![]() The videos of his 76 wins are in standard definition. With each day and race, the images of Earnhardt become more aged. Twenty years means the number of people who have watched NASCAR without Earnhardt might very well equal or be greater than the number of those who watched races with him in the field. That's a lot of time to process the legacy of the legend. Twenty years without Dale Earnhardt on the racetrack with his hands on the wheel of his famed No. But the milestone date has made this year feel especially heavy. This Great American Race will be no different from all the others run since 2001, as the pall cast by the death of Earnhardt at age 49 has never gone away. 18 marks the 20th anniversary of the day NASCAR's biggest star was killed in the final turn of the final lap of the race he loved more than any other. ![]() It doesn't replace the memories, you know?" "But those are just momentary sorts of things. When you see other people visit it and post their experience online, it's a great thing. "It's amazing, and I've loved the opportunity to take Amy there, to take my daughter there. To those who were around him in person, those devotees who work to keep alive the Gospel of The Intimidator, including the man who carries Dale Earnhardt's name, that's the way his legacy feels. The 9-foot-tall bronze statue is, appropriately, larger than life. The smirk that peeks out from beneath his signature mustache says, "C'mon, man, is that all you've got?" It is a frosty February afternoon, and the statue of Dale Earnhardt is staring into the face of a hard winter wind like it was a rival on the racetrack. THE INTIMIDATOR STANDS watch over his hometown of Kannapolis, North Carolina, day and night, his arms permanently interlocked across his chest, his folded Gargoyles shades sticking out of his shirt pocket, as visible as the Wrangler "W" on the back of his jeans and the seams in his favorite cowboy boots. ![]() This is Part I of a four-part series on the life, death and safety legacy of Dale Earnhardt, 20 years after his fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĭale Earnhardt's death at the Daytona 500: The legacy of The Intimidator
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |