November 22, 2024 | Jesse Singer

Dale Earnhardt's Last 24 Hours


Lost A Star

Dale Earnhardt was bigger than NASCAR. When he died, it took everyone by surprise—not just fans of the sport. But it was his autopsy that was the most shocking.

Earnhardt2 Split L

Who Was Dale Earnhardt?

Dale Earnhardt, or Dale Sr, was a professional stock car racer from North Carolina whose career spanned 25+ years.

NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt - 2009Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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GOAT?

He came to be known as one of the greatest NASCAR racers in the history of the sport. But in 2001, he died in a catastrophic crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt in his carDarryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Records

Earnhardt’s combination of competitive and exhibition wins in his 26-year career totaled 100, making him one of only four NASCAR drivers to achieve this milestone.

Dale Earnhardt Visits Langley Afb - 2000TSGT JACK BRADEN, USAF, Wikimedia Commons

More Records

He is, to date, also the only NASCAR driver to win races consecutively in four different decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

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NASCAR

If you're not a fan already, stock car racing began as a type of race driving using production model cars, though it now uses cars specifically built for racing.

The most prominent stock racing organization is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR. NASCAR is considered one of the top international motorsports organizations, and NASCAR stock car racing is one of the largest spectator sports in the United States.

Dale Earnhardt's car.Mike Kalasnik, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Family Legacy

Dale Earnhardt came to racing through his family. His father, Ralph, was also a stock car racer.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) wins the Daytona 500 - 2014Grindstone Media Group. Shutterstock

His Kids

Earnhardt continued the family legacy, and his three children Kerry, Kelley, and Dale Jr are all involved in stock car racing. Both Kerry and Dale Jr are race-winning drivers in their own right.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands in front of his No. 83 Dale Jr. Division Chevrolet Monte Carlo SSU.S. Navy photo by Scott A. Thornbloom, Wikimedia Commons

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The Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Sr’s final race was the Daytona 500—a 500-mile race that takes place at Daytona Beach, Florida. It's one of the most prestigious races on the circuit, and tends to have the highest viewership and televised ratings of any stock car race in the world.

Portrait of legendary NASCAR stock car driver Dale Earnhardt - 1992Bruce Alan Bennett, Shutterstock

8 Months Of Crashes

Looking back, Earnhardt's tragic end may have been preventable. Between May 2000 and Earnhardt’s fatal crash in February 2001, three other drivers had died of similar injuries. 

Racers Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr, and Tony Roper all suffered the same kinds of head trauma as Earnhardt, a basilar skull fracture, which were significant contributing factors to their deaths.

NASCAR driver Kenny Irwin Jr. in 1998.Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

A Couple Weeks Prior

Only a couple of weeks prior to that fateful race, Earnhardt and his team had competed in an endurance race in Daytona, placing fourth overall in the competition.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

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February 18, 2001

Due to the high profile of the Daytona 500 specifically, it has been estimated that over 17 million viewers witnessed Earnhardt’s fatal crash. 

Dale Earnhardt in his Wrangler Jeans racing suit at 1985 Pocono.Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Pre-Race Criticism

Dale Earnhardt Sr had not appeared at fan events or media previews of the Daytona 500 that year. Given the number of fans he had, this had drawn criticism from some fellow racers.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

Before The Race

According to those around him, Earnhardt appeared confident of his chances in the race that morning. He was, after all, widely considered the frontrunner for the race to come, which only made the tragedy that much more poignant. That wasn't all, either.

Dale Earnhardt outside his car before a NASCAR race - 2012Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Speed And Safety

In 2000, NASCAR implemented some changes in how stock cars could be modified by each team, including the use of carburetor restrictor plates, and restrictions to the types of springs and shocks used on cars. This was partly for safety concerns.

Perhaps ironically, Earnhardt saw these new restrictions as taking away some of the excitement and uniqueness of stock car racing.

Dale Earnhardt and Ron Bouchard looking outside.Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Race Begins

Earnhardt’s confidence seemed well-placed early in the race. He was now the literal frontrunner throughout the 500-mile course, and led the race for 17 breathless laps.

Legendary NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, known as Bruce Alan Bennett, Shutterstock

Smooth Sailing Early On

For the first three-quarters of the race, there were few problems. It's true that a couple of caution flags were flown—but they were for two minor crashes on lap 49 and 157. This was nothing out of the ordinary for NASCAR. Yet.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

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A Crash Before The Crash

With only 27 laps to go, on lap 173, a major crash occurred. It was a massive pile-up sparked by Robby Gordon turning into Ward Burton as he exited turn 2. This started a domino effect that eliminated 18 of the competitors in a very short time. 

Robby Gordon racing - 2008Jared Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

A Crash Before The Crash

A few racers were able to avoid the pile-up, but the race was temporarily halted to allow clean-up of the crash site. Thankfully no one died in this crash. At the time, Earnhardt was driving in seventh place. His response still sends chills up people's spines.

Robby Gordon Dakar Rally 2014Emanuel Agustin Lorenzoni Macchi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

A Fateful Remark

While driving a stock car race, drivers wear headsets that allow them to be in contact with their crews. This way, a driver can let the crew know of any problems with the vehicle and the crew can advise the driver of anything to be aware of on the track.

At one point, Earnhardt is said to have remarked to his crew via his headset, “...if they don’t do something about these cars, it’s gonna end up killing somebody.”

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

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Final Communication

During this caution, Earnhardt also had the last conversation he would have with his crew over the headset...with teammate Andy Pilgrim.

Earnhardt: So, you got any advice for me here coming up?

Pilgrim: No, man, I haven't got any advice for you. Just keep doing what you're doing.

Earnhardt: Okay, just wondering.

Pilgrim: Cheers; talk to you later.

British-born racer Andy Pilgrim - 1986RacingOne, Getty Images

Heading Into The Home Stretch

Heading into the final 20 laps of the race, Earnhardt’s son, Dale Jr, and Michael Waltrip were the frontrunners. Waltrip was first, while Dale Jr was running in second. Both were members of Dale Sr’s team.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt in race car - from Dale (2007)CMT Films, Dale (2007)

A Good Teammate

As a good member of the team, Dale Sr worked from behind to keep anyone else from getting in front and jeopardizing his son or Waltrip's chances of winning the race. Throughout, Earnhardt could be heard cheering them on over the headset.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

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The Final Turn

Earnhardt’s accident occurred on turn 4 of the 200th lap of the race, which was the final turn of the final lap of the circuit. Earnhardt was just seconds away from the finish line when everything changed.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt in race car - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

The Crash

At the incredible speeds the cars were traveling, it took only light contact with Sterling Marlin’s car to send Dale Sr slightly out of control. As he tried to correct his course, things took a turn for the worse.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

The Crash

Earnhardt crossed in front of the car driven by Ken Schrader, who was one of the other drivers who had managed to avoid the lap 173 pile-up as Earnhardt had. 

Earnhardt then hit a nearby retaining wall at an estimated speed of between 155 and 160 mph—slamming into it with sufficient force to break the right rear wheel assembly completely off from the car.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt crushed race car - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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The Crash

The force of the crash also knocked loose the hood of the car, causing it to slam against the windshield numerous times.

Rescue workers arrive at Dale Earnhardt's Goodwrench Chevrolet after a crash February 18, 2001Marc Serota, Getty Images

The Crash

At this point, both Schader and Earnhardt's cars came to a stop at the turn 4 infield. Schrader was able to pull himself from his car and he rushed to assist Earnhardt. Unfortunately, there was little to be done for the acclaimed racer.

Ken Schrader prepares to compete in the Little 500 Sprint Car raceBruce Alan Bennett, Shutterstock

First On The Scene

When Schrader arrived at Earnhardt’s car to help him out, he immediately knew something was wrong. He called for the paramedics, rather than trying to get Earnhardt out of the car himself, knowing that things were very serious.

Screenshot of Ken Schrader getting out from his crushed race car - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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10 Years Later

10 years later, Schrader admitted in an interview that he was pretty sure Earnhardt was dead right from the moment he saw the seriousness of the crash. "Here's the deal. When I went up to the car ... I knew. I knew he was dead, yeah. ... I didn't want to be the one who said 'Dale is dead.'"

Screenshot of Ken Schrader from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

The Winners

While the crash was happening, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Waltrip crossed the finish line, and the checkered flag was flown. At the time, neither knew what had happened, only that there had been a crash behind them. They had no idea Dale Sr was even involved, let alone killed. 

