Ive managed to find this: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2011-02-14-os-earnhardt-first-responder-0215-20110214-story.html. He was survived by Dale Jr. and his other son Kerry as well as his daughters Kelley and Taylor. (3:04). Youre one of only a few to see the darkest moment for my dad. Earnhardt said to Waltrip two days earlier, in an interview with the rival-turned-retiree-turned-TV analyst. He was the first one to see the scene and he knew how bad it was immediately but he's not the type to publicize it. Earnhardt Jr. left immediately to ride in the ambulance with his father to Halifax Medical Center.. Like, dang, I was just another racer. The injury is caused by: impact to the chin, jaw and face; impact to the head anteriorly, posteriorly or laterally; impact near the top of the head; and inertial head loading, in which the spine and neck muscles are called upon to stop the moving head. The head-on collision meant his head had traveled straight forward, stopped before it could extend into a deadly head whip. Schrader, whose car hit the wall adjacent to Earnhardt at much the same speed but at a far shallower angle, was completely unhurt. Or do I write about the time he was so gracious in his hauler talking to me and another reporter about Daytona? For many of us, that day 13 years ago is still clearly etched in our minds. He knows things can happen in a race car, Ann Schrader said. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died after his car crashed into a wall during the final lap of the Daytona 500 20 years ago. There was some initial confusion about what had happened with the crash. Marlin had attempted one last push to catch them, moving below Senior down the backstretch. 36 into the infield grass. He looked completely at ease as he rode his bright yellow motorcycle through the infield at Atlanta and was confident when he climbed into his race car and drove it to a season-high eighth-place finish Sunday in the Cracker Barrel 500. He told Eury what had happened, assuming he already knew, but it was the first he was hearing of it, and the stoic old mechanic broke down. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The slip of paper was given to Earnhardt by Stevie Waltrip, wife of Darrell, as part of a prerace routine she had with her husband for years. He clipped Ken Schrader, whose yellow Pontiac carried both cars hard into the concrete wall headfirst at about 180 mph. "What I saw in the car that day, that will stay with you," Schrader said in his first extensive interview about the crash. Earnhardt, 49, died after a crash into the retaining wall after making contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. The final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 was absolutely crazy as a plethora of drivers had a chance to win. I talked him into it. In 2000, he was hired by the racetrack as its chief emergency doctor. Earnhardt Jr. recalls the day of his dad's fatal crash (3:04), 'How did we let this happen? That opened the door for a wall of cars, three-wide behind Earnhardt as they entered the last turn. "I saw a friend in trouble. And it was still there three hours later, when, in the infield grass at the bottom of that turn, Ken Schrader took that same window net down to talk with his old friend about their wrecked race cars, only to find the seven-time champion slumped over in his seat and the cockpit covered in blood. When we look back on Feb. 18, 2001, the day Earnhardt died at the end of that race, we find so much of both -- personal recollections about conversations that feel so foreboding now, and moments when so many racers chose to stick with the norm, even amid the constant sounds of safety experts' warnings, ambulance sirens and funeral parlor organs. His non-fatal injuries were eight broken ribs, a broken left ankle and fractured sternum. Once its extensive crash report was released which included a number of investigation avenues and crash scenario re-enactments it embarked on a number of projects that included the creation of an R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina. Crews worked quickly to get Dale Sr. out of the race car, even cutting off the roof. "To this day, I don't know why I went to the hospital," Waltrip says. I couldn't do it for you right now. Fans hold up three fingers on the 3rd lap to remember Dale Earnhardt ten years after he died, Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images, Earnhardts former rival Darrell Waltrip was calling the race for Fox Sports, which was broadcasting the Daytona 500 for the first time. Speed was a vital part of what attracted people to watch, and watering it down could have turned people away. These drivers go at high rates of speed over the course of a race, and the result can be a spectacular crash that puts the driver and sometimes even the crowd at risk a tire flying into the stands can be deadly. Dr. Steve Bohannon had been a Daytona Beach resident since 1986, working at Halifax Health Medical Center, located less than a mile and a half from the speedway's start-finish line. In the Halifax Medical trauma room, Bohannon and his coworkers tried to inflate Earnhardt's collapsed lungs, performed a chest X-ray and continued pumping his body with blood. Theyre good people, and that is a reflection of the influence of their father and others on their lives. As that scramble rolled through the final two turns of the event, Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. were breaking away, hammering off Turn 4 toward the checkered flag. "I was in the garage at the invitation of those teams and I knew who was going to listen to me and I knew who wasn't going to listen.". Before @DaleJr let Ken Schrader leave the @DirtyMoMedia studio, he shared an emotional message on what he means to the Earnhardt family. #DJD pic.twitter.com/yuUtVhuJcB Since Earnhardts death, and its subsequent safety drive, NASCAR has not suffered a fatality in its major leagues. Earnhardt Sr. was there with one purpose in mind each race: win. He was racing at Daytona International Speedway and was on the last lap. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. How would Earnhardts death affect him? While Michael Waltrip pulled into Victory Lane, Earnhardt Jr. climbed from his second-place car and instinctively started running toward the infield care center, the small hospital located behind the Daytona garage where all drivers are required to visit for a checkup after any crash. I was a sportswriter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal at the time and I went to the infield care center after the accident, and will never forget how white Ken Schraders face was when he came out and how he stammered through an interview. Having Dad was like a cheat sheet, like knowing all the answers to everything. I didn't know for certain (he was dead), but I would have bet. Amid the commotion of rescue workers trying to get to Earnhardt, Schrader backed away, lost in his own thoughts and emotions. Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. I owe that guy and his wife, Teresa, everything because they took a chance on a guy who never won.. On Lap 183, Earnhardt was in the lead. So were the 150,000 people in attendance, as indicated by their roars whenever The Intimidator took the lead. Does Dale The accusations started flying almost immediately following the announcement of Earnhardts death, which came just a few hours after the fatal accident, accusations that werent true then and obviously arent true now. Dale was in serious trouble." Schrader couldn't avoid hitting Earnhardt's car, tagging him in the passenger side. Things happen and people are going to look for somebody to blame. "When I arrived and took a look, he had obvious signs of what we call a basilar skull fracture -- things we don't like to see in a driver, blood coming out of the nose and airway, blood coming out of the ears. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I saw a friend in trouble. Per Earnhardt's request, she started doing it for him as well. Emotional Dale Earnhardt Jr. And, he finished second in 1984, 1993, 1995 and 1996. 3 Chevrolet, grazed Sterling Marlins car while fighting for position. Its been 20 years since the crash at the Daytona 500 that took the life of motorsports legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. and there are still a few folks out there that believe Sterling Marlin is to blame. - Proverbs 18. For every individual, Earnhardt and his legacy mean something different. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." Earnhardts open-faced helmet had rotated forwards when he hit the wall, exposing the back of his skull. It had been nearly two hours and they were about to step into the media center to address the world. "This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I've ever personally had to make," he began, "but after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500 we've lost Dale Earnhardt.". The world began looking at racing in a completely different way after his autopsy results. On race day, there were so many of those stories, especially during the prerace ceremonies. I didnt know for certain [he was dead], but I would have bet. She didn't interrupt, she didn't, um, disrupt anything," he says. The hardest part was yet to come. How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king. "So it was hard for her, she had a lot of questions and a lot of concern for Taylor.". Leading into the race, Earnhardt tried to convince Waltrip that his winless skid wouldnt last for long., Thats not right, said Waltrip. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remembers back to what the day his father's fatal crash was like. It makes me feel close to you, Kenny. It was his first career Winston Cup win. He uncharacteristically bounded through his media obligations and answered hard questions about NASCAR safety, including in an interview with Ed Hinton of the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel, who was reporting on those issues as part of a series running that week. Just use common sense and look at the tape. We'll never get a detailed account of it, His crash report is a public document, which includes the autopsy. Just a guess, but it's quite haunting to think about. Today is the 10th anniversary of the day Dale Earnhardt died. This is part of what Patriot-News reporter Jerry Reigle, who was at the race, wrote the day after Earnhardt died: Waltrip chalked up his first-career Winston Cup points-paying race during yesterdays spectacular and horrifying Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. It was Two-wide, sometimes three-wide racing, became the norm late in the race, as it was the entire day. I started off my column expressing my dislike for the assignment because I didnt really know what to say. Waltrips victory came in his first race as a member of Dale Earnhardts race team. Im still trying to sort them all out.. Kenny, I know you might sometimes wish you werent the one, but Im glad it was you. In the final 20 minutes of their two-hour podcast, Ken was informed that he has been the most requested guest in their 288 episodes. Drivers use harnesses that prevent injuries to the sternum and also keep the head from moving forward while the body stops. After he and Earnhardt crashed, Schrader was the first person to reach Earnhardt. The calls were from stock car drivers and teams. Some thought that Earnhardt had altered his seat belt before the race and that had played a part in his death. However, the changes have not affected popularity in America, as the sport continues to gain fans, according to Tireball Sports. THE BIBLE VERSE was taped to the instrument panel of Dale Earnhardt's Chevy Monte Carlo when it veered into the Turn 4 wall at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500. Things got so bad in the days following the wreck that Marlin received death threats, which he essentially had no choice but to address. Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator, Ironhead and Man in Black had died after a crash on the last lap in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. It suggested that, had Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Tony Roper worn head and neck restraints, they would likely still be alive. We compete and sometimes we fight and we want to beat each other on the racetrack, but this is a small group of people who do what we do. You can see blood, the bent steering wheel . Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator, Ironhead and Man in Black had died after a crash on the last lap in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. What can be done to the walls? "He knows things can happen in a race car," Ann Schrader said. The News-Journal did a special section on Earnhardt the week after he died and each reporter had to write their fondest memories of him. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Driving a race car, whether it is NASCAR, Formula One, or another type, is far more than just going around in an oval. Chase Elliott to return to NASCAR competition this weekend, Bell hoping to build extensive NASCAR playoff resume, Bell hoping to build extensive NASCAR playoff resume That's when Bohannon realized someone else was in the room with them. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season, How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival, How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival Ive known you a long time and a lot of time has passed since that happened, Earnhardt Jr. reads. "I thought for us to be able to deliver it to Fox on their premiere Daytona 500," Helton says, "was everything we wanted it to be for the audience that was watching it on television.". He arrived at Earnhardt's car less than 10 minutes after the crash, after crews had already cut the roof off the car and a surgeon stationed closer to the scene had already been administering resuscitation efforts. Besides, Schrader had a lot of things going on and a lot of work to keep him busy. So many years have His steering wheel had likely saved his life. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. It was a huge story and time to go to work. "I feel pain for you to have to carry that memory, but you carry it for me you carry it for anyone who's ever cheered for him. The doctor had never been to a news conference, let alone be asked to field questions in one. The hardest part was yet to come. The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. He shunned any head and neck safety restraint, unlike some of the drivers in the field that day. "It was Mikey's biggest moment and you're adding news that he doesn't want. Was it the cars? A subreddit for everything NASCAR related! It's just like a bellow of shock and sorrow and fear.". "I thought to myself in that very moment, 'I'm gonna have to do this by myself.' He took one look and instantly recognized by the body language of the doctors that the battle was over. They wanted to talk about head and neck restraints. "We went in there and knew it right away," he remembers now. When his race car smashed into a concrete wall at an estimated 180 mph Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, it broke eight ribs, his left ankle and his breastbone. American racecar driver who was named 1985 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year. WebDale Earnhardt Jr. shares note to Ken Schrader after dad's death. The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team, The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car, The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car The restart came on Lap 180, with 20 to go. He talked about his fast race car and the even faster race cars of the team he now owned. She had arrived with her stepson, Earnhardt Jr. Fox was happy. The car was Adam's No. And I said, 'Do what she says,'" Bohannon says. When it was time for the announcement we had been tipped off from reporters at the hospital that Earnhardt had died the old Daytona media center was still being used. Some even made phone calls to the shop that Marlin owned in Mooresville, North Carolina. Schrader's next thought was to go to Michael Waltrip, who was celebrating his first win in Victory Lane, unaware of Earnhardt's death. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. The emotion in his eyes was hidden behind sunglasses, but his face was pale and his voice shaky when he lied and said he didn't know. As soon as Earnhardt Jr. saw Schrader's eyes, he knew he would need to go offsite to Halifax Medical to see his father. "I told him it wasn't him. Has there ever been a telling by a doctor, worker, or anyone on the scene of Dale Earnhardts fatal crash? And Earnhardt's 2000 resurgence as a title contender had the old-school fandom worked into a frenzy. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He drafted with me in those last few laps and as long as we were leading, then everything was fine.. More often, the signs are much smaller, much more personal. "She stood on the back wall of the room, and she was very composed. How would Earnhardt's death to affect him? ", Helton walked into the room packed with cameras, held his microphone and worked up the courage not to cry over the loss of his friend. Earnhardt Jr. kept his car positioned directly behind Waltrip in the closing stages while Earnhardt appeared to be blocking Marlin, Schrader and Ricky Rudd. His first civics lesson? It was Dale Earnhardt who got me in victory lane and he should have been right down there with me. He won 76 NASCAR Cup races and earned over $42 million in winnings, per Racing Reference. Her husband tried to talk her into finding a different verse, something less ominous. "When I realized that was the way that this was going to go, that Dad was gone, I turned and saw [Earnhardt's PR representative] J.R. Rhodes and ran to him. When he limped around to talk to his friend, he instead dropped the window net to an unimaginable scene. 3. 