NASCAR Fans Pay Tribute to Dale Earnhardt 20 Years After His Death

Thursday marks the 20-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death, which occurred at the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt, who was known as “The Intimidator,” tragically died in a last-lap crash at “The Great American Race,” which has led to NASCAR re-evaluating everything it does in terms of keeping everyone safe.

Earnhardt was 49 years old when he died and is considered one of the best drivers in NASCAR history. He won the Winston Cup Series a total of seven, times which ties him most all-time with Richard Petty and recently retired Jimmy Johnson. He won the Daytona 500 in 1998, which was one of his 76 Cup Series victories. Earnhardt was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 as he was part of its inaugural class.

“I thought it was just another crash,” Earnhardt’s longtime best friend and former NASCAR driver Richard Childress said. ” I saw it on TV and it didn’t look that bad – just another tough crash. I hollered at Dale a couple of times [on the radio] and he didn’t answer back… which was a little unusual.” Here’s a look at fans paying tribute to Earnhardt.

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Earnhardt is a big reason why NASCAR became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. When responding to this tweet, one fan wrote, “Rest in Peace Dale Earnhardt Sr! You were a pleasure to watch on the racetrack and one of the best personalities that NASCAR has ever seen.”

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Here’s a look at the E60 feature on Earnhardt. One Twitter user wrote, “Man, such an inspiration to all, and helped develop NASCAR’s safety and Motorracing in general.”

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Dale Jarrett was really good friends with Earnhardt as the two battled on the track multiple times. Jarrett won the Winston Cup Series Championship in 1999 and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.  

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Here’s a look at Earnhardt winning the Dayton 500 in 1998. It took him 20 years to win the big race, but when he did, it was a big celebration. One fan replied, “Wish I could have seen Dale race. I would have been very little if he didn’t pass away, but Dale, in my opinion, is the GOAT of NASCAR. Even though Petty had more wins, Dale was just different as a driver. He had an aggressiveness that today’s drivers wish they could have had.”

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When Earnhardt died, his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., became a fan favorite. The younger Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014) and was recently elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

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Earnhardt grew up in North Carolina, and his father, Ralph Earnhardt, was a popular short-track driver in the area. He made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in 1975 in Charlotte. 

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Racing legend Michael Waltrip paid tribute to Earnhardt before this year’s Daytona 500. Feb. 18, 2001, was an emotional day for Waltrip as he won the Daytona 500, but his happiness was quickly erased when he learned about Earnhardt.