20 years since Dale Earnhardt's death

[michawn2018]

Today is 20 years since Dale Earnhardt's death at the 2001 Daytona 500.


Here's a short story:

On the last lap into turn 4, Sterling Marlin made contact with the left rear of Earnhardt's car, causing his car to slide off the track onto the flat apron. While trying to correct speed, he went back on the track toward the outside retaining wall. He was going to avoid the retaining wall, but he went into Ken Schrader's path and Schrader rammed into him, causing Earnhardt's car to snap and rapidly change its angle towards the wall. As Schrader came into contact with Earnhardt's car, Earnhardt crashed into the wall nose-first at an estimated speed of 155-160 mph. Then both cars slid down off the track and into the grass.

After the race finished, Earnhardt was extricated from his car and was transported to Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:16 pm EST.


Long live the legend.