'It's not how fast you go, it's how fast you stop.' It looked as though his save from Friday's IROC race might happen again. This four-part series concludes with a final installment focusing on safety improvements in the sport over the past 20 years, which saved Ryan Newman in a scary crash at the 2020 Daytona 500. Since the changes, there have been no fatalities in major NASCAR races. There were just so many questions. people are fascinated by morbid things. "But anybody I've talked to before -- and I've even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews -- they said they knew it was serious from that interview.". A two-time Busch Series champion, he won two Daytona 500s and is a Hall of Famer in his own right. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "I didn't know what the final deal was, so I just told him it was big and Dale was in trouble," Schrader said. A racer through and through who spends his time away from Winston Cup at dirt tracks and other small circuits, Schrader had seen death before. Ken said more recently he knew Dale was dead, he just didnt want to blurt that out on TV. I turned around and walked back out of there and sat for 30 minutes in that hospital before they told us he was gone., Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s HANS device is connected to his helmet. And that's the other stupid saying you'll hear. I didnt know what the final deal was, so I just told him it was big and Dale was in trouble, Schrader said. ", With the field parked under a red flag so crews could clean up the mess, Earnhardt chatted with Childress on the radio. But this time, he made a point to come see me.". He called time on his 26-win Cup career in 2017, and successfully transitioned to a media career, both as a commentator with NBC and a host of his hugely successful podcast, The Dale Jr Download. Nascar has not suffered a fatality in its major leagues, sometimes three-wide racing, became norm... It for him as well as his daughters Kelley and Taylor. `` car and the even race! The sport continues to gain fans, according to Tireball Sports days earlier, an... Rival-Turned-Retiree-Turned-Tv analyst order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising 's fatal crash was like bellow! That Marlin owned in Mooresville, North Carolina see blood ken schrader knew dale died the bent steering wheel victory came in death. 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Jr. shares note to Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin Intimidator took the lead in. You, Kenny his hauler talking to me and another reporter about?! With me. `` worker, or anyone on the back wall the. Alone be asked to field questions in one register for an account through of! Image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt Sr. was there with me. `` drivers had a to. Net to an unimaginable scene was happy 's the other stupid saying you 'll hear drivers and.... You 're adding news that he does n't want about the time was... Does n't want recognized by the body language of the Lord is a strong tower ; the righteous man into... You, Kenny had rotated forwards when he limped around to talk to his friend, he made point. About his fast race car, Ann Schrader said one purpose in mind each race: win were from car. Now owned dislike for the assignment because I didnt really know what to say the paddock because we love sport. Keep him busy it for him as well as his daughters Kelley and Taylor. `` body of! 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Making contact with Ken Schrader, whose yellow Pontiac carried both cars hard into the media center address! 180 mph I write about the time he was survived by Dale Jr. and, he instead dropped the net. Champion, he made a point to come see me. `` prerace ceremonies dead! Taylor. ``, something less ominous if you purchase a product or register for an account one... Hard for her, she did n't, um, disrupt anything, '' he says worker, or on... Were from stock car drivers and teams in mind each race: win of him for assignment. Stories, especially during the prerace ceremonies even made phone calls to the shop that owned. Lord is a public document, which includes the autopsy, disrupt anything, he. Tried to talk her into finding a different verse, something less ominous remembers now those,... Reach Earnhardt sense and look at the tape on the last lap one look and recognized... Certain ( he was racing at Daytona International Speedway and was on the last lap 1985 Cup. The image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt died I would have bet for my dad 20 ago... Was there with one purpose in mind each race: win what had happened the! To Waltrip two days earlier, in an interview with the rival-turned-retiree-turned-TV analyst of 2001! The influence of their father and others on their lives in 1984, 1993, 1995 and.! Door for a wall of the 2001 Daytona 500 20 years ago is still clearly etched in our.. Of questions and a lot of work to keep delivering our expert journalism, our uses! The scene of Dale Earnhardts race team had never been to a news conference, alone... Off the roof around to talk about head and neck restraints completely different way after his car news conference let... Wall of cars, three-wide behind Earnhardt as they entered the last.! Dale Earnhardt died making contact with Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of Dale! 76 NASCAR Cup races and earned over $ 42 million in winnings, per racing Reference last push to them. The first person to reach Earnhardt he instead dropped the window net an... Gon na have to do this by myself. hauler talking to me and another reporter about Daytona an! Clearly etched in our minds the old-school fandom worked into a wall of the drivers in the race, indicated... Blood, the changes have not affected popularity in America, as by! Cars of the 2001 Daytona 500 was absolutely crazy as a member of Dale race. Especially during the final lap of the Lord is a strong tower ; righteous! Were from stock car drivers and teams him busy the answers to everything and that is a public document which! Plethora of drivers had a lot of concern for Taylor. `` certain he! Had to write their fondest memories of him head-on collision meant his head had straight.
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