Intimidating legacy

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It's a date that never will be celebrated, nor will it be forgotten: Feb. 18, 2001.

That day rocked NASCAR to its core. Whether you loved him or hated him, you couldn't help but have been shocked at how Dale Earnhardt, the iron man of stock car racing, the guy everyone thought was indestructible, lost his life.

On the final lap of the world's biggest race, the Daytona 500, with the checkered flag waving in the distance, the man whose nickname of The Intimidator instilled fear and apprehension into almost every one of his competitors, crashed his notorious black No. 3 race car in Turn 4 and, just like that, was gone.

It wasn't even one of those spectacular, fiery crashes that make the highlight reels. But it was enough.

Earnhardt's death was front-page news worldwide for several days. It spawned high profile investigations, court fights over autopsy photos and the development and adoption of unprecedented safety measures. Its impact, in a sense, still can be felt today as Earnhardt's widow Teresa and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. battle for control of his company, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

The fascination with all things Earnhardt just doesn't seem to want to fade.

This is especially true each time February rolls around, as NASCAR fans inevitably focus on Speedweeks and the Daytona 500, and yet another anniversary of Earnhardt's death. This perhaps is even more relevant at this year's running of the Great American Race.

For while this Feb. 18 marks the sixth anniversary of Earnhardt's death, it will be the first time since 2001 that notable date falls on a Sunday – and therefore also is the first time the Daytona 500 will be run on the actual anniversary.

And with it, all the recollections of that fateful day return to us, from Earnhardt's bold prerace prediction on Fox TV that we would "see something you've never seen before" to Darrell Waltrip's tear-filled stretch run call of brother Michael's victory, to Waltrip's haunting plea a few seconds later of "How's Dale? Is Dale OK?"

Come Sunday, will those of us in attendance at Daytona and the millions more watching on TV crane our necks to stare at Turn 4 and the exact spot where Earnhardt was killed? Will we watch Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s every move in the garage, the pits and ultimately behind the wheel, knowing what the memory of this day means to him, wondering how it may weigh upon his mind?

Will fans again hold three fingers in the air in tribute? Will we allow or minds to wander three more years back to Feb. 15, 1998, when Earnhardt, after 19 years of disappointment and frustration at a track he otherwise owned and dominated, finally tamed the Daytona 500?

All that and more will be part of NASCAR's collective consciousness Sunday, but there also is a new opportunity this year to remember and honor Earnhardt.

The recently-released movie "Dale" – endorsed by the Earnhardt family – brings memories and recollections flooding back to us in a way that will almost make it feel like the Man In Black is still around.

And for all those new NASCAR fans who have attached themselves to the sport since Earnhardt's death – either via Dale Earnhardt Jr. or the unprecedented growth the sport has enjoyed – I highly recommend everyone see the film to get a taste of who Earnhardt truly was.

Sure, he was an old cuss at times. He was a guy his fans loved with a passion reserved for a spouse, and one non-fans loved to hate but still respected for being who he was and possessing the talent he did.

But the seven-time Cup champion also had a soft side that many people rarely saw – and "Dale" will help many come to realize just the kind of person Earnhardt really was deep down inside. He may have been a fierce competitor, but he also had a deep and giving heart.

Earnhardt's presence can be felt every race weekend. At every Nextel Cup race are trailers dedicated exclusively to Earnhardt merchandise. There are new t-shirts, caps, jackets and other memorabilia with different schemes released at the beginning of each season – leading some to believe that Earnhardt's name, image and memory are being used as nothing more than a cash cow for DEI.

Regardless of intent, the fact is Earnhardt still sells – and likely will continue to sell for many years to come. It just goes to show that his legion of fans have not, and likely never will, forget him.

Earnhardt will live on much like Elvis Presley, who will be dead 30 years this year but continues to be alive in the hearts and minds of many. Both were icons, and both are gone, but the memories and legacies remain.

Feb. 18, 2001 is one of those days that makes NASCAR fans and beyond recall exactly where they were when they saw the crash that killed Earnhardt, or where they first heard the news. If you were a NASCAR fan, time invariably stopped and the world stood still.

Sunday will be six years to the day that the grizzled, mustachioed face and spirit of NASCAR left us. It's the one day of the year we know is highlighted on the calendar, but we'd rather forget why.