Screenshot of winner of Daytona 500 race  - Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip from - Blink Of An Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

Rushed To Hospital

NASCAR provides an on-site hospital and requires drivers to report there in cases of injury. When the injury is severe enough, however, a driver can be sent directly to the closest trauma center. Earnhardt’s injuries were considered extremely severe, and he was taken to Halifax Medical Center by ambulance.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt injured in Ambulance - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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5:16pm

Unfortunately, as Schrader would later admit, it was already too late. At 5:16 pm, upon arriving at the hospital, Dale Earnhardt Sr was pronounced dead. But what exactly had killed him?

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt Jr. after the crash of his father - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

Cause Of Death

The official cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to Earnhardt's head—among other injuries sustained in the crash. Earnhardt also suffered a basilar skull fracture during the impact with the retaining wall.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt from - Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink Of An Eye (2019)

NASCAR Responds

Just under two hours after the accident, the president of NASCAR, Mike Helton, released a statement on Earnhardt’s death. NASCAR’s subsequent investigation revealed the specifics of the accident, including the angle at which the car hit the retaining wall and the estimated speeds of the cars involved in the tragic accident.

Screenshot - announcement of death of Dale Earnhardt - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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“Black Sunday”

The death of such an acclaimed, beloved, and long-running figure in NASCAR racing was extremely emotional for fans of both the racer and the sport. The day of the accident was called “Black Sunday” by Sporting News.

A portrait of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., adorns a memorial outside Earnhardt's corporate headquarters 19 February 2001 in Moorseville, NC.ERIK PEREL, Getty Images

Public Service

A public service honoring Earnhardt was held four days later at the Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, allowing fans to come out and honor their sports hero. Sadly, they also had a lot of anger in their hearts.

Screenshot from the movie - Dale (2007)Nascar Productions, Dale (2007)

Threats To Sterling Marlin

Looking for somewhere to place blame, many fans lashed out at Sterling Marlin, the driver who had first hit Dale Earnhardt at that fateful corner. Some began sending him hate mail and even death threats. Eventually, Dale Sr's family had to step in. 

NASCAR driver w:Sterling Marlin exits his race carEd McDonald, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Jr Says Stop

In the wake of all this outpouring of anger and hurt, Earnhardt’s son, Dale Jr., absolved Marlin of any wrongdoing and asked that everyone who loved his father to please stop assigning blame. Nonetheless, Marlin felt he had to speak up too.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at the 2015 Toyota/Save Mart, Sonoma, CaliforniaSarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Marlin Statement

On February 20th, Marlin issued this statement in regards to the incident:

"I definitely didn't do anything intentional. We were just racing our guts out for the last lap of the Daytona 500. Everybody was going for it. Dale's car got caught in the middle [three-wide with Ken Schrader]. I was as low as I could go. Whether Rusty Wallace got him loose and down into me, I don't know. You have to talk to Rusty Wallace. I watched the tape one time and that is all I want to see it."

But there were others to blame.

Race driver Sterling MarlinBruce Alan Bennett, Shutterstock

Threats To Bill Simpson

Earnhardt’s car has been outfitted with seatbelts from a company called Simpson Performance Products. Founder Bill Simpson was a former driver who had started the company to help make the sport safer. Like Marlin, Simpson was subject to hate mail and death threats from fans who blamed him and his products for the death of the racing legend.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt in race car - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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Retired Colors

As a result of the crash, and of Earnhardt’s legacy and popularity, Richard Childress, the owner of the team for which Earnhardt drove, retired the colors of Dale Sr’s car.

Earnhardt drove a black car, and subsequent races either used an inverted, mostly-white color scheme, or one with red and blue stripes.

Dale Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500-winning No. 3 GM Goodwrench Plus Chevrolet Monte CarloMichael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Retiring No. 3

Also in honor of Earnhardt, the team stopped racing with the number 3 adorning their cars, taking instead the number 29.

For just over a decade following the crash, a small “3” decal was also affixed to the cars, near the number 29, in honor of Earnhardt. Then in 2013, the team began racing under the number 3 again.

Kevin Harvick car  #29Larry, Flickr

The Investigation

In the wake of Earnhardt’s crash, there were a number of investigations into how the crash had happened—and why it had been fatal.

Nascar driver Dale Earnhart before the start of the MBNA 400 Winston Series race - 2000William M. Plate Jr., USAF CIV. Wikimedia Commons

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Seatbelt Rumors

Rumors circulated that parts of the seatbelt harness had broken, prompting those threats toward Bill Simpson that we mentioned. Many speculated that had this not been the case, Earnhardt would have survived the crash.

