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Subscribe to RSSThis year's Daytona 500 marks the 10-year anniversary of the great Dale Earnhardt's death. Dale was a friend—one of my heroes, one of my son's heroes, and a hero to millions of Americans. Like millions of NASCAR fans, I was watching the race that day, and like other Earnhardt fans, I considered his collision with the wall almost gentle—benign by NASCAR standards, and by the standards of what Dale had survived in the past. But the day ended in tragedy. Dale's life ended at the age of 49. He was the last NASCAR driver to die during competition, and the sport has never quite recovered from his loss. When he died, the New York and Washington-based mainstream media caught on to the size of his fan base and the outpouring of grieving across the country. Knowing I was a fan and a friend, the editor of TIME Magazine asked me to write an essay explaining Dale's appeal and attraction. Today, heading into race weekend and in Dale's memory, I am reprinting below what I wrote on my way home from Dale's funeral in North Carolina. I still miss him terribly.
The below originally appeared in the March 5, 2001 edition of TIME:
The Last Lap: No. 3 and Me
Millions of Americans, mostly in the red states, if you recall your election charts, lost a hero the instant the black car veered violently into the wall. Every major newspaper south of the Mason-Dixon Line rushed to put out a special section, while millions living north of that line wondered what the big deal was.
Dale Earnhardt left school in the ninth grade and entered his first race, legend has it, for grocery money. At the time of his death, his income had reached nearly $27 million a year. Mostly the money came from sales of merchandise: hats, jackets and the No. 3 logo sticker on the back of my family car that occasionally earns me a knowing honk and a wave from a like-minded fan, even during my blue-state commute to New York City.
Dale was a friend of mine. He visited my office, and I visited his. He even flew with my family to tracks throughout the South to watch him drive a car. We talked about our daughters, both the same age. His little girl hunts rabbits; mine plays hockey. The flowers and personal notes that piled up last week outside his headquarters briefly threatened to make him America's Diana with a push-broom mustache. News chiefs in their New York City offices were more than a little mystified by the clips of mourners weeping as if they'd lost their best friend. They had.
I've driven a Winston Cup stock car. They're unhinged monsters, all engine and frame and harnesses that were meant to prevent what happened to Dale. He once told me he hated how confining the modern car is; he liked the old days, his right arm slung over the backseat, steering with his left. And he hung onto as much of the past as he could, including the antique open-faced helmet that might have contributed to his death. But those who suggested the new style were subject to a stare that could pierce his mirrored sunglasses; real drivers--the rebels, the cowboys, the guys he looked up to, with names like Fireball Roberts and Tiny Lund--had a certain look.
Two years ago, my son asked Dale for permission merely to touch the fabled black machine before the start of a race at Talladega in Alabama. Dale loved the idea for the good luck it might bring him and insisted only that I bring my son to Victory Lane if he won. Cut to Dale holding the kid aloft, my son holding the trophy aloft--the whole giddy, heady scene captured in the photos I'm now left with.
Last week my son kept asking, "Is there any chance he'll just wake up and everything will be O.K.?" That's probably my fault. I may have told him once or twice that Dale Earnhardt would never die.
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Brian, I look forward to reading your essay when our copy of Time comes in the mail on Saturday, and,
of course, I will tune in to your broadcast this evening. Phyllis
PS I have the back issue of Time magazine somewhere.:o) Making a Difference was very inspirational.
Coming for our light bulbs is downright Un-American. What next? Have a nice weekend, Brian. Phyllis
Brian -
Thank you for repeating this great story and sharing some of your personal relationship with Dale. We had the pleasure of meeting in 2006 (I believe it was) when you came to DEI as our special guest for Dale Earnhardt Day and I was the Executive Director of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation...what a special day that was for all of us!
I also recall the luck you brought to another DEI driver that day - Marin Truex, Jr. You stayed around to watch the end of the race that day and Martin won. We all sat in the Trophy Room with Teresa watching on TV and cheered as he crossed the finish line. I will always remember your excitement when Teresa asked you to join with her in raising the checkered "victory" flag in front of DEI - which was the tradition whenever a DEI car won that weekend's race.
