad wreck that injured him

[@DukeTheRebel]

The one in 96 was not nearly as bad as 2001, yes, it gave him injuries that he eventually got operated on for but was a championship favorite in 2000 and for 2001. The angle he crashed out in 96 was not as nearly as bad as it looked compared to 2001.

[@tritontransport]

That’s when his career essentially ended though. He probably continued racing after that with a bad concussion and cognitive issues. In those days nobody cared about concussions. Remember the race where he got out of the car because he couldn’t even see where he was going and came in the pits for a relief driver but the first time he missed pit road? And it was under a caution and he still missed the pits? 🫤

[@DukeTheRebel]

@@tritontransport yeah he had a dry spell after his wreck but then he won the damn Daytona 500 in 98 and then from 99 to 2001 he was on the turnaround and he was becoming a championship contender again

[@BadWolf762]

I was a huge Sr. fan and was elated when he made it past Stewart's crash that day. Later as the tears were flowing I wished he would have got caught up in it. Losing Dale hit me hard.

[@jeffmurray4627]

It was so close to him being caught up in the crash. You can see him and Ron Hornaday Jr. in a still shot with cars flying just over them.

[@TwoAcresandaMule]

23 years later I still cry when I hear about this day.

[@pulsarlights2825]

Hmmmm, I wonder if Dale or anyone else on TV would have cried if you died that day instead...

[@thezombie7839]

@@pulsarlights2825 3/10 troll points. You can do better.

[@psylocybanana7276]

No you don't.

[@S1ck0f1tA11]

​@@thezombie7839 1/10 internet righteous points

[@leagueofotters2774]

@@pulsarlights2825 Dale was known to have cried whenever any of his fans died.

[@lisathomas1622]

Dale was very nice, I ran into him when our sons were young and they were playing together in a bagel shop in NY. I was very sad when he passed away. I’m glad Tony recovered.

[@66lwmorgan]

Schrader knew Dale was gone when he saw him, it was instant when he hit the wall.

[@rdaws73]

If you read the crash report and see the photos of the aftermath inside the cockpit. I would say that's an understatement.

[@nathanswoveland163]

@@rdaws73where can I find that

[@rdaws73]

@@nathanswoveland163 Think my link got removed. Search Google with "3 car crash report earnhardt" Second result..from autopsy files website

[@aliostrowski1935]

He actually wasn't dead but was close to it My mom met a nurse who was there and he actually bled out on the ride to the hospital

[@66lwmorgan]

@@aliostrowski1935 I can believe that to. Thank you for correcting me without being a smart ass about it.

[@stevebiddle8912]

It’s a day I’ll never forget

[@kaleta036]

Wow. I get emotional watching this. He’s a strong guy to share that.

[@daveysketter9186]

very good interview! thanks for sharing!

[@Elagentejefe]

I didn't realize that Smoke saw all that. I thought Kenny Schrader was the only other driver to see Sr. in that condition. Wow. God bless to all.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

I was at that Daytona race, sitting on the back stretch up in the stands that no longer exist. Dale's crash looked minor to the others that day. It was a start of a horrific year.

[@78FullSizeBronco]

I remember Stanley Smith's crash at Talladega when he sustained and miraculously survived a basilar skull fracture. The camera showed him laying on the ground and his whole suit was stained with blood despite being white to begin with. Can't imagine what Tony and Kenny saw that day but it wasn't pretty.

[@GlacialErratic]

Watching this took me back to the moment of the crash, 23 years, wow time goes so damn fast.

[@MrJOKERZ68]

I had a gf, who I had seen in a while come over that day, and she wanted me to stop watching the race. At the end when I didn't see Dale Sr get out of the car I started tearing up. She said it was just a race and I told her he's not getting out of that car. So when the ambulance got him and didn't have it's lights on she realized that he was dead. I was wearing my Kyle petty shirt and then she said you're crying and you don't even like him......I KICKED HER ASS OUT

[@jackroy6524]

I highly doubt a crying little b like you kicked her out. She left after dumping your ass. 😂

[@TwoAcresandaMule]

I was with my GF and her mom at a store and said "I should have stayed at the house and finished the race. Someone might die and I will miss it" because thats what my smartass 15 year old mind thought was funny.

[@Johnnypaycheck77]

Yeah and his belt wasn't cut either

[@arranmc182]

deep down every NASCAR fan is a Earnhardt fan

[@roymcgaw7431]

That’s some real tough guy NASCAR behaviour there. Your IQ probably matches he number on Kyle’s car.

