[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1719-S1720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DALE EARNHARDT

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 29, and 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 29) honoring Dale Earnhardt and 
     expressing condolences of the U.S. Senate to his family on 
     his death.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, last October, Dale Earnhardt drove his 
familiar black Goodwrench Chevrolet, with the silver No. 3 painted on 
each side, past a waving checkered flag to win the Winston 500 at 
Talladega Superspeedway. The victory was Earnhardt's tenth first place 
NASCAR Winston Cup race at Talladega, a feat no other driver has 
accomplished. It was the 76th win of his career; sadly, it was his 
last.
  A week ago Sunday, Dale Earnhardt died in a tragic accident on the 
last turn of the last lap of one of the last

[[Page S1720]]

great American traditions, the Daytona 500. NASCAR lost one of its 
greatest drivers who was in large part responsible for the tremendous 
growth of the sport from a regional pastime to an international 
success. Winston Cup drivers lost a fierce competitor whose aggressive 
style set the standard for a generation. Millions of fans lost the 
``Intimidator,'' a hero admired as much for his charismatic demeanor as 
his talent as a driver and tenacity during a race. Whether you cheered 
for him or against him, you couldn't help but admire the passion with 
which he pursued the checkered flag.
  There is a bittersweet irony in that Dale Earnhardt finished his 
career at Daytona. The track at Daytona defined Earnhardt as a racer. 
He won 34 races there, more than any other driver. This earned him the 
reputation as the best superspeedway racer of all time. The 
Intimidator, however, did not win the Daytona 500 until the 1998 
season. It took 20 years, but he finally took the greatest of all 
superspeedway races.
  No other measure of success was as elusive to Dale Earnhardt. In 
1979, he beat Harry Gant, Terry Labonte, and Joe Milliken for the 
Rookie of the Year in one of the most competitive rookie battles ever. 
He joined Richard Petty as the only other driver to win the NASCAR 
Winston Cup Championship seven times. He was voted National Motorsports 
Press Association Driver of the Year five times. Dale Earnhardt was the 
only driver to win the Winston Cup title the year after winning the 
rookie title.
  Although he did his best to live up to his nickname the 
``Intimidator'' during a race, Dale Earnhardt was the first to extend a 
hand and offer congratulations after it was over. This is the mark of a 
true champion.
  Dale Earnhardt often expressed frustration at the practice of NASCAR 
to require artificial devices to reduce speeds on some tracks and the 
type of racing it produced. Nevertheless, he excelled at these so-
called restrictor-plate races. In fact, Dale Earnhardt mastered the 
draft so well at these races that the fellow racers he passed remarked, 
``it was like he can see air.''
  In Alabama, we look forward to seeing the black No. 3 car on the high 
banks at Talladega twice a year. No matter where he started at the 
beginning of the race, you could count on Dale Earnhardt to be near the 
front by the end. His victories at the world's biggest and fastest 
track include, as I mentioned earlier, ten NASCAR Winston Cup races, as 
well as one NASCAR Busch Grand national race and three IROC races where 
he bested the greatest drivers of his time.
  Dale Earnhardt was intensely loyal to his family. He was a father 
whose pride in his children was greater than his desire in winning 
races. Our thoughts are with his wife Teresa, and his children: Kerry, 
Kelly, Dale, Jr. and Taylor Nicole. May God bless all of them and watch 
over them in this time of need.
  Former driver and now television analyst Darrell Waltrip perhaps best 
captured the sentiment of drivers and fans alike when he said, ``The 
scariest thing on the track used to be seeing Dale Earnhardt in your 
rear view mirror. Now the scariest thing is not seeing him there at 
all.''
  The world will miss Dale Earnhardt and his competitive spirit. We 
pray that his family and friends find some comfort in the way his fans 
admired this truly unique American sports icon.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today we stand and honor the life and 
accomplishments of ``The Man'' Dale Earnhardt.
  Millions of Americans will remember him as a NASCAR legend, perhaps 
the best that ever raced. But the people I've spoken with and read 
about who knew him well remember better a kind father, a loving 
husband, and a trusted friend.
  For over 21 years, Dale Earnhardt delighted hundreds of thousands of 
people at the Dover Downs, International Speedway in my state of 
Delaware. Like most of the places Dale raced, at Dover Downs he won, 
and won big.
  But the people of my State honor him for more than his wins at our 
NASCAR track, three first-place finishes, or the money he earned there, 
the most of any Winston Cup driver in history.
  The reverence and respect from NASCAR fans stems from his constant 
pursuit of excellence and his refusal to give less than his all every 
time he took to the track.
  They called him ``The Intimidator,'' and on the track, that was true, 
but to the fans in Dover that he spent time with signing autographs, 
shaking hands, and in some cases sharing dinner at their kitcken table, 
Dale Earnhardt was known as ``The Man.''
  Last Friday, Dover Downs opened up to those who needed a chance to 
say ``good bye.'' Even though a blizzard had blown through our State 
the night before, over 5,000 people turned out to pay their respects. 
In a moving display of affection, families created in the winner's 
circle a shrine of flowers, posters, hats, pictures, and poems honoring 
their hero.
  I was told once that the greatest measures of a man's life are the 
people he has touched, the difference he has made and the standards he 
has set for others to follow.
  Despite his passing, Dale Earnhardt's legacy of excellence will 
forever influence his sport and its millions of fans. We honor him 
today for the lives he touched and the Children he inspired.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 29) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The text of the resolution is located in the Record of February 27, 
2001, under ``Statements on Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. LOTT. This is a resolution by Senator Edwards of North Carolina.

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