I met him when I was young. He signed my shirt, took my bike, hopped on the handlebars and rode my bike backwards around in circles. Made the local paper. RIP Dale.
@@catchafire221what an amazing story! i would be so humbled and honored to have shared a moment like that with the legendary Dale Sr. I was 5 when he died, and i cried. still cry when i watch the documentaries 😢
Dude, wtf! I was 12 when I saw his last accident live on TV. I fell asleep on the couch after that race. When I woke up, my dad said "He died." I never cried, I was just shocked. I never felt like that. UNTIL MY 37 YEAR OLD GROWN ASS JUST NOW watched this video, and you, tell his story. Props dude, and to Donut. Thank you.
I was 10 at the time and my mom came back to my room, sobbing about it. It took a day or two to kick in and I cried as well. Walmart, the wonderfully distasteful company that it is, decided to remove all Dale Earnhardt merchandise from the store after his death and my grandma had worked there. She managed to secure me one of the Oreos standees with Dale on it and that's what shelves my whole collection of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia to this day.
I grew up in Concord/Kannapolis and was a good bit younger than you but it was almost like a 9/11 moment around here when the news broke (Kannapolis is where Dale is from and Concord is pretty much the Nascar capital).
But how you get it matters way more , asterisk not putting guys in the wall at 200mph. Lets not honor cheap-shots . He died getting “pay-back” , and was a nearly worthless father to JR . Just another drunk with a huge anger problem.
Became an Earnhardt fan when I was about 4 years old (34 now). I was 13 when he passed. I cried for a week! I've been through breakups and deaths, but I've never been as heartbroken as I was on February 18, 2001!!! Still miss my Superman!!!
Shoutout to James for not being afraid to show his emotions in these videos. Its actually kind of inspiring and makes donut feel more like a safe place and a family.
In the words of the great Dale Sr. "Screw your safe place this is racing". Lol he said that before Darlington one year when a reporter asked him about the track conditions being safe for driver's. He was the shit.
1. I had no idea how aged this man was and STILL racing 2. As a non nascar fan, I knew he was a legend but not to this level. What an impressive story he lived
When a grown man comes to tears while talking about cars and motor sports, you begin to understand how being a 'car person' is really a way of life. Thanks James and all the Donut staff!
Not really about cars or any auto sport, The Man himself was a major Icon, Somebody I think about from time to time on a basis, watched my grandfather tear his eyes out that day. You’d have to watch more on em.
My father met Dale Sr twice in his life. 1991 and 1994. I’ll never forget when he passed. I was 2 watching the last couple of laps, my dad just stood there.. emotionless. Thinking, “he’ll get out, he’s gonna be okay.” Then when the announcement went through, he was devastated. 💔
The day Dale passed was the first time I ever saw my father cry. Wept like a child. I can remember it like it was yesterday. And today a TH-cam video brought all that back and made me, now a grown man with kids of my own, cry like the kid I was that day. Thank you James and Donut Media. This may be my favorite video on TH-cam.
Damn.. Reading all the comments is just as bad as the video with all the feels. Just as I get over it I get a notification and it all starts welling up again. Seems like I wasn’t the only kid with the experience I had.
My father was a man who didn't show emotion ever. But I remember the day Dale died, my Dad hid in his bedroom and I walked in on him crying. After that day he lost interest in nascar. My father recently passed and this video brought back so many memories.
@@nickolasswank5055 I watch every donut video! I don’t comment a lot, but had to on this one! Richard Childress racing is only maybe 20 minutes away from my parents house, so I grew up with lots of racing. Had to comment! James had me crying halfway through the video!
It was so much better when Dale was still here and racing,,, it NEVER mattered what position the man held on the track,,, tjey were ALWAYS talking about him because he influenced every single driver on that track when he was there!
I still have the VHS tape of that race. I was watching it live and recording it for my wife. He had an interview before that race that I had recorded but then rewound the tape worried I would not have enough space to record the race in its entirety on one tape. I taped over that interview with Dale. That still haunts me to this day. This video was tough to watch but I will say, you held up better than I would have. Well done!
I know there's hundreds of digital copies of it already, but you should really look into getting it digitized. The tape is definitely worth something, but VHS tapes do have a finite lifespan. If you want to keep that specific recording indefinitely, i would very much recommend converting. (And keeping the VHS as a backup of course)
I just sat on my bed and held back tears for someone I had only heard of a few times. That storytelling and the story itself is too tearjerking to resist one falling down
Even tho I’m no nascar fan, I still know that Dale Earnhardt is such a legend. When I was just scrolling down TH-cam and saw a video about Dale’s death, I wanted to cry.
he supersedes racing as a working class hero because he struggled like his dad to make his dreams come true or its the mill, something alot of us relate to and for always letting hisself be heard regardless what his bosses thought
He was extremely talented and gifted on and off the racetrack. He was not unique. He was a roughneck in an era full of Roughnecks. Guys that came out of small town that either had to figure out how to get that car around that track or go in a factory. That's why men like him have a certain look in their eyes... you cannot recreate Heroes like that. They happen naturally. Rest in Peace Dale
@Dutch Van Der Linde that's what that horrible movie portrayed. Earnhardt's father was a man of his generation. Like my grandfather they are not ones to Pat you on the back tell you how special you are. Another reason he was the kind of man he was🤷♂️ my grandfather may he rest in peace when I used to go help him in my twenties. If I complain the man would say yeah when I was your age I was getting shot at shut up. Even if you did something right he'd be like it could be better. Just how that generation was. They didn't much care about your feelings or how unique you thought you were🤣
The fact that you can 100% tell he was not faking this really shows two things. 1) how much he really cares about the entire situation on what happened. 2) The fact that he genuinely cares about the message he wants to give to his audience. And you wonder why, they already have 5 million followers. Thank you James, and thank you Donut.
This has been my favorite TH-cam channel for the last 2 years. But I actually think james is faking it to be honest after rewatching it a few times. But for the "record", I'm not going to flat out say he is faking it...everybody cries differently.
@@TheKos2Kos He not faking….go back and watch the episode with Carroll Shelby I believe it was right around the time Donut got 1mill subs. Those tears show true empathy for the love of people. James is a real dude.
The story doesn’t end there either. Austin Dillon driving Dale Sr.’s #3 won the Daytona 500 in 2018, exactly 20 years after Dale won it. And the craziest part is that he won it after he was given a lucky penny by an 11-year old fan.
the emotion really adds to the video, almost brought me to tears while he was talking about what ended the racing legends life legend has it dale is still winning the daytona 500 in heaven above
I’m 49 now. Watched his last race with my dad. My dad was not a fan of his at all but I saw my dad shed a tear for him after that crash. For a man he loved to root against, he cried. That’s the mark of a true icon. When everyone, even your detractors, cry at your passing. Never forget #3. Dale was the real deal!
I'm not the sort of guy to cry but I did. It's such a shame that the price of doing what he loved was his life. But I couldn't fault Dale Earnhardt for dying doing what he loved. Not many people have that honour
I was 4 when he died. My father watched the race every week and Dale was his favorite driver. The house was full of his memorabilia. I didn't really understand what was happening, but the sight and sound of my father bawling after the announcement is something I will never forget. It was the first and only time he ever cried in front of me. Dale meant a lot to a lot of people, thank you for doing his story justice.
As a Brit who has never watched NASCAR once and if anything is more of a two wheel enthusiast than an out and out car guy; I have to say I was surprised to be sharing a tear with James over this incredible story... Yet here we are. What a legacy. What a video. ❤️
I'm not the hugest NASCAR fan. But I'm a HUGE Dale Earnhardt fan. My garage is covered in his stuff. I'm a fan because he literally got everything he ever had from grit, determination and just plain being too mean to quit. As James stated. The guy went from so poor he couldn't keep the heat on in his trailer home to being worth $150,000,000 in the 90's.