[@TPTCC27]

My husband and I missed the actual race and watched a recording a few hours later. We were stunned by Tony's wreck, thought it was going to be horrible, and didn't even flinch when Dale crashed because it seemed so minor. The recording ended and we didn't know he had died. My husband checked online to see how he was doing and we found out. I burst into tears. I've never been a race car fan (my husband is), but Dale's death is still hard to remember.

[@johnharris6655]

I remember watching the Daytona 500 with my dad. My dad was a part time IMSA racer who in 1980 nearly qualified for the 24 hours of Daytona and knew that track well. When he saw the crash on TV he said that was a bad crash. I asked him why and he said it did not sound right and Dale's car did not rebound off the wall.

[@heetseeker8017]

There was no sound from anywhere near the car to know what it sounded like.

[@johnharris6655]

@@heetseeker8017 The sound of the Dale's car hitting the wall. Trust me, you hit a solid object with a 4000 pound object going 200 MPH it is going to make a sound.

[@davidrice3337]

I was so nervous I turned the TV off and was listening to MRN - I knew by the way they talked - or the lack of it - about the 3 , it was bad - word had spread quickly and you could hear it in the voices something catastrophic happened - Unfortunately I was right

[@SOU6900]

I remember this race like it was yesterday. Actually have the tape from that race and his funeral as well. As a kid still in elementary school this had me torn up for a while. I remember at some point after his death hearing a radio transmission of him saying that if NASCAR didn't do something soon with the cars that someone was going to end up getting killed. That day he left this world was what started a slow loss of interest in the sport. I cannot remember the last time I watched a NASCAR event on TV at, let alone from the drop of the green to the checkered flag.

[@13Mizzou]

Between Schrader's reaction to seeing Dale, Jr running down pit road to get to the hospital and camera crews following the ambulance I knew it wasn't good. 13YO me wasnt ready for the news later in the day, it sucked.

[@travispavich1694]

I remember that race. When the accident happened, I like most everyone thought Dale was ok. The moment I knew it wasn’t when you saw the ambulance leave going 20MPH. That brought tears to my eyes

[@skepchica]

I said the same, that slow moving ambulance was ominous.

[@TheWickedReactions]

I was never a big Dale fan, but i understood and respected whst he brought to the sport, and it was a very sad day when he died.

[@formalguy01]

Dale's death is a story that is always relevant, somehow, especially to hardcore NASCAR fans... Stewart telling this story, for the first time ever, after all these years... Honestly my heart melted a little. Just makes you remember all of it, the darkness of it all. Stewart flipped his car, went airborne, he's at least a little out of it, then he had to see Dale, dead or near dead, by accident. That's just... I genuinely cannot believe how much my stomach would've pitted if I would've seen that, from his perspective.

[@HirokaAkita]

He mentioned something big there. The more a crash lasts (including rollovers), less energy is being directed to the one inside the cockpit. But the less it lasts, the worst it becomes. Add the fact that Dale Sr. was on a damaged seatbelt (it was a 5 point seatbelt, but one strap was torned)

[@rodhaffer2905]

Not correct. Dale always liked to loosen belts to be able to move a little. That created a whip effect tearing one belt. As reported in the Simpson safety depositions. Bill Simpson often caught Dale with a looser than recommended belt and documented that. It was a horrible one in a million combination of events and so sad. All of these videos still impact us. When we lost Dale we lost Nascar too.

[@scorpio7927]

That's Exactly What Roll Cages Are Meant To Do. It's To Keep The Car Rolling & Rolling, To Take Out As Much Of The Energy As Possible = Less Change Of Driver Deaths & Injuries.

[@jaredjones6292]

Remember watching this race with my sister and brother-in-law. After seeing Dale crash, I didn't think much about it and was watching Michael on the podium being congratulated. I swear to this day that I saw Dale come up from behind and give him a hug. My sister asked about Dale and if I thought he was hurt. I turned to her and said, "He just gave Waltrip a hug, so he must be alright or I'm seeing a ghost." We both laughed about it until the news of his death was announced.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Physics can be deceiving. An instantaneous halt is *MUCH* more catastrophic than a so-called Hollywood tumble. Same goes for skydiving (I've jumped thrice, decades ago); if your chute doesn't open and there's zero foliage to reduce your velocity... yer probably gonna be road nachos.

