More of this Feature • Part 1: Honoring The Memory • Part 2: Racing Legacy

Join the Discussion "My little 5 year old made me feel better by saying 'Now Dale can race everyday up in heaven'" DIANE804

Related Resources • Dale Earnhardt • Focus On Safety

NASCAR racing will never have another Dale Earnhardt. But how does not having The Intimidator on the track affect a sport on the brink of mainstream success? The biggest barrier for NASCAR to overcome is the overwhelming perception that somehow NASCAR should do more with safety.

Commitment To Safety

In just the last year NASCAR has lost four drivers on the track. Although Earnhardt is the most famous name on the list, the deaths of Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper all weigh heavily on the minds of race fans and teams.

NASCAR racing is dangerous by definition. Intentionally driving a car at over 180mph has inherent risk associated with it and the drivers accept that risk as part of their everyday lives. While I agree that NASCAR should not make a change as a knee-jerk reaction I believe that they can do more to help soothe the fears of the public. Stop testing new products and advancements behind closed doors. Public tests of potential safety advances would do a lot to reassure a frightened fan base that NASCAR is doing everything they can.

Instead of sitting behind the table at a press conference and telling us that you are "looking into it but the current products don't solve the problem," tell us exactly what you are looking into and what the problems are that you are facing. NASCAR fans come from all walks of life and all disciplines of education, you might find the answers readily available if there were an open forum for the problems.

Personal Note

I have never considered myself a Dale Earnhardt fan, but I have always had an incredible amount of respect for his abilities. No matter the race from Daytona to Sears Point to Bristol you knew that one way or another that black number three was going to be a factor. There has never been anyone who could handle a race car like Dale.

I remember Dale and Darrell Waltrip beating and banging around Richmond, Dale and Rusty running lap after lap side by side at the same track, Dale spinning Terry Labonte at Bristol.... twice, once Terry got the win, the second time Earnhardt got what he was after. I also remember Dale hunting Mark Martin at Sears Point with just a couple of laps remaining and pouncing to take the win, Dale and Bobby Labonte charging to the line for a photo finish in Atlanta last spring and, just last Friday, Dale and Eddie Cheever dueling during (and after) the IROC race.

Godspeed Dale Earnhardt, and thank you for all the wonderful memories.

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