DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Dale Earnhardt

It's been 15 years.

It's still ridiculously depressing.

I tried to stay interested in Nascar, watched Jr. Win the 500 in 2004.

Got behind Kevin Harvick, but Goodwrench on a white car just never seemed right..

Tried to get behind Austin Dillon in the new #3. Just couldn't do it.

don't worry, Tony Stewart revitalized NASCAR...

in all the wrong ways.

Yeah, NASCAR has never been the same for me. Other than a few big races, like the Daytona 500 and Talladega, I rarely watch a NASCAR race anymore.

Used to LOVE nascar. Over the years, I kind of lost interest. Still followed it, especially since my cousin was in it.......but I certainly don't watch every race, like I used to.

Earnhardt. Never a big fan of his. Although, I will say this: When he died, I actually woke my wife up to tell her. (she works nights, used to always take a nap Sunday evenings). I had to talk to her.

One other thing, about DE and Terry Labonte, Bristol race, when Earnhardt spun Terry on the last lap to win. Ticked me off.

I used to race go-karts. (easy folks, these were true race machines - not just your mom and pop backyard karts)

Racing at Toledo Speedway, against a guy that was a die hard DE fan (of course, there were 8 other karts on the track), but, this guy and I broke away. I could catch him on the straights, and he'd pull away on the corners. Our gearing was different - I went top end speed, he went for power in the corners.

Consequently, at the end of each straight, I was catching him, by the time we came out of the corners, he was still in front.

Last lap, turn 1..right on his bumper. I touched his bumper. He spun. As I went on buy his spinning kart, I heard his tires squealing as he spun.

I won.

He's a really good friend of mine. A bit older. He, and his son, were the ones that got me into racing karts. Back in the pits, he had a perfect attitude: You just Earnhardted me!

"That's racing."

We still talk about it. He knew I had the straightaway speed to pass him, so he blocked. I knew he had the pull in the corners. (we're talking 5 hp briggs and stratton engines, putting out about 9 hp). Like I said, he was geared for the corners, I was geared for the straights.

I had to tag him. I had pretty much every lap - just to let him know I was right there.

I remember watching ESPN that night (I was 14 btw)

And they suddenly broke to Childress at the podium.

"We have lost Dale Earnhardt."

I cried. My dad woke me up the next day and we just kind of sat there and watched the screen.

Yeah - same here. Except I wasn't 14. I was 32.

But, I remember the cut in. Stared at the tv........then went and told my wife. (I never, EVER wake my wife up)

Dale was my fav. driver of all time, i grew up idolizing him. I come from a very big racing family..we all have raced something at some point. I had an uncle who built engines for AJ Foyt, and uncle that raced in the arca series etc.. both raced supers against bodines in oswego etc. Well my older uncle actually went to school with Frank Rousch and was good friends with him and Jack, and thus a huge Mark Martin fan back in the day. We'd go to probably 10-15 races a year and always watch from either mark martins or ted musgraves trailer, always around drivers and in the garage..I lived every kids dream. One time we were at MIS and we were going off track to grab dinner, we get in the suburban it was Dale, Rusty and Neil Bonnett.. Best dinner ever, Dale was so down to earth away from the track, listening to them tell stories for 3 hours was to this day one of my favorite memories ever. I was 15 at the time. On the day he died, i watched the last lap crash and was annoyed he didn't win, it didn't look that bad at all so i turned it off..Later, I got call from aunt asking how i was taking Dale's death.. i was like huh? really felt like losing a family member. I haven't watched but maybe 5 races since. I like Dale Jr. I think he's doing well for himself and has turned into a pretty good dude. But its just not the same. Plus with all the rule changes and playoffs, championships for me aren't nearly as hard to win as before when you had to be good all season. The battles between earnhardt and martin in the points was always fun. thats my Earnhardt memory

Arch, When you were racing carts how far did you travel to the races? Just curious cause I'm about 1 hour and 40 minutes south of you and there used to be a cart track about 3 or 4 miles from me that my buddies and I used to watch the cart races at and I believe you and I are pretty close age wise.

I was watching the race when DE crashed and right away I could tell something was wrong.

Went to Fremont, Ohio and also Toledo Speedway.

for a guy that loves cars as much as I do, I'm surprised I've never gotten into Nascar. Just never found interest in it. strange

I used to have a Dale Ernhardt NASCAR hot wheels car in my cube at work. Some loser stole it.

"Drivers Start Your Engines"

Feb. 21 Daytona
Feb. 28 Atlanta
March 6 Las Vegas
March 13 Phoenix
March 20 Auto Club
April 3 Martinsville
April 9 Texas
April 17 Bristol
April 24 Richmond
May 1 Talladega
May 7 Kansas
May 15 Dover
May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
May 29 Charlotte
June 5 Pocono
June 12 Michigan
June 26 Sonoma
July 2 Daytona
July 9 Kentucky
July 17 New Hampshire
July 24 Indianapolis
July 31 Pocono
Aug. 7 Watkins Glen
Aug. 20 Bristol
Aug. 28 Michigan
Sept. 4 Darlington
Sept. 10 Richmond
Sept. 18 Chicagoland
Sept. 25 New Hampshire
Oct. 2 Dover
Oct. 8 Charlotte
Oct. 16 Kansas
Oct. 23 Talladega
Oct. 30 Martinsville
Nov. 6 Texas
Nov. 13 Phoenix
Nov. 20 Homestead-Miami

Hoping to make it to the Auto Club this year. Never really watched DE... When I was a kid all my focus was on the Rainbow Warrior.

I liked Gordon until Tony Stewart came around. He is always the bad boy who makes things interesting.

Already up to the seventh race of 2016. Seven races, seven different pole position winners.

Carl Edwards leads this one.

The Duck Commander 500. (Texas Motor Speedway - a night race - 7:30 pm EST start)

Wish I was there.