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7 time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt was killed yesterday on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Perhaps one of the best Winston Cup drivers ever, Earnhardt's passing is a loss to the motorsport world.

He and his son recently ran their first sports car race at the 24 Hours of Daytona in a C5 Corvette, bringing new fans to that type of racing from Nascar.

On the final lap, Earnhardt was doing something he doesn't usually do. Rather than driving flat out, Earnhardt appeared to be holding back traffic.

Running in third, with a car owned by him in first and his son in second, Dale seemed to be maintaining his own position while helping out a few friends. A bump happened and Earnhardt went head on into a wall at a very high speed.

Doctors believe he was killed on impact.

Though NASCAR is not the typical motorsport campaign that our readers follow, we felt it significant to make a mention of Earnhardt's passing.

 

[Evolvo]

R.I.P. He was one of the greats. That wreck just didn't look like it should have killed him. Like when it happened to Senna and last year with Greg Moore, I just can't believe it happened.

Maybe they'll start building those NASCAR racecars with some crumple zones. From what I hear, they don't give much, to absorb the momentum of a crash. Most other motorsports have designs that do crumple in a wreck.

 

[towerymt]

As a long time fan of Dale Earnhardt, I'm really going to miss seeing the black number 3 car every weekend. I just can't believe he's gone.

The huge wreck that happened earlier in the race involving Tony Stewart, and about 20 other cars, could have been deadly as well. I believe Tony Stewart's car came down on the hood of teammate Bobby Labonte's car. Had the #20 Home Depot car landed a few feet further back, Labonte could have been seriously injured.

 

[Prospero]

The loss is a huge one to say the least. I have meet Dale and his son at a LMSC challenge race in Kingsport Tenn. (1996) Even though I was on a competitor's team, they were both very open and sociable with me. They even gave some free advice on car setup, which was shocking to say the least. I have always been a fan of NASCAR and Dale is an icon and will be missed. The auto-racing world is now missing one of the best drivers and personalities known to man. May he RIP and God save his soul.

Prospero

 

[850Rwagon]

I caught part of the televised 2 hour memorial service today. Closed ceremony for 6000.

NASCAR is not over but will never the same. NEVER.

- Bill
First saw Dale when I was a teen at the 1983 or 4 Daytona 500. Was never a DE "fan" but always an admirer.