Even people here in North America like to shit on NASCAR as just going left, saying there's no talent involved, stuff like that but there's very cool things happening when you peak under the surface. Plus it has an incredible history, like Smokey Yunick's constant bending of the rule books, which could get it's own Up to Speed episode with how creative him and his team were with finding new advantages. They basically had to rewrite the rule books every time he raced. It's a fascinating aspect of automotive sports that never gets enough love outside of very specific Southern US markets that do appreciate it fully.
I'll never forget that day in May 1994 when Senna passed and everyone in Nascar did a 1 minute silence in homage of his death. Followed by Dale's kind words at the post Podium interviews. Two legends I'm a great fan of. Both were the true goats.
@No One's Innocent Some tracks have a more common "street circuit" as part of the oval. The thing is those cars go full throttle, nearly never brake, the whole time. You're max speed for 2 hours+ depending on the track. Nearly any mistake ends in massive catastrophe. They could do a figure 8 track to have left and right turns, but then they would need an over/underpass at the crossing point and that in itself is quite a design challenge. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just explaining what made me realize Nascar was cool. I don't watch it but I understand the appeal. Also, in person, it's loud as all fuck and the world vibrates for the whole race.
@No One's Innocent One of the appeals is the focus on face-ripping speeds at a near constant, and where the competition flow is solely moved by crowd control and by being ballsier on a straight-line than most everyone in the grid. The world wishes for a completely straight road to do nothing but battle your rivals neck-to-neck, so oval racing is the next best thing we have.
I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING. But seriously, this is one hell of a tribute to one hell of a racecar driver. My Dad and I are huge fans of his, and it's awesome to know that his legendary status isn't lost to time.
Remember Dale won at Talladega on 5/1/1994 and in the post race interview, one of the first things he did was pay condolences to the family of Aryton Senna who died earlier that day in the F1 race at Imola Italy. Class act Here's the TH-cam clip of that interview th-cam.com/video/iq6mVAXegyw/w-d-xo.html
WOW! I didn't know that. Now I have even MORE respect for him! Because Senna was also a great human being to me. And thanks so much for the link to the clip!
I was 10 when Dale died. He was one of my hero’s. I cried for days. I’ll never forget my dad calling me over to tell me the news knowing how crushed I was going to be. Seeing James’ emotion trying to get through this story brings back a lot of emotions and memories. This might be my favourite Up To Speed ever, and I didn’t really even learn anything new.
I was 11. I remember watching this race and wondering how could Tony Stewart be fine after flipping so many times while Dale didn't survive what appeared to 11yo me to be a simple little wreck. If you haven't seen it, you might check out EmpLemon's Never Ever on Dale Earnhardt.
I was 14 and I still vividly remember my dad calling me to break the news to me. I've been a car guy my entire life and my dad was about as die-hard of a Dale Earnhardt fan ad they come. After he told me I was speechless for a few moments and it was one of the very few times I've ever witnessed my dad cry. Still saddens me to my core to this day.
I'm not american. I've never seen a full NASCAR race and before this video, I didn't know much about Dale Earnhardt Sr. But the way James Told the story, I felt like I had seen The intimidator in full prime. The part where james almost cried also got me in tears.
Got me all choked up watching this. I was there that day. I live in Daytona. Less than a mile from the track. Both my mom and my dad, my daughter and myself were all born at Halifax hospital. Seeing this video brought back a flood of emotions. Keep up the good work, shedding a tear with you.
When I was a kid, my dad used to call Dale Earnhardt "uncle Dale" when he and I talked about him, and up until I was like 10 years old I thought he actually WAS my uncle! My dad called him that because he and I were huge Earnhardt fans and because Dale looked so much like my dad and his four brothers that if all six of them would've taken a group picture together, you would 100% believe without a shred of doubt that they were all brothers. Earnhardt looks like my uncle Mike's twin, that is how close the resemblance is. They were all around the same age too...Dale Earnhardt was born in 1951 and my dad was born in 1953. My dad had two older brothers and two younger ones, so Dale was about the exact same age as two of my uncles. Anyway, I will NEVER forget the day Dale died. My sister and I were at our grandparents' house that Sunday so I wasn't watching the race with my dad like I normally would've been. But just as we were getting ready to head back home, I saw it announced on the news that Dale had died and I couldn't believe it. I knew my dad would be devastated. My grandparents dropped my sister and I off in the driveway and as we walked up the stairs to the front door, my dad was sitting alone on the front porch in the dark. My sister is a few years younger than me (I was 11 when Dale died) and wasn't a NASCAR fan so she just went in the house to get ready for bed. I sat down on the bench next to my dad, gave him a hug and we both started crying. We didn't even say anything to each other because we both knew who the tears were for. I've never watched a single NASCAR race since that day. My dad occasionally watches them. I have TONS of Dale Earnhardt cars and posters and trading cards and everything you could imagine stored in Rubbermaid boxes in my dad's basement. My dad and I were such huge fans of his, and so were my uncles. I remember my uncle (the brother my dad was closest to who also died around the same time as Dale did) having tons of Earnhardt stuff in his office. To me, Dale was the greatest NASCAR driver ever. It also seems like he was a great person. IMO, NASCAR died with Dale. It's never been the same without him, and I strongly suspect that it never will be. RIP Dale.
Then you missed Jr. ruling ass in the 400 later in the summer. I know what you mean though. It hasn’t been the same but Harvick in Atlanta was awesome too. There was a short time when it was still alright but it’s never been that great since.
I love how emotional James gets. It’s fucking awesome. I was 14 when Dale died. I remember watching the race. And I never thought I would cry watching an episode of UTS. Y’all mean so much to me
I was in 4th grade and it was my first 500 I saw live start to finish. I had gotten into NASCAR the year prior thanks to the old NASCAR Playstation videogames. Dale was always my favorite and I always rooted for Jr afterwards he passed.
I grew up watching Dale Earnhardt. In his bad ass #3 car. Being a little kid, I did not think race car drivers could die in a wreck with all of the protection. But when he had his crash and seeing it live. And he didn't step out of the car. It broke my heart.
Back in the 90s was a huge fan of nascar and Dale was my favorite, so much so I used to build model cars of his cars. Now in my 40s I cleaned out all my old models BUT kept all my SR and JR cars along with quite a bit of memorabilia. Like I said huge fan. 3 forever
What’s equally sad is DW’s response to his brother winning the race, he was asked if it was better than winning and with tears in his eyes he said “yes this is better than winning...I just hope that Dale is ok”
I was a casual fan of Dale in the 80s and 90s and I remember thinking it was absurd that such a "simple" wreck could have taken such an icon, especially given what he'd survived before.
Dale Earnhardt meant a lot to my family. My grandmother’s dying wish was to meet him. My whole family went down to a race to go see him and they got a private tour of his pits. The funny part was that my uncle looked exactly like Dale, so when they saw him walking around Dale’s pits all of his fans started yelling at my uncle to come over and sign stuff
every time I watch James cry I respect him more and more casue it does nothing but show his humanity and his own respect for these icons. it shows he realy cares about what he is talking about and not just parroting something someone wrote.
I am a born and raised Kannapolis boy myself. I grew up watching Dale and even lived 2 blocks from his mother's house on a street named V8. Sometimes you would hear engines roaring from that house all the way where I lived and you knew Dale was visiting. I had the opportunity as a child to have conversations with him probably a dozen times, but I had no idea how cool that really was until I got older. Hell my sister was in Dale Jr's class in high-school. When he died it shook our small town to the core. We lost our hometown hero. Now there's several Dale Earnhardt blvds in Kannapolis and a statue in town. Like you said.... legands never die. James thank you so much for telling his story and for being so passionate. Also thank you for pronouncing Kannapolis correctly....lol...... long live # 3 in our hearts.
