posted
Since I saw no one else here posting this, I figured I might as well.
Earlier today (actually, yesterday) was the 43rd running of NASCAR's Daytona 500. On the final lap, Michael Waltrip led Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Sterling Marlin, and Kenny Schrader. Coming into Turn 3 of the high banked oval, Dale Earnhardt, attempting to block the drivers behind him and let his son and team driver move ahead for the win, was tapped by Sterling Marlin's car. Earnhardt's black Goodwrench Chevrolet #3 was set up the banking, colliding with Kenny Schrader's car, and plowing into the outside concrete wall head on at approximatly 150mph. Both cars slid back down to the grass on the infield of the track and avoided hitting the rest of the field. Michael Waltrip went on to win, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking 2nd.
When Earnhardt and Schrader's cars came to a complete stop, Schrader was able to get himself out of his own car, but paramedics rushed Dale Earnhardt's car. He was found unconscious and not breathing inside the car, and the car's roof had to be physically cut off in order to remove him. He was transported two minutes away to Halifax hospital.
Approximatly half an hour later Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead from fatal injuries sustained to the chest, neck, and head in the accident.
Dale Earnhardt was undoubtebly the greatest active driver still in NASCAR, winning 7 Championships (tie for record) and 76 total wins (6th place overall) in his career. He is known my millions of NASCAR fans as "The Intimidator", and he is one of the most recognizeable men in all of motorsports. Ironic it is that Earnhardt dies during the Daytona 500, since this race was the one that had always tricked him in the very end. After 20 years of trying, where he's come so close but has failed to win, Dale won his only Daytona 500 in 1998. This is among his 24 wins in different series and different racing events at Daytona, making him the king of the track. Everyone in NASCAR either hated him, or loved him. But they all respected him.
Dale Earnhardt was 49.
------------------ "No, 3 & 6 are mandatory, so you only have to do them if you want"
Alex, fellow classmate, trying to explain an assignment (2/2/01)
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
"Shame," my ass. People live, people die; it's entropy in action--Renae LOVES race car drivers.
The man drove a big metal machine in a circle at upwards of 200 MPH along with other men doing the same exact thing. The fact that he lived as long as he DID is more of a shock. Besides, everyone knows that you go to a race to see a spectacular crash! I did see footage of that Home Depot car flippin', though...that was MAAARRRRRRRRRvelous!
------------------ "You just push off....and the falling sort of happens on its own." ---Dave Titus
posted
I'm watching a replay of the race on Foxsports right now. I wanted to see the reaction of the guys in the booth, to see if they relized how bad the wreck was. They did. They didn't say much at first, but Darrell Waltrip was in the booth, and watched his brother win for the first time in over 400 races, and still said "I hope Dale is OK. Kenny Schrader had already got out of his car by this time and had rushed over to Earhardt's car. Schrader didn't say much when the press reached him, but you could see he was worried.
------------------ I DO NOT ENJOY BOTH GENDERS!!! Ultra Magnus
posted
I know all about the fact that people die. People die everyday but it is still a shame none the less. Nobody in the racing profession goes out there thinking that they will die it is an accident that just happens. Those cars are designed for maximum survival so deaths don't happen all that often. Shik I personally find your whole attitude to the situation rather rude and heartless. If I had just lost a family member in an incident like that and you said those things I would at the very least knock you on your butt. I know all about the facts of unexpected death and I am prepared to deal with it if/when that time comes. I will not tolerate people who take such a heartless view of it. Yes people die everyday, it still doesn't mean we have to like it.
------------------ Death before Dishonor! However Dishonor has quite a disputed defintion.
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Bah. Death is nothing bad, sad, or to be feared. It IS only considered "tragic" because this guy was, to use Elliot-Ness-a-Tron's term, "an icon."
Yeah, he died. It happens. It's entropy. His purpose was served in this universe. That's hardly a "heartless" attitude; it's a realistic one. My beliefs allow for a simple "oh well." I did not know the man. I never was interested in his chosen profession. I cannot mourn the passing of someone who is essentially faceless nor would it be right for me to do so. Indeed, it's more of an insult than anything.
And why mourn? Why not celebrate? I bet the bugger is sitting in Central Receiving somewhere sayin, "Damn...I thought I was supposed to go BIG! FIREballs or some shit like that..."
Even famous people die. Move along.