[@teastrainer3604]

As long as you're well strapped in and the roof is constructed so as not to collapse on you.

[@CrewGuyPJ]

On YT, there is a video of sterling being interviewed about the wreck and in it they have the 4th turn speed shot of the wreck..it is a massive hit and shows how fast and hard it went in. the tv view we all have seen 1000 times is deceiving.

[@justinfrakes4186]

@@teastrainer3604 even if your solidly belted with a HANS device on and you stop quickly and violently enough you brain is going to smash into the inside of your skull. Physics wins every time. It is the undisputed champion of Fuck Around and Find Out.

[@mesc681]

⁠@@CrewGuyPJive seen it but im not sure its still up

[@parkerbeard6170]

I never even knew Tony was at the hospital the same time Dale was when he was pronounced Dead. Very sad to hear that would definitely haunt him forever that he witnessed it

[@alanhelton]

The look in Tony’s eyes. I’ve seen that look on my battle buddies faces a time or two… you know they will never been the same when they get that look…

[@bultacowally]

That's the look of a man that got away with manslaughter...TS is a hot headed POC and ran a young man over because of it

[@tman3831]

Almost feel bad for him until I remember he killed a man over a temper tantrum

[@nielgregory108]

I bet he didn't look that way when he killed that kid.

[@justinfrakes4186]

@@nielgregory108 that kid got out of a race car on an active track and the “event” happened. Was it tragic? Yes. Did Tony ever get convicted of killing/hurting anyone? Nope. Wasn’t even indicted by the grand jury.

[@Average_Ohio_Equinox]

@@tman3831I wish people would get the hell over that. I’m not even a Tony Stewart fan and I know that wasn’t intentional. What good would it serve him to run his car into someone else on the track, and face years in prison and tons of prosecution? He was acquitted, and that loser he hit was driving around the track while high and decided to walk out onto an active race track. Tony is a hot head and so I’m sure he was pissed off and revving his car up but there is no way in hell he meant to hit that kid.

[@wrthrash]

Such a dramatic tale, goosebumps and tears.

[@JeeperJim5]

Wow. That had to be one of the most devastating moments in Smoke’s life. How could you even get over that? Definitely the day NASCAR started dying especially for me and I was NOT a Dale fan. So wish he was still with us.

[@MakeGamingGreatAgainMGGA]

One of the only times I saw my dad cry when I was a kid it was this day, he watched every Dale race. Soul crushing moment in sports history

[@NickB1121]

You can see the steering wheel was bent in Dale's car. The seatbelt broke, causing his face to hit the steering wheel. Then he bounced back and forth multiple times in a fraction of a second. If Dale had hit the wall even 1 or 2 degrees difference, the energy would've dissipated in another area of the car. God simply decided it was Dale's time. 23 years later, i still cant believe it.

[@davidjonesthanksto7262]

Thank you for the update mate look forward to others on Shane's progress, success

[@dannydevito5729]

I'll never forget the commentator immediately saying "hope Dale is ok" which seemed weird to me as a kid.

[@clintonfouraker4549]

Before the race they interviewed Dale and he one of the last few things he said to the tv guy is “you probably gonna see something you hadn’t seen before on fox” or whatever tv channel it was..and he was right

[@DelayedPenalty]

Any time I hear those words I instantly tear up. Aside from family members, I've never cried harder losing someone than when they announced Dale was dead.

[@alfredsnyder4]

DW

[@zottffss]

Dale’s car not bouncing away from the wall was an overlooked part that made a seemingly minor crash into a fatal one….

[@mocpehusrainey4961]

Stewart is wrong about head and neck restraints not being available. Many drivers refused to wear them including Dale and he said so several times in interviews. He was old school. Dale Earnhardt was my favorite driver and always will be but, there is a very good chance had he been using the Hans Device he would have survived.

[@letsroll492]

He said he could not turn his head while wearing the HANS and the RCR version was a sewn-into-the-firesuit breakaway stitching that had not been added for races

[@mocpehusrainey4961]

Other drivers were using it. I'm not saying the Hans device was perfect, but he died from basilar skull ring fracture. The Hans device was almost specifically made to prevent that fatal injury and by all accounts had a high likelihood of saving Dale's life. My whole point was Stewart claimed head and neck restraints were not available which is false. @@letsroll492

[@aliostrowski1935]

He also was known for not wearing his seat belt correctly

[@rsurf38]

I was at that race, sadly. And this is the first time I've heard this story...Dale was my favorite driver, even though my last name is ironically Stewart.

