Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Day, Remembering Dale Earnhardt

My family and the Earnhardts are friends.

My cousin used to work for Dale Jr. at his JR Motorsports company.

I was 15 when Dale crashed into the wall on that last lap.I could not believe the news when they said he had passed.That crash looked so benign compared to many other crashes.

My dad has some Dale Sr. items and he gave me the Case #3 knife.I got the hat from Jr. with a promise that I wouldn't put it on ebay.

Another driver (can’t remember who) told a story of he and Dale Sr. driving somewhere in his pickup. He said there was a bake sale at a church parking lot. Dale made him pull in. Dale asked the preacher what they were trying to raise money for. The preacher told him they were trying to raise X amount to pave the lot. Dale broke out his checkbook and wrote them a check for the amount needed. He said Dale told him if he told anybody who gave him the money he’d pull his backhoe there and dig it up. Sounds like he was a generous guy too.

Ron

That is super cool!

I think it was Neil Bonnett that I seen in an interview talking about everyday things with Dale. Said even on hunting trips together whether they were walking in, or using 4-wheelers, whatever, Dale would do about anything it took to beat you there. Would laugh about it but couldn't help himself, just his nature.

Somebody else was saying how good natured he was, but rough. He'd grab you around the neck and pinch, punch you in the arm, twist your ear, whatever, didn't know how to socialize without being rough. A lot of people didn't like his tactics but even some of his most fearsome rivals realized how much they admired him and how close they actually were to him after he was gone.

As far as I'm concerned, that was the day NASCAR died.

Haven't give two chits about it since.

RIP Dale.

I just gotta ask if you know where and when that photo was taken?😀
Looking at Dale’s long dark hair, I’m thinking a drivers meeting, maybe mid ‘80s.
Helluva meme though!😀
My neighbor across the road had a ‘34 Plymouth coup with a 440 that he raced at Mason/Dixon and Beaver Springs.
I was working 3rd shift. Get home around 7am, shower and lay down. Damned if he wouldn’t fire that thing up around 1, and practice launching on rt 96!😀
My nap time was over, so I’d get dressed and go go help The Old Man till supper and sleep another hour or two before I went in at 10:30.
Gue was telling me that Fred saw that show “Drag Race with Rue Paul” advertised and stayed home to watch it. Fred don’t cuss too much, but he did that night!😀
Reon

Sterling Marlin gets a bum rap by people claiming he wrecked Dale that day. Earnhardt was aggressively blocking and ran in to Marlin causing them to both wreck. Sad day and the end of NASCAR.

There is a pretty cool local story of Dale from the early/mid 90s. Apparently he was driving a Firebrd from his Dealership, when it lost its forward gears. He was a couple miles from home (Country Corner Marina), so he drove it home in reverse. Apparently he was running in reverse on Highway 150 (two lane road at the time) as fast as the car was capable going. They said you could fry an egg on the hood when he got to the house. Most locals around here have some good Dale Earnhardt stories. He was clearly a rock star around home, but he was really just one of us. I guess that’s what made him and several of the other drivers so special to us.

👍👍👍

Fella I met back in the day died on the track. Mark Donahue, 1975, Formula 1 in Austria. Met him at Sebring circa 1966.

Donahue was a fantastic driver; as was Jimmy Clark, another who dies too soon, to say nothing of Aryton Senna.

RIP, all

MM

My daughter in law worked as a 911 dispatcher for the city of Daytona at that time. She knew that he was dead long before the networks announced it.

Theres some youtube videos of Hank Parker telling Dale stories..

One was they both had a deer lease in TX, after Dale died, Hank never went back. Left his hunting truck there..

Those two boys only lived about 30 minutes apart. Seems Hank was as good at fishing as Dale was driving.

This thread is getting into the bond that hunting together puts on people. I know my Dad, my brother Dave and son Ben shared and share that bond together.
Just as Dale did with R Childress, Neil Bonnet and many others. It deeper far beyond normal friendship, judging from my family, deeper than blood.
There no way to explain it, but any friend I’ve hunted with regularly has a place in my heart that even my younger brother doesn’t have.
As noted on other posts, even our dogs have special places in our hearts.
I think maybe God Himself is a hunter. Nothing else could explain that bond, but i know it’s there.
Reon

I believe that. I think Kenny knew when he got to Dale’s car, but couldn’t believe it himself. Kept holding on to hope that his eyes were lying.
Even though I wasn’t a fan of Dale, it’s easy to see what his presence did for nascar.
King Richard had a great career, and he retired. He will always have my friendship and respect.
But when Dale left us, he left a hole behind that others could never hope to fill.
Love him or hate him, Dale had an influence that no one else ever did.
Reon

I believe Kenny knew as well, but he just kept saying "I don't know, i'm not a doctor" I agree that his eyes said it all.

Its been a while since I watched nascar, although i plan on watching the 500 tomorrow if I get back home in time. I figure it's still gotta be better than the normal crap that plays on TV these days. It does seem that Nascar is getting smaller and smaller every year IMO. After the fact, I heard then read about the Chicago race last year. I must admit, that would of been one I would of watched if I knew it was happening. Seen some of the highlights, looks like it was pretty interesting.

Back in 1991 the second year NASCAR came out to Sears point me and a buddy made our way into the pits. Dale was sitting on the back of his hauler, I was trying to get his attention and when he saw me he waved me over past the barricades and signed my hat. That was pretty darn cool because he could've just hid in the trailer like a lot of drivers do. After he passed I pretty much lost interest in NASCAR but I treasure this hat.

👍👍👍

I wasn't an Earnhardt fan but it was sad when he was killed, crashes are fun to watch but you should never wish to see a driver injured or killed no matter how much you dislike them.

I knew he was gone when Ken Schrader ran up to his car and backed away in a hurry. He looked shocked when post race comments were taken.