------------------ "You just push off....and the falling sort of happens on its own." ---Dave Titus
posted
Indeed. No-one would be talking about this if Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was the assistant manager of the McDonald's in Palookaville. My girlfriend just told me about fifteen minutes ago that she just heard that her great-aunt died. I'll bet none of you care about that. Sure, you'll say "oh, that's too bad, I'm so sorry" and all that. But only because I told you about it. How many of you read the obituaries in the newspaper every day for the purpose of feeling bad about every dead person listed? How many of you think to yourself every couple of minutes "oh no, another person just died somewhere; how sad"? None of you. You'd go insane if you really felt that bad for every single person who dies (and the people close to them).
The man made a career of driving a fast car in circles for hours at a time. That's not exactly a huge contribution to humanity. He's no more special than all the unknown people who die every day. If Shik doesn't feel like getting all misty-eyed over it, that makes perfect sense.
------------------ My new year's resolution is the same as last year's: 1024x768.
[This message has been edited by TSN (edited February 19, 2001).]
posted
I'd like to see your reactions if someone infamous like Michael Jordon were to die.
You don't have to like him or his sport, but you still should respect his abilities and his contributions to the sport. To many he was a hero, who they'd care about as much as a member of their family. You may think death is just some thing that happens, nothing to change it, then so be it. But still show some respect for the great man.
You don't have to change humanity to be loved.
------------------ "No, 3 & 6 are mandatory, so you only have to do them if you want"
Alex, fellow classmate, trying to explain an assignment (2/2/01)
posted
You seem to miss what I was saying. I'm not the type of person to become crying sad over death. In fact I have been seen by a few people as unemotional towards death, I have to be, I grew up with the constant reminder of death. What I am saying is that it is sad that a person lost there life at a below average age. I am not mourning the passing of a racecar legend, I am saying that it is sad that a life is gone. The love and meaning that he put into the lives of those closest to him is gone and that is what I mean by sad. His family and friends will no longer be able to talk to him or be around him. The same goes for anyone and everyone. The lose of a life to the people that will be affected most is what is sad, not because of who that person my be. I have made a choice in life not to grieve for people who have died because I feel that they would not want me to. But to not be able to have them around is still sad, but it is the eventuallity of life. Shik I said nothing about death being bad, I've just explained my views on why it is sad, and I do not fear death. As for it being tragic, it is tragic how he died not because he died.
------------------ Death before Dishonor! However Dishonor has quite a disputed defintion.
posted
Of course death is bad! It is an unrepentant, faceless evil that has no business in a properly run universe, and I for one am very much in favor of it being abolished completely.
1. One of the other drivers was talking about him, after the fact, and said that, after he had won his first race, he had wanted to bring some friends to his home to celebrate. He had beaten Earnhardt in the race, but he knew Earnhardt had a plane big enough to hold 40 people. He asked Earnhardt for the use of the plane, and to send him a bill. When he got the bill, it said "Congradulations from Dale and ?(Julie?) No charge". A small thing for some one with so much money, but still very nice.
2. Again, I can't recall who said it, but they were talking about a family member who was having trouble during bad weather, who couldn't get away from their home. Earnhardt sent a four wheel drive and a driver to help them out.
I get the feeling that this is just two small things in a long list of thing that he had done for other people.
Terry Bradshaw interviewed Earnhardt the night before the race. They were in a pace car, going around the track at maybe 100mph. Bradshaw was scared shitless, and having the time of his life at the same time. Turn three at Daytona has a spot where, if you hit it just so, you lose contact with the track for an instant, Bradshaw looked like he was about to pee his kilt when they went over it. At the end, as they were pulling into the pits, Earnhardt hit the breaks and spun the car around. Bradshaw's eye's were as big as dinner plates when he got out of the car, but his smile was equally big.
------------------ I DO NOT ENJOY BOTH GENDERS!!! Ultra Magnus
posted
If Shik doesn't feel like getting misty-eyed, then fine. He didn't have to post though, just to inform us of that. TSN's right, I'm not especially bothered that his girlfriends great-aunt has just died, but I wouldn't post saying "oh well, at least she's given the worm's something to eat."
------------------ "And Mojo was hurt and I would have kissed his little boo boo but then I realized he was a BAD monkey so I KICKED HIM IN HIS FACE!" -Bubbles
posted
Hey now. Shik did inform us that RENAE LOVES RACECARS! Which is, of course, reassuring, because I thought Renae's lust for the wheel commanders of the NASCAR world was fading.
Of course, knowing who Renae is, or why we are apparently supposed to know her, might help us a bit.
I went like this. And then Ryan went like that. Wasn't that funy at lunch?
------------------ "...screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" - Omega.
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