[@plap.]

Yes it is sad and i would never wish ill will towards anyone but Everyone forgets that Dale was weaving up and down the track trying to block four lanes at 190mph. Reckless driving finally got him. I get why he was doing it and died doing what he loved for whom he loved but im sure jr would rather he was alive than trying to help him out in such a way

[@nicolegreen1599]

People who didn’t even watch NASCAR knew Dale, Dale Jr., and Jeff Gordon. When they said that Dale had passed, it rocked a lot of people. I watched it and I lived in inner city DC, not exactly a NASCAR bastion, but we felt it that day.

[@mikehunt6088]

Tony Stewart was born to drive

[@angelabarrera24]

I was not a Dale Earnhardt fan, but on that day, I cried my eyes out when I heard he had been killed. It doesn't matter who you are a fan of. You never want to see that happen to anyone. I still cry when anyone talks about that day.

[@HankJr.]

Just couldn’t imagine what that moment for was like for Tony. He had no idea that the sports biggest legend had been in an accident and next thing you know Dale is suddenly rolled in to your room in grave condition and based off what Tony had said it seems that he had recognized that Dale had already passed. Dale normally always going for the win sat there in 3rd defending his two drivers up front holding everybody back. From Dales perspective his entire team was 1, 2, and 3 and up until the crash Dale was probably loving seeing his son and new driver in MW leading the race as he sat in 3rd blocking.

[@user-lq1lm6dv8t]

I was at this race. I knew, we all knew, when they put a tarp over his car. Dale was gone. People were in disbelief leaving the track.

[@Cancelthis1541]

It was Schraders instant reaction when he stuck his head in Dales window that I knew it was bad.

[@Rooftopmatty]

I don’t remember a lot of nascar races growing up but I remember that race plain as day

[@Subhuman_Gamer]

That was the last Nascar race I ever watched. He was my driver. Still to this day makes me sad.

[@maryleonard6133]

Same for me!

[@sojuwannadrink1867]

My dad was at that race with my uncle. It was my uncles first Nascar race. I was at home recording the race on the VCR. Sad day.

[@leegunter5223]

I was at that race on the back stretch ( when they had one) and Tony's accident happened right in front of me! It was Ward Burton who caused that accident. I looke 5 times worse than Dales. But the injuries weren't! I had a friend in the 3rd turn who called me and said they put a blanket on the car so you knew. Most of the backstretch didn't know until about an hour later!

[@Buschy22]

Ward Burton did not cause that accident. Robby Gordon (the 4 car) was following Stewart off turn 2 and either A) switched lanes to get behind Ward or B) car developed a push and he was in a four wheel slide up the track. Either way he clipped Ward in the left rear and Ward bounced off Stewart once and tried to straighten it up but to no avail. Lost control and the second point of contact to Stewart's right rear turned him head on. The eerie part of the entire accident is how close Ward's front end was to Dale driving through the accident. You couldn't fit a piece of paper between their cars. I'll never forget this especially as a Ward Burton fan. This accident doesn't happen, Ward had a great shot at winning (led the most laps that day). Probably would have been outmatched in the end with the DEI trio and car owner Dale up there pushing all of them.

[@rickharvell8185]

For all of you know it all's. If NASCAR has not put plates on cars in the 80's And starts bunching every body up and then cut a deal with fox In the first year this would have never happened I caught my first race in 1974 When men drove the cars without power steering With bias ply tires No cool suits NASCAR is pussy Privileged kids in this day God bless Neil Bonnett Dale Sr. Cale and both the Allison's Donnie and Bobby And ofcourse Davey Allison And Benny Parsons And bill Elliott and Both labonte brothers And guys like Morgan Shepherd Harry gant Ricky Rudd Richard Petty rusty Wallace Tim Richmond Ken Schrader Allan kulwicki Hell I'll even include bodine NASCAR is now a sell out

[@Buschy22]

@@rickharvell8185 So how are we "know it alls" when we're just having a discussion and giving our points of view? And FYI I feel the same in that the 90s 00s NASCAR was WAY more compelling to me than todays NASCAR. But why the insults to us?

[@karlmckinnell2635]

Unfortunately in many instances safety rules and regulations are written in the blood of others 😢. RIP.

