The Day Dale Earnhardt Died
Losing a star
We have interesting relationships with celebrities. While most of us will never really know the people we admire and care about in film, television, or sports, their actions have a profound impact on our lives. And when one of those celebrities dies, we feel the loss. When Dale Earnhardt died, it took everyone by surprise—but his autopsy was the most shocking.
Who was Dale Earnhardt?
Dale Earnhardt, or Dale Sr., was a professional stock car racer from North Carolina. In his 25+ year career, he came to be known as one of the greatest NASCAR racers in the history of the sport. He died in a catastrophic crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Champion racer
Earnhardt’s combination of competitive and exhibition wins in his 26-year career totaled 100. He was one of only four NASCAR drivers to achieve this milestone.
He is, to date, also the only NASCAR driver to win races consecutively in four different decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s.
Stock car racing
Stock Car racing began as a type of race driving using production model cars, though it now uses cars specifically built for racing. Tracks are oval-shaped, and cars travel these tracks at over 200 mph. Races range in length from 200 to 600 miles.
NASCAR
The most prominent stock racing organization is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR.
NASCAR is considered one of the top international motorsports organizations, and NASCAR stock car racing is one of the largest spectator sports in the United States.
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