NASCAR car cockpitDarryl W Moran, Flickr

Causes Of Death

Given the high-profile nature of Earnhardt’s death, many different experts were brought in to verify the autopsy findings and offer some explanation. After the official autopsy, an independent assessment was carried out by Dr. Barry Myers and doctors at the University of Miami and Wayne State University.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt looking at front - from Dale (2007)CMT Films, Dale (2007)

Simpson Exonerated

All the involved doctors concluded that it was not a seat belt problem that had caused the death, but a different problem entirely: There was a lack of head and neck restraints.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt looking at side- from Dale (2007)CMT Films, Dale (2007)

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Simpson Leaves

Simpson Performance Products owner Bill Simpson was relieved by this news, but still left his position at the company, citing “too much” stress. The company also asked NASCAR to release an official statement asserting that the death had not been the fault of the company or its products.

Bill Simpson at the 2015 Indianapolis 500Doctorindy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Autopsy Controversy

Following Earnhardt’s death, a legal battle played out in Florida as numerous news outlets sought access to both the autopsy report and autopsy photographs. Earnhardt’s widow Teresa requested an injunction disallowing the sharing of what are usually public documents. 

Although potentially unconstitutional, the judge in the case ruled in favor of Teresa Earnhardt.

NASCAR champion w:Dale Earnhardt and his wife w:Teresa Earnhardt in the mid 1990s.Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Safety matters

NASCAR’s thorough investigation into the causes of the crash and of Earnhardt’s death prompted reconsideration of safety measures in the sport. While NASCAR president Helton noted “We are still not going to react for the sake of reacting”, the circumstances of Earnhardt’s death did have lasting effects on the safeguards of the sport.

Screenshot of Dale Earnhardt in race car - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)

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Better Restraints

The safety belt controversy following Earnhardt’s death prompted many racers to adopt a 6-point safety harness, as opposed to the usual 5-point harness installed in cars.

NASCAR driver with HANS device getting out of car.Zach Catanzareti, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Better Restraints

Further, the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device was adopted as a mandate by NASCAR in October 2001. Given that this is truly what made Earnhardt's crash fatal, it's good that this was mandated. 

Ryan Blaney (middle) putting on the Hans-device at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Good Sam 500action sports, Shutterstock

Better Barriers

Another consideration in Earnhardt’s fatal crash was the impact of his car against the track’s retaining wall. Between 2002 and 2005, most oval stock car racing tracks installed SAFER Barrier walls (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction). These SAFER barriers absorb kinetic force during impacts, hopefully reducing the severity of injuries sustained by drivers.

But the tragedy wasn't over.

Safer barrier at NASCAR race track.Raniel Diaz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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An October Scare

10 months after Earnhardt’s death, and during the time many safety measures were being debated in the stock car world, racer Blaise Alexander was killed during an event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Charlotte Motor Speedway - 2024Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

An October Scare

Chillingly, the other racer involved in this fatal crash was Earnhardt’s eldest child, driver Kerry Earnhardt. Kerry's car flipped onto its roof—but thankfully he was not injured in the accident.

Kerry Earnhardt at the 3M Performance 400 - 2006Grindstone Media Group, Shutterstock

The Car of Tomorrow

Another result of safety concerns about Earnhardt’s crash was the development of improved chassis for stock car racing. The Car of Tomorrow design was used in competitions following Earnhardt’s death. It was replaced by the even-more safety conscious Gen 6 car as of 2013.

Nascar Safety ChassisChris Short, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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TLC

Just a year after Earnhardt’s death, a similar controversy erupted around the death of TLC singer Lisa Lopes and the release of her autopsy documents. The blocking of releasing these documents was not successful, and Lopes’ autopsy photos began appearing on the Internet. If it weren't for Teresa, this could have been Dale. 

Lisa HECTOR MATA, Getty Images

Blink of an Eye

In 2019, a documentary titled Blink of an Eye was produced about the career of Michael Waltrip, the winner of that fateful race, which included footage and commentary on Earnhardt’s fatal 2001 crash.

Screenshot of race driver Michael Waltrip - from Blink of an Eye (2019)Taublieb Films, Blink of an Eye (2019)


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