[@jimboslice9472]

lets all relish n the fact the head & neck restraints weren't yet a rule 👍🏽💯but we did need "in car" cameras that day 😉

[@cykablyatman6242]

​​@@jimboslice9472that's pretty fucked up dude, he died on impact, and i'm glad the hans is mandatory, but why would you wanna see a man die on impact? what are ye, a psycho?

[@chrispix61]

Dale had previously said in an interview that one day someone was going to get killed doing the plate racing, where the whole field is bunched up.

[@ba55bar]

HANS existed, it just wasn't mandatory

[@metaforcesaber]

After I saw pictures of the inside of Dale's car, when Ken and Tony say it didn't look good, the floor of the car had blood all over it. If you Google the type of injury that Dale had, he was most likely bleeding out of his ears, eyes, And maybe nose.

[@hectorlopez1069]

Tony Stewart had a horrible crash before Dale Earnhardt died. He's lucky he didn't get hurt so bad, or killed.

[@32bootzie]

Was clueless about this story , how very sad.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@MarriedtoMichaelMyers]

Do accidents like this really need to happen so they can determine what kind of safety gear is best for their drivers?

[@Riley_Mundt]

Sadly, yes. Sometimes the only way to know when something is a problem is when there are catastrophic consequences.

[@TruthSeeker0831]

Sadly, hindsight is always 20/20.

[@xHICKORYx]

People used to argue against using seat belts.

[@teastrainer3604]

Dale opposed the use of head and neck restraints.

[@jondahl3173]

NASCAR started mandating cage design changes to make actual crush zones for safety also. #3 should have taken more of the energy of the crash in destroyed front cage bars. Hans device may not have saved Dale with out cage changes.

[@timroden6617]

Just a few years earlier I saw the crash of Scott Brayton at Indy. Similar fashion. He just went wide on turn 4 and hit the wall hard. Snapped his neck and was dead. Tony's crash was spectacular but Dale's crash was deadly. Seeing some of the accidents at Daytona today, we can be grateful for the research that went into driver's safety.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Ya Tony the HANS device was already on the market in '01. Dale didn't like 'em and they weren't mandatory so he didn't use one. Also, Nascar had banned open face helmuts for all but the veterans who still wanted to use them, which Sr. did. Throw in the fact he ran his shoulder belts loose all the time and right there was the recipe for what happened. NASCAR made the Hans device mandatory after his death and revoked the open face helmut exemption for veterans. Those were the big rule changes immediately. Safer Barriers came along a year later but weren't installed at Daytona till '04. But I doubt in DE's case they would've made a difference because of the three other factors I listed.

[@Posirep]

The funny thing is Im sure he had used them in IndyCar and sprint cars cuz they had been there for years at that point

[@EclecticHillbilly]

No NASCAR didn't make head and neck restraints mandatory until after Blaise Alexander's death, which was months later.

[@GypsyDanger514]

I was watching that Sunday. Was also one of the last times I watched nascar.

[@motherofdoggos3209]

Ken said only one time that when he looked in the car he couldnt believe all the blood. ☹️

[@George-on3zm]

That’s amazing to hear. I never ever knew that Tony accidentally got taken into the same room. 🙏

[@racegrubb2152]

I knew the wreck was really bad when i saw it. He hit head on and the rear axle broke off the car on impact. I had never seen that until then. If you hit head on so hard it breaks the rear axle that is a serious hit. Also the front end did not cave in that much to absorb that impact. Probably well over 120 g crash to do that. Watch the replay and watch the rear and right rear. Belts mount properly or not, without the haans you wouldnt survive that impact. The 3 drivers that got killed in 2000 didnt have broken belts and also had full face helments. They died of the same head injury Earnhardt died from. So i think even if the belt didnt break he still would have been killed.

[@CrewGuyPJ]

it pushed the engine back about 6-8", breaking the trans case and shoved the drive shaft back into the pumpkin. dales was a bit different in blaise was a square front hit ( tony ropers was as well), adam petty and kenny irwin was that 30 degree rf hit( that angle got a lot of guys, grant adcox, larry smith, terry schoonover as well) dale got stretched to the right when kenny hit him and then came the wall impact..so he was pulled in 2 directions.

[@WaterfallFW]

I remember that race I watched it happen and I told my husband about it. He watched every race almost but he was busy that day and couldn’t believe it. So sad. I remember the safety that came afterwards.

