Dale was a great driver. He'll be missed.
Hope Jr. can keep on keeping on.
Russ
>Dale was a great driver. He'll be missed.
I believe he'll do his father's memory proud - but would understand if
the 2001 season wasn't his best ever.
DG
As a Gordon fan, he was the master. If you could beat him, then anyone else
was comparative child's play. Even with Earnhardt gone, his spirit will
linger. Any accomplishment will draw a comparison to both Richard Petty and
Dale Earnhardt. The one record that Petty wants to keep for himself is the
200 win mark. Even with the schedule creeping up on 40 races, the partiy of
the sport will prevent anyone from being able to hit the numbers that Richard
hit.
What I think will be truely missed, is what he did annonomously. If there was
ever a driver who controlled *his* PR people, it was Dale. It didn't work the
other way around and he didn't particularly try to keep from saying the
Politicaly Correct thing. He told it the way he saw it. All Political
Correctness that came from him was more likely the result of his upbringing
and not a suit telling him what to do or not do. If he was going fishing, he
was going fishing. No suit was going to alter that (I know I've read that
line somewhere else), and only God was going to ruin the trip (bad weather
most likely).
What is really coming out now is the stories of how he helped folks without
their asking. Guys who needed parts and were in a bind, they would suddenly
appear. No need to mention where it came from. Just put it on and race me.
Pure attitude. You have to love that about the man.
Even though I rooted against him in just about every race (save the annual
Daytona 500- after '98 I could root against him there), it was something to
see him run when his car was 'on'. After the race that claimed his life, I
watched the IROC race and see him not only save what would normally be an
unsavable car, he went on to chase down the pack. It was what only Earnhardt
could do.
I will miss him.
OTOH, with all the stories that have come out and the dimensions of the man
that we haven't seen, it is gratifying that he is so well reguarded by his
family, friends, competitors, and community. When we've all completed our
mourning process, I think we'll have found out really who Dale Earnhardt was,
and will remain.
I once heard the irreverant joke about the racing fan who died and went to
heaven. He was delighted to discover that there were race tracks in heaven
and that every day the drivers would take to the track. He watched as Tim
Richmond would drive with Glen Roberts, Tiny Lund and Davey Allison.
Then, a black car with the number '3' on it appeared and outran everyone, and
he asked St. Pete with a note of anguish if something had happened to Dale.
Saint Pete replied "No, that's just God out for some hot laps".
Looks like He got tired with hotlapping.
Eldred
--
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. 1951-2001
Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
GPL F1 hcp. +28.67...F2 +151.26...F3 hcp. +373.73
Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
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