NASCAR fans are remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr. after the horrific crash at the Daytona 500 on Monday. Many thought that Ryan Newman‘s car wreck was eerily similar to the one that took Earnhardt’s life. They shared this thought with his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Big prayers for Newman,” Earnhardt Jr. tweeted on Monday night.
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The post came shortly after Ryan Newman was rushed from the Daytona International Speedway to the Halifax Medical Center. According to the latest update from NASCAR officials, Newman is still at the hospital, but he is awake and his injuries are not life-threatening. More updates are expected soon.
Big prayers for Newman
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 18, 2020
To fans, this was a lot like the crash that killed Earnhardt’s father. At the Daytona 500 in 2001, Dale Earnhardt Sr. made small contact with Sterling Marlin in the final lap of the race. This made him crash into Ken Schrader, and all three cars were wrecked. Earnhardt hit the outside wall of the track head-on.
Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead shortly after at Halifax Medical Center. He was just 49 years old. His son finished second in that race.
In a similar tragedy, Newman was in the lead on Monday night at this year’s Daytona 500 when Ryan Blaney’s car tapped his own. The contact made Newman spin out, until he flipped over several times, rolling in midair. When he landed, his car was then struck by that of Corey LaJoie. His car caught fire.
Newman was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Halifax Medical Center, and fans were left waiting for updates. It was clear that even the stars of the sport were full of anxiety, as Earnhardt Jr.’s tweet showed.
“I couldn’t help but think of your fathers accident,” one fan tweeted at Earnhardt. “I feel sick. Praying for him.”
“Reminds me too much of 2001,” remarked another.
“It did me also!” wrote a third. “That was a horrible day, I still remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard about Dale Sr. Broke my heart.”
Some fans chimed in to say that it was rude to direct this kind of talk at Earnhardt. They pointed out that he had likely made this connection himself, and did not want to read it in his mentions so bluntly.
“Don’t talk like that in Jr.’s @ he reads this stuff,” one person tweeted.
“Yeah wtf people. Can you not say the worst thing possible??!!!” added another.
