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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. <P>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. <P>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.<P>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. <P>Doctors believe he was killed on impact.<P>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.<P>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.<P>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.<P>

 

[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. <P>Prospero<BR>

 

[850Rwagon]

I caught part of the televised 2 hour memorial service today. Closed ceremony for 6000.<P>NASCAR is not over but will <B>never</B> the same. NEVER.<P>- Bill<BR>First saw Dale when I was a teen at the 1983 or 4 Daytona 500. Was never a DE "fan" but always an admirer.<P>