Thanks again for sharing your special memories with Dale fans everywhere. Thanks also for providing me with a special memory with you and helping me better understand and appreciate Dale's life and legacy.
In gratitude,
Dick Baker
Charlotte, NC
Well said, Brian.
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Thanks to Janet Shamlian for her report on the 2010 Census results for Texas. Our country is changing rapidly, as it has since it was founded over 200 years ago. After all, most of us are descended from immigrants. That diversity is what made and continues to make America great.
Good Evening Mr.Williams, Another great broadcast this evening. Very nice posting remembering Dale Earnhardt. You have so many great memories of spening time with him and seeing him race. It is tragic he has was lost ten years ago and I know you miss him greatly. Again, This posting is a really nice tribute to Dale Earnhardt and the memories you have of him. The picture is wonderful. Appreciate you sharing your recollections of Dale Earnhardt.
Now on to the broadcast. First of all the uprisings in the Middle East which seem to be growing from country to country all over the region. Yemen, Libya and Bahrain where security forces opened fire on protestors shows the level of violence is escalating in many regions.
The report by Mr.Ray showed how the security forces opened fire upon the protestors even during a funeral processsion. Seeing and hearing the chaos during the firing was frightening with people running for cover and cars speeding to get out of the area. Ambulances trying to reach the injured were too late in some cases and several people were killed. It is terrible the forces were shooting right into the crowd of people definitely aiming to hurt people not just to disperse them from the area. Truly tragic to hear the accounts of what happened by citizens.
Richard's report from the hospital showed how the staff was overwhelmed with injured from the chaos of firing. Many as Richard stated with contusions, gunshot wounds to the head and chest caused by live bullets and rubber bullets. As Richard heard from patients they were carrying the country's flag when they were confronted with bullets and tear gas. The Prince of the region calling for calm and dialogue, but that is not being accepted by the people. The protestors are determined to demonstrate again in the coming days.
The report by Mr.Allen from Cairo showed one of the biggest crowds in Tahrir Square gathered to celebrate and remind the military of their demands. Their grievances of the military include theye need to move more quickly to civilian rule, better wages in jobs, better working conditions and many other things. The square being cleared out by the military at the moment, but more protests are planned including one next Friday.
Even in other regions Libya, Yemen and Jordan major uprisings are happening. The people are demanding change in the system and the pressure in on the rulers of these countries.
Excellent Reporting As Always Richard!
And Excellent Reporting by Mr.Ray during the terrible firing in the streets Also, Mr.Allen from Cairo.
The "Making A Difference" segment about NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon giving so much time and money to help in research and curing of chronic illnesses of children was very moving. He certainly has donated much to helping these children and parents are very grateful. He has given alot and making a difference.
Thank You for the broadcast Mr.Williams. Have a wonderful weekend! Peace to You and All!
Be Well Everyone!
Stay Extra,Extra Safe and Well Richard! Excellent Reporting As Always!
Take Extra Good Care Richard And Crew!
Lisa
Brian-Yes it's almost impossible to believe, one, that it's been exactly 10 years since Dale Earnhardt died, and two, and more importantly, that he died at all....and you're right, that crash that ultimately killed him seemed too minor to take that kind of a toll.
I've spent the better part of the day watching all the rememberance programs on ESPN, or SPEED....and going over webpages with memory posts, and it's only fitting that today's weather here in N. California be so nasty and gray.
See you on NN tonight
Robert Fleming
Brian-it occured to me when I saw the clip of that tv reporter's speech trouble, that I'd seen that somewhere before, and it brought back the first time I'd ever seen my best friend/roommate having an epileptic seizure. It was about 10 years ago, and I was sitting in my living room, having a conversation with my friend, and all the sudden he started becoming confused, slurring his speech and moving his upper limbs involuntarily, and it occurred to me he was having an epileptic seizure.
So when I saw Serene's video, that's immediately what I thought might be going on, until I saw the written explanation. That was a scary flashback!
Have a great weekend and hope you watch the 500 on Sunday!