I couldn't help myself in the shop to do the same, right before a customer comes in and asks: "You all good." Me: "Yea man, this lunch is just so damn good." WE ALL DO IT FOR DALE!!! 😫
@Black Dad I mean it came out the year after I was born, so I didn’t see the original release, but there are some theaters that show older titles like that, and I too seen it in the theater when I was in highschool.
I don't really care about Nascar, but seeing James so passionate and sentimental about a national hero like Dale and Shelby... makes me break into tears aswell. It's a beautiful thing. Thank you James & Donut Media
I was 11 years old whenever he died. I remember my dad and my uncle's being torn to shreds. The world reacted emotionally in the same way that I imagine they did when elvis passed away. A true legend, hero and role model for many
My family didn't know till we seen them announce it on WCW the monday afterward. My mom broke down into tears and had to explain it to me who was 11 years old as well!
You forgot to mention the most badass thing he ever did. He got turned over at the 1997 Daytona 500, slid on his roof down the backstretch, landed back on his wheels, went to the pits to hammer and tape down some panels and he finished the race.
Nope, your wrong, the most badass thing he ever did was win the 85 Bristol race without power steering for almost the hole race! Now that’s an iron man, and also qualifying on the pole at Watkins Glenn in 96 with a Broken collar bone, and still finishing 6th! AT A ROAD COARSE! That’s what you call an iron man
"Perfection is a farce and to those that wait for the perfect moment to make their moves, will live out their days in limbo.." No truer words have been spoken..
Well done! I loved watching racing with my grandfather and he loved Dale. I watched not really paying attention but more just to hang with him. I remember when he passed but it wasn’t until a couple years later that I watched a documentary (much like this) and felt instantly saddened and so interested in him. My grandfather passed when I was 15 and Dale a couple years later. When Dale died it was like the last thing that my grandfather was into was gone.
The man who changed everything in NASCAR literally gave his life so his son could win this video is amazing to see the emotion as many Nascar fans have after literally 20 years I'm crying again just like the first time RIP dale Earnhardt
Actually Dale Jr. finished second that day to Micheal Waltrip, but to make the story even more awesome, Dale Jr. came back to Daytona later that year and won the race!! It was probably the most emotional win i have ever seen.
Dude, I don't know how you got through telling that story. When Dale passed on, I was already a 15-year veteran of Nascar fandom and Dale was my favourite driver right from the start. When my wife told me the next morning that he'd died, it honestly took days & days of watching news reports before I could believe anything could have happen to that immortal man. My wife doesn't lie to me - I was so confused about the outcome - Dale's son just took 2nd & Mike (of Dale's own team) took 1st - Mike's brother/announcer was in the booth crying, but over what? Bad news was impossible. Dude, I would still cry & shed tears like yourself if I had to tell the story. You are a brave man. And thanks for spreading Dale's legacy to the younger fans, who might not otherwise have known (through observing your tears) just how important Dale was to Nascar & racing in general.
When Dale died it was one of only a few times in my life I saw my dad cry. My dad passed in 2015. Everytime I think about Dale I think about my dad. Thanks James. This made my day 😊
I just spent 3 hours watching the history of motorsports. I watched 3 seperate videos of Dale Sr's crash. As sad as it was, I felt a tear, but didn't cry. I was 2 when he died. I can't say "I was there". I can't say "I loved him". In fact, the main memory that comes to my mind when thinking of Dale is a blanket that was on a couch in my grandparents house. However, watching this story, from start to finish, made my cry harder than I have in a while. I knew what was coming. But seeing, in reality, how it affected someone who's not much older than me, has me in tears as I write this. I hope no one ever has to witness something like this ever again. And I hope that the next time I hear a rags to riches story, it end with riches. Not more rags.
The minute that crash happened, was the first and one of only 2 times in my life I’ve ever seen my dad cry. I remember both my mom and dad standing in front of the TV hugging and balling their eyes out.. hell I had tears even typing this. Even to this day, on the day and time that event happened, my dad still holds his toy dale Earnhardt race car, and gets tears in his eyes..
Dale's legend goes beyond racing. I was never into Nascar but I knew of Dale. I admired how people looked up to him. I would race my friends on my bike pretending to be him. I was 10 when he died and I remember how much it meant to a lot of people. This man was a real life hero of this world, no glorification needed. Here I am, a grown ass adult, still tearing up from the tragedy. RIP Dale. Thankful for his inspiration.
I can’t tell you how moved I was by this video. My Dad and I were/are HUGE Dale Sr. fans and I cannot wait to show him this. We were really devastated when we lost Dale. RIP Intimidator 🖤
Dale was my hero. From my earliest memories. All my birthday parties were Dale Earnhardt parties as a kid. My dad worked for GM. Dale was our guy. On Halloween all the kids wanted to be power rangers. I wanted to be Dale Earnhardt. Tears are shed all the time when I remember Dale. This episode was the same. Great job on the show.
I wasn't alive when Dale died and I have only started to get into nascar in the past few years but even I knew Dale was special. I never knew his full story and I would like to thank donut for telling it in a respectful and thoughtful way. It has helped me have a greater respect for his legacy and the number 3 car in general. May Legends Never die
At 20 years old I never thought I’d cry over a video about a legend that I never got to see, but my dad would always talk about. And to know that he was blocking for his son I couldn’t imagine. Also the legends never die part got me real good.
James...Thank You. This is probably the best tribute to a legend i have ever seen. It makes you a legend for doing this and made everyone who watched this cry with you. Your not alone brother. Everyone has their Dale story and mine was a little late. I grew up watching Nascar in the 70 being a fan of King Richard. When i knew he was doing to retire i needed someone else to be a fan of so one race in the late 80's i watched a race and hear the announcer say and coming down on the inside is the Intimidator. I was like who is that? I know i saw him race but was focused on Richard. Started watching Dale ever since until his last race. When we lost Dale i never saw another race RIP Dale and everyone else we lost on the track
Man, It broke America's ❤ the day he died. I was always a Rusty Wallace fan. But even I cried when Dale passed. That man's talent was undeniable, period!! Rest in powah bahbay!!!! Lightning bolt, lightning bolt, lightning bolt!!!!
James' raw emotion is why I love this series, such a die-hard passionate man. Especially in the end when he got to Dale's death, I knew it was coming, I knew he was gonna say it, but, I had no idea it would be like that. Hit me so hard.
I remember watching the race with my dad and seeing the accident. I cried so much at the time and I cried watching this video. Beautifully done. Thank you Donut! ♥️
Seeing James showing his emotions show through whenever he talks car history just shines through to how much he cares about what he talks about. Thanks Donut (:
I was 5 when Dale passed and I still remember my dad standing in front of the tv. This got me right in the feels. My dad wrote an article for ESPN about whether he could allow us to continue to watch a sport where death would be so prevalent. If you guys want to read the article its titled Racing family must deal with death by Jim Jenks.
I haven't watched any NASCAR since that fateful year, it just hasn't been the same. I recently lost my dad, who was a huge Dale fan, and your video brought me some smiles today reliving some of those moments I either shared watching with him or heard him talk about endlessly like the pass in the grass. We used to go out to Sears Point every year and I cherish those memories. Dale was one hell of a driver, and a great man. Thanks for making this video honoring his legacy.
@@LaVaZ000 Something like the homologation specials WRC and sportscar racing use? Someone with a little bit of cash can get a detuned variant of the actual racecar?
