The seven-time NASCAR Cup champion and fearless “Intimidator” died at the age of 49 when the famous #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo he was driving crashed at Turn 4 on the final lap of the Daytona 500.
On a day that should have been filled with great happiness, his team’s cars, driven by his good friend Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished first and second. The day will always be associated with tragedy instead.
Would Dale Earnhardt have survived his 2001 Daytona 500 crash if he had been wearing a HANS device? Like five other drivers on the grid that Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway? This question is as perplexing now as it was nearly 20 years ago.
Twenty years ago this month, Earnhardt, who was nearing the age of 50, died after suffering a basal skull fracture. He died in the final turn of the final lap of that year’s first Cup race. Almost instantly, he succumbed to the same head trauma that had claimed the lives of three other NASCAR drivers in the preceding seven months. When asked directly at the time, not even one of the men responsible for developing the revolutionary Head And Neck Support device could answer definitively; instead, he opted to speculate.
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Who Was Dale Earnhardt?
Before his career was cut tragically short at the Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001, Dale Earnhardt was one of the most legendary racing drivers of all time. In the final lap of what was shaping up to be a strong finish, the racing legend lost control of his vehicle. He crashed into the outer wall, killing himself instantly.
Earnhardt had been in the lead for 17 laps of a close and competitive race that had lasted all day. On lap 173, when he was in seventh place, a massive accident took out 18 cars at once. Furthermore, the race was red-flagged for cleanup.
When the race resumed at lap 180, Darryl Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were in the lead. They took turns at the front of the pack with Sterling Marlin over the next several laps. While attempting to pass Marlin for the lead as the race entered the third turn of the final lap, Earnhardt made light contact with Marlin, dropping to third place.
Cause of Dale Earnhardt’s Death
Earnhardt competed in 676 Winston Cup events over the course of his career and won 76 of them. He amassed more than $40 million in winnings. In addition, he won the International Race of Champions four times (1990, 1995, 1999, 2000).
When American stock car racing driver and team owner Dale Earnhardt collided with Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader. In the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, he crashed into a retaining wall and died instantly from a basilar skull fracture. This tragedy occurred on the afternoon of February 18, 2001. The medical staff at Halifax Health Care Facility pronounced him dead shortly after.
At 5:16 p.m. EST on Sunday, the coroner pronounced Earnhardt dead at the nearby Halifax Medical Center. He was 49 years old at the time of the accident. His funeral service was held at Charlotte’s Calvary Church four days later.
After Adam Petty in May of 2000, Kenny Irwin Jr. in July of 2000, and Tony Roper in October of 2000, Earnhardt was the fourth NASCAR driver to die from a basilar skull fracture within eight months. After Earnhardt’s death was broadcast live to more than 17 million viewers, NASCAR made several changes to increase driver safety.
On the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt was involved in a collision that ultimately claimed his life. He was a part of the first class to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006. Dale Sr’s son Dale Jr. raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup (later renamed the Sprint Cup) series.
Earnhardt crossed in front of Ken Schrader, causing a collision. It sent both drivers careening into the outer wall at speeds of more than 150 miles per hour as they attempted to regain control.
Who Was to Blame For the Accident?
Dale Earnhardt was 49 years old when he died in a car crash on February 18, 2001, as depicted in the year 2000. Accident victim Dale Earnhardt’s car was pushed by Ken Schrader’s car on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Earnhardt’s fatal head injury is the result of a collision with a guardrail.
An autopsy revealed that Earnhardt was intoxicated when he passed away. His BAC was 0.24, well over the 0.08 threshold for legal intoxication. A forensic pathologist determined that blunt force trauma to the head and neck was the primary cause of death.
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Conclusion
Earnhardt was a legendary race car driver, and he was also very well-liked by fans. He won seven titles and was unbeatable in the heyday of his sport. Earnhardt started the 1971 season with a bang, taking the first two races of the year by storm.
He went on to win seven more races that year, including the inaugural event at Daytona International Speedway. He is one of only three drivers to have ever won the King Award. Which is considered the industry’s highest honour. Bill France Jr. and Richard Petty are the others (France is also credited with creating the modern NASCAR series).
