Driving a race car consists of far
more than just going around in an oval. It's a test of skill, reflexes, and concentration,
along with resource management and nerves. These drivers go at incredibly high rates
of speed over the course of a race, and the result can be a spectacular crash that puts the
driver and sometimes even the crowd at risk. Successful drivers have unshakable
confidence in themselves. NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. crafted a
perfect persona born of this self-assurance. "If I win races and be a
contender for that championship, I'm staying where I am and I'm
not ready to back off a bit." Droves of his fans lovingly
remember his epic stoicism. His fellow racers even dubbed him "The
Intimidator." He also was known as "The Man in Black." He won 76 NASCAR Cup races
and earned over $42 million in winnings. The veteran racer drove as if he were
invincible, and time and time again, it seemed that way. Then it all
changed on February 18, 2001. "I just hope Dale's okay. I
guess he's alright isn't he?" What looked like a relatively minor
crash turned out to be fatal. The world began looking at racing in a completely
different way after his autopsy results. No one knew that February day would be the last
one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s life. He was racing at Daytona International Speedway and was on the
last lap. He made contact with another car and both vehicles hit the concrete wall while going
150 miles an hour. The result was blunt force trauma to his head, which is ultimately what
killed him, according to the autopsy result. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get
to him and wasn't aware that his friend had died. When asked about what
happened after crash, he said: "I don't really know, I'm not a doctor. I mean, I got the heck out of the way
as soon as they got there." "And how about yourself, how are you?" "Fine. I'm fine. Just thinking
about Dale and them guys." He had a host of other injuries, including
fractures to his ribs and left ankle, but he was dead instantly from the damage to his head, which
included a ring fracture of the base of his skull. There was some initial confusion about
what had happened with the crash. Some thought that Earnhardt had altered his seat
belt before the race and that had played a part in his death. Some speculated that the belt
had broken, but Tommy Prapst — who took part in the futile effort to save the racing legend
— was adamant that the seat belt was intact. It was a truly sad day — one that would be forever
etched in the minds of the people that saw it. "After the accident at turn four at the end of
the Daytona 500, um, we've lost Dale Earnhardt." However, there would be
something good that came of it. Dale Earnhardt's death caused the sport to look
inward. After the crash, NASCAR conducted an internal investigation and found that there were
some design flaws in the cars that pertained to safety. Subsequently, the organization made
changes to address those safety concerns. Nowadays, the cars are designed to prevent things
like blunt trauma to the head. There are sections of walls that now use energy-absorbing
Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barriers that can absorb the energy from a crash, though
there is still a push to make them cover more. Drivers use harnesses that prevent injuries to the
sternum and also keep the head from moving forward while the body stops. Since the changes, there
have been no fatalities in major NASCAR races. Who knows how many lives Earnhardt's
untimely death has ultimately saved. "I know there would be a lot of things different,
uh, if Dale Earnhardt was still alive." According to NASCAR, the legendary racer
supported the idea of the walls being made softer, but he did not like anything that would have
slowed the races down. Speed was a vital part of what attracted fans to the spectacle, and
watering it down could have turned people away. Schrader was not the only racer that was impacted
that horrible day. Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was participating in the same race that took
his father's life. He quickly took his father's mantle and became the face of the sport, being
named Most Popular Driver for 15 straight years. Check out one of our newest
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