DAYTONA BEACH Dale Earnhardt died from a severe fracture to the base of his skull that caused bruising and bleeding to the soft tissue in his brain. Every Daytona race had to have an Earnhardt story, and there were plenty of times when it was a mad scramble to get him following an event. I cant imagine knowing that and then having to go on National TV, and then having to Earnhardt later told Schrader how Dorothy had gotten homesick on the trip, and that he'd spent a night comforting her. His 184-pound body was thrown far enough out into the right center of the cockpit that he suffered a blow to the back of his head. The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. There was some initial confusion about what had happened with the crash. I talked him into it. Now, NASCAR continues to flourish as it drives on into a bright future. Me? He was survived by Dale Jr. and his other son Kerry as well as his daughters Kelley and Taylor. In a teleconference from Dodge MotorSports just a few days after the accident that killed Dale Earnhardt Sr., Sterling Marlin told his side of the story and explained that definitely didnt do anything intentional on that final lap. There was this noise coming out of me that I can't re-create. In 1997, he flipped his car with just 12 laps to go. 20 machine took a hard right-hand turn and drilled the concrete wall with a perfectly centered shot from the nose of his Pontiac. "I told him it wasn't him. Schrader became the day's unwitting messenger of tragedy. And I said, 'Do what she says,'" Bohannon says. He took one look and instantly recognized by the body language of the doctors that the battle was over. So were the 150,000 people in attendance, as indicated by their roars whenever The Intimidator took the lead. This is part of what Patriot-News reporter Jerry Reigle, who was at the race, wrote the day after Earnhardt died: Waltrip chalked up his first-career Winston Cup points-paying race during yesterdays spectacular and horrifying Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. It happened with 25 laps to go, a multicar crash on the backstretch that involved 20 cars, nearly half the field. Schrader had nowhere to go when Earnhardt's car turned sharply up the track and into the wall. 45 and Kyle Petty's HANS device was sitting in the cockpit waiting for him, one of only five drivers in the 43-car field to wear one that day. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. To this day, all Schrader will say of what he saw is, "I just knew that it wasn't good. 3 car as it slid down the banking and into the infield grass, clearly under no control. Teresa Earnhardt, always quick to leave the grid and get back to the motorcoach in time to watch the start of races, instead uncharacteristically lingered. The only big-ticket item missing from the show was the "Big One." 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly, Dale Earnhardt death: NASCARs tragic Daytona 500 remembered, Death of "hero" Earnhardt impacted me hugely - Ricciardo. Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri give Kenya a Boston Marathon sweep, USWNT standout Julie Ertz joins Angel City FC on a one-year contract. WebDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Dale Earnhardt, one of the greatest stars in auto racing history, died Sunday from injuries in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500. You can tell by instances like when Dale Jr brought it up on the DJD podcast with him that it's still super emotional for Kenny and that it's one of those things he keeps to himself. I didnt know for certain [he was dead], but I would have bet. Dale was in serious trouble." The doctor had never been to a news conference, let alone be asked to field questions in one. Nowadays, the cars are designed to prevent things like blunt trauma to the head. He arrived at Earnhardt's car less than 10 minutes after the crash, after crews had already cut the roof off the car and a surgeon stationed closer to the scene had already been administering resuscitation efforts. Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator, Ironhead and Man in Black had died after a crash on the last lap in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. The strong run propelled him to 10th place in the standings prior to Sunday's race in Darlington, S.C., and did wonders for his psyche. The impact also broke a left side lap belt that was already frayed, but multiple doctors interviewed said that, due to the nature of a basilar skull fracture, Earnhardt's mortal wound had already been inflicted by the time the force of the crash broke the belt. It was Earnhardt suffered a broken ankle, broken ribs, a fractured sternum and cuts to his scalp and chin. American racecar driver who was named 1985 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year. So many years have passed since this day and the man who was involved in the crash, the man who looked into Dale Sr.s window after the crash, has never spoken publicly about what he saw, until his March 2020 appearance on Dale Jrs podcast, The Dale Jr Download. Earnhardt said to Waltrip two days earlier, in an interview with the rival-turned-retiree-turned-TV analyst. Unlike his fellow competitors, who didnt learn Earnhardt was dead until well after the accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Schrader knew how bad it was the moment he poked his head into the battered No. Its no way in this world I would do something like that knowing the consequences and put myself in jeopardy, too. IndyCar at Long Beach: Start time, how to watch, entry list, etc. In the Halifax Medical trauma room, Bohannon and his coworkers tried to inflate Earnhardt's collapsed lungs, performed a chest X-ray and continued pumping his body with blood. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a few hours later but Ken Schrader later admitted that he knew Earnhardt had passed the moment In the end, he decided he wouldnt let it. It's going away from me with that junk. 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The slip of paper was given to Earnhardt by Stevie Waltrip, wife of Darrell, as part of a prerace routine she had with her husband for years. He was racing at Daytona International Speedway and was on the last lap. The summer before, Dorothy Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht. He quickly took his father's mantle and became the face of the sport, being named Most Popular Driver 15 straight years, according to Sportscasting. He made eye contact with Schrader, who was behind a curtain being examined. But anybody Ive talked to before--and Ive even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews--they said they knew it was serious from that interview.. Huge first Porsche 963 win thanks to rolling the dice Tandy, How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king, How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator, Ironhead and Man in Black had died after a crash on the last lap in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. Unconscious, unresponsive, not trying to breathe. ON THE FOX broadcast, Darrell Waltrip shouted encouragement to his brother as Michael snapped a career 462-race winless streak to become Daytona 500 champion. He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left His first civics lesson? Earnhardt had won seven NASCAR championships and 76 races. