Daytona to honor Earnhardt

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VaDirt

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/13/2065009/dis-intends-to-honor-earnhardt.html

Daytona International Speedway is planning to honor the-late Dale Earnhardt with a fan salute during the February 20 Daytona 500.

Daytona is honoring the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion on the anniversary of his death in an accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Officials from the 2.5-mile speedway are asking fans who are attending next Sunday's Daytona 500 to observe a moment of silence during the third lap of the race. Earnhardt drove the iconic No.3 car for most of his storied career in NASCAR's top-tier series. He won his first and only Daytona 500 in 1998.

"We felt it was the appropriate way to honor Dale Earnhardt," track president Joie Chitwood said.

Officials did not want to plan any ceremonies for Earnhardt during track activities this Friday (February 18), which is the actual anniversary date of his tragic death.

Chitwood also said officials are working with radio and television broadcasters to observe the third-lap moment of silence.

Earnhardt's son, Dale, won the pole position for the Daytona 500 after posting the fastest lap in Sunday's qualifying.
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Am I the only one who is getting tired of the whole Eanhardt thing? I mean honestly, it's been 10 years. We get it, he was an icon, he was a legend, but this whole concetrating on his death at the final lap of the Daytona 500 is just bordering on obession.

In short: MOVE ON PEOPLE!
 
SpeedPagan said:
Am I the only one who is getting tired of the whole Eanhardt thing? I mean honestly, it's been 10 years. We get it, he was an icon, he was a legend, but this whole concetrating on his death at the final lap of the Daytona 500 is just bordering on obession.

In short: MOVE ON PEOPLE!
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Agreed!
 
SpeedPagan said:
Am I the only one who is getting tired of the whole Eanhardt thing? I mean honestly, it's been 10 years. We get it, he was an icon, he was a legend, but this whole concetrating on his death at the final lap of the Daytona 500 is just bordering on obession.

In short: MOVE ON PEOPLE!
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Thank you!!! Agreed
 
Yep, enough is enough. But you'll never get the Earnhardt fans to say enough is enough. They just can't move forward...and some others as well.
 
I was a Sr fan for a long time, but all this hype and BS should have been laid to rest 8 or 9 years ago. All the books, and documentaries in the world ain't gonna bring him back.
Besides, we'll have another dozen years of this BS when Petty kicks off. As we know, time ain't on his side either. The media will be unbearable when that day comes too.
MoMike
 
MoMike said:
I was a Sr fan for a long time, but all this hype and BS should have been laid to rest 8 or 9 years ago. All the books, and documentaries in the world ain't gonna bring him back.
Besides, we'll have another dozen years of this BS when Petty kicks off. As we know, time ain't on his side either. The media will be unbearable when that day comes too.
MoMike
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Oh god....when Petty dies, I may just give up on Nascar forever and stick to the short tracks.
 
You people are pretty much heartless. Dale was a great role model for both young and old with his attitude of never give up and if I can do it you can do it. It just takes determination. I credit him somewhat for my going back to school at the age of 43 and becoming a college graduate after my limited time in high school many years earlier.
Maybe it is time to let it go but to just forget about someone is not right.
Thats not much different than saying, well those soldiers who protect our country are great but when the get killed it's oh well just move on and forget about them. I won't.
Just my opinion and I refuse to debate it any further.
 
racer8 said:
You people are pretty much heartless. Dale was a great role model for both young and old with his attitude of never give up and if I can do it you can do it. It just takes determination. I credit him somewhat for my going back to school at the age of 43 and becoming a college graduate after my limited time in high school many years earlier.
Maybe it is time to let it go but to just forget about someone is not right.
Thats not much different than saying, well those soldiers who protect our country are great but when the get killed it's oh well just move on and forget about them. I won't.
Just my opinion and I refuse to debate it any further.
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I never said forget them. The problem I'm having is that it's been 10 years since Sr. death, and people still talk about it like it just happened. I mean how much longer are we going to keep dragging this subject up? Yes, Earnhardt was a legend, he was an icon, and yes it was tragic that he died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, however, you'd think after 10 years, the whole "remember the way Earnhardt died?!" shtick would be nothing more than a footnote to the whole Daytona 500 show.
 
SpeedPagan said:
I never said forget them. The problem I'm having is that it's been 10 years since Sr. death, and people still talk about it like it just happened. I mean how much longer are we going to keep dragging this subject up? Yes, Earnhardt was a legend, he was an icon, and yes it was tragic that he died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, however, you'd think after 10 years, the whole "remember the way Earnhardt died?!" shtick would be nothing more than a footnote to the whole Daytona 500 show.
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Yeah pretty much its like was there in 2004 a Neil Bonnett died 10 years ago show?
 