James Cried and showed the immense passion that we have as motorsports fans, be it F1, NASCAR, WEC, WRC Or MotoGP, death shatters fans, it really does. The passion he shared the story with, was amazing, it really was nice. Absolutely gold @donutmedia
Never in a million years I would've thought of finding myself crying over a Nascar story since it's a sport I don't tend to like, but here we are. Thank you James and the donut team for giving moments like this, you deserve the world.
I was 4 years old when he passed. My family was huge nascar fans and I still remember my dad crying when Dale passed away. As a kid I didn’t know what happened but when the movie Dale came out and I had watched it, I had cried still at a young age. This story is just something that gets to any racing fan.
Any racing fan. I never once in my life watched Nascar, in Southeast Asia the motorsport culture is very different and yet this episode hits right through my heart, the dedication and the story of the race car hero inspire and loved by any racing fan worldwide. utmost respect, and thank you for sharing your story.
My father took me to my first NASCAR race at five years old. The 2001 Father’s Day race at Michigan International Speedway. I was five years old. I remember walking by the Dale Earnhardt souvenir trailer. It was silent, and every person walking by held up 3 fingers. I remember the third lap, holding up three fingers. We’ve never missed a single NASCAR race at our home track. This sport isn’t just a sport. It’s so much more than that. Thank you so much for telling this story the way it was supposed to be told.
Dale died the day my daughter was born. I watched him die, and 6 hours later I watched new life being born. Very, very emotional day for me. RIP Dale.
Your daughter is his reincarnation
@@alexanderherzog3064 I was about to say that
Here's a question is it okay to name a girl Dale
@@m16fermy no dale is a boy name but you can name her "Earnhearth" That complitely a girls name
@@noobscoopsies1100 okay I was just wondering if there was some name that counted like delena or some other s***
I met him when I was young. He signed my shirt, took my bike, hopped on the handlebars and rode my bike backwards around in circles. Made the local paper. RIP Dale.
That’s pretty cool.
Wow, that's so cool!
wait you're telling me that was you? I've seen those pictures before when I was a kid lol.
@@FloridaManRacer Probably should've held onto that bike lol smh. I've heard he did that a few times, but yes the one in goshen new york was mine.
@@catchafire221what an amazing story! i would be so humbled and honored to have shared a moment like that with the legendary Dale Sr.
I was 5 when he died, and i cried. still cry when i watch the documentaries 😢
Dude, wtf! I was 12 when I saw his last accident live on TV. I fell asleep on the couch after that race. When I woke up, my dad said "He died." I never cried, I was just shocked. I never felt like that. UNTIL MY 37 YEAR OLD GROWN ASS JUST NOW watched this video, and you, tell his story. Props dude, and to Donut. Thank you.
I was 10 at the time and my mom came back to my room, sobbing about it. It took a day or two to kick in and I cried as well. Walmart, the wonderfully distasteful company that it is, decided to remove all Dale Earnhardt merchandise from the store after his death and my grandma had worked there. She managed to secure me one of the Oreos standees with Dale on it and that's what shelves my whole collection of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia to this day.
I remember seeing it when I was 10. I'll never forget how I felt.
I grew up in Concord/Kannapolis and was a good bit younger than you but it was almost like a 9/11 moment around here when the news broke (Kannapolis is where Dale is from and Concord is pretty much the Nascar capital).
But how you get it matters way more , asterisk not putting guys in the wall at 200mph. Lets not honor cheap-shots . He died getting “pay-back” , and was a nearly worthless father to JR . Just another drunk with a huge anger problem.
Became an Earnhardt fan when I was about 4 years old (34 now). I was 13 when he passed. I cried for a week! I've been through breakups and deaths, but I've never been as heartbroken as I was on February 18, 2001!!! Still miss my Superman!!!
Shoutout to James for not being afraid to show his emotions in these videos. Its actually kind of inspiring and makes donut feel more like a safe place and a family.
It's sheer passion and love for the sport showing, why would you hide it?
Abso-freakin-lutely 👍🏾🥺😢😭💗
"Safe place"
A man who can cry is a real man 🙌
In the words of the great Dale Sr. "Screw your safe place this is racing". Lol he said that before Darlington one year when a reporter asked him about the track conditions being safe for driver's. He was the shit.
James could have reshot any part of that so his emotions didn't show, but he didn't. That alone deserves so much respect.
why would he do that? he, along with everyone else, loves that.
He is exactly who you see, he doesn't cover that stuff up.
I came here to say that ..
That is honestly one of the reasons I love this channel, and James, so much.
I’ve never been a massive fan of nascar but this is making me tear up
THE INTIMIDATOR 🐐
It even has it on the special editions on the Monte Carlo and Silverado.
Hey you guys, Driver2Driver is gonna be a banger this week huh
Shout out to Fitment Industries, Been there a few times when I stayed in Appleton.
@@23kently Big question. Did you wheel slap when you where there?
Ayy!!
1. I had no idea how aged this man was and STILL racing
2. As a non nascar fan, I knew he was a legend but not to this level.
What an impressive story he lived
Tbf, fernando alonso is gonna be 45 in a few years and he is still going at it
When a grown man comes to tears while talking about cars and motor sports, you begin to understand how being a 'car person' is really a way of life. Thanks James and all the Donut staff!
I cried with him cause i saw the whole thing in 2001 😢
@@Lui.mahuiz I cried also. And I saw that race live too
@@jaydubb71 we cry together :')
Rest in peace 😇👼
Not really about cars or any auto sport, The Man himself was a major Icon, Somebody I think about from time to time on a basis, watched my grandfather tear his eyes out that day. You’d have to watch more on em.
James is true inspiration. To have the balls to cry in front of an audience of 5 million people. #3
James is the GOAT
Ah Nolan too
Fuck it, DONUT AS A UNIT
Don’t worry James we cried with you
The podcast are heart wrenching when you can only hear him cry😢
"Perfection is a farce. And those who wait for the perfect moment to make their moves will live out their days in limbo" well said James!
It's a good quote.
@Brittain Boswell other people write the episodes
My father met Dale Sr twice in his life. 1991 and 1994.
I’ll never forget when he passed. I was 2 watching the last couple of laps, my dad just stood there.. emotionless. Thinking, “he’ll get out, he’s gonna be okay.”
Then when the announcement went through, he was devastated. 💔
The day Dale passed was the first time I ever saw my father cry. Wept like a child. I can remember it like it was yesterday. And today a TH-cam video brought all that back and made me, now a grown man with kids of my own, cry like the kid I was that day. Thank you James and Donut Media. This may be my favorite video on TH-cam.
first time my kids saw me weep like a girl...
I was 15 at the time i cried, my daughter just looked at my asking why am i crying but with a smile on my face
Damn.. Reading all the comments is just as bad as the video with all the feels. Just as I get over it I get a notification and it all starts welling up again. Seems like I wasn’t the only kid with the experience I had.
My father was a man who didn't show emotion ever. But I remember the day Dale died, my Dad hid in his bedroom and I walked in on him crying. After that day he lost interest in nascar. My father recently passed and this video brought back so many memories.
th-cam.com/video/IxTAJNifDAI/w-d-xo.html
I never thought I would cry watching a Donut video. 😢 No. 3 forever!
I didnt expect to see you here. LONG LIVE DALE#3
@@nickolasswank5055 I watch every donut video! I don’t comment a lot, but had to on this one! Richard Childress racing is only maybe 20 minutes away from my parents house, so I grew up with lots of racing. Had to comment! James had me crying halfway through the video!
Me too
#DOITFORDALE
...funny how that shite works.
As an Australian id only ever heard the phrase “Do it for Dale”. Now I understand what it truly means and I too find myself inspired
some of us believe is the guys wearing Black... Cash, Dale, and all the good bad guys.
