@@TyGuy.3000 look at austin dillon! or that one terrible truck series trash that happened around that time of dale. they both look like they shouldve been dead.
In another video, there's a similar quote. "President's Day. February 19, 2001. No one is talking about Michael Waltrip's first win after 462. No one is talking about DEI's 1-2 finish. \? No one is talking about the 17-car wreck in lap 173?\ , and no one is talking about the record-breaking 49 lead changes. None of it mattered in the end. Nobody won. Because the sport just lost its greatest driver ever."
You can clearly tell that Ken was traumatized by what he saw in Earnhardt's car. He immediately didn't want to think or talk about it. His brain had gone into defense mode and tried to block the images. That's exactly what happens when you've seen some horrific shit.
@ If you had watched Ken Schrader's interviews before, you would know that he knew something was terribly wrong. He even said it afterwards that he knew Earnhardt was dead as soon as he pulled the net down. After this interview he immediately went to Victory Lane to tell Michael Waltrip that Earnhardt was dead. While nothing definitive was ever released, the rumor is when they found Earnhardt in his car, his eyes were open and he had blood and other fluids coming out of his mouth, ears, and nose. Ken Schrader was the first person to see that.
This shit destroyed him.. He said a couple years ago that of course he knew dale was dead when he looked in.. But he was so scared to even think those words and make it come true some how... He knew and took him decades to admit it. Hia wife said it ruined him. Poor guy.. Schrader and dale were pretty good buddies
@@TheRealSwampOperator2 Can't imagine what he saw, I've seen the autopsy report and don't even wanna think about what it would have looked like in person.
Schrader revealed 10 years after the fact that he had known Dale was dead right as he checked on him and that the only reason he never shared it then was because he didn’t want to be the one to say, “Dale is dead.”
I still feel so bad for Kenny for having to have to witness that. Such a nice guy shouldn't have seen so much horror inside there....and he was just trying to help, too....he didn't have to go running over like that to help Dale, but he felt like he needed to...
I also feel bad for Sterling Marlin. It was just a racing accident but Dale fans gave him hell for that wreck. Dale knew what he was doing and the risk he was taking climbing in that car and doing what he did by blocking the other drivers. I wasn't a Dale fan but you damn sure had to respect the man and he died doing what he loved and made it where his cars finished 1 and 2.
Darrell Waltrip I think he was first to know you never hear Darrell Waltrip sound like that kept looking towards the racetrack I hope Dale's all right then it went to commercial I was thinking he's all right see wrecks like that all the time president of NASCAR came on we lost Dale I freaked out
It’s the tires You watch the front tires there no steering whatsoever coming off the wall you can see there’s no control over the steering wheel and that’s 1 of the signs you look for as well as the bet coming down as soon as the car does finally stop and none of that happened. But D DubYa could tell that the front tires had no one holding the steering wheel anymore as it slit down the track and into the infield down there.
I saw an article where they interviewed one of the EMTs that got in the car. They said Dale's eyes were open and fixed when they got in there. That is what Schrader saw I think. He knew he was dead.
watching the race live back then one of the thing i remember is kens face after that i told my mom sitting next to me that ken looks like he seen a ghost! Thats when i know it was bad!.
@@suestaley844 He was certainly DOA. I don't think he made it past hitting the wall initially. On the upside, considering he didn't try to maneuver the vehicle after impacting the wall, it means he probably didn't feel it. Was probably just a flash to him. Better than him suffering with a broken neck for 12 hours in the ER suffering a painful death that not even opiates would handle.
@@tropicalramen7835 he was going to check on Dale, thinking Big E would be mad for ruining the 1-2-3 finish but he saw the condition and called for emergency help
Yeah nobody knows exactly what happened inside that car in those last moments. People originally just thought it was a heart attack but after autopsy it was hell, seatbelts broke and he faceplanted into the wheel causing a basial skull fracture with brain splatter and guts and shit, blood everywhere. Kenny schrader saw that and knew but never said anything until the autopsy. What he saw still haunts him to this day
@@BANGITSME87 well you never know in these situations bro. There were likely multiple things that ultimately contributed to his death but even with autopsy its hard to tell
@@thatloserkyle if you have the stomach you can find pictures. It's not of Dale in the car, he'd been removed, but it was after and the pictures show some things that wouldn't be right for me to describe here. It gives a pretty good idea of what most likely happened
@@BANGITSME87 people did bro I have resources. But I mean they thought the ultimate cause was cardiac issues heart failure until the autopsy proved otherwise. Not saying everybody did but some
Kenny knew Dale was gone the moment he looked in the car, and he knew it when talking to that reporter, but he knew he couldn't be the one to break that news. He didn't want to be that one. For Dale Jr's sake, for Michael Waltrip's sake, he just couldn't bare it and you can see it on his face during the interview. He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to answer any questions, he just wants to go talk to Michael and Dale Jr and go-to the Hospital. I watched the race live. I was about 16 years old. I couldn't believe it when they announced on FOX about an hour later that he had died. My friend who was watching the race at his house couldn't believe it when I called him to tell him. Just felt like the world stopped.
I knew something was wrong almost immediately after the wreck, especially the concern Darell Waltrip had for Earnhardt despite his brother winning the 500. Then seeing Ken Shrader's interview and how shuck up he was told me he was mostly likely dead. Then as I turned the channel to watch the NBA game on NBC they broke in and said Dale Earnhardt had passed away.
@@winstonsmith11 I was 7 and even at that age. Like you said the way waltrip acted and my dad reacting to waltrip. I knew something was wrong. My dad waited what had to be hours. Comes in my room and tells me. I cried my eyes out like I’m sure other people did. Dale was my true childhood hero. My parents would say what are you gonna be? When you grow up. I would reply Dale Earnhardt.
It didnt even look bad. But dw been in a million too. He knew that particular one was worse than it looked. It alarmed me to hear dw so sidetracked from mikeys win. Then schradera interview. He knew when he looked in there he was dead And said as much a couple years ago... Ken shcrader has been traumatized for life for looking into that car.. His wife said that much
I never watched NASCAR before Earnhardt died, it was actually all the attention surrounding his death that caused me to start paying attention to the sport. Been a fan for almost 20 years now and I regret not seeing a legend while he was still here.
That was the day I stopped watching. Wasn't an Earnhardt fan but that done it for me. I knew nascar would never be the same. He was a great driver and competitor. Tragic loss.
I had 10 lucky years to watch earnhardt sr do his thing, was my favorite driver, and even got to see him win when I was 7 at dover in 1993. This day changed my life and it's direction forever. I'm still a fan, moving to dale Jr, and now to Ryan Blaney, but I always go and paruse back through the memories.
I always see comments saying "It didn't even look that bad"...probably because the car didn't do a lot of thrashing around. Which is why it was fatal. Most all of the impact energy went directly straight into that wall and nowhere else. Usually at that angle the back of the car will whip left after initial impact and the car will spin out helping transfer that energy. With Schrader's car in that position, it helped wedge Dale's car in. NO dramatic spinning, flipping, etc...just all force straight flush into the wall at 160 mph, with no safer barrier or hans device. There's another angle on turn 4 somewhere that shows just how fast and violent it really was. RIP.