This is two much. People are complaining that they are paying tribute to an icon of the sport that we follow. Only in the world of NASCAR fans would such a thing happen. :confused: Are many of you new to the sport? I'm not really sure why the significance is lost on most of you. Love him or hate him, it's the 10th anniversary of the passing of one of the sports biggest names.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
This is two much. People are complaining that they are paying tribute to an icon of the sport that we follow. Only in the world of NASCAR fans would such a thing happen. :confused: Are many of you new to the sport? I'm not really sure why the significance is lost on most of you. Love him or hate him, it's the 10th anniversary of the passing of one of the sports biggest names.
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What it really is .....is the passing of Nascar as we knew it. Since his death Nascar has been a convoluted mess of rules changes, crappy racing, an ugly car, and basically Vanilla drivers who are programmed on cue to be PC correct. Dale was none of that, drove a car everyone recognized even if you knew little about the guy or the sport, you knew Chevy was his brand, knew Goodwrrench was his sponsor. IMO when he died, the sport died, I know it has been said many ways and in a similar fashion, but Sr was what Nascar needed to be, since he died there hasn't been anything close.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
This is two much. People are complaining that they are paying tribute to an icon of the sport that we follow. Only in the world of NASCAR fans would such a thing happen. :confused: Are many of you new to the sport? I'm not really sure why the significance is lost on most of you. Love him or hate him, it's the 10th anniversary of the passing of one of the sports biggest names.
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If that was all it was intended to be, that'd be OK.
However, some of us recognize this as an attempt by NA__AR to draw attention, and an audience back to the sport, at the expense of alot of resurfacing grief. All this because attendance, and viewing numbers have been in a free-fall for years now.

Where is the Bill France Jr, or Bill Sr day? Nowheres, ya know why? Because that doesn't draw an audience.
Plain and simple, NA__ar is still trying to profit, and benefit off of the popularity of a man thats long gone. It's sad.
MoMike
 
Problem that I have with it, he is not the only one that has died. They should honor all of them. Doesn't matter how many wins or titles each might or might not have. :)
 
kelloggs5TLfan said:
Problem that I have with it, he is not the only one that has died. They should honor all of them. Doesn't matter how many wins or titles each might or might not have. :)
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True.... but SR was the epitome of what Nascar was, an era lost when he died.
 
Mopardh9 said:
True.... but SR was the epitome of what Nascar was, an era lost when he died.
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He was a chapter, but far from the whole book. We keep wanting to flip back 100 pages to re-read it over.
Nobody is ever going to forget him.
And those that never followed him, or the sport when he lived, aren't ever going to know him, other than to recognize the name.
Much like I only recognize Fireball Roberts by name.
MoMike
 
I agree with most everyone on here. It's past time to move on. I'm not saying we should forget Earnhardt, but it's gotten annoying. Kind of reminds me of Rudy Giuliani during the Presidential Debates... every time someone asked him a question, he injected "on 9/11" or "when I was mayor on 9/11" or something to that degree.

I'm sick of everytime we talk about NASCAR, "when Earnhardt died" or "when Earnhardt was racing". NASCAR was around before him and NASCAR has survived without him. He wasn't the last of his kind, Elliott and Martin are still around.

If every NFL broadcast, the broadcasters said "when Vince Lombardi coached the Packers" or "when Lombardi was in Washington", I would scream.

Earnhardt was a part of NASCAR, but he was not NASCAR.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
This is two much. People are complaining that they are paying tribute to an icon of the sport that we follow. Only in the world of NASCAR fans would such a thing happen. :confused: Are many of you new to the sport? I'm not really sure why the significance is lost on most of you. Love him or hate him, it's the 10th anniversary of the passing of one of the sports biggest names.
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It's more than that. The Earnhardt stuff has been every day since he died. If it was only a tribute here and there, it's fine. But when every single thing done in NASCAR racing is turned in to Dale Earnhardt, it's really obnoxious.
 
Officials from the 2.5-mile speedway are asking fans who are attending next Sunday's Daytona 500 to observe a moment of silence during the third lap of the race.
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It's kind of funny (odd) to have a moment of silence with 43 race cars zipping by.
 
The #3 merchandise trailer is at most tracks continuing to make money on someone that hasn't been on the track for the last 10 years and never will return.

Amazing.

Guess as long as someone is making money, and people that can't move on spend their money, it will continue to go on and on.

I don't think I have seen that for any other sports figure in any other sport.
Just seems morbid to me but that is just my opinion.
 
Guido said:
The #3 merchandise trailer is at most tracks continuing to make money on someone that hasn't been on the track for the last 10 years and never will return.

Amazing.

Guess as long as someone is making money, and people that can't move on spend their money, it will continue to go on and on.

