[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 23 (Monday, February 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1565-S1566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING DALE EARNHARDT

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I rise to speak today about Dale Earnhardt. 
During this past week, millions of racing fans all around the country 
have been mourning the death of this stock car great. He was killed on 
the last turn of the last lap of the prestigious Daytona 500 just a 
week ago Sunday.
  I rise today not only to eulogize Dale Earnhardt but to try to 
explain to those who are not racing fans why his life and death means 
so much to those of us who are. I believe there are some lessons of 
life here that have relevance to all of us and, indeed, to the health 
of our country.
  Why is Dale Earnhardt's death an occasion for such reflection? The 
first reason has to do with the man himself. I did not know him well. 
His closest friends talked not just about Dale Earnhardt the race car 
driver but about Dale Earnhardt the man, a family man, a man who was 
intensely loyal to his friends, a man who went out of his way to do 
thoughtful favors, who took great care of his employees, and who helped 
younger drivers.
  Ironically, he died at almost the precise moment that Michael Waltrip 
took the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 race. It was Waltrip's first 
victory ever in a very long racing career, well over 400 starts. Dale 
Earnhardt believed in Michael Waltrip. He believed he could win if he 
had the right equipment. So he hired him; he provided him a car that 
could win, and Michael Waltrip did the rest.
  In private, Earnhardt always seemed to me to be quiet; in fact, even 
shy. But on the track he was anything but shy. He was known as ``the 
Intimidator.'' That is precisely because of the way he raced. He was 
tough. It seemed he would always find a way to win, even if his car was 
not as good that day as some of the others.
  Sometimes, especially earlier in his career, he was perhaps too 
aggressive. But he didn't see racing as a sport for the weak. Indeed, I 
don't think there is anything wrong with having a very strong desire to 
be the very best you can be. That seemed to be Dale Earnhardt's 
motivation in life. As racing fans, as sports fans of any kind, we all 
have our favorites, but no real NASCAR fan would deny that he was the 
greatest driver of his time.
  It takes away nothing from the other great drivers to acknowledge 
that Dale Earnhardt was the best. He had enormous natural talent and 
courage. It takes courage to drive a car right on the edge, at 200 
miles per hour. He had experience, racing smarts, and he had an 
intangible will--the will to win. He won seven NASCAR championships, 
tied only by Richard Petty. He had a lot of other racing victories as 
well. One of the racing series is called IROC, International Race of 
Champions, where everybody is given an identical car and it is up to 
the drivers to show who is the best using identically prepared cars. 
Earnhardt frequently won because of his skill.
  It may simply be a sport, but we can all appreciate excellence. 
Whether in art, music, business, or sport, it is a joy to watch the 
very best perform. That is one of the reasons Dale Earnhardt will be so 
sorely missed. His peers will miss him as well as his fans.
  Why was he so tough? It had to do with respect. One of the highest 
accomplishments for a race car driver was to have the respect of Dale 
Earnhardt. In NASCAR racing, you knew you had made it when Dale 
Earnhardt said so.
  Some wonder how well NASCAR will fare with the death of its greatest 
driver. But Dale Earnhardt would scoff at that thought. It was always 
his dream to drive a NASCAR. NASCAR was a great sports organization 
before he got there, and it will continue to grow. It is the Nation's 
fastest-growing sport. Just as Richard Petty's 200 wins and 7 
championships earned him the moniker ``The King,'' NASCAR will add Dale 
Earnhardt to its great history and tradition, and it will continue.
  Back to the original question: Why do so many millions of Americans 
mourn his death? I think it has to do with the very nature of NASCAR 
itself. It is a family affair, and all NASCAR fans consider themselves 
part of that family. You start with NASCAR itself, the National 
Association of Stock Car Racing, which was started by Bill France, from 
Daytona Beach, FL. His family took it over. His son Bill France, Jr., 
has been the head of NASCAR during its great growth period.
  I pray for Bill France, Jr.'s health. He has, in effect, turned most 
of the business over to other members of his family now and also to the 
CEO of NASCAR, Mike Helton. The crews, the owners, the sponsors, the 
drivers, the owners of the tracks, and the media that cover the sport 
are all a very close-knit unit. They race hard against each other, but 
they will always come to each other's aid in times of difficulty.
  Not only is there a strong sense of values within the people who 
participate in the sport, but also strong values within the family, 
starting with a firm belief in God. When the race is over, ordinarily 
when the driver maneuvers himself out of the car and claims victory, 
first of all he will thank God for a safe race and for the talent, he 
will thank his crew for preparing the car, and he will thank a lot of 
other people for enabling him to win. At the races, each Sunday morning 
before the race starts there is a chapel service and a prayer before 
the race.
  A lot of these things don't characterize typical sports events. These 
are good people. They are not prima donnas like some other sports 
figures. They provide interviews and give autographs and do 
appearances. They appeal to young people. They are really normal people 
doing very extraordinary things. Fans can relate to them. They look at 
them not as role models but as people who, in a sense, are like them. 
Many came up the hard way, as Earnhardt did. He didn't even graduate 
from high school. His father was a great driver in his own right. Now 
Dale Earnhardt's son, Dale Jr., will have to do the same.
  In the end, Dale Earnhardt is mourned because his life is an example 
of the American dream. He came from very humble beginnings--in his 
case, from the small town of Kannapolis, NC --worked hard, and ended up 
a success. Dale Earnhardt is mourned because he embodied the qualities 
not only personifying NASCAR but, in a sense, life in general, and 
humility, loyalty, caring, hard work, pride in one's work, and the 
competitive spirit. Most of all, he was a lover of family and friends.
  Today, I join the millions of Americans who are praying for Dale's 
wife Theresa, his children, and all of the good people who are fans of 
NASCAR.
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, I rise today to note with sadness the 
tragic death of Dale Earnhardt.
  For the past week, the Nation has mourned the loss of a racing 
legend.
  But in my home State of North Carolina, his death has a special 
significance because we have lost a cherished native son.
  Dale Earnhardt was a hero to countless NASCAR fans in North Carolina 
and across our country.
  His success on the track helped elevate stock-car racing from a 
regional pastime to a national sport.
  Racing brought Dale fame and wealth, but he never forgot his roots in 
Kannapolis, North Carolina or the hometown fans who backed him from the 
beginning.
  He never let them down. They always knew they could count on Dale to 
give it his all every time.
  Dale Earnhardt was a champion from the start, winning NASCAR rookie-
of-the-year honors back in 1975.
  In 26 years of racing, Dale won 7 Winston Cup Series titles, 76 races 
in all, including the 1998 Daytona 500, and became the leading all-time 
money winner in racing history.
  His fans and his fellow racers called him ``The Intimidator''--not 
just because he won so many races--but because he was a fierce 
competitor.
  Dale Earnhardt was more than a great race car driver. He was also a 
great American success story, rising from poverty and a ninth-grade 
education to become a racing legend and extraordinarily successful 
businessman.
  He was also a great husband to his wife Teresa, and a great father to 
his