I was 5, I was just getting into NASCAR because my dad loves it, I remember watching this race, and this was the first race I watched from flagtoflag. I remember the wreck happening and my dad being pissed but I wasn't because my favorite Bill Elliott got a good finish. But later, I remember my dad crying that's when I learned of Dale's death, to this day I feel terrible because dad lost his hero, but I remember Jr winning in July, which in my opinion, is the greatest moment in NASCAR History!
+Crisgo3d Yeah man you can tell he doesn't want to talk about it. Also he shows signs of the "100 yard stare" people do when they're at least somewhat traumatized.
+JudgeTread1 this might be alittle tmi but I read an article and yes Schrader was traumatized because when he was going to check on Dale he saw blood coming out of Dale's nose and ears I would be traumatized if i saw that
He's such a good guy he came out to our dirt track in Wichita KS in 2006 got to meet him talked for about 5 minutes but after that I sat in the stands and thought for a bit I just met the man that was first to see Dale after the crash sent chills down my neck feel so bad for Kenny what he saw
RIP Earnhardt, and I certainly feel bad that Schrader had to endure that. But the guy that I feel the most sorry for in all of this... is Sterling Marlin. Not many people acknowledged it, but he endured constant ridicule from fans, and even received death threats. It took Dale Jr publicly absolving him to make it stop. Really set his career back for good. Such a good man. Deserved better.
Sterling was one of the best in his day. I've honestly believed that the 2002 incident where he got out of his car helped fans move forward a bit and change their perception. Yes, I know the tire rub was there, but it was at least an interesting coincidence.
The real reason why he died was because of a basilar skull fracture. The cause was not wearing the HANS device. And if Dale wore it, he would most likely still be alive.
de'angelo bayley FS1 got rid of in after 2007 and brought it back in 2016. the original poster of the comment commented between 2007 and 2016 when the theme wasnt used
3:47-3:49 There it is, how quickly he answered that question says it all, he tried to make it as brief as possible because he knew the truth and didn't want to break down🤦🤦🤦
NASCAR knew about this and you can tell that Ken Schrader knows about it and when they threw that question, he didn't know what to say, he doesn't seem so confident. The commenters didn't want to announce his at that moment because people were to busy celebrating Michael Waltrip's win. They decided to put it later.
NASCAR cannot pronounce someone dead though, in this situation the right thing to do is get medical attention from doctors at the hospital. "Great rule package they got" Dale wasn't wearing a helmet like Ken's, and it should have been a rule, a safety requirement. There were so many bad wrecks before this, even fatalities before this. Why wasn't safety put first already? This could have been prevented. Ken was somehow able to do those interviews. Was asked at one point about Michael Waltrip winning and all he could say was I'd feel a lot better for him if his boss was here to help him. This is a gut wrenching story.
Stirling Marlin had alot of death threats after the race. The Earnhardt crew had to make a statement that Stirling Marlin didn't cause the accident. The Subsequent Nascar investigation also cleared Stirling Marlin of any wrongdoing.
Jacob Hammering Hamman Do you not understand racing?? Let alone restrictor plate racing?? Maybe you should get mommy & daddy’s permission next time you get on social media..
I'm not really a big racing fan, but its hard to imagine being in Mr. Schrader's position that day; inheriting such a horrible responsibility without warning, and then having to decide in a very short amount of time how to handle it. I don't think anyone could have done any better.
I was 11 and this was my first full Daytona 500. I watched the wreck, and something wasn't right. Shrader calling for EMTs wasn't good, but watching the ambulance moving that slow was the "Oh my God, he's dead!" moment for me. All these years later, I can see another way to interprit Ken Squire's quote. Rest in Peace, Dale Earnhardt.
I can’t imagine what Kenny was thinking and feeling after going over to Dale’s car and finding him in the condition he was in. He even knew he was gone
Still to this day I can’t believe that accident took him. Dale jr’s interview with Kenny is a must watch. He thanks him for staying classy and respectful.
You hate to saddle anyone with that burden, but in hindsight, it was fortunate that it was someone like Kenny. To this day, he’s never said a word about what he saw that day, although I’m sure it still haunts him. Truly a class act and one of the good guys in this sport.
When they showed the ambulance going slow I knew we lost him. An ambulance NEVER goes that slow unless it’s a spine fracture or death. Considering the head on crash and the angle and speed into the concrete wall it could only be death. Gen4 stock cars and concrete walls simply put.. was not safe. Looking at even his autopsy report, a HANS device wouldn’t of done very much. It was just his day to go.
Doubtful honestly. If Dale had the safety features of today yes. But the Hans alone wouldn't have. If anything, he'd possibly still be here, but he'd be in bad shape.
I'm surprised they worked him at all. Tramatic arrests are usually called. They worked him at the hospital for awhile too. Bilateral chest tubes, bilateral large bore IVs. Etc. The first physician to the car knew he had a basal skull fx. Anyone else would have been pronounced in the field. Sure do miss that man.........
Dale was my favorite driver. I followed him through childhood and into adulthood. I saw the wreck as Mikey and Jr. were speeding away to the checkered flag, and I was mad that Dale would not win the Daytona 500. I wanted him to win every race I ever watched. Then I saw the replay of the crash. The full speed replay. My heart sank and I knew he was gone. I felt sick. We went to church and found out what I already knew when we got home. I don't think I will ever get over it completely. NASCAR was never the same, though Junior did provide some pretty exciting wins over the years. When Junior retired, that was the end of the Earnhardt era, and now I just watch, but without anyone that I am really pulling for. I still wonder if Dale would have won that 8th championship in 2001. He would have been great in the booth if he wanted to do that when he retired. We miss you Dale. RIP
@@dennissmith4186 I think so too. I am thankful for all that tried to help Dale and all the efforts. I will honestly say that his death was one of the worst and saddest days for us. The Oppermans from Texas will always love and miss you Dale Earnhardt Sr -your devoted fans forever
Earnhardt's head was bent down to the left. You can see in the video that the crown of his helmet moves the window net and leaves him resting on his left against the door panel. What supports this is the view of Ken looking down and in, and then looking at the photos of the car after the crash in that very spot. They're quite graphic. Just wanted to clarify, I feel really bad for Kenny. He is a class act and I respect him.
Still have to say Congratulations to Mikey 🍾 🏆 You finally did it buddy & Dale did whatever it took to try & be apart of that. Dale knew you Won it Brother.
He was a rookie broadcaster at the time and he was getting the news in his earpiece just like the rest. They all knew. Listen to Ken Squier's closing thoughts - he knew. Darrel was just having a harder time compartmentalizing it as a good friend and being only very recently retired. But "the show must go on," as they say. They heard and saw everything and knew he was probably gone but were holding on to the very last shred of hope they were wrong. It had to be absolutely gut wrenching for the broadcast crew and Schrader to put on a hopeful face knowing what they knew.
I agree 100%. I was a huge Earnhardt fan and the wreck didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. But Darrell, on a day that his brother won the biggest race of his life, kept saying "I hope Dale's okay, I hope Dale's okay"
@@shawnreap yeah but Darrel Waltrip raced with Dale Earnhardt and knew he did not like a tight 3 point belt system. Plus not hard to see from camera angles. Dale's lack of safety precautions caught up to him. And that was his last ride.