It was so much better when Dale was still here and racing,,, it NEVER mattered what position the man held on the track,,, tjey were ALWAYS talking about him because he influenced every single driver on that track when he was there!
I think you had watch Cleetus Mcfarland channel😂
Hell yeah brother
@@martinhebert6495 bloody oath, even met the dude once
I still have the VHS tape of that race. I was watching it live and recording it for my wife. He had an interview before that race that I had recorded but then rewound the tape worried I would not have enough space to record the race in its entirety on one tape. I taped over that interview with Dale. That still haunts me to this day. This video was tough to watch but I will say, you held up better than I would have. Well done!
I hate to be blunt, but if you dont have any kin to pass that tape onto I would buy it. Hope to hear back! Jake
I know there's hundreds of digital copies of it already, but you should really look into getting it digitized. The tape is definitely worth something, but VHS tapes do have a finite lifespan. If you want to keep that specific recording indefinitely, i would very much recommend converting. (And keeping the VHS as a backup of course)
That's crazy, My dad was at the race with my uncle. It was my uncles first time at a Nascar race. I was at home recording it on VHS.
Never been a fan of Nascar, and never thought James Pumphrey would ever make me cry. But dang it, that follow your dreams bit got me.
I just sat on my bed and held back tears for someone I had only heard of a few times. That storytelling and the story itself is too tearjerking to resist one falling down
When he said "you know what they about legends" I couldn't hold it
Cry baby
When I saw the title, I figured there was a 95% chance James would be in tears before the episode ended.
Same, so I got myself ready.
Timestamp? I seemed to have missed it.
@@Stellar-Cowboy 28:36
@@Jeremy1026 I thought you were joking... damn, I’m moved
You thought right
Even tho I’m no nascar fan, I still know that Dale Earnhardt is such a legend. When I was just scrolling down TH-cam and saw a video about Dale’s death, I wanted to cry.
i mean,this guy is F1 driver Danny Ric's idol
Same
@@KitKitChanIsaac when F1 went to permanent driver numbers Daniel Ricciardo chose #3 to honor Dale Earnhardt.
Become a nascar fan now is the right time
he supersedes racing as a working class hero because he struggled like his dad to make his dreams come true or its the mill, something alot of us relate to and for always letting hisself be heard regardless what his bosses thought
This episode will never get old, and always stand as one of the best…
We love Dale because nobody could deny he truly, unapologetically, and sacrificially gave it all to his art.
Facts
He died doing what he loved 🥰
@@yoyohipptyyo8760 qq1p
He was extremely talented and gifted on and off the racetrack. He was not unique. He was a roughneck in an era full of Roughnecks. Guys that came out of small town that either had to figure out how to get that car around that track or go in a factory. That's why men like him have a certain look in their eyes... you cannot recreate Heroes like that. They happen naturally. Rest in Peace Dale
@Dutch Van Der Linde that's what that horrible movie portrayed. Earnhardt's father was a man of his generation. Like my grandfather they are not ones to Pat you on the back tell you how special you are. Another reason he was the kind of man he was🤷♂️ my grandfather may he rest in peace when I used to go help him in my twenties. If I complain the man would say yeah when I was your age I was getting shot at shut up. Even if you did something right he'd be like it could be better. Just how that generation was. They didn't much care about your feelings or how unique you thought you were🤣
The fact that you can 100% tell he was not faking this really shows two things. 1) how much he really cares about the entire situation on what happened. 2) The fact that he genuinely cares about the message he wants to give to his audience. And you wonder why, they already have 5 million followers. Thank you James, and thank you Donut.
This has been my favorite TH-cam channel for the last 2 years. But I actually think james is faking it to be honest after rewatching it a few times. But for the "record", I'm not going to flat out say he is faking it...everybody cries differently.
@@TheKos2Kos He not faking….go back and watch the episode with Carroll Shelby I believe it was right around the time Donut got 1mill subs. Those tears show true empathy for the love of people. James is a real dude.
@@Corn13R33 I think he cryed in the Ken Miles up to speed as well
The story doesn’t end there either. Austin Dillon driving Dale Sr.’s #3 won the Daytona 500 in 2018, exactly 20 years after Dale won it. And the craziest part is that he won it after he was given a lucky penny by an 11-year old fan.
Holy shit. That's kinda eerie.
@@MandatoryFruit austin was also in victory lane with Dale after he won the 500 in 98
@@jessicataylor4071 😳😳😳😳😳
@@Teddy_DX14 Austin is Richard Childress's grandson lolz
@@jessicataylor4071 I’m aware it’s just crazy how everything transpired like that 20 years later I watched both races live
the emotion really adds to the video, almost brought me to tears while he was talking about what ended the racing legends life
legend has it dale is still winning the daytona 500 in heaven above
Dale just hurts, man. Junior winning at that same track during the summer is an untouchable sports moment.
Who ever did the animation for the Talladega crash deserves a raise. That was beautiful
I’m 49 now. Watched his last race with my dad.
My dad was not a fan of his at all but I saw my dad shed a tear for him after that crash. For a man he loved to root against, he cried. That’s the mark of a true icon. When everyone, even your detractors, cry at your passing.
Never forget #3. Dale was the real deal!
I'm not the sort of guy to cry but I did. It's such a shame that the price of doing what he loved was his life. But I couldn't fault Dale Earnhardt for dying doing what he loved. Not many people have that honour
#3
Damn I shed a tear reading this , I pictured what you said in my head 😢
I was 4 when he died. My father watched the race every week and Dale was his favorite driver. The house was full of his memorabilia.
I didn't really understand what was happening, but the sight and sound of my father bawling after the announcement is something I will never forget. It was the first and only time he ever cried in front of me. Dale meant a lot to a lot of people, thank you for doing his story justice.
As a Brit who has never watched NASCAR once and if anything is more of a two wheel enthusiast than an out and out car guy; I have to say I was surprised to be sharing a tear with James over this incredible story... Yet here we are. What a legacy. What a video. ❤️
If you didn’t shed a tear, Are you even human?
@Max Power if you’re taking nascar that seriously then get fuckin help man
th-cam.com/video/IxTAJNifDAI/w-d-xo.html
I'm not the hugest NASCAR fan. But I'm a HUGE Dale Earnhardt fan. My garage is covered in his stuff. I'm a fan because he literally got everything he ever had from grit, determination and just plain being too mean to quit. As James stated. The guy went from so poor he couldn't keep the heat on in his trailer home to being worth $150,000,000 in the 90's.
Even people here in North America like to shit on NASCAR as just going left, saying there's no talent involved, stuff like that but there's very cool things happening when you peak under the surface. Plus it has an incredible history, like Smokey Yunick's constant bending of the rule books, which could get it's own Up to Speed episode with how creative him and his team were with finding new advantages. They basically had to rewrite the rule books every time he raced. It's a fascinating aspect of automotive sports that never gets enough love outside of very specific Southern US markets that do appreciate it fully.
I'll never forget that day in May 1994 when Senna passed and everyone in Nascar did a 1 minute silence in homage of his death. Followed by Dale's kind words at the post Podium interviews. Two legends I'm a great fan of. Both were the true goats.
I've never heard anyone speak so passionately about NASCAR
Watch EmpLemons Dale video too
Go to a race lmao. Whole different animal
@No One's Innocent same reason I don’t like baseball. You gotta get more into it to appreciate it
@No One's Innocent Some tracks have a more common "street circuit" as part of the oval. The thing is those cars go full throttle, nearly never brake, the whole time. You're max speed for 2 hours+ depending on the track. Nearly any mistake ends in massive catastrophe.
They could do a figure 8 track to have left and right turns, but then they would need an over/underpass at the crossing point and that in itself is quite a design challenge.
