very true, a person can die happy doing what he/she truly loves doing and NOBODY sincerely enjoyed driving a race car more than Dale Earnhardt.

safer 2 say away but then again away would make it sound like retiring Dale literally lived, breathed and died in driving a race car.

@Jeffrey Kenyon very true but he was still doing what he passionately loved doing driving a race car and what else made him special he never tried 2 put himself in a class of his own, he just went out and did his job like anybody else.

@Jeffrey Kenyon He was being a Father and a Friend.

very true he raced every day like it was gonna be his last time but what really made him greater respect was how he never changed as a person. Two sides of Dale were a guy u didn't wanna see in your rearview on a Sunday afternoon at a racetrack but every other day he was an approachable man any person could talk 2.

Yes he was the race he made NASCAR!!

It’s back on the track now

@@yfi62dortoh and being totally disgraced. Shit show what has happened since Dale died.

@@mitchdrew9005 truth

I'm guessing a water bottle or Gatorade bottle.

lol looks like it went about 300 feet in the air

Dude he made it fly like 500 feet.

something black.

Mike Skinner was still driving in the Truck Series at the time, and he had won the inaugural Truck Series championship just the year before.

They don't have a backup driver planned when they go to the track, it's only in certain circumstances such as this. Back then the points system was different. The rule was whoever started the race in the car got the points. So Dale didn't need to race that weekend at all, but because there were no playoffs, missing a race meant losing a lot of points and likely the end to your championship chances. So that race it was decided that Mike was going to race, but in order for Dale to get the points he had to run it until the first caution. There are other circumstances besides injuries. I don't remember the year (2006 or 2007?), there was a race where Kyle Busch wrecked in the 5 car. Dale Jr. ended up out of that race. Kyle's team fixed the car so they could go back out there and collect points. Because Kyle left the track though, they needed a driver and so Dale Jr. took that car back out there. Usually today because the points system allows for missing races, the only real examples you might see of a team having a backup is in the case of things like a baby on the way. They have a backup driver ready for that weekend just in case the regular driver has to fly back home to witness the birth of their child. The only other example I can think of recently was there was a race last year where a driver (think it was Austin Dillon) had to get out because of damage was letting carbon monoxide fumes into the car and was making him sick. There was actually another time after this that Dale had to get out of the car and give it to a relief driver. At the 1997 Southern 500 at Darlington, Dale blacked out on the first lap and hit the wall. He then drove it to pit road with double vision. Mike Dillon (Richard's son in law and Austin and Ty's dad) finished that race in the car while Dale was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

@@CJODell12 Skinner was driving for RCR in the Truck Series, plus he was moving to Cup in 1997 for RCR. That's when the 31 car came to be with Lowe's sponsorship. So Skinner was already in Indy that weekend (he won the truck race at IRP) and it was easy just to go to him.

Mike skinner was and still is a jerk in a half. That’s why dale didn’t like him. I use to go to every race and mike walked around the garage like he was a 8x champion. As if he was better than everybody including dale and Jeff. Dale couldn’t stand him because of it. So I can’t imagine what he was feeling watching that jerkoff get In his car.

ChowderedRust I think turn 4 lol

Lmao what

Damn now I realized why Dale didn't like him. I remember reading he was really disgusted with Mike wearing the #3 on his truck(The one that Cleetus McFarland currently owns).

Mike Skinner and Dale became friends shortly before he died.

asshole

Spoiled but made a racing Career from a oil can and a pink beat to hell car. Stfu

Bitch, shut the fuck up.

You clearly are an immature boy. One day when you grow up and become a man you will understand and you will look back and say how was I so stupid. If you don’t then that just means you are a loser that’s envious. And dales cars after 1995 were way behind everybody else. Dale deserved better. He didn’t cheat anywhere near the amount of everybody else. Dales cars were 300lbs heavier because they built them Iike tanks. Nascar from 96’-1999 they let Jeff Gordon’s car come threw tech with so many cheats it was impossible for anyone to beat him. Once nascar cracked down Jeff won very little. They soaked Jeff’s tires in embalming fluid because it wouldn’t leave a trace. Also dale wore an open face helmet which means he didn’t have a carbon monoxide scrubber the hotbox. Only a closed face helmet can you hook up a hot box. The very first driver to use one was terry and that’s when he won the championship. They finally found out drivers on the hotbox decision making was 50% better. Dale was able to stay on top impaired by breathing it in. Dale was not like the persona in real life. I met him multiple times and he was the nicest driver out of all of them. He carried the sport on his shoulders. You truly are a piece of shit.