I think DW knew pretty quick as well. When they show the replays you can tell he's holding back. "I don't like that. That's not the kinda crash - that's the kinda crash that hurts you." It sounds like he's about to say the kinda crash you don't walk away from but stops himself.
Can't even imagine what Ken Schrader was feeling this day and what he saw when he went to check on Dale. Such a burden for him to carry for the rest of his life.
Heart wrenching. Can’t these reporters just take the social cues and let the man walk away. I’ve been in similar situations like this, holding back tears and anguish, just to automatically break down crying as soon as no one could see. Brutal. RIP Dale
When you saw Kenny's reaction as soon as he looked in the car you knew it wasn't good...😥 Hard to believe it's been over 20 years now. We love the sport because of the excitement and how close to the edge it is. Sometimes we're reminded just how dangerous it really is.
I remember watching that wreak... i remember saying " nasty hit, but he'll be ok..." but something in my head kept telling me, " he isn't walking away from this one... we just lost Dale Earnhardt...."
I wont ever forget this i was 11 watching this with my sister and my mom and dad on the way home from church we heard he died on the radio my dad fell appart rough day dale was the man
I still cannot believe what happened, 18 years later. I vividly remember seeing this live as it happened and I just thought it was a standard crash and that Dale was not injured badly. I do remember that Darryl Waltrip was worried for Dale from the moment it happened
I have never respected another racer like Ken Schrader. Maybe 1or 2% of people could see what he did and keep composure with a camera stuck in their faces. How he did that is taken for granted among too many. Kudos to him for keeping it together and even more so for not going public with details.
I was 12 at the time of this race and I remember watching the entire race and remember when they showed how slow the ambulance was moving I had a feeling it wasn't good. I live 15 mins from the track and remember our local news came on at 7pm and showed the announcement by Mike Helton saying they lost him. I was shocked it's still shocking
Ken Schrader definitely seen something that he will never forget. He was in a mode where he wanted to un-see what he had seen. This is why people should appreciate the drivers, not be a constant negative whinger. Racing is dangerous even now and no one knows what the future holds
I remember me, and my dad we had a basketball game to attend (Father and son/player) My dad recorded the race, and all of the sudden we made it back before Tony Stewarts wreck, and before the red flag, and we were just in time for the prime time event who was going to win the race. When Earnhardt SR crashed I thought, he's fine, but my dad knew even during Michael's interview, and when the blimp showed the rescue teams helping dale, that something was seriously was wrong. I was eight about to be nine when it happened, I was a massive Jeff Gordan fan back then. A year later in 2002 I became a dale jr fan. Nascar hasn't been the same since dale left, r.i.p dale
I can remember what I was doing when this happen.. Building a lawnmower trailer and listening to the race on the radio and had to go inside the house to see it for myself. If only he was still here....My god time go by so quickly .......
He didn't have much time left anyway, when they started tinkering with the point system most lost interest. A guy that dominates all season can lose the title to a bum that squeaked out 1 win and made the playoffs.
@@bignickdigger7105 every sport has playoffs get over it no diffarent in nascar guys were winning cups in august when half the season wasnt even over thats not fair winning a cup that would be like a nfl team winning in october when the SB isnt until February and he ddint have much time left because nascar would have been on to his bullshit he was fucking around with belts and wrecking people too win which both of those things now days would have him parked and even suspended in any sport you can win all year and be out in the first round of playoffs
@@NickyD try to use punctuation ma'am! I almost died reading that poorly written sewage. Look in the stands and at the ratings. The sport is on life support, and it started once they changed the point system and started restricting guys from dirty racing and fighting. Putting them on probation etc. People want to watch crashes, 2 drivers fight in the pits after a race, rivalries etc. You think fans show up to a hockey game and hope a fight doesn't break out? Or a rodeo and hope a bull doesn't stomp on someone? You're living in some kind of sissy liberal world and in certain sports..it's not gonna fly.
Michael waltrip didn't get a chance to really celebrate his win like he should've due to Dale's death in 2001. In 2003 it was rain shortening, but the best car won the race and Michael was able to enjoy it. I felt that Dale would have driven by two cars that he owned and go on to win his 2nd Daytona 500. Instead of not caring for who was in front of him he blocked Sterling Marlin and Schrader and was proud of what he saw out the front of his windshield.
22 years ago and I've watched that crash over and over and still can't comprehend how that killed him. Especially seeing some of the other accidents he's been in where I was certain he was dead and yet, he walked away without a scratch! Life is definitely a mysterious journey!
I will never forget this day. Been an Earnhardt fan since I can remember. When Mike Helton said "We've lost Dale Earnhardt." I went to my room and cried like a 14 year old baby! #Intimidator #3
You could tell Kenny knew as soon as he looked into the car. He didn't even make it to the window net before he was waving the ambulance to hurry up. It's definitely something that is fried into Kenny's mind.
It eventually got him into a position where dale was in the middle of Schrader and Sterling and he cut in front of sterling and thought he had room to get in front of him but didn't. When the car came back up and clipped Schrader's left front, that caused Earnhardt to slam head on into the wall causing the fatal crash.
I remember watching this race and getting so pissed at Dale for causing my favorite driver Ken Schrader to crash out on the last lap. Feelings completely changed when the announcement was made.
One of those days most will never forget. If Sr would have raced for the win he might still be alive. I wish that would been what have happened. Miss him
Them asking Kenny over and over again "Ken, what did you see? What can you tell us?" was just beyond horrible. Someone should have realized just by that man's body language what he'd seen and stopped the rest of the media from badgering him. Jesus.
@thepspman116 Same here. I was 9 when Earnhardt died but he will always be my favorite driver. I just watched the finish of the 98 Daytona 500 the other day and it put me in tears.
Darrel’s insights are really fascinating here, he really had no idea what had happened yet, but his experience as a driver and his gut intuition told him that everything was off.
This still hurts I was 11 sitting in a bean bag chair watching this with my dad I remember going to church that morning eating at a Mexican restaurant and coming home at lap 13 miss him and I miss those days
This day and year still haunts me. My cousin too a few days later after this killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning in his gargage after his girlfriend broke up with him a couple of weeks earlier. i hate 2001 more than any other year in my lifetime memory.
No don't feel that way. It is not any single human's fault what happen that year. Evil was behind what happen that year. It was an attack against God, what is good, what is right and all humanity what happened that year from evil sources.
2001 haunts me in some respects as well, given that, in a span of two months, I had to attend two funerals for schoolmates who lost their lives in very similar types of car accidents; the only major difference is that in the first one (April of 2001), the girl killed, who was one of my then-current schoolmates (Not naming names, BTW) *was* wearing her seatbelt, though the coroner would later say that doing so helped contribute to her fatal injuries. The second crash, which happened in June of 2001, saw one of my *former* schoolmates (and a one-time friend) lose her life when she was ejected from the car she was riding in (She was *NOT* wearing a seatbelt) after the driver fell asleep behind the wheel, then spun, hitting a guardrail on the bridge they were traveling on, then hitting the other guardrail, causing the passenger to be ejected, again the result of not wearing her seatbelt. When the phone rang the day after she died and I got the news of her death, I just broke down crying, and *NOTHING* could provide any solace, at least not much of anything.
The last thing he heard was his spotter telling him "inside, inside, inside..." He was so focused ahead and just trying to maintain cohesion with the most extreme concentration any person can imagine that he couldn't have known he was touching Marlin's nose and the rest of what happened was an extremely unfortunate chain of events, to say the least.