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN . 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, via Autopsy Files . Some thought that Earnhardt had altered his seat belt before the race and that had played a part in his death. The sudden stop is a drivers worst nightmare.. It was just strictly a racing accident. Youre one of only a few to see the darkest moment for my dad. It looked as though his save from Friday's IROC race might happen again. A racer through and through who spends his time away from Winston Cup at dirt tracks and other small circuits, Schrader had seen death before. Photo by: F. Peirce Williams / Motorsport Images. I was sad, but unfortunately, death is a reality in racing. On Lap 183, Earnhardt was in the lead. There were rumors at the next weeks race that Schrader was going to quit, that what he had seen in Earnhardts car--which he wont discuss in detail--was just too much to overcome. "I was like, 'Man, I don't know what's next.' Earnhardts left-side lap belt had separated in the impact, allowing his body to twist forward and to the right inside the car. I cant imagine knowing that and then having to go on National TV, and then having to face Richard Childress and Michael Waltrip. But that hug never came. Photo by: F. Peirce Williams / Motorsport Images. There are sections of walls that now use energy-absorbing SAFER (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, according to SBNation. 3 on top | Dillon and RCR | Daytona from Goodyear Blimp | Duel lineups. Although it appeared to be a regular NASCAR crash at the time, the impact at this angle was devastating for the occupant. I started off my column expressing my dislike for the assignment because I didnt really know what to say. You can see blood, the bent steering wheel . A racer through and through who spends his time away from Winston Cup at dirt tracks and other small circuits, Schrader had seen death before. His face was pale and his voice shaky when he lied and said he didnt know. However, the changes have not affected popularity in America, as the sport continues to gain fans, according to Tireball Sports. Racing is a dangerous way to make a living and these things are going to happen. Taylor explains calamitous pitstop that led to fateful Acura charge, Huge first Porsche 963 win thanks to rolling the dice Tandy, Huge first Porsche 963 win thanks to rolling the dice Tandy IndyCar at Long Beach: Start time, how to watch, entry list, etc. I didn't know for certain [that he was dead], but I would have bet. Dale Earnhardt Sr. couldnt have been saved by protective equipment at the time. Kenny, I know you might sometimes wish you werent the one, but Im glad it was you. How would Earnhardts death affect him? Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. Whatever that was. The summer before, Dorothy Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht. When I walked up to that car, I thought about a lot of things over the next couple of hours, he said, and quitting was never on the list., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Elliott: Anze Kopitar ignites Kings to thrilling overtime win over Oilers in Game 1, Los Alamitos stays No. For every individual, Earnhardt and his legacy mean something different. "The cars went in side by side," he said. Dale Earnhardts death still an unforgettable day. Her good luck kiss to her husband, captured on live TV, looked longer and more impassioned than normal. I knew right away when I saw him that it was just as bad as it could be. The impact registered around 60 G's, so much force that it pushed the entire right front corner of the car from an aerodynamic curve into a flat surface that fit the wall as perfectly as a jigsaw puzzle piece. The trauma room was just inside the door. Reporters cried. Drivers use harnesses that prevent injuries to the sternum and also keep the head from moving forward while the body stops. I just want you to know that, and I know this is hard.' Darrell Waltrip was there too, with a growing number of NASCAR officials. Both Earnhardt and Earnhardt Jr. blocked Marlin, who had the strongest car of the day, in the final five circuits. Ive known you a long time and a lot of time has passed since that happened, Earnhardt Jr. reads. But he was immediately distracted by Earnhardt's crash, watching the No. He talked about his fast race car and the even faster race cars of the team he now owned. "I think it was just to be with my family, my racing family. But this time he stopped to shake hands, laugh it up and hug it out. Schrader's next thought was to go to Michael Waltrip, who was celebrating his first win in Victory Lane, unaware of Earnhardt's death. Rescue personnel work to free Dale Earnhardt Sr. from his No. As we all know now, Dale Sr. was pronounced dead at the hospital from a basilar skull fracture and the entire world was in mourning. His autopsy revealed the underside of his chin had impacted the steering wheel, and hed suffered a second blow to the back of his head, as he rebounded from the impact back into his seat, which displayed scuff marks on the head-surround area. "I thought to myself in that very moment, 'I'm gonna have to do this by myself.' Schrader, whose car hit the wall adjacent to Earnhardt at much the same speed but at a far shallower angle, was completely unhurt. But Stewart climbed out of what was left of his car, shaken but OK. I saw a friend in trouble. Before that race Waltrip was 0-462. NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. crafted a perfect persona borne of belief in himself he often walked around wearing sunglasses and a stone-faced look. As we all know now, Dale Sr. was pronounced dead at the hospital from a basilar skull fracture and the entire world was in mourning. In the days leading up to the race, his car's garage stall was in between those of Dale Jarrett and Bill Elliott, both of whom were fitted for devices by HANS co-inventor Robert Hubbard. You can watch this clip below and listen to the full podcast here. His car slid alongside Earnhardt's and they stopped nose-to-door in the infield grass. 19 years after the crash, Ken stopped by Dale Jr.s podcast, Dale Jr. Download, and it got quite emotional, as Dale Jr. read Ken a letter he wrote thanking him for never speaking about the crash or what he saw. How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022, Why Bubba Wallaces Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR, Why Bubba Wallaces Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR In 1986 Earnhardt was in the lead then ran out of gas with three laps remaining. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strong-arm tactics that were the trademark of his persona. "And watching Ken Schrader, quite frankly, move around the way he was moving around. Tony Stewart's orange No. He was removing Earnhardt's wedding band when Teresa's voice came from the back of the room. The result was blunt force trauma to his head, which is what killed him, according to the autopsy result. Sterling Marlin himself but his family as well. His right-rear corner was struck by Schraders left-front, which crucially accentuated the angle of Earnhardts car before it nosed hard into the unprotected concrete. 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