[@marcisawesome0469]

I never knew this 😢 if Dale Earnhardt would have been caught up in that big wreck. Then he would still be here today. 😢

[@bultacowally]

W H A T ?????????

[@mycitywasgone4216]

I was thinking the same thing Right after the Race While watching the Race Highlights I notice Dale just got pass Tony’s wreck…realizing Maybe he would have survived the day If he was involved But GOD has bigger plans ✔️ 🙏Rest in heaven, Dale🏁

[@marshalsmith6833]

It’s possible but NASCAR wouldn’t be as safe today without what happened.

[@marshalsmith6833]

It’s possible but NASCAR wouldn’t be as safe today without what happened.

[@marshalsmith6833]

It’s possible but NASCAR wouldn’t be as safe today without what happened.

[@scottschoppert9149]

I was actually at basic training and the drill instructor announced what happened and everyone was basically trying to hold their jaw up in shock

[@maxpuppy96]

Tony was wearing a full helmet and Dale wasn't, if he had, we would not be having this conversation.

[@wvusmc]

A full face wouldn't have mattered.

[@ett2]

Hans device would have saved he and others, full face wouldn't help.​@wvusmc

[@racegrubb2152]

Not true, the other 3 drivers in 2000 before Earnhardt got killed had full face helmets and died of basilar skull fractures. Wouldn't have mattered. If it did the ones with full face helmets would have still be here

[@stevancartwright7343]

A full faced helmet doesn't matter when it's a basilar Skull Fracture.

[@bdanielcal4608]

Wrong !!!!!!

[@brendaroberts1920]

I've always loved NASCAR, and sadly I was watching that day. Broke my heart cuz he was my favorite driver 😢

[@conservativeprodigy2604]

The way the world is today, part of me is glad Dale Sr didn't see how far America has fallen. RIP Dale

[@ragingcyclone369]

I remember seeing Tony's crash and knowing he'd be ok because so many pieces came off that car. Each piece was energy taken away from him. When Dale Sr's car hit that wall and nothing broke on it but the windshield, I knew it was really bad. He got all of that energy of the impact. In car crashes like those, the more pieces flying off that car mean there is less energy of the impact directed at the driver. You want the cars to fly apart. When the car remains intact like in Dale Sr.'s crash or the one Ernie Irvan had in 1994 at Michigan, those are the worse kinds of crashes.

[@austincooper4508]

Wow, had no idea they were in the same room.

[@YouthIncSports]

Shocked us when we heard it too

[@austincooper4508]

@@YouthIncSports as far as know only he, Schrader, and Sr's family saw him after the wreck. And of course we know how it effected Schrader.

[@jonathonpoloski917]

It's amazing, Stewart talks about Dales accident changing the sport, he didn't once think to mention "why didn't my crash make them change what happened". It's because he walked away. 😢

[@billhillyer334]

Such a great guy Tony is

[@davee164]

...for a murderer!

[@davee164]

@@Copperhead-sz1rr I'll bet that guy's family hasn't moved on, Jack.

[@jtp2007]

@@davee164 Racing accident, guy who was clearing intoxicated wearing a dark suit at night. Tony explains his side of the story in this very interview.

[@davee164]

@@jtp2007 you'll fall for anything, won't you. Sheep.

[@bcgrittner]

The camera on the wall where Dale hit offered a view of his fatal crash that was frightening. The GPS data from Dale’s car showed a loss of velocity of 44-48 mph in .04 seconds. Some time ago I drove a few race cars. I haven’t driven one since Dale, Sr. Died.

[@f.alexander.poetry2343]

The sport died that day. And was buried when Dale Jr retired. Racing aint never been the same since.

[@DTM45]

Holy ****. Wow…beyond off the charts gnarly.

[@MRosati5000]

Tony, we're glad you made it alright.

[@nielgregory108]

Yeah, so he could go on and kill a kid.

[@2014cwajts71]

@@nielgregory108 Go away you retarded troll.

[@Toxic2T]

@@nielgregory108 that kid was high on marijuana.

[@jtp2007]

@@nielgregory108 Ward should have never left his car and should have never been under the influence. Tony explains what happened.

[@thundertmf]

I was there, it was my first and last Nascar race, I signed the finish line before the race and everything, I was in the bleachers at the end of the long straightaway 2 turns away from the accident, i remember everyone getting up to start to leave to beat the traffic, I saw the accident across from me and i said to the guy i was with "hey man 2 guys went into the wall" as we were heading for the exit, we had a 4 hour drive to get home, and it was on that drive home it came over the radio that Earnhardt died, kind of ruined Nascar for me, never went to another race

[@fastfrog0077]

What about that guy Tony murdered with a dirt car? Can he talk about that a bit too?