In fact, two seconds before contact, from the onboard view at time index 2:48, as his spotter keeps telling him "inside, inside, three-wide, inside...." the back-end gets loose on him, before the contact with Sterling Marlin.
Oh shut the fuck up with your nonsense. Yeah, dude is trying to breathe with blood all in his lungs and a fractured sternum and he gets the idea to play arts and crafts with some smoke. Wow.
ArmyRob13 Really dude? Next time you wanna say something like that, keep that shit to yourself. You may not believe in a higher power, but that doesn't give you the right to shit on other people's beliefs.
What a terrible day. Only positive thing from that day is what everyone learned about safety and how many lives it may have saved from day on. It just sucks that something that terrible has to happen to figure it out. Everyone of those guys strap into those cars knowing what could happen but it doesn’t make it any easier for anyone when tragedy strikes. Rip intimidator!
poor waltrip. he was clowned so long for not winning not being competitive. then finally wins it and his happiness is gone. any partying he deserved gone. in its replacement comes death and sadness. this event is probably what made junior the most relatable driver of all time
I can only imagine how Kenny felt. He came out smerking ready to joke with his friend and saw what he saw. No wonder he had glasses and didn’t have much to say. He saw it first.
As a huge fan of Smoke, i thought i lost my favorite driver earlier in the race. After the relief of him being ok, and being happy for my brother sitting next to me (waltrip fan), once all calmed from my brothers victory run into the snow, we all set back down and knew when the ambulance was not rushing, after not seeing him exit the car, that the worst may be upon us. Never a fan of 3, but respected him (most times), and he WAS nascar post petty. We heard prior to the announcement, but didnt want to believe it. Tough day, but it drought about the HANS which has undoubtedly saved many serious injuries and lives
I’ve watched this wreck so many times over the years and I still can’t believed this wreck took his life. We’ve seen cars go airborne, flip, catch fire and get torn to shreds and drivers walk away. It just didn’t look like that bad of a crash. I was talking to a crew member from the Mike Skinner car. He said Dale died instantly and sustained servers
I thought the same thing, but there's a difference in being thrown around in a car while it's tearing apart and going into a wall head on to a dead stop from 180mph even if it was for a fraction of a second before he started sliding down the wall. 180mph down to 0 is not survivable sadly. So tragically sad.
@@marlonisaac1 I know your right. It’s very deceiving to watch the crash. I didn’t realize as you stated that he came to a sudden stop when he hit the wall even though he slid down the race track. It just didn’t look that bad of a crash. I accidentally hit the wrong button in my text. I was trying to say, I was told he sustained server neck injuries and that he died instantly. So sad.
I've been watching this wreck for 20 years and i still somehow watch it looking for a different outcome.
Hidden Secrets Yeah. I’m just yeah he’ll live but then it sinks in
Now of days he would most likely be fine. Look at Newman's 500 wreck. I thought he was dead and less than 48 hours later he walks out of the hospital.
Me too
Me2
@@TyGuy.3000 look at austin dillon! or that one terrible truck series trash that happened around that time of dale. they both look like they shouldve been dead.
EmpLemon said it best: This should’ve been one of the happiest moments in NASCAR history, but it instead became the sport’s darkest day.
That documentary video was so damn good
His SpongeBob Poops are Funny But His Dale Earnhardt Video Was a Serious Documentary
In another video, there's a similar quote.
"President's Day. February 19, 2001. No one is talking about Michael Waltrip's first win after 462. No one is talking about DEI's 1-2 finish. \? No one is talking about the 17-car wreck in lap 173?\ , and no one is talking about the record-breaking 49 lead changes. None of it mattered in the end. Nobody won. Because the sport just lost its greatest driver ever."
@@S.K.R.E.Inc. Black Flags Matter
Oscar Jimenez Jr. FU
You can clearly tell that Ken was traumatized by what he saw in Earnhardt's car. He immediately didn't want to think or talk about it. His brain had gone into defense mode and tried to block the images. That's exactly what happens when you've seen some horrific shit.
Yea he already knew. You could see it on his face.
DeadlyDanDaMan no, looks like any driver after crashing at the Daytona 500 that they know they have a chance to win it.
The Donner Party would have said "Supper's Ready. Last one, here, is a rattled cage!"
J M Kyle bush is a little sore loser and little bitch
@ If you had watched Ken Schrader's interviews before, you would know that he knew something was terribly wrong. He even said it afterwards that he knew Earnhardt was dead as soon as he pulled the net down. After this interview he immediately went to Victory Lane to tell Michael Waltrip that Earnhardt was dead. While nothing definitive was ever released, the rumor is when they found Earnhardt in his car, his eyes were open and he had blood and other fluids coming out of his mouth, ears, and nose. Ken Schrader was the first person to see that.
“I’m... fine.” Feel bad for Ken. But what a class act. Kept his cool under tremendous trauma.
Yeah, I always liked Kenny. He tried to keep it classy.
This shit destroyed him.. He said a couple years ago that of course he knew dale was dead when he looked in.. But he was so scared to even think those words and make it come true some how... He knew and took him decades to admit it. Hia wife said it ruined him. Poor guy.. Schrader and dale were pretty good buddies
@@TheRealSwampOperator2 Can't imagine what he saw, I've seen the autopsy report and don't even wanna think about what it would have looked like in person.
Ken Schrader knew what was up. He was doing his best not to break down in that interview.
I know I would’ve broke down right then and there poor guy he probably is still traumatized
Looking in that car, seeing his best buddy gone, had to tear him apart.
Schrader revealed 10 years after the fact that he had known Dale was dead right as he checked on him and that the only reason he never shared it then was because he didn’t want to be the one to say, “Dale is dead.”
@@trevenchristensen585marlin is traumitized for life he watches it every month the last ten laps dale jr talked about it
I still feel so bad for Kenny for having to have to witness that. Such a nice guy shouldn't have seen so much horror inside there....and he was just trying to help, too....he didn't have to go running over like that to help Dale, but he felt like he needed to...
They may not have been teammates, but they were really close friends.
Ken Shrader was Dale's friend. A friend always checks on a friend when ever they crash together espically that hard.
Every time I see that interview of him you can just see the pain of knowing inside him. Can't imagine going through that.
I also feel bad for Sterling Marlin. It was just a racing accident but Dale fans gave him hell for that wreck. Dale knew what he was doing and the risk he was taking climbing in that car and doing what he did by blocking the other drivers. I wasn't a Dale fan but you damn sure had to respect the man and he died doing what he loved and made it where his cars finished 1 and 2.
"I didn't know (he was dead)... but I would have bet." "I saw a friend in trouble." "What I saw in that car, that sticks with you."
Imagine being Ken and not being able to shed a tear or show emotion Such a badass classy man.
Just seemed totally numb and shell shocked.
notice the look on schrader's face, in his expressions. that lifeless look on his face. he knew earnhardt was dead when he looked in his car.
Darrell Waltrip I think he was first to know you never hear Darrell Waltrip sound like that kept looking towards the racetrack I hope Dale's all right then it went to commercial I was thinking he's all right see wrecks like that all the time president of NASCAR came on we lost Dale I freaked out
It’s the tires
You watch the front tires there no steering whatsoever coming off the wall you can see there’s no control over the steering wheel and that’s 1 of the signs you look for as well as the bet coming down as soon as the car does finally stop and none of that happened.
