NASCAR racing has become one of America’s most popular sports today. Hundreds of thousands of coins are viewed from around 150 countries all over the world. NASCAR leads the second only National Football in terms of television ratings in viewing homes and locations in the United States.
NASCAR is very big business. It is estimated that at least 75 million a good day to die are NASCAR fans. These fans are the brand’s best extremes and are said to spend over $2 million per year on NASCAR brand merchandise.
NASCAR is exciting. One of the reasons why NASCAR is so well loved by fans; NASCAR’s love is their competitors. Another NASCAR competitor who has a solid place in the hearts of NASCAR fans is Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
Born in North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt grew up watching his father, Ralph, race cars all over the world. So, as you can imagine, he always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. Following his dream, Earnhardt began racing when he was in his late teens. the day the glue falls and tires to work the chicken running race.
Earnhardt made an impressive NASCAR Winston Cup in 1975 at Charlotte Underwater Motor in Charlotte, North Carolina. Himself in the World 600, the longest race in the Cup circuit, finishing 22nd in owner Ed Negre’s Dodge. Interestingly, Earnhardt left one position ahead of the future car owner, Richard Childress. He won Rookie of the Year after an eleventh top-five finish that year, despite missing four races due to a broken collarbone. Earnhardt won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship the following year, making him the only driver in history to win Rookie of the Year and Winston Cup honors.
Those things were just a preview of the attractions to come. Earnhardt won seventy-six races during his career; NASCAR Winston Cup championships (seven: 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994); and won four IROC championships (1990, 1995, 1999, 2000). In addition, Earnhardt was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006. He was ranked number one of NASCAR’s 20 Greatest Drivers before Richard Petty in 2007. Earnhardt was posthumously inducted as NASCAR’s Driver of the Year in 2001 and was posthumously inducted into the America’s Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Earnhardt was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 on February 18. In 2001. Entering turn three on the last lap, Earnhardt was racing three cars wide with Sterling Marlin to his left and Ken Shrader to his right. At the corner, Earnhardt’s left fender touches the Marlin’s front bumper. Earnhardt’s #3 car slid down the steep track on the level of the track, and then slid into the sixth end to the outside wall. /a>. As Earnhardt’s car went up the tracks, it collided with Schrader’s car. Earnhardt’s car was hit just behind the passenger door. Both cars ran nose first into the wall. To most of the spectators, the crash looked minor. However, Earnhardt suffered a basal skull fracture in the crash. This type of fracture is rare, it happens that only the fracture is injured in about four percent of severe head cases; but it is a common cause in accidents death in auto-racing. In addition to Earnhardt, skull fractures claimed drivers Adam Petty, Tony Roper, Kenny Irwin, Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek and Clifford Allison.
Bibliography:
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884166.html
Circle Track Magazine Publishers, Stock Car Racing Magazine Publishers, “Dale Earnhardt: 23 Years with the Intimidator” MBI Publishing, 2001
