Before racing at Daytona, Earnhardt had taped to his dashboard a prophetic
Bible verse given to him before the race by the wife of another driver.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are
safe," read the verse from Proverbs 18:10.
NASCAR Chairman of the Board Bill France said "NASCAR has lost its greatest
driver. And I personally have lost a great friend."
Driver Stirling Marlin has said
"First, I want to thank Michael Waltrip for his words on Monday. This has been a
difficult time for me and my family. Please understand, I'd do anything not to
be here. The focus should be on the Earnhardt family." He also commented
on recent death threats saying "Maybe it's just people
that's just frustrated and looking for somebody to blame. As Earnhardt has
told me before, 'we run out of real estate down there.' I wanted to climb through
the TV and tear the guy out of there. All he had to do was look at the tape. I
didn't do nothing. I've only seen the tape once and that's all I want to see of
it, but from what I saw it was totally a racing accident. We were just racing our
guts out on the last lap of the Daytona 500. Trying to win the Daytona 500. Dale
was trying, everybody was trying to win. We barely got together in turn three but
he got it straightened out and I said 'alright, we'll go on.' I was on the
bottom, as low as I could go, and when Rusty (Wallace) pulled up behind him it
might have got him loose. We barely touched a little bit and it sent us both onto
the apron. He over corrected and shot back up the race track. It was pure luck,
I guess. I caught it just right. When you run across the apron at 180 at Daytona
you don't generally come back. There has been an outpouring of support from
drivers, NASCAR, fans, Earnhardt's people, Childress' people. They have told me,
'hold your head up, there was nothing you could'a done. That makes me feel a ton
better. I guess when things happen people are going to look for somebody to
blame. On the high-speed race tracks you just don't hit somebody. You know
that's going to hurt. If people come back to their senses and listen to what
everyone's saying, use common sense and look at the tape, everything will be
OK. As far as Rockingham, I'd like to dominate the race and win it and
dedicate it to Dale and his family."
Driver Jeremy Mayfield said "After the race was over,
I heard things didn’t look very good but, man, Earnhardt. You figure he’ll
bounce right back. Your first thought is, hey, he’ll probably come back
next week at Rockingham and beat us all."
Driver Michael Waltrip said "The only reason why I
won this race was Dale Earnhardt. It's my opinion that was just a racing
incident. Sterling didn't do anything wrong. Sterling was simply racing.
And when the checkered [flag] is waving nobody is going to let off. When
they rubbed, I'm sure Sterling didn't think Dale would wreck, or he would
not have rubbed him. I don't think that wreck looks like anything other
than guys just wanting to get to the checkered. I believe that in my heart.
They made contact, no denying that, but I didn't see that being anyone's
fault. I think Dale was doing what he loved to do. And he was coming for
the checkered, and his two cars were winning the race. I thought Dale Jr.
was pushing me along to help me out. I didn't know the thunderstorms that
Dale was fighting back there with all the other cars. You know, he was
just doing his job. And close races sometimes make contact happen. When
contact happens you hit the wall. Schrader did and Schrader walked. And
Dale didn't. It's my opinion that was a racing incident. The checkered
flag was getting ready to wave, there was three or four cars in a tight
pack and they got together. I want to ask everyone to keep Sterling Marlin
in your prayers. Sterling didn't do anything wrong. Sterling was simply
racing, and when the checkered's waving nobody is gonna let off. I don't
think that wreck looked like anything to me but a result of guys just
trying to get to the checkers. I believe that in my heart and I hope that
people will remember Sterling during this time. They made contact,
there's no denying that, but I did not see it being anyone's fault. It
was hard racing on the last lap."
Driver Kenny Schrader said
"I don't know for sure what happened. We all spread out going down the back
straightaway. I knew that was going to happen. I was just hoping we'd get
someone to go with us. They spread out, so I just hung with the guys on the
outside. I guess someone got into Dale because Dale got into me and then we
went up (the track). We hit pretty hard, and Dale hit harder."
NASCAR Press Conference Tuesday February20, 2001
NASCAR president Mike Helton:
"This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I’ve ever personally
had to make. But after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500,
we’ve lost Dale Earnhardt. I have with me Dr. Steve Bohannon, who is a trauma
doctor here in Daytona that’s worked several events here at the Speedway. He
can explain the medical practice that went on at the accident scene and over
to the hospital. In a timing issue, we’re here to tell you what we know. We
don’t know a lot. We don’t enough to answer all your questions. Our prayers
and wishes and effort right now this moment is with Teresa and the Earnhardt
family, Richard Childress and his family and Dale Earnhardt Inc."
Dr. Steve Bohannon, M.D., director of emergency medical services at the Speedway:
I was on one of the ambulances that responded to the accident. I was about the
third or fourth in. When I arrived there were a number of paramedics already
tending to him. There was a paramedic in through the passenger window applying
oxygen by a mask. Dr. Alfred Alson, who is a trauma surgeon from Flagler
County was in through the driver’s window and was delivering CPR. And there
was another paramedic in the window maintaining the C-spine, holding the
head. There were a number of firefighters that were on top of the car,
attempting to remove the roof, which was subsequently done. It took about
five or 10 minutes. During which time, we did CPR. When the roof came off,
Dr. Alson and I both identified this was a very bad situation a load and go
situation. We immediately removed him and transported him to the area Level
II trauma center, Halifax Hospital. Transport time was about a minute to a
minute and a half. During which time we continued CPR. There was a full
trauma team there to meet him, a trauma neurosurgeon, Dr. William Kuhn,
trauma surgeon, Dr. Jose Dimayuga. There were several emergency room
doctors there as well. We all did everything we could for him.