But D DubYa could tell that the front tires had no one holding the steering wheel anymore as it slit down the track and into the infield down there.
I saw an article where they interviewed one of the EMTs that got in the car. They said Dale's eyes were open and fixed when they got in there. That is what Schrader saw I think. He knew he was dead.
watching the race live back then one of the thing i remember is kens face after that i told my mom sitting next to me that ken looks like he seen a ghost! Thats when i know it was bad!.
@@suestaley844 He was certainly DOA. I don't think he made it past hitting the wall initially. On the upside, considering he didn't try to maneuver the vehicle after impacting the wall, it means he probably didn't feel it. Was probably just a flash to him. Better than him suffering with a broken neck for 12 hours in the ER suffering a painful death that not even opiates would handle.
The onboard is chilling. He is watching his friend and his son drive away to victory while he sees his final moments
Ken Schrader is a class act...
What do you mean?
@@tropicalramen7835 he retained his composure after all those things
@@tropicalramen7835 he was going to check on Dale, thinking Big E would be mad for ruining the 1-2-3 finish but he saw the condition and called for emergency help
Plus he's never spoke or described what he saw in the car.
you can tell schrader just saw death.
Yeah nobody knows exactly what happened inside that car in those last moments. People originally just thought it was a heart attack but after autopsy it was hell, seatbelts broke and he faceplanted into the wheel causing a basial skull fracture with brain splatter and guts and shit, blood everywhere. Kenny schrader saw that and knew but never said anything until the autopsy. What he saw still haunts him to this day
@@thatloserkyle Who the hell thought it was a heart attack? It was pretty clear from moment one what happened and sure as hell wasn’t a heart attack.
@@BANGITSME87 well you never know in these situations bro. There were likely multiple things that ultimately contributed to his death but even with autopsy its hard to tell
@@thatloserkyle if you have the stomach you can find pictures. It's not of Dale in the car, he'd been removed, but it was after and the pictures show some things that wouldn't be right for me to describe here. It gives a pretty good idea of what most likely happened
@@BANGITSME87 people did bro I have resources. But I mean they thought the ultimate cause was cardiac issues heart failure until the autopsy proved otherwise. Not saying everybody did but some
Kenny knew Dale was gone the moment he looked in the car, and he knew it when talking to that reporter, but he knew he couldn't be the one to break that news. He didn't want to be that one. For Dale Jr's sake, for Michael Waltrip's sake, he just couldn't bare it and you can see it on his face during the interview. He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to answer any questions, he just wants to go talk to Michael and Dale Jr and go-to the Hospital. I watched the race live. I was about 16 years old. I couldn't believe it when they announced on FOX about an hour later that he had died. My friend who was watching the race at his house couldn't believe it when I called him to tell him. Just felt like the world stopped.
20 years later. Only driver left in 2021 is Kurt Busch.
Not unless you count Kevin Harvick
@@kilpatrickja but did Harvick ever run a cup race with Dale? He was In the Busch series waiting to come up
Newman at Phoenix 2000
No it’s Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman
Newman wasn't at the 500 either, nor was he in most of the Fox half of the season
God, you can hear Schrader trying to hold back tears in the post race interview because he knew Dale was gone..
Ken Schrader is such a great man. Great friend he has raced with for 20 years and he held it in. Barely. You could tell he was having trouble.
Just in Darrell’s voice you could tell he knew deep down that was the last moment of Dale’s life on Earth... RIP Dale
I knew something was wrong almost immediately after the wreck, especially the concern Darell Waltrip had for Earnhardt despite his brother winning the 500. Then seeing Ken Shrader's interview and how shuck up he was told me he was mostly likely dead. Then as I turned the channel to watch the NBA game on NBC they broke in and said Dale Earnhardt had passed away.
i kinda think ken knew in that interview that h was alreday dead to be honest
Nicky D I'm sure. He went and saw him, probably bleeding out of his head and unresponsive. Not good
I was 12 and I'll never forget the look on my Dad's face in response to Darrell's concern. I didn't know it at the time, but he did.
@@winstonsmith11 I was 7 and even at that age. Like you said the way waltrip acted and my dad reacting to waltrip. I knew something was wrong. My dad waited what had to be hours. Comes in my room and tells me. I cried my eyes out like I’m sure other people did. Dale was my true childhood hero. My parents would say what are you gonna be? When you grow up. I would reply Dale Earnhardt.
It didnt even look bad. But dw been in a million too. He knew that particular one was worse than it looked. It alarmed me to hear dw so sidetracked from mikeys win.
Then schradera interview. He knew when he looked in there he was dead
And said as much a couple years ago... Ken shcrader has been traumatized for life for looking into that car.. His wife said that much
I felt bad for Schrader. He and Dale were always real close to each other.
Me too Andrew. He immediately knew that Dale was dead when he checked on him.
Poor ol' Schrader, he knew.
I never watched NASCAR before Earnhardt died, it was actually all the attention surrounding his death that caused me to start paying attention to the sport. Been a fan for almost 20 years now and I regret not seeing a legend while he was still here.
That was the day I stopped watching. Wasn't an Earnhardt fan but that done it for me. I knew nascar would never be the same. He was a great driver and competitor. Tragic loss.
I was a dale fan (at only like 6 years old I’ll admit) but I quit watching then too
Same here
@@michaelclark9136 NASCAR has gotten better.
I had 10 lucky years to watch earnhardt sr do his thing, was my favorite driver, and even got to see him win when I was 7 at dover in 1993. This day changed my life and it's direction forever. I'm still a fan, moving to dale Jr, and now to Ryan Blaney, but I always go and paruse back through the memories.
“Inside, inside, inside” last words he heard
Kenny knew he just couldn't say anything, feel so bad for that guy having to carry that weight
I always see comments saying "It didn't even look that bad"...probably because the car didn't do a lot of thrashing around. Which is why it was fatal. Most all of the impact energy went directly straight into that wall and nowhere else. Usually at that angle the back of the car will whip left after initial impact and the car will spin out helping transfer that energy. With Schrader's car in that position, it helped wedge Dale's car in. NO dramatic spinning, flipping, etc...just all force straight flush into the wall at 160 mph, with no safer barrier or hans device. There's another angle on turn 4 somewhere that shows just how fast and violent it really was. RIP.
180. Into a concrete wall is devastating
Thanks for explaining. That's terrible
I was 5, I was just getting into NASCAR because my dad loves it, I remember watching this race, and this was the first race I watched from flagtoflag. I remember the wreck happening and my dad being pissed but I wasn't because my favorite Bill Elliott got a good finish. But later, I remember my dad crying that's when I learned of Dale's death, to this day I feel terrible because dad lost his hero, but I remember Jr winning in July, which in my opinion, is the greatest moment in NASCAR History!
You can tell in Scharder's voice. he knew it was the worst.
+Crisgo3d Yeah man you can tell he doesn't want to talk about it. Also he shows signs of the "100 yard stare" people do when they're at least somewhat traumatized.