I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just explaining what made me realize Nascar was cool. I don't watch it but I understand the appeal.
Also, in person, it's loud as all fuck and the world vibrates for the whole race.
@No One's Innocent One of the appeals is the focus on face-ripping speeds at a near constant, and where the competition flow is solely moved by crowd control and by being ballsier on a straight-line than most everyone in the grid. The world wishes for a completely straight road to do nothing but battle your rivals neck-to-neck, so oval racing is the next best thing we have.
I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING. But seriously, this is one hell of a tribute to one hell of a racecar driver. My Dad and I are huge fans of his, and it's awesome to know that his legendary status isn't lost to time.
Good old Skadaddy. But truly a fantastic tribute to Dale
Remember Dale won at Talladega on 5/1/1994 and in the post race interview, one of the first things he did was pay condolences to the family of Aryton Senna who died earlier that day in the F1 race at Imola Italy. Class act
Here's the TH-cam clip of that interview th-cam.com/video/iq6mVAXegyw/w-d-xo.html
did not know this as a new F1 fan
🇧🇷 Fans say thanks.
He’s the kind of guy that’s going to wreck your best friend and then pay respects to his second cousin after their death, what a legend.
WOW! I didn't know that. Now I have even MORE respect for him! Because Senna was also a great human being to me.
And thanks so much for the link to the clip!
Class act!!
I was 10 when Dale died. He was one of my hero’s. I cried for days. I’ll never forget my dad calling me over to tell me the news knowing how crushed I was going to be. Seeing James’ emotion trying to get through this story brings back a lot of emotions and memories. This might be my favourite Up To Speed ever, and I didn’t really even learn anything new.
I was 11. I remember watching this race and wondering how could Tony Stewart be fine after flipping so many times while Dale didn't survive what appeared to 11yo me to be a simple little wreck.
If you haven't seen it, you might check out EmpLemon's Never Ever on Dale Earnhardt.
I was 14. I’ll never forget.
I was 3, and I still remember that race...
I was 7 and I remember it clear as day. Dale will always be the best in my eyes.
I was 14 and I still vividly remember my dad calling me to break the news to me. I've been a car guy my entire life and my dad was about as die-hard of a Dale Earnhardt fan ad they come. After he told me I was speechless for a few moments and it was one of the very few times I've ever witnessed my dad cry. Still saddens me to my core to this day.
I'm not american. I've never seen a full NASCAR race and before this video, I didn't know much about Dale Earnhardt Sr. But the way James Told the story, I felt like I had seen The intimidator in full prime. The part where james almost cried also got me in tears.
Same.
same too
Got me all choked up watching this. I was there that day. I live in Daytona. Less than a mile from the track. Both my mom and my dad, my daughter and myself were all born at Halifax hospital. Seeing this video brought back a flood of emotions. Keep up the good work, shedding a tear with you.
When I was a kid, my dad used to call Dale Earnhardt "uncle Dale" when he and I talked about him, and up until I was like 10 years old I thought he actually WAS my uncle! My dad called him that because he and I were huge Earnhardt fans and because Dale looked so much like my dad and his four brothers that if all six of them would've taken a group picture together, you would 100% believe without a shred of doubt that they were all brothers. Earnhardt looks like my uncle Mike's twin, that is how close the resemblance is. They were all around the same age too...Dale Earnhardt was born in 1951 and my dad was born in 1953. My dad had two older brothers and two younger ones, so Dale was about the exact same age as two of my uncles.
Anyway, I will NEVER forget the day Dale died. My sister and I were at our grandparents' house that Sunday so I wasn't watching the race with my dad like I normally would've been. But just as we were getting ready to head back home, I saw it announced on the news that Dale had died and I couldn't believe it. I knew my dad would be devastated. My grandparents dropped my sister and I off in the driveway and as we walked up the stairs to the front door, my dad was sitting alone on the front porch in the dark. My sister is a few years younger than me (I was 11 when Dale died) and wasn't a NASCAR fan so she just went in the house to get ready for bed. I sat down on the bench next to my dad, gave him a hug and we both started crying. We didn't even say anything to each other because we both knew who the tears were for.
I've never watched a single NASCAR race since that day. My dad occasionally watches them. I have TONS of Dale Earnhardt cars and posters and trading cards and everything you could imagine stored in Rubbermaid boxes in my dad's basement. My dad and I were such huge fans of his, and so were my uncles. I remember my uncle (the brother my dad was closest to who also died around the same time as Dale did) having tons of Earnhardt stuff in his office. To me, Dale was the greatest NASCAR driver ever. It also seems like he was a great person. IMO, NASCAR died with Dale. It's never been the same without him, and I strongly suspect that it never will be. RIP Dale.
This comment cannot go under the radar. This is something else. Thanks for sharing.
@@grabedigger exactly
What you doing with that shotgun? You may go
Then you missed Jr. ruling ass in the 400 later in the summer. I know what you mean though. It hasn’t been the same but Harvick in Atlanta was awesome too. There was a short time when it was still alright but it’s never been that great since.
Jesus Christ mate, I wasn’t even remotely born when Dale died, I don’t even watch NASCAR but this incredible story… It almost makes me cry.
“Follow your dreams. I followed mine. Let’s do it for Dale!!”
That hit me HARD
I love how emotional James gets. It’s fucking awesome. I was 14 when Dale died. I remember watching the race. And I never thought I would cry watching an episode of UTS. Y’all mean so much to me
I was 18, it is a day ill never forget. I remember telling my parents and they didn't believe me.
I was 12 and the day it happened my grandma bought me a dale transporter toy before it happened heck of a coincidence
I was in 4th grade and it was my first 500 I saw live start to finish. I had gotten into NASCAR the year prior thanks to the old NASCAR Playstation videogames. Dale was always my favorite and I always rooted for Jr afterwards he passed.
I was 0 because I was born in 2010
I was 10 and I remember watching my mom cry and cry that day, she was one of his biggest fans.
This is the most beautiful tribute I have ever seen. Absolutely love it. Be proud Donut!!
You know he died with a smile on his face, watching his son and teammate win the race that eluded him for years.
Anyone else tear up watching a Donut video? Raise hell, praise Dale!
fucking tears
Uh, nope.
I didnt tear up cuz im muslim and im fasting but i feel sad
He’s not god
Bro I cried during the Carroll shelby one, the Ken Miles on and this one
the best part: his death was not in vain, as there has not been a single nascar driver to die after Dale in a race.
As morbid as it is that’s true, more than a hero metaphorically but literally as well, while unintentional he lost his life to save probably dozens...
Holy shit, seriously? That's a fuckin' legacy.
A guy in arca died in the charlotte race in 2001 and after that was when nascar made eveyone use the hanns device
heheh strokin
Wish I could say the same for F1. Although it is getting better.
I grew up watching Dale Earnhardt. In his bad ass #3 car. Being a little kid, I did not think race car drivers could die in a wreck with all of the protection. But when he had his crash and seeing it live. And he didn't step out of the car. It broke my heart.
Anyone else know James was going to cry from the first second? Ended up joining him too.
I requested this video forever now, didn’t think it’d be so emotional. Godspeed Intimidator, we miss you. We’re gonna stay doing it for Dale. 🏁
Back in the 90s was a huge fan of nascar and Dale was my favorite, so much so I used to build model cars of his cars. Now in my 40s I cleaned out all my old models BUT kept all my SR and JR cars along with quite a bit of memorabilia. Like I said huge fan. 3 forever
His last memory was watching his team drive off to the finish line with nothing but open road in front of them 💔
Even in death, he won.
