earnhardtTribute

On February 18, 2001, the world of racing and my world in general was turned upside down. Dale Earnhardt, the world's greatest racing hero, was killed at the track where he simply dominated. I have been watching NASCAR since I was six years old when I witnessed the 1988 Daytona 500. I am ashamed to admit that what originally attracted me to the venue was Richard Petty's dramatic flip down the front straightaway. However, what got me absolutely hooked on NASCAR was a man named Dale Earnhardt. I remember someone diving under him in one of the turns and instead of falling back into line and letting the driver pass him, Dale dove right back under the driver and took the position back. From that moment on Dale Earnhardt was my hero. Ever since, I have wanted to be just like him. In my opinion, as well as in many others, Earnhardt was the greatest driver that there ever was and ever will be. In this section, I would like to honor the man who totally changed my life forever. He will always be in my heart. "Thank you, Dale, for helping me become who I am."

A Tribute to the "Intimidator":
The CorrsMan's Dale Earnhardt Page

This is one of my favorite pictures of Dale. This too was a common sight, for Earhardt won seven Winston Cups in his career, a feet matched only by Richard Petty. I remember this sight very vividly. Dale trailed in the Championship hunt for much of the season until Michigan in August. That was when point leader Ernie Irvan had an accident that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

This was a very familiar sight to competitors. This is a shot of Dale leading the pack at Talladega. No one has ever won more restrictor plate races than the "Intimidator". Earnhardt basically owned this track, winning there ten times.

This picture was taken just this year at the "Bud Shootout". That is Dale battling with Tony Stewart. Dale went on to finish second in the event.

This is Dale at Daytona in 1987. Earnhardt absolutely dominated that season by winning eleven races. He went on to capture the third of his seven Winston Cup titles that year, the second in a row. Dale took the NASCAR Championship back-to-back three times in his career (86-87, 90-91, 93-94).

This is a picture from 1993. Rusty Wallace won the race as Dale won the title. Together, they dperformed a "Polish Victory Lap" holding flags in memory of Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison.

Here is Dale in 1983. For a brief time, Earnhardt drove for legendary car owner Bud Moore. However, destiny called and Dale took the trip back to Richard Childress Racing, which would win him six of his seven titles.

Now one of the most recognizable scenes in motorsports, here is Dale in 1998 after his only Daytona 500 victory. A greating line of every crew formed as Dale brought the car off the track.

This is a shot of true determination. In this picture from the 1997 Daytona 500, Dale flipped over on the front straightaway. After getting out of the car and looking over the damage, Earnhardt told safety workers, "It still has all of the wheels on it." Surprisingly, he got into the car a fired it right up. After reallpying a few parts with duct tape, he returned to the race to get as many points as he could.

Another one of the most popular scenes in NASCAR history is this one. Here, Dale spins the historic number three in the grass after winning the 1998 Daytona 500. This is probably one of the most memorable moments in my life. I had watched half of Dale's 20 Daytona 500s up to that year and witnessed the heartbreak of his defeats. It brought tears to my eyes to see him finally get that one gem that had always eluded him.

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