+JudgeTread1 this might be alittle tmi but I read an article and yes Schrader was traumatized because when he was going to check on Dale he saw blood coming out of Dale's nose and ears I would be traumatized if i saw that
+Federated Auto Parts Cup Series doubt he saw blood out his ears since the helmet covers them
its called blood dripping down his head/face
+Federated Auto Parts Cup Series fair enough.
I thought very highly of Kenny for coming to help Dale and summoning help. He's a hero.
He's such a good guy he came out to our dirt track in Wichita KS in 2006 got to meet him talked for about 5 minutes but after that I sat in the stands and thought for a bit I just met the man that was first to see Dale after the crash sent chills down my neck feel so bad for Kenny what he saw
earnhardt died doing what he loved, RIP SENIOR 1951-2001
He loved getting run into a cement wall at 200 MPH?
@@harrycarrey1225 He ment racing.
Bleeding to death after breaking a bunch of bones?
@Shay True Blue Aussie They're dark humor puns.
@@Toxic2T but it wasn’t funny
I remember watching this race at 13 years old. When Schrader said that he "wasn't a doctor" I realized we probably lost Earnhardt.
RIP Earnhardt, and I certainly feel bad that Schrader had to endure that. But the guy that I feel the most sorry for in all of this... is Sterling Marlin. Not many people acknowledged it, but he endured constant ridicule from fans, and even received death threats. It took Dale Jr publicly absolving him to make it stop. Really set his career back for good. Such a good man. Deserved better.
Sterling was one of the best in his day. I've honestly believed that the 2002 incident where he got out of his car helped fans move forward a bit and change their perception. Yes, I know the tire rub was there, but it was at least an interesting coincidence.
The real reason why he died was because of a basilar skull fracture. The cause was not wearing the HANS device. And if Dale wore it, he would most likely still be alive.
Am I the only one who misses the Fox theme song in the last 30 seconds of this video?
RIP, Dale.
FS1 stil uses it
de'angelo bayley FS1 got rid of in after 2007 and brought it back in 2016. the original poster of the comment commented between 2007 and 2016 when the theme wasnt used
Kenny is usually a happy-go-lucky guy, seeing him being stoic in that interview hurts
I feel for him holding in what he knew in front of those cameras
3:47-3:49 There it is, how quickly he answered that question says it all, he tried to make it as brief as possible because he knew the truth and didn't want to break down🤦🤦🤦
Poor Kenny knew he was dead. Real shame.
Every time I look at it 21years later it still brings tears to my eyes and it always will
Not a Dale fan but was there last race I went to. Was like the President was killed.
Same here bro.. then watch video of Jr winning Daytona in July with Mike waltrip.. to this day I still cry
NASCAR knew about this and you can tell that Ken Schrader knows about it and when they threw that question, he didn't know what to say, he doesn't seem so confident. The commenters didn't want to announce his at that moment because people were to busy celebrating Michael Waltrip's win. They decided to put it later.
+Ax44248 M You spelled Ken Schrader's last name incorrectly. It's S-C-H-R-"A"-D-E-R, not S-C-H-R-E-D-E-R. Although, I do forgive ya.
+Paul T. Backes LOL, I always had a difficult time to spell his last name.
FordFanatic Productions LOL Ken "Shredder" :P
i think nascar even knew he was gone right away too and didnt say it right away for some reason
NASCAR cannot pronounce someone dead though, in this situation the right thing to do is get medical attention from doctors at the hospital. "Great rule package they got" Dale wasn't wearing a helmet like Ken's, and it should have been a rule, a safety requirement. There were so many bad wrecks before this, even fatalities before this. Why wasn't safety put first already? This could have been prevented.
Ken was somehow able to do those interviews. Was asked at one point about Michael Waltrip winning and all he could say was I'd feel a lot better for him if his boss was here to help him.
This is a gut wrenching story.
Stirling Marlin had alot of death threats after the race. The Earnhardt crew had to make a statement that Stirling Marlin didn't cause the accident.
The Subsequent Nascar investigation also cleared Stirling Marlin of any wrongdoing.
Stirling caused his car to turn.
Jacob Hammering Hamman
Do you not understand racing?? Let alone restrictor plate racing?? Maybe you should get mommy & daddy’s permission next time you get on social media..
Jacob Hammering Hamman
Ohhh wow! Lookie! A Cheeto dusted keyboard warrior.
2:57 It is clear that Earnhart's car came down into Stirling's car. He was already loose and uncontrollable.
Randy Bobandy fuck u
I'm not really a big racing fan, but its hard to imagine being in Mr. Schrader's position that day; inheriting such a horrible responsibility without warning, and then having to decide in a very short amount of time how to handle it. I don't think anyone could have done any better.
I was 11 and this was my first full Daytona 500. I watched the wreck, and something wasn't right. Shrader calling for EMTs wasn't good, but watching the ambulance moving that slow was the "Oh my God, he's dead!" moment for me.
All these years later, I can see another way to interprit Ken Squire's quote.
Rest in Peace, Dale Earnhardt.
I can’t imagine what Kenny was thinking and feeling after going over to Dale’s car and finding him in the condition he was in. He even knew he was gone
It's strange watching this. You actually witness the moment that a man dies. Horrible.
Still to this day I can’t believe that accident took him. Dale jr’s interview with Kenny is a must watch. He thanks him for staying classy and respectful.
You hate to saddle anyone with that burden, but in hindsight, it was fortunate that it was someone like Kenny. To this day, he’s never said a word about what he saw that day, although I’m sure it still haunts him. Truly a class act and one of the good guys in this sport.
Schrader was in pure shock in that interview. To see a comrade mortally wounded.. I can’t imagine.
Not just a comrade, he was one of Kenny's best friends. He's still good friends with Dale Jr. to this day.
Ken Squire is a legendary announcer
That day I cry my eyes out still to this day when I talk about him I get tears in my eyes he was my hero
Kenny was traumatized by what he saw its been 17 years later and it shows
The 2020 broadcast ended exactly like this. It gets said constantly, but the safety improvements after this day can't be overstated
When they showed the ambulance going slow I knew we lost him. An ambulance NEVER goes that slow unless it’s a spine fracture or death. Considering the head on crash and the angle and speed into the concrete wall it could only be death. Gen4 stock cars and concrete walls simply put.. was not safe. Looking at even his autopsy report, a HANS device wouldn’t of done very much. It was just his day to go.
hans would have saved him
Doubtful honestly. If Dale had the safety features of today yes. But the Hans alone wouldn't have. If anything, he'd possibly still be here, but he'd be in bad shape.
I'm surprised they worked him at all. Tramatic arrests are usually called. They worked him at the hospital for awhile too. Bilateral chest tubes, bilateral large bore IVs. Etc. The first physician to the car knew he had a basal skull fx. Anyone else would have been pronounced in the field. Sure do miss that man.........
Dale was my favorite driver. I followed him through childhood and into adulthood. I saw the wreck as Mikey and Jr. were speeding away to the checkered flag, and I was mad that Dale would not win the Daytona 500. I wanted him to win every race I ever watched. Then I saw the replay of the crash. The full speed replay. My heart sank and I knew he was gone. I felt sick. We went to church and found out what I already knew when we got home. I don't think I will ever get over it completely. NASCAR was never the same, though Junior did provide some pretty exciting wins over the years. When Junior retired, that was the end of the Earnhardt era, and now I just watch, but without anyone that I am really pulling for. I still wonder if Dale would have won that 8th championship in 2001. He would have been great in the booth if he wanted to do that when he retired. We miss you Dale. RIP
Somewhere out there, Dale is still racing to this day, and I firmly believe he’s winning that elusive 8th championship….but just not…here.