Go Dale Jr!!! Right?
Brian, great story. I had the pleasure to see Dale race at Dover. When I became interested in racing in about the 70's, I was a fan of the true greats that epitomized Nascar. I can't name them all, the list is too long. I remember a quote that I believe I heard on TV from my all time hero "The King" Richard Petty who apparently told Dale that fans make up the reason why you get a paycheck. I did not care for Dale early on, because I thought he was a little too high on himself. I changed my opinion when my friends got to meet him & were friends with "Chocolate Myers." I guess TV personna is different than when you actually meet someone. I did have the pleasure (if you will) of standing outside of a Chevy dealer in Mckees Rocks, PA for 8 hours in the "pouring rain" just to get an autograph on my poster from Lernerville speedway in Sarver. PA. Dale wasn't very sociable, but stayed an extra hour to sign the autographs. I know it's tough to be a public figure, or to be a legend. A legend he always will.
I have a great idea for Comcast, NBC's new owner. They should start a nightly 30-minute news broadcast on NBC that would cover all the important news events going on across the country and around the world. It could air right before (or after) "NBC Nightly News", which is mostly devoted to covering lifestyle, sports, entertainment, animals, weather and emotional tear-jerker stories that have no news value. This new program could be called "NBC Evening News" or "NBC World News" or something like that and it could be anchored by someone with a serious commitment to presenting an actual news broadcast. Perhaps Lester Holt, Andrea Mitchell, Pete Williams or Carl Quintanilla would be a good fit for the job. That would free Brian Williams to devote 100% of his Nightly News broadcast to reporting on Medal of Honor winners, Bruce Springsteen, NASCAR, Mary Thornberry or any other topic that is of interest to him. It would also allow him to spend as much time as he wants plugging other NBC shows or programs on MSNBC and CNBC. (On Wednesday, Brian scored a rare daily double by combining a tear-jerker story with a shameless plug when he told us that Gabby Giffords likes to watch "30 Rock" in her hospital room. Wow. Using Giffords's medical situation to plug "30 Rock" surely represents a new low in so-called broadcast journalism.) It's really a shame to force Brian to cover stories like the revolt in Egypt, the economy or the goings-on in Congress when it's obvious that he would much rather be reporting on Will & Kate or the Westminster Dog Show.
Speaking of which, on Tuesday, Nightly News spent two-and-a-half minutes reporting on the dog show. Immediately after that story, Brian read a promo telling us that we can watch the dog show on the USA Network (which is owned by NBC Universal). Meanwhile, in the business section of Thursday's New York Times, Stephen Burke, NBC Universal's new chief executive, was quoted as saying that USA and Bravo are, "...fantastic businesses and those businesses can do even better than they are doing right now if they get the right investment and the right cross promotion." It's obvious what that means. Comcast plans to use Nightly News to aggressively promote NBC Universal shows. So in the future, Nightly News is going to be spending even more time than usual plugging USA, Bravo and other NBC Universal networks.
On Wednesday, Brian once again introduced Richard Engel as NBC's "Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent", despite the fact that Engel is actually NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent. (Andrea Mitchell is the network's Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent.) Meanwhile, in two stories this week about the assault on CBS's Lara Logan in Cairo, Brian correctly identified her as CBS's Chief Foreign Correspondent. So how come Brian knows who CBS's Chief Foreign Correspondent is, but he can't seem to remember that Engel holds that position at NBC?
Daggone it, dialogue!! Things are looking up.
The Good Soldier by Hasek "Citizens of the Kingdom of Bohemia" -- i.e. Bahrain. "I am very fond of
the good soldier.... and am convinced this modest hero will win the sympathy of all of you. Unlikethe
stupid fellow Herostrates he did set fire to the temple of the Goddess in Ephesus just to get himself in the
newspapers and school books. And that is enough." Phyllis Kunz
PS He did NOT set fire. An off day What can I say, I am okay but at times off-putting. Just ask
my husband. Phyllis
PS CORRECTION, He did NOT set fire. Phyllis
Brian: The human nuclear reaction is brginning in our country! We all watched in disbeilief as disgruntled workers filled the State House in Madison Wisconsin. The governor is proposing budget cuts on the backs of many workers, who feel as though they are being neglected in the proposed overhaul. There will be more demonstrations in other state houses across the nation. Mark my words, people are angry, frustrated, and downright disappointed not only with federal policies, but with state edicts as well. First the Middle East and now America. A spark has been lit, and the people are rising up. The words of the Constitution are sinking in. Government of the people, For the People, and By the people will overcome the stupidity of the ignorant one's in power. This will happen!!!!