Additionally there was an anesthesiologist who helped us maintain the airway,
but he had what I feel were life-ending type injuries at the time of impact.
And really nothing could be done for him. He arrived to the hospital at
16:54. Full trauma resuscitation was attempted for about a little over
20min, at which time he was placed on a ventilator, multiple I.V. lines were
given, I.V. fluids, chest tubes, various diagnostic tests. He never showed
any signs of life and subsequently was pronounced dead by all the
physicians in attendance at 17:16. His wife was there at the bedside.
That is about all I know at this time. He has been turned over to the
medical examiner’s office and will be the medical examiner’s case. I suspect
an autopsy will be done, probably tomorrow for the exact cause of death.
My speculation as an emergency physician would be head injuries, particularly
at the base of the skull that ended his life. He was unconscious,
unresponsive from the time of the first paramedic’s arrival. He was not
breathing and had no palpable pulse from the time of the first paramedic’s
arrival at the scene and remained that way throughout. That’s all I have.
I know a full-face helmet would not have made any difference whatsoever. He
had no evidence of facial injuries. I don’t know if the HANS device would
have helped or not. I suspect not. He had blood in his airway. He had blood
in the ears that we see with basilar skull fractures. But really no other
external evidence of trauma."
Mike Helton then completed statements:
"Folks, there’s no question that this is a very difficult time. I think
Bill France’s quote that the Speedway and NASCAR will put out in a
second sums it up for the moment. There will be other press conferences
and other opportunities to answer questions as we get more answers.
"But his quote is: ‘NASCAR has lost its greatest driver ever. And I
personally have lost a great friend.’ That’s Bill France’s quote. I
think that pretty well sums it up for the NASCAR community right now."
Mike Helton, who is president of NASCAR said the belt "came apart"
and that was all that was verified. The belt was new and made in November of 2000.
Winston Cup Director Gary Nelson said "The lap belt connects on both sides to the roll
cage. The people who came to the scene found that the buckle was latched.
What we found later on, after looking at the car, was that when we unbuckled it,
it was separated between the two pieces of metal hardware. The webbing itself
had separated. We’ve never seen it, and in talking to people who are in the
business of producing lap belts say that they’ve never seen it. We think we’ve
got the best people working on this issue. Hopefully we’ll find an answer real
quick and be able to say this is exactly what happened. In any study, you
don’t know when that answer will come, how it will come or if it will ever
come. We’re very confident that a thorough study and investigation will be
performed to try to find the bottom of this."
Dr. Steve Bohannon said "The major impact of Mr.
Earnhardt was forward and to the right. The belt gave way and let the
body move forward and to the right, and it likely contacted the steering
wheel with the chest and face. It appears that probably his chin struck
the steering column in such a way that the forces were transferred up
the mandible (jaw bone) and into the base of the skull. Certainly no
one can say for sure what would have happened, but I think that could’ve
played a role. He would’ve had a different pattern of injuries."
We will have more details when they are verified.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Rockingham "I don't really know what
else to say. Obviously, there are a lot of questions running around in
our minds, but we're all trying our best to carry on and maintain the
racing program. Any notion, idea or blame, whether it's directed at
Sterling Marlin or anyone else, is ridiculous and will not be tolerated.
It's incredible some of the things I've heard in the last few days."
Dale Earnhardt was 49 Years old.
F1CARTVIDEOS.COM would like to send our condolences to his wife Teresa, and Dale's
children Dale Jr., Kerry, Kelly and Taylor Nicole and the rest of the Earnhardt
family and let them know that our prayers are with them.
Dale Earnhardt' NASCAR career
YEAR RACES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 BUD POLES WINNINGS STANDINGS
2001 1 $ 296,833
2000 34 2 13 24 0 $4,918,886 2nd
1999 34 3 7 21 0 $3,048,236 7th
1998 33 1 5 13 0 $2,990,749 8th
1997 32 0 7 16 0 $2,151,909 5th
1996 31 2 13 17 2 $2,285,926 4th
1995 31 5 19 23 3 $3,154,241 2nd
1994 31 4 20 25 2 $3,300,733 1st
1993 30 6 17 21 2 $3,353,789 1st
1992 29 1 6 15 1 $ 915,463 12th
1991 29 4 14 21 0 $2,396,685 1st
1990 29 9 18 23 4 $3,083,056 1st
1989 29 5 14 19 0 $1,435,730 2nd
1988 29 3 13 19 0 $1,214,089 3rd
1987 29 11 21 24 1 $2,099,243 1st
1986 29 5 16 23 1 $1,783,880 1st
1985 28 4 10 16 1 $ 546,596 8th
1984 30 2 12 22 0 $ 616,788 4th
1983 30 2 9 14 1 $ 446,272 8th
1982 30 1 7 12 1 $ 375,325 12th
1981 31 0 9 17 0 $ 347,113 7th
1980 31 5 19 24 0 $ 588,926 1st
1979 27 1 11 17 4 $ 264,086 7th
1978 5 0 1 2 0 $ 20,145 43rd
1977 1 0 0 0 0 $ 1,375
1976 2 0 0 0 0 $ 3,085
1975 1 0 0 0 0 $ 1,925
=== == === === == ==========
TOTAL 676 76 281 428 23 $41,641,084
Dale Earnhardt averaged a race WIN every 8.9 races entered
Dale Earnhardt averaged a top 5 finish every 2.4 races entered
Dale Earnhardt averaged a top 10 finish every 1.5 races entered
Dale Earnhardt averaged an income of $61,599.24 per race driven
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