It's sad that Michael's big Daytona moment was so short-lived and will forever be overshadowed by NASCAR's worst day.
Chris Myers never ages but I remember this vividly tuned into victory lane at 9pm and was stunned
Ken's face and voice said it all! We knew by that and the slow driving to the hospital spoke volumes. Lost our Dale Sr on that day! Sad sad day!
I think the ambulance was going slow so they could clean Earnhardt up a little before the family saw him.
@@dennissmith4186 I think so too. I am thankful for all that tried to help Dale and all the efforts. I will honestly say that his death was one of the worst and saddest days for us. The Oppermans from Texas will always love and miss you Dale Earnhardt Sr -your devoted fans forever
Ty. Never seen the coverage, I was still in the parking lot drinking beer and thinking about a great race...never even knew Dale had passed away.
Earnhardt's head was bent down to the left. You can see in the video that the crown of his helmet moves the window net and leaves him resting on his left against the door panel.
What supports this is the view of Ken looking down and in, and then looking at the photos of the car after the crash in that very spot. They're quite graphic. Just wanted to clarify, I feel really bad for Kenny. He is a class act and I respect him.
Still have to say Congratulations to Mikey 🍾 🏆
You finally did it buddy & Dale did whatever it took to try & be apart of that.
Dale knew you Won it Brother.
Darrell's foresight on the situation always amazes me... just the tone of his voice compared to the rest of the commentators is astounding.
He was a rookie broadcaster at the time and he was getting the news in his earpiece just like the rest. They all knew. Listen to Ken Squier's closing thoughts - he knew. Darrel was just having a harder time compartmentalizing it as a good friend and being only very recently retired. But "the show must go on," as they say. They heard and saw everything and knew he was probably gone but were holding on to the very last shred of hope they were wrong. It had to be absolutely gut wrenching for the broadcast crew and Schrader to put on a hopeful face knowing what they knew.
Darrell knew Dale’s crash was bad but didn’t wanna tell Michael or anyone
I agree 100%. I was a huge Earnhardt fan and the wreck didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. But Darrell, on a day that his brother won the biggest race of his life, kept saying "I hope Dale's okay, I hope Dale's okay"
@@shawnreap yeah but Darrel Waltrip raced with Dale Earnhardt and knew he did not like a tight 3 point belt system. Plus not hard to see from camera angles. Dale's lack of safety precautions caught up to him. And that was his last ride.
I think DW knew pretty quick as well. When they show the replays you can tell he's holding back. "I don't like that. That's not the kinda crash - that's the kinda crash that hurts you."
It sounds like he's about to say the kinda crash you don't walk away from but stops himself.
Can't even imagine what Ken Schrader was feeling this day and what he saw when he went to check on Dale. Such a burden for him to carry for the rest of his life.
Heart wrenching. Can’t these reporters just take the social cues and let the man walk away. I’ve been in similar situations like this, holding back tears and anguish, just to automatically break down crying as soon as no one could see. Brutal.
RIP Dale
Ken looked like he was holding back tears at the end of that interview. Can't even imagine how he must've felt.
When you saw Kenny's reaction as soon as he looked in the car you knew it wasn't good...😥
Hard to believe it's been over 20 years now. We love the sport because of the excitement and how close to the edge it is. Sometimes we're reminded just how dangerous it really is.
I remember watching that wreak... i remember saying " nasty hit, but he'll be ok..." but something in my head kept telling me, " he isn't walking away from this one... we just lost Dale Earnhardt...."
I wont ever forget this i was 11 watching this with my sister and my mom and dad on the way home from church we heard he died on the radio my dad fell appart rough day dale was the man
I still cannot believe what happened, 18 years later. I vividly remember seeing this live as it happened and I just thought it was a standard crash and that Dale was not injured badly. I do remember that Darryl Waltrip was worried for Dale from the moment it happened
I have never respected another racer like Ken Schrader. Maybe 1or 2% of people could see what he did and keep composure with a camera stuck in their faces. How he did that is taken for granted among too many. Kudos to him for keeping it together and even more so for not going public with details.
I was 12 at the time of this race and I remember watching the entire race and remember when they showed how slow the ambulance was moving I had a feeling it wasn't good. I live 15 mins from the track and remember our local news came on at 7pm and showed the announcement by Mike Helton saying they lost him. I was shocked it's still shocking
Ken Schrader definitely seen something that he will never forget. He was in a mode where he wanted to un-see what he had seen. This is why people should appreciate the drivers, not be a constant negative whinger. Racing is dangerous even now and no one knows what the future holds
I was very proud for Waltrip and his win. But with Earnhardt, I was worried.
ken schrader knew it was bad
More like Schrader knew he was dead.
Schrader knew the whole time and you can see it in the interview
darrel knew deep down it wasnt good
I don't know if he had inside information or anything, but he had a definite uneasy feeling the whole way through. He just knew.
Johnathan Smith no he didn’t have inside info but he was a driver and he knew what that kind of hit could do.
I remember me, and my dad we had a basketball game to attend (Father and son/player) My dad recorded the race, and all of the sudden we made it back before Tony Stewarts wreck, and before the red flag, and we were just in time for the prime time event who was going to win the race. When Earnhardt SR crashed I thought, he's fine, but my dad knew even during Michael's interview, and when the blimp showed the rescue teams helping dale, that something was seriously was wrong. I was eight about to be nine when it happened, I was a massive Jeff Gordan fan back then. A year later in 2002 I became a dale jr fan. Nascar hasn't been the same since dale left, r.i.p dale
I can remember what I was doing when this happen.. Building a lawnmower trailer and listening to the race on the radio and had to go inside the house to see it for myself. If only he was still here....My god time go by so quickly .......
I wasn't a Dale Earnhardt fan then and still am not but him losing his life was a true tragedy and spelled the beginning of the end for NASCAR.
He didn't have much time left anyway, when they started tinkering with the point system most lost interest. A guy that dominates all season can lose the title to a bum that squeaked out 1 win and made the playoffs.
@@bignickdigger7105 every sport has playoffs get over it no diffarent in nascar guys were winning cups in august when half the season wasnt even over thats not fair winning a cup that would be like a nfl team winning in october when the SB isnt until February and he ddint have much time left because nascar would have been on to his bullshit he was fucking around with belts and wrecking people too win which both of those things now days would have him parked and even suspended in any sport you can win all year and be out in the first round of playoffs
@@NickyD try to use punctuation ma'am! I almost died reading that poorly written sewage. Look in the stands and at the ratings. The sport is on life support, and it started once they changed the point system and started restricting guys from dirty racing and fighting. Putting them on probation etc. People want to watch crashes, 2 drivers fight in the pits after a race, rivalries etc. You think fans show up to a hockey game and hope a fight doesn't break out? Or a rodeo and hope a bull doesn't stomp on someone? You're living in some kind of sissy liberal world and in certain sports..it's not gonna fly.