[@jsquared1013]

There was a full legal investigation and he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Kid was high and walked into the path of moving racecars wearing a black suit at night.

[@beagletrump7566]

Listen with no disrespect but Tony didn't do it on purpose this kid should have known better he was under the influence of drugs and he crashed and he should have waited to get out of his car when safety crews came to him but not before and he risked his own life to confront Tony and it was dark and he was wearing all black and Tony couldn't see him until it was too late and it was the kids fault and not Tony's

[@janisday344]

I am so sorry Tony. That had to be so difficult to witness.

[@jtp2007]

It amazes me the ignorance of people who still think Tony killed someone. It was proven that Kevin Ward was under the influence of marijuana and should have never been in a race car that night. He should have never ran onto the track after the crash. Had he stayed in his car like everyone else would have, nothing would have happened. Let me paint a scenario for you. Say you are driving along a dark road and you see someone on the side of the road out of their car. Then all of a sudden, the person runs right in front of your car. you hit them and they die. In the aftermath, that persons family files a wrongful death suit against you and you are labeled a murderer. How would you feel if that happened to you? You would defend yourself, would you not? The fact is, anyone under the influence should not be driving a car of any kind. There have been 1000s of race drivers that have been in accidents where they were unhurt. How many of those drivers, got out of their car and showed anger towards another driver? Ok a few have, but how many actually ran into the racing line right in front of other cars? ONE, Kevin Ward Jr. I feel for his family and wish it had never happened, but to not see what actually happened and put the blame only on Tony is just plain ignorance.

[@giraffezebra2698]

I live so close to the track I hear it all season long. Most people who were there and all the locals know it wasn’t Tony’s fault. We were all kind of upset that he settled the wrongful death lawsuit with the family instead of fighting it, but I get why he did it.

[@angelasieg5099]

We, my husband and I were watching when the crash happened. People started calling, asking if my husband was OK. It was like a family member had died. He feels NASCAR was never the same

[@alexandergennaro8596]

It was the day NASCAR died and it never was the same

[@Motorsport-club]

Nope Nascar highest viewership season is 2006

[@Motorsport-club]

@@longsleevethong1457 don't be calling Tony a murder, because that guy killed him self by wearing black fire suit and having drugs in his system , which is SUPER ILLEGAL in any forms of motersports.

[@nancyharman4795]

I'd never watched a full NASCAR race, just glanced at the tv in passing when my father or brother was watching. Races seemed to go on forever, and I'd never seen anyone cross the finish line. I'd been doing chores that day, took a shower, came out just as an announcer said something like, "Twenty-two laps to go." Hey, I thought, someone's actually going to win this one. I might just watch that. Sat down to watch the end of the race and couldn't believe how it ended. Watched the entire race the following Sunday. Became a closet NASCAR fan. After a couple of years, bought a ticket to Martinsville! Later, got season tickets to Bristol for several years. Met fabulous race fans from across the country and around the world. That Daytona 500 sent my life in a different direction. If not for the ending, I may never have watched another race... Instead, I have a ton of amazing memories. Thank you for your legacy, Dale Sr.! Your last race changed my life forever.

[@Jstring304]

Thats the last NASCAR race I watched in it's entirety

[@gloriahughes1512]

I loved two men in my life. My earthly father and Dale Earnhardt. I went to automotive/diesel technology school trying to be the first female crew member on his crew. The only time i have ever creid so hard was when my father died. I cry for both everytime they are brought up. I have nevwr seen so many grown men cry over one man. Like they said, you either loved or hated him, but you was going to the race to see what Dale was gonna do this Sunday!! Love you miss you both Dad and Dale !!! ❤❤❤

[@jasonwright2535]

I knew that MY IDOL, MY EVERYTHING , MY HEART BEAT, MY SOUL INSPIRATION ,& MY HOMETOWN OF KANNAPOLIS NORTH CAROLINA FRIEND was Dead on Impact!!!

[@leoeckert4408]

Tony has a serious point as he's explaining the difference in both of their crashes. Energy had much more distance and time to dissipate whereas Dale came to a complete change of direction and lost roughly half the amount of speed. 2001 was a rough year for America