Dale Senior...Always Remembered

Ten years ago our sport lost one of our vital drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Sr.  Many people loved Dale, but very few understood him.  A quote referring to Dale that is very appropriate for the tenth anniversary is “A hero never dies,”   and this is clearly stated in the following responses.  He will be remembered for many reasons: he got them into NASCAR, he’s the reason for all of the safety improvements, he brought a smile to their faces or he’s the reason for their favorite driver, Dale, Jr. 

In remembrance of the tenth anniversary , I recently asked people "If you could say one thing to Dale Sr., what would it be?"

Judy – “Thank you for Junior and for raising the bar for others to follow your legacy.”

Angela – “If Dale Sr. was still alive, I believe he would have won more Championships and another Daytona 500.”

Kim- “Thank you so much! I know you’re still winning in Heaven and thank you for Junior.”

Selina – “Dale, you were a very awesome person.  I could be in a bad mood and I could watch a race or just look at your picture and get happy.  It’s sad that you left us, but what you were doing what you did best when God took you to bring you home with Him.  I will always love you; so until we meet again, hugs and love always.”

Jodie – “Losing you shook the core of NASCAR to the point that it looked like there would be no return.  Having your spirit and your energy to bring it back, even hard core, has been a blessing within itself, a LEGACY you would’ve wanted to leave.  We were blessed to have you and thank you for making NASCAR what it is today!!”

Fraser – “There’s a big hole where the 3 used to be.  E1, you ROCKED NASCAR.  We could use more drivers like you.”

Garrett – “Dale, you will always be missed; you are the one who made NASCAR, NASCAR.”

Chechu – “Dale, Sr. was the driver that helped us to understand NASCAR.  I’m from Spain and he is the best reference for us.  I began following NASCAR in 2006, but if you don’t know Dale, Sr., you don’t know anything.  He is the middle point of before and after NASCAR.”

Jerry – “Say ‘Hello’ to the great ones that went before you.”

Cody – “Thank you Dale for all of the amazing moments you had in NASCAR, and for making NASCAR a very safe sport now.  Since passing, we’ve had head and neck restraints, soft walls, new, safer cars and if it wasn’t for you, I would’ve never become a NASCAR fan.”

Julie – “I would tell him that only the good die young…I think Dale, Sr. would know what I mean.”

Danny – “Whatever got you into racing?”

Whether you were a fan of his or not, he will always be considered one of the greatest in NASCAR.  Dale, you are greatly missed.