Michael waltrip didn't get a chance to really celebrate his win like he should've due to Dale's death in 2001. In 2003 it was rain shortening, but the best car won the race and Michael was able to enjoy it. I felt that Dale would have driven by two cars that he owned and go on to win his 2nd Daytona 500. Instead of not caring for who was in front of him he blocked Sterling Marlin and Schrader and was proud of what he saw out the front of his windshield.
The celebration in the rainy garage was a nice relief for Michael. Though running second to Junior in July was also cathartic.
22 years ago and I've watched that crash over and over and still can't comprehend how that killed him. Especially seeing some of the other accidents he's been in where I was certain he was dead and yet, he walked away without a scratch! Life is definitely a mysterious journey!
I will never forget this day. Been an Earnhardt fan since I can remember. When Mike Helton said "We've lost Dale Earnhardt." I went to my room and cried like a 14 year old baby! #Intimidator #3
I agree, I loved him on CBS when he always did the sidline reports, gonan miss hearin' him!
You could tell Kenny knew as soon as he looked into the car. He didn't even make it to the window net before he was waving the ambulance to hurry up. It's definitely something that is fried into Kenny's mind.
Watch this again physically hurts my heart just as much as it did when I saw it live
It eventually got him into a position where dale was in the middle of Schrader and Sterling and he cut in front of sterling and thought he had room to get in front of him but didn't. When the car came back up and clipped Schrader's left front, that caused Earnhardt to slam head on into the wall causing the fatal crash.
Ken schrader one of the most classy guys
I remember watching this race and getting so pissed at Dale for causing my favorite driver Ken Schrader to crash out on the last lap. Feelings completely changed when the announcement was made.
Same here. I remember it vividly and would love a copy of it.
One of those days most will never forget. If Sr would have raced for the win he might still be alive. I wish that would been what have happened. Miss him
Them asking Kenny over and over again "Ken, what did you see? What can you tell us?" was just beyond horrible. Someone should have realized just by that man's body language what he'd seen and stopped the rest of the media from badgering him. Jesus.
@thepspman116 Same here. I was 9 when Earnhardt died but he will always be my favorite driver. I just watched the finish of the 98 Daytona 500 the other day and it put me in tears.
Darrel’s insights are really fascinating here, he really had no idea what had happened yet, but his experience as a driver and his gut intuition told him that everything was off.
This still hurts I was 11 sitting in a bean bag chair watching this with my dad I remember going to church that morning eating at a Mexican restaurant and coming home at lap 13 miss him and I miss those days
This day and year still haunts me. My cousin too a few days later after this killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning in his gargage after his girlfriend broke up with him a couple of weeks earlier. i hate 2001 more than any other year in my lifetime memory.
No don't feel that way. It is not any single human's fault what happen that year. Evil was behind what happen that year. It was an attack against God, what is good, what is right and all humanity what happened that year from evil sources.
2001 haunts me in some respects as well, given that, in a span of two months, I had to attend two funerals for schoolmates who lost their lives in very similar types of car accidents; the only major difference is that in the first one (April of 2001), the girl killed, who was one of my then-current schoolmates (Not naming names, BTW) *was* wearing her seatbelt, though the coroner would later say that doing so helped contribute to her fatal injuries. The second crash, which happened in June of 2001, saw one of my *former* schoolmates (and a one-time friend) lose her life when she was ejected from the car she was riding in (She was *NOT* wearing a seatbelt) after the driver fell asleep behind the wheel, then spun, hitting a guardrail on the bridge they were traveling on, then hitting the other guardrail, causing the passenger to be ejected, again the result of not wearing her seatbelt. When the phone rang the day after she died and I got the news of her death, I just broke down crying, and *NOTHING* could provide any solace, at least not much of anything.
that year was awful first dale then the 9/11 terror attacks my brother got diabetes that year fucking sucked
I hate 2001 cuz that's when my sister was born, and she always drinks all the fucking Doctor Pepper.
Bill Presley Glad I was born in 2003
The last thing he heard was his spotter telling him "inside, inside, inside..." He was so focused ahead and just trying to maintain cohesion with the most extreme concentration any person can imagine that he couldn't have known he was touching Marlin's nose and the rest of what happened was an extremely unfortunate chain of events, to say the least.
In fact, two seconds before contact, from the onboard view at time index 2:48, as his spotter keeps telling him "inside, inside, three-wide, inside...." the back-end gets loose on him, before the contact with Sterling Marlin.
Johnson Steele Can you tell what the spotters last words were? It sounds like he says, "Can't tell", then thats when Dale's car loses control.
I remember seeing that interview live..that's when I got worried.
I still can't watch it, and have to look away. I miss seeing that black #3 so so much.
Look around the 1:00 mark. There's a backwards "3" in the cloud...
Maybe that's a sign that he's heading up to heaven...
Oh shut the fuck up with your nonsense. Yeah, dude is trying to breathe with blood all in his lungs and a fractured sternum and he gets the idea to play arts and crafts with some smoke. Wow.
ArmyRob13 Really dude? Next time you wanna say something like that, keep that shit to yourself. You may not believe in a higher power, but that doesn't give you the right to shit on other people's beliefs.
Or an "E"... either way, symbolic
Adam Barnett lol you are such a pathetic loser
What a terrible day. Only positive thing from that day is what everyone learned about safety and how many lives it may have saved from day on. It just sucks that something that terrible has to happen to figure it out. Everyone of those guys strap into those cars knowing what could happen but it doesn’t make it any easier for anyone when tragedy strikes. Rip intimidator!
poor waltrip. he was clowned so long for not winning not being competitive. then finally wins it and his happiness is gone. any partying he deserved gone. in its replacement comes death and sadness. this event is probably what made junior the most relatable driver of all time
2:25 pause right before the crash crazy to think that around that split second dale took his last breath
3:35 in retrospect, you can feel the pain in Ken's voice.
I can only imagine how Kenny felt. He came out smerking ready to joke with his friend and saw what he saw. No wonder he had glasses and didn’t have much to say. He saw it first.
As a huge fan of Smoke, i thought i lost my favorite driver earlier in the race. After the relief of him being ok, and being happy for my brother sitting next to me (waltrip fan), once all calmed from my brothers victory run into the snow, we all set back down and knew when the ambulance was not rushing, after not seeing him exit the car, that the worst may be upon us. Never a fan of 3, but respected him (most times), and he WAS nascar post petty. We heard prior to the announcement, but didnt want to believe it. Tough day, but it drought about the HANS which has undoubtedly saved many serious injuries and lives
I’ve watched this wreck so many times over the years and I still can’t believed this wreck took his life. We’ve seen cars go airborne, flip, catch fire and get torn to shreds and drivers walk away. It just didn’t look like that bad of a crash. I was talking to a crew member from the Mike Skinner car. He said Dale died instantly and sustained servers
I thought the same thing, but there's a difference in being thrown around in a car while it's tearing apart and going into a wall head on to a dead stop from 180mph even if it was for a fraction of a second before he started sliding down the wall. 180mph down to 0 is not survivable sadly. So tragically sad.
@@marlonisaac1 I know your right. It’s very deceiving to watch the crash. I didn’t realize as you stated that he came to a sudden stop when he hit the wall even though he slid down the race track. It just didn’t look that bad of a crash. I accidentally hit the wrong button in my text. I was trying to say, I was told he sustained server neck injuries and that he died instantly. So sad.