Thanks EmpLemon
What’s equally sad is DW’s response to his brother winning the race, he was asked if it was better than winning and with tears in his eyes he said “yes this is better than winning...I just hope that Dale is ok”
@@codyC423 his video is better , i love the visual efforts of donut media but i think his video is better made
I was a casual fan of Dale in the 80s and 90s and I remember thinking it was absurd that such a "simple" wreck could have taken such an icon, especially given what he'd survived before.
Dale Sr. was my fathers idol and when I was born, he gave me the greatest first name alive.
that's cool
That’s awesome man
Dale Earnhardt meant a lot to my family. My grandmother’s dying wish was to meet him. My whole family went down to a race to go see him and they got a private tour of his pits. The funny part was that my uncle looked exactly like Dale, so when they saw him walking around Dale’s pits all of his fans started yelling at my uncle to come over and sign stuff
you sure about this?
@@timturner3481 I’m 100% sure about it. I have pics to prove it. And he definitely does look exactly like him
@@ahhhue3830 nice.
every time I watch James cry I respect him more and more casue it does nothing but show his humanity and his own respect for these icons. it shows he realy cares about what he is talking about and not just parroting something someone wrote.
I am a born and raised Kannapolis boy myself. I grew up watching Dale and even lived 2 blocks from his mother's house on a street named V8. Sometimes you would hear engines roaring from that house all the way where I lived and you knew Dale was visiting. I had the opportunity as a child to have conversations with him probably a dozen times, but I had no idea how cool that really was until I got older. Hell my sister was in Dale Jr's class in high-school. When he died it shook our small town to the core. We lost our hometown hero. Now there's several Dale Earnhardt blvds in Kannapolis and a statue in town. Like you said.... legands never die. James thank you so much for telling his story and for being so passionate. Also thank you for pronouncing Kannapolis correctly....lol...... long live # 3 in our hearts.
Me, a grown man: *watches this episode*
*cries over my lunch*
"This is good."
Saaaame ffs 😂😭
I couldn't help myself in the shop to do the same, right before a customer comes in and asks: "You all good."
Me: "Yea man, this lunch is just so damn good."
WE ALL DO IT FOR DALE!!! 😫
this is me but I'm eating dinner
God I just told myself the same thing 😭🍕
Ain't nothing wrong with that, the video from Emplemon is also really good
“Heroes live forever, but LEGENDS never die.” - Babe Ruth (The Sandlot)
@Black Dad I mean it came out the year after I was born, so I didn’t see the original release, but there are some theaters that show older titles like that, and I too seen it in the theater when I was in highschool.
Not to be rude but its "Heroes get remembered, but legend never die." Love that movie.
@@tbtdylarn8611 I knew something sounded off. Thanks for the correction.
I don't really care about Nascar, but seeing James so passionate and sentimental about a national hero like Dale and Shelby... makes me break into tears aswell.
It's a beautiful thing.
Thank you James & Donut Media
Not many other celebrities make you cry reading and watching about them 20 yrs later. Great job James. Emotions and all.
I was 11 years old whenever he died. I remember my dad and my uncle's being torn to shreds. The world reacted emotionally in the same way that I imagine they did when elvis passed away. A true legend, hero and role model for many
My family didn't know till we seen them announce it on WCW the monday afterward. My mom broke down into tears and had to explain it to me who was 11 years old as well!
@@CaliKrome 😢 sad times bro
I fell asleep with my number 3 'Carlo for weeks after that.
That night was the only time I ever saw my father cry. He was a huge dale fan.
What you see today is the real james. The person that honestly appreciates all froms of racing. I think we can all sympathize with him
Yeah he’s the man
YOUR MAKING ME CRY TOO!! I appreciate your kind words and impressions of British people. Keep it up. Rip #3
You forgot to mention the most badass thing he ever did. He got turned over at the 1997 Daytona 500, slid on his roof down the backstretch, landed back on his wheels, went to the pits to hammer and tape down some panels and he finished the race.
What a guy eh
Also that race where the dude hops halfway put of his vehical at 100 mph to clean his windshield with a rag lol
@@stephenconley8868 yeah North wilkesboro I think it was 87
@@RetroGamerr1991 NASCAR in the 80's to early 00's was WILD!
Nope, your wrong, the most badass thing he ever did was win the 85 Bristol race without power steering for almost the hole race! Now that’s an iron man, and also qualifying on the pole at Watkins Glenn in 96 with a Broken collar bone, and still finishing 6th! AT A ROAD COARSE! That’s what you call an iron man
"Perfection is a farce and to those that wait for the perfect moment to make their moves, will live out their days in limbo.." No truer words have been spoken..
I read this when he was saying it 😂
@@Whodatboy synchronicity bruh, issa sign! haha!
I stole it too!
when you don't go for a gap...
All the times I watched it I never realized Lightning McQueen's save in the grass is a Dale Earnhardt reference hot damn
Wow
Wow great catch. I didn’t realize that.
Well done! I loved watching racing with my grandfather and he loved Dale. I watched not really paying attention but more just to hang with him. I remember when he passed but it wasn’t until a couple years later that I watched a documentary (much like this) and felt instantly saddened and so interested in him. My grandfather passed when I was 15 and Dale a couple years later. When Dale died it was like the last thing that my grandfather was into was gone.
James we absolutely appreciate the amount of passion, confidence, and emotion it takes to cry in front of millions of people🖤
Yeah, sorta how a toddler does when company is over at the house? That’s kid shit. And anyone who says differently is an emotional female.
Well here we all are, crying together enjoying the memories of the GOAT. Thought I'd get through it without tears.
The man who changed everything in NASCAR literally gave his life so his son could win this video is amazing to see the emotion as many Nascar fans have after literally 20 years I'm crying again just like the first time RIP dale Earnhardt
Actually Dale Jr. finished second that day to Micheal Waltrip, but to make the story even more awesome, Dale Jr. came back to Daytona later that year and won the race!! It was probably the most emotional win i have ever seen.
Dude, I don't know how you got through telling that story. When Dale passed on, I was already a 15-year veteran of Nascar fandom and Dale was my favourite driver right from the start. When my wife told me the next morning that he'd died, it honestly took days & days of watching news reports before I could believe anything could have happen to that immortal man. My wife doesn't lie to me - I was so confused about the outcome - Dale's son just took 2nd & Mike (of Dale's own team) took 1st - Mike's brother/announcer was in the booth crying, but over what? Bad news was impossible.
Dude, I would still cry & shed tears like yourself if I had to tell the story. You are a brave man. And thanks for spreading Dale's legacy to the younger fans, who might not otherwise have known (through observing your tears) just how important Dale was to Nascar & racing in general.
His mustache alone struck fear in the hearts of most.
damn right...
RAISE HELL PRAISE DALE! Also Jerry in a dress is hilarious
DALE YEAH
When Dale died it was one of only a few times in my life I saw my dad cry.
My dad passed in 2015. Everytime I think about Dale I think about my dad.
Thanks James. This made my day 😊
Same!
I just spent 3 hours watching the history of motorsports. I watched 3 seperate videos of Dale Sr's crash. As sad as it was, I felt a tear, but didn't cry. I was 2 when he died. I can't say "I was there". I can't say "I loved him". In fact, the main memory that comes to my mind when thinking of Dale is a blanket that was on a couch in my grandparents house. However, watching this story, from start to finish, made my cry harder than I have in a while. I knew what was coming. But seeing, in reality, how it affected someone who's not much older than me, has me in tears as I write this. I hope no one ever has to witness something like this ever again. And I hope that the next time I hear a rags to riches story, it end with riches. Not more rags.
Didn't think I'd be crying today, but here we are. Thanks James. Do it for Dale
The minute that crash happened, was the first and one of only 2 times in my life I’ve ever seen my dad cry. I remember both my mom and dad standing in front of the TV hugging and balling their eyes out.. hell I had tears even typing this. Even to this day, on the day and time that event happened, my dad still holds his toy dale Earnhardt race car, and gets tears in his eyes..
