[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2226-2228]
[From the U.S. 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.
  Earnhardt always seemed to me quiet; in fact, even shy. But on the 
track he was anything but shy. He was known as ``the Intimidator.'' 
That is 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 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

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experience, racing smarts, and he had an unquenchable 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 be just 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. The competitors 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 out of the car and claims victory, first of 
all he will thank God for a safe race. Then 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 fine 
qualities: humility, loyalty, caring, hard work, pride in one's work, 
and the competitive spirit. Most of all, he loved his 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 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

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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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