"The Royal family which was quick to use force earlier this week against demonstrations in the land
mark square that has been the heart of the anti-government demonstrations appear to back away
further confrontation pressure following international pressure from the West" I see Secretary of State
Hilliary Clinton somewhere in this, good for her. Phyllis Kunz
pfffft The people did speak in the last election. What we're seeing in Wisconsin is more akin to Mubarak's thugs not wanting to give up their "some animals are more equal than others" station in life. This last two years have been about nothing but making sure The One's base is bailed out, propped up and rewarded.
Kudos to Dylan Ratigan for asking "Where are the damn handcuffs?!?!"
Dave, At one point I thought I would go back to school to become a paralegal but that did not work out
because one requirement was to remember the Constitution and I knew I could not do it, but I do
remember something about "All men are created equal" so, in effect, you are not a Constutionalist. Right?
I agree that some jobs have perks, etc, and I would not have it any other way; however, I am not
opposed to Unions because my mother, who was a timekeeper at General Electric, belonged to the Union
and turned down higher-paying jobs with more prestige because she would not be under the Union. I might
add she was Valadictorian of her high school class in Burnside, Kentucky. She could have gotten by on
her looks because she was so beautiful but she opted not to. I would not be fair if I did not tell you that
my brother, now a retired engineer, is against Unions and it was a bone of contention between them,
though they were very close. As for me, regarding the unions, to each his own, but I suppose I would
support my mother on this issue. My mother and brother, smarter than me, but to compensate
I read highly intelligent writers. "The people did speak in the last election" Well, I think the Senate race
in Kentucky was rigged. Rand Paul is a goofball, and AG Jack Conway is the better man. I am still
smarting from that. I think I may know what happened and it may become public, but I will not give
it away now. Best, Phyllis PS Have a nice weekend.
Lester, another terrific broadcast. That said, Allison, a sichizophrenic but probably diagnoised, in
The Second Coming by Walker Percy, says to Will as concerns peace in the Middle East, I wonder
if they are sincere and serious about it, not exact words but you get the point. Of course, she is
talking about the leaders. Anyway, good news that Bahrain opted for dialogue, but unacceptable that
Libya opted for violence. I pray for our leaders. President Obama certainly has the team spirit. I must
say I am impressed. Phyllis
Libya opted for violence which is indeed unacceptable "Because we are poor, shall we be violent" the
leader of Libya should go off and think about it.
Three days of protests and violence.in Libya Somebody has to do something. We need a Plan and a Back-up Plan
0xz39 has hit the fan.
GADDAFI FLEES TRIPOLI
Man what happened to the American leftist who always sided with him the last 30-40 years? Why weren't they over there standing with their friend? baahahaha
The Security Council Plans to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Libya Tuesday morning.. Good News
The bodies of protesters line the capitol. This is a massacre, that's what it is, and it is unacceptable. Will
somebody speak up for them at the security council this morning and put a stop to it. Let's hope they
call the meeting before it is too late. tick tock tick tock, the clock is ticking and I hope time is up for
Gadhifi. One can hope. Phyllis Kunz
Louisville Courier-Journal editorial: "The WEST should help the protesters. It should unequivocally express
support of Libya's revolution, which is certain to be better than Mr. Gadhafi. It should threaten Gadhafi's regime
with diplomatic and economic isolation. It should assist the movement of medical supplies and food into
Libya." ........Later, education, farming etc. to support their country the way we should -- which I picked up from
another blogger. It is quiet this morning in Libya, and,hopefully, a good sign.