[[Page S1566]]

children, Taylor, Dale Jr., Kelley, and Kerry. Our hearts go out to 
them.
  North Carolina has lost one of her favorite sons, and NASCAR has lost 
perhaps its greatest champion. Our prayers go out to his family, 
friends, and fans.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I was so glad to hear my distinguished 
colleague from North Carolina talking about Dale Earnhardt. Dale was a 
remarkable citizen and individual. I knew him well. In fact, when the 
news came that he had died in the accident, I immediately arranged for 
a flag to be flown at half-mast over the Capitol to be sent to his 
widow for use at the funeral.
  Dale had a good sense of humor, and he was not unaware of the risk 
involved in the business in which he chose to participate. I remember 
when he came to a dinner in Charlotte when I was running for 
reelection, and he and others had arranged for me to get a ``Winston 
Cup'' jacket, I think they called it. It was a thing that only race car 
drivers can wear with impunity. But I wear it every once in a while 
because I am so grateful for this industry--and that is what it is in 
North Carolina, a big business.
  Dale Earnhardt was--how do you put it--an authentic American. There 
was no pretense about him. He was a hero to millions of stock car 
racing fans who followed his remarkable career as a seven-time Winston 
Cup champion when that fatal crash occurred on the last lap of the 
Daytona 500 on February 18.
  North Carolina has lost a son and America has lost an incredible 
hero. Dale Earnhardt touched people whether or not they were fans of 
the motor sports. Growing up in North Carolina and working at what he 
loved, he was indeed remarkable. The passion he had for life did not 
end when he left the track. He carried it over to his family. He lived 
life to its fullest and loved every second of it.
  Race fans throughout the world felt as if they had lost a member of 
their family--and they had. Known as ``The Intimidator'' for his 
aggressive driving style, Dale Earnhardt was a legend not only for his 
racing career, but for his having guided thousands of young people into 
useful, meaningful adulthoods. Dale Earnhardt is an inspiration to 
millions for allowing them to realize that a dream can be achieved.
  The United States Senate family extends their deepest sympathy to 
Mrs. Earnhardt, their two sons and two daughters, and their other loved 
ones.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, it is with great sorrow that I am 
recognizing today the loss of one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever 
to get behind the wheel, Dale Earnhardt, who tragically died at this 
year's Daytona 500. The Nation not only lost an icon of the racing 
world, but also a great man.
  Dale Earnhardt's career achievements are vast, better than most teams 
of drivers. In his 26 years of racing, Dale won 76 races and secured 
seven Winston Cup Championships. But, the biggest accomplishment Dale 
earned is the respect and admiration of his fellow drivers and his fans 
through his hard work and dedication to the sport he loved. Everyone 
involved in racing will never forget what Dale has done for the sport 
and how his accomplishments have forever turned racing into a way of 
life.
  He had an aggressive driving style that was rivaled by none, and 
revered by all. Dale Earnhardt set the standard by which every driver 
was measured. On the race track it was all business. Off the track he 
was a man with a huge heart and a tender way who always had time for 
fans and other racers. You can never replace a driver like Dale 
Earnhardt, but his legend will live on.
  As a motorsports enthusiast myself and co-chair of the Congressional 
Motorsports Caucus, it is with regret for me to make this Senate floor 
statement. Today I invite my Senate colleagues to join me in sending my 
sincere condolences to the Earnhardt family and everyone that has been 
touched by the man known as the Intimidator on the race track. The 
number 3 car will be missed on the track. But, racing will go on, Dale 
would have wanted it that way.

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