I don't think I have seen that for any other sports figure in any other sport.
Just seems morbid to me but that is just my opinion.
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could you imagine what eBay would look like if they didn't merchandise still?
 
Guido said:
The #3 merchandise trailer is at most tracks continuing to make money on someone that hasn't been on the track for the last 10 years and never will return.

Amazing.

Guess as long as someone is making money, and people that can't move on spend their money, it will continue to go on and on.

I don't think I have seen that for any other sports figure in any other sport.
Just seems morbid to me but that is just my opinion.
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Look at the Forbes.com list of top 10 earning dead celebrities. There are plenty of people out there that will never let go of their respective idols.
 
BobbyFord said:
Look at the Forbes.com list of top 10 earning dead celebrities. There are plenty of people out there that will never let go of their respective idols.
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2010's list

1.Michael Jackson

2.Elvis Presley

3.J.R.R. Tolkien

4.Charles Schulz

5.John Lennon

6.Stieg Larsson

7.Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

8.Albert Einstein

9.George Steinbrenner

10.Richard Rodgers

11.(tie)Jimi Hendrix

11.(tie)Steve McQueen

13.Aaron Spelling
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I agree with most everyone on here. It's past time to move on. I'm not saying we should forget Earnhardt, but it's gotten annoying. Kind of reminds me of Rudy Giuliani during the Presidential Debates... every time someone asked him a question, he injected "on 9/11" or "when I was mayor on 9/11" or something to that degree.

I'm sick of everytime we talk about NASCAR, "when Earnhardt died" or "when Earnhardt was racing". NASCAR was around before him and NASCAR has survived without him. He wasn't the last of his kind, Elliott and Martin are still around.

If every NFL broadcast, the broadcasters said "when Vince Lombardi coached the Packers" or "when Lombardi was in Washington", I would scream.

Earnhardt was a part of NASCAR, but he was not NASCAR.
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Perhaps we talk about Sr like that because most people wish that racing and Nascar was still like it was when he was racing. Lets face it it was better, the whole thing was better, races were sold out, there were new fans flocking in droves to Nascar. Now what do we have, empty seats, declining TV ratings, a sport that is still trying to find it self after Sr died. When Earnhardt was racing I didn't like him, hell he was the opposite of what I liked, I was a Bill Elliot fan and Sr. was a rival. That was all lost when Sr. died, sure Nascar tried to create rivals, and still does, but it is nothing like it was because they don't have a clue most of the time what the hell they are doing. Yeh I get sick of the tribute stuff just as much of the next guy, but you have to admit, and I hate saying this, Sr. was The Nascar of the modern era. You can spin it any way you want, but the fact remains, Nascar has not been the same, has not put out a product that can come close to matching what it had during that era. They have tried just about everything, but really what do we have now? A 2 car draft that looks like a video game, actually it is worse than a video game, sure as hell isn't racing, even if Nascar is trying to fix it most likely they will just create another problem. Do any of you actually think this would have happened if Earnhardt were still alive? Do any of you think that Sr would of sat back and not voiced his opinion, swaggered on up to the trailer and had a little chat? I can remember Sr. walking down the infield paddock area at Daytona with a few microphones in his face saying " this isn't racing boys" that's all he had to say. The next day he was in the trailer, changes were made , and there was better racing that year at Daytona & Dega. Do we have any one right now in the garage with that kind of a voice and influence? No one I can think of off hand, no one even close. That is why this sport has gone downhill, why it has no real clear direction, I don't like laying all that on Sr., but IMO I think that is what has happened. So I think that is why after 10 years we still have all the tribute stuff, why even the big cheeses of Nascar are playing off of it, because they can make money off it for one and two, it still brings attention to the sport.
 
because we can't slam other members here i guess i won't tell a few to go F%^$# themselves. however appears we got a few here that never saw him race so i guess ignorance is bliss
 
It seems to me all his kids are doing well. They've all got careers in the racing business, no doubt, inpart to their connections through daddy. Grandkids too.
Don't ever recall hearing stories of abuse at the hands of their father out of any of them.
I guess if racing 35-40 weeks out of the year is grounds for neglect, then I neglect my kids too, when I deploy 2 months or longer.
MoMike
 
It's clear that Earnhardt carries as much emotion now in death as he did while he was alive. There was nobody out there more of an ABE than me, but I wanted to see him get beat, not die. When you beat one of the best, you've accomplished something. Also, I always loved to see other drivers spin him out.

No question that Dale was one of the driving factors that grew NASCAR, but he is gone now and NASCAR, though waning in popularity, is still around. It's time to let go and find another driver like him to take over.
 
SpeedPagan said:
How was he a dirtbag father?
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Oh I don't know, abandoning your kid and not taking care of him or talking to him until he is a teenager may qualify as being a dirt bag father. You have heard of Kerry Earnhardt, right?
 
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