I have a poster and a toy #3 Monte Carlo. I will never throw them away!
Dale's legend goes beyond racing. I was never into Nascar but I knew of Dale. I admired how people looked up to him. I would race my friends on my bike pretending to be him. I was 10 when he died and I remember how much it meant to a lot of people. This man was a real life hero of this world, no glorification needed. Here I am, a grown ass adult, still tearing up from the tragedy. RIP Dale. Thankful for his inspiration.
I can’t tell you how moved I was by this video. My Dad and I were/are HUGE Dale Sr. fans and I cannot wait to show him this. We were really devastated when we lost Dale. RIP Intimidator 🖤
Dale was my hero. From my earliest memories. All my birthday parties were Dale Earnhardt parties as a kid. My dad worked for GM. Dale was our guy. On Halloween all the kids wanted to be power rangers. I wanted to be Dale Earnhardt.
Tears are shed all the time when I remember Dale. This episode was the same. Great job on the show.
I wasn't alive when Dale died and I have only started to get into nascar in the past few years but even I knew Dale was special. I never knew his full story and I would like to thank donut for telling it in a respectful and thoughtful way. It has helped me have a greater respect for his legacy and the number 3 car in general.
May Legends Never die
I will never forget hearing DW saying "I just hope Dale's ok... he'll be ok won't he?" As he watched his beloved younger brother win the Daytona 500.
Never would’ve thought that an episode of up to speed would bring me to tears. Dale was an absolute legend.
At 20 years old I never thought I’d cry over a video about a legend that I never got to see, but my dad would always talk about. And to know that he was blocking for his son I couldn’t imagine. Also the legends never die part got me real good.
Share the video with your dad, I think he'd like it
Not even a nascar fan, but this right here…. Makes me tear up every time.
Damn James knows exactly how to hit at the heart, who's cutting onions over here 🥺🥺🥺
Me! Sorry bud... Those onions were strong like the Force in Dale...
James...Thank You. This is probably the best tribute to a legend i have ever seen. It makes you a legend for doing this and made everyone who watched this cry with you. Your not alone brother. Everyone has their Dale story and mine was a little late. I grew up watching Nascar in the 70 being a fan of King Richard. When i knew he was doing to retire i needed someone else to be a fan of so one race in the late 80's i watched a race and hear the announcer say and coming down on the inside is the Intimidator. I was like who is that? I know i saw him race but was focused on Richard. Started watching Dale ever since until his last race. When we lost Dale i never saw another race RIP Dale and everyone else we lost on the track
Stop making me cry James, I won't be able to handle your Up to Speed on Ayrton Senna.
Here is some Dale Earnhardt interview about Ayrton Senna passing. th-cam.com/video/C-yUlCSMz2g/w-d-xo.html
Ayrton is literally my idol and pfp
A humble hero to all Brazilians
Man, It broke America's ❤ the day he died. I was always a Rusty Wallace fan. But even I cried when Dale passed. That man's talent was undeniable, period!! Rest in powah bahbay!!!! Lightning bolt, lightning bolt, lightning bolt!!!!
I watched this race live and cried when I heard the news later than evening...
James' raw emotion is why I love this series, such a die-hard passionate man. Especially in the end when he got to Dale's death, I knew it was coming, I knew he was gonna say it, but, I had no idea it would be like that. Hit me so hard.
I remember watching the race with my dad and seeing the accident. I cried so much at the time and I cried watching this video. Beautifully done. Thank you Donut! ♥️
Seeing James showing his emotions show through whenever he talks car history just shines through to how much he cares about what he talks about. Thanks Donut (:
When a man gets emotional talking about someone/something in a hobby he loves, that is a sign of true dedication.
I was 5 when Dale passed and I still remember my dad standing in front of the tv. This got me right in the feels. My dad wrote an article for ESPN about whether he could allow us to continue to watch a sport where death would be so prevalent. If you guys want to read the article its titled Racing family must deal with death by Jim Jenks.
I remeber the exact same scene. I was a little older, but the sight of my Dad standing in front of the TV in disbelief sticks with me.
I haven't watched any NASCAR since that fateful year, it just hasn't been the same. I recently lost my dad, who was a huge Dale fan, and your video brought me some smiles today reliving some of those moments I either shared watching with him or heard him talk about endlessly like the pass in the grass. We used to go out to Sears Point every year and I cherish those memories. Dale was one hell of a driver, and a great man. Thanks for making this video honoring his legacy.
“Everyone, why does everyone still love NASCAR and watch despite its poor ratings and racing”
You do it for Dale
I do it because I still have hope that they will bring back the "stock" in stock car racing.
@@LaVaZ000 they’re attempting too. But time will tell
@@LaVaZ000 Something like the homologation specials WRC and sportscar racing use? Someone with a little bit of cash can get a detuned variant of the actual racecar?
Nice fill in during the NFL off season :D
Yeah stock car is in the name, but they are not close to stock. Not to mention the most boring motorsport ever. I cant finish watching this episode.
“If they don’t do something to these cars it’s gonna end up killing somebody ” - dale earnhardt lap 173 after a crash at the Daytona 500 2001
@Blown Gasket He thought it was the cars... but it was what was on the inside that mattered most.
@Blown Gasket he (Dale Sr.) even called Geoff Bodine a pussy before that race for wearing the HANS device.
@@DucatiPaso750 Damn! I'd forgotten that! Good for you for adding that bit of nuance
James Cried and showed the immense passion that we have as motorsports fans, be it F1, NASCAR, WEC, WRC Or MotoGP, death shatters fans, it really does. The passion he shared the story with, was amazing, it really was nice. Absolutely gold @donutmedia
I remember that race. My cousin cried like a baby. Terrible day for NASCAR fans and many others. Great video paying tribute to one of a kind.
Never in a million years I would've thought of finding myself crying over a Nascar story since it's a sport I don't tend to like, but here we are. Thank you James and the donut team for giving moments like this, you deserve the world.
I was 4 years old when he passed. My family was huge nascar fans and I still remember my dad crying when Dale passed away. As a kid I didn’t know what happened but when the movie Dale came out and I had watched it, I had cried still at a young age. This story is just something that gets to any racing fan.
Well 2001 was a really bad year.
You know, 9/11 disasters and others.
Any racing fan. I never once in my life watched Nascar, in Southeast Asia the motorsport culture is very different and yet this episode hits right through my heart, the dedication and the story of the race car hero inspire and loved by any racing fan worldwide. utmost respect, and thank you for sharing your story.
@@annoyingnick26 I’m from Southeast Asia and I’m a fan of nascar and f1
Never clicked so fast in my life
Same. Even though i have only watched nascar once or twice (cuz Greece :/) Dale Earnhardt is my favourite driver ever
@Heinous Anus it's up to speed you can't just ignore it
@Heinous Anus wtf. Stfu
@lingyy how💀
My father took me to my first NASCAR race at five years old. The 2001 Father’s Day race at Michigan International Speedway. I was five years old. I remember walking by the Dale Earnhardt souvenir trailer. It was silent, and every person walking by held up 3 fingers. I remember the third lap, holding up three fingers. We’ve never missed a single NASCAR race at our home track. This sport isn’t just a sport. It’s so much more than that. Thank you so much for telling this story the way it was supposed to be told.
By far the best coverage of Dale's story ever done. His emotion made it far more real.
Emplemon, in all fairness made a more in depth doc on Dale.
Emp lemon mah boi
EmpLemon and Donut Media are both tied for the best.
Emplemon dunks on this shit
"The unpaved, save." That's incredible.
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