Tragedy strikes again...

[Jay]

You guys know I am not a big NASCAR fan, but this has gotten me hard:

Feb 18) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)- Reports say seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt died in hospital after a crash Sunday on the final lap of Daytona 500. Earnhardt's son, Dale Jr., left Daytona International Speedway to be with him immediately after teammate Michael Waltrip won the race. The elder Earnhardt owned both cars.

The accident happened a half-mile from the finish of the NASCAR season opener when Earnhardt, running fourth, hit Sterling Marlin, hit the wall in the high-banked fourth turn and was smacked hard by Ken Schrader.

Earnhardt was treated in the emergency room and Halifax Hospital.
It was the second major crash in five years in the race for Earnhardt.He flipped wildly on the backstretch near the end of the race in 1997 but was not seriously hurt. He came back to win the race the next year on his 20th try.

Earnhardt was the leader among active Winston Cup drivers with 76 career victories.

I just want to express my deepest condolences to all of Dale's friends, family and fans.

RIP

[Sparky]

This is terrible news.

The guy was a NASCAR institution...

RIP 'The Intimidator'.

[EERO]

I don't spend alot of time in this forum, but I watched the whole 500 and cannot believe the irony of this whole result; Micheal W. gets his first win as his mentor crashes protecting his rear on the last lap. Its very very sad and my condolences go out to the Earnhardt family and Team.

[Joe Fan]

Unbelievable if you would have seen some of his other crashes at Daytona and Talladega. His crash looked like any other where a driver gets turned into the wall. This is shocking news and the world has lost one of the truly great drivers of all-time.

[TimD]

I want to write something here, but I don't know what to say.

Dale Earnhardt was what made NASCAR for me this last few years, and he's the only really "hard" driver I ever supported. I feel awful.

This feels just as bad as when we lost Senna.

[Redneck]

Godspeed Dale. We will miss you.

[GURRYP]

Having seen a Pepsi 400 race at Daytona, I just feel totally gutted by tonight's news. Even though I'm 1000's of miles away I was looking forward to seeing the highlights on cable tomorrow. But I can't possibly watch them now.

My thoughts are with Dale Jnr & his family.

This is another truely awful loss to motorsport, following so soon after the loss of Mark & Bertie Fisher then Michael Sundstrom.

[Murph]

My God, I am stunned. When I saw Tony Stewarts in-car camera shot of him slumping over after his wreck I was hearsick as it reminded me of Ayrton at Imola.... but he was only knocked out and I was so rellieved. But the bad vibes came back again when Dale hit the wall....and when the TV showed Dale Jr. sprinting towards his dad's car I got that awful feeling again. My prayers go out to Dale's family and may God watch over them in their time of grief. God Speed #3....

[marcus]

I dont quite know what to say..I am very upset at this sad news and have just been in my wifes arms crying..I still cannot believe this has happened.

Dale you were one of the greatest ever and my condolances go out to the Earnhardt family and everone who knew him and even people like myself who never met the man but admired him for who he was.


RIP Dale Earnhardt..may god be with you.

[Neil C]

Heaven has no favorites.
God bless you Dale.

[corvette kid]

GOD BLESS THE EARHARDT FAMILY MY CONDOLANCES AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THEM.(this is the dark side of motorsports,one that i will never come to grips with)

[Liz]

I am not a NASCAR fan, but I have to admit I was impressed with the way Dale Sr. got into the Corvette and drove in the dark, in the rain, both circumstances he'd not faced before, and did a better job than a number of the professional sports car racers did. It shows that a great talent has no restrictions, which is rare in this day and age when everyone is a specialist.

I only hope that this does not start another clamour to emasculate the great sport which Earnhardt clearly loved and for which he gave his life. He could have lived to be 100 if he had stayed home in a rocking chair, but since death comes to us all, perhaps this is the way he would have preferred ...

God bless you, Dale, you were one of the last of the Good Ole Boys and you will be missed.

[Marshal]

I don't know what to say, but I want to register my shock and sadness and disbelief. I've never been a fan of NASCAR but The Intimidator was a titan. Enjoy the ovals in heaven.

[Lee]

Words are impossible to find. There is nothing that can be said to make up for the death of Dale Earnhardt, or any other driver that is killed in the sport. It is a sad fact that racing is a dangerous sport, and at times it brutally reminds us that the sport that we all love so much can turn deadly, in an instant, leaving us unable to do anything about it, except to watch in horror. May the Good Lord watch over Dale, and may He comfort Dale's family, friends, and the NASCAR family in these darkest of times.

[R]

I was indeed shocked when I read the news of Earnhardt's death. I really don't know what to say. I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but if there was one name I always instantly thought of when I heard the word "NASCAR", it was Dale Earnhardt's.

To me, the words NASCAR and Earnhardt were synonymous. He was, and will always be, a motorsport legend. This is an extremely sad loss, not just for NASCAR, but for the entire motorsport world.

My deepest condolences goes out to his friends, and most of all to his family. RIP Dale. You were one of the true greats.

[justafan]

We will miss all of the past and now racers that died on and off the track. Most of you all died doing what you loved doing that was flying in the car or in a plain We will miss you.

[Bononi]

For all fans of motorsport that's an awful moment.

No blames, no rage.

Just something that you feel the world ain't right...

God bless his soul.

Godspeed.