It had been there when his crew secured his window net on pit road and he rolled away to take the green flag. Our cars weren't fast enough and I'd fix that. "Any time the driver's unconscious, we know it's going to be a difficult situation," Bohannon said in January during a visit to Daytona, his first time back to the track in years. "And now I'm thinking, 'I wonder what's gonna happen with all this stuff?' Speed was a vital part of what attracted people to watch, and watering it down could have turned people away. I saw a friend in trouble. Could this thing that a few drivers wore, called the HANS Device, really have saved him? He uncharacteristically bounded through his media obligations and answered hard questions about NASCAR safety, including in an interview with Ed Hinton of the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel, who was reporting on those issues as part of a series running that week. SPEED has filled in a lot of the gaps from one very dark day. Thats all I ask. Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season, How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival, How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival DAYTONA BEACH Dale Earnhardt died from a severe fracture to the base of his skull that caused bruising and bleeding to the soft tissue in his brain. Taylor explains calamitous pitstop that led to fateful Acura charge, Huge first Porsche 963 win thanks to rolling the dice Tandy, Huge first Porsche 963 win thanks to rolling the dice Tandy Schrader's next thought was to go to Michael Waltrip, who was celebrating his first win in Victory Lane, unaware of Earnhardt's death. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. The emotion in his eyes was hidden behind sunglasses, but his face was pale and his voice shaky when he lied and said he didn't know. It was the day that NASCAR fans and the racing community and family were in shock. I thought I had this path and this direction, with him, to do what we were going to do. "To this day, I don't know why I went to the hospital," Waltrip says. It suggested that, had Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Tony Roper worn head and neck restraints, they would likely still be alive. I think if people just come back to their senses and listen to what everybody is saying, and watch the tape, theres no question. Dale Sr. was officially pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly after the crash. He touched many people in different ways. On race day, there were so many of those stories, especially during the prerace ceremonies. But anybody Ive talked to before--and Ive even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews--they said they knew it was serious from that interview.. Since Earnhardts death, and its subsequent safety drive, NASCAR has not suffered a fatality in its major leagues. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes this injury as the most serious type of skull fracture, and involves a break in the bone at the base of the skull. Unlike his fellow competitors, who didn't learn Earnhardt was dead until well after the accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Schrader knew how bad it was the moment he poked his head into the battered No. Schrader couldn't avoid hitting Earnhardt's car, tagging him in the passenger side. "I walked out after that. When his race car smashed into a concrete wall at an estimated 180 mph Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, it broke eight ribs, his left ankle and his breastbone. If only it had happened sooner. "I told him it wasn't him. "All he's ever wanted to do was go fast, race well and be competitive. It looked as though his save from Friday's IROC race might happen again. Earnhardt Jr. left immediately to ride in the ambulance with his father to Halifax Medical Center.. Dale was in serious trouble." Whatever that was. His car slid alongside Earnhardt's and they stopped nose-to-door in the infield grass. ", E60 explores the legacy of Dale Earnhardt 20 years after his death. For a fraction of a second, the nose of Earnhardt's Chevy corrected itself, pointed briefly in the right direction to resume racing. And I was like, 'Man, I'm going to have to do this without that for the rest of my life.'". Behind Helton sat NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. in the "crow's nest." I was a sportswriter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal at the time and I went to the infield care center after the accident, and will never forget how white Ken Schraders face was when he came out and how he stammered through an interview. "I feel pain for you to have to carry that memory, but you carry it for me you carry it for anyone who's ever cheered for him. Schrader couldnt avoid hitting Earnhardts car on the passenger side. It was the day that NASCAR fans and the racing community and family were in shock. So many years have passed since this day and the man who was involved in the crash, the man who looked into Dale Sr.s window after the crash, has never spoken publicly about what he saw, until his March 2020 appearance on Dale Jrs podcast, The Dale Jr Download. We'll never truly know what he really saw, and that's probably for the best. Ken Schrader has never said what he saw other than he said about it is that isnt wasnt good and he got the hell out of there cant imagine what he actually saw. I talked him into it. "I didn't know what the final deal was, so I just told him it was big and Dale was in trouble," Schrader said. Age discrimination, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rainn Wilson, Hunter Renfroes three-run blast powers Angels to rain-disrupted win over Red Sox, Jalen Hurts agrees to five-year, $255-million extension with Eagles. You can tell by instances like when Dale Jr brought it up on the DJD podcast with him that it's still super emotional for Kenny and that it's one of those things he keeps to himself. In a teleconference from Dodge MotorSports just a few days after the accident that killed Dale Earnhardt Sr., Sterling Marlin told his side of the story and explained that definitely didnt do anything intentional on that final lap. THE RACE ITSELF was a good one, with 49 lead changes swapped among 14 different race leaders. A racer through and through who spends his time away from Winston Cup at dirt tracks and other small circuits, Schrader had seen death before. NASCARs crash report, published in August 2001, stated: Dale Earnhardt's death was most likely caused by a blow to the back of the head not from one single cause but from a combination of unusual factors. Kenny Schrader came to Victory Lane and said, I just want you to know that I saw Dale, and it aint it aint good., Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardts car owner and longtime best friend Richard Childress said: I thought it was just another crash. "So it was hard for her, she had a lot of questions and a lot of concern for Taylor.". It's a test of skill, reflexes, and concentration, along with resource management and nerves. All of these events happened in the span of 80 milliseconds. Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was participating in the same race that his father died. In the end, he decided he wouldnt let it. there was a very large sub called WatchPeopleDie a few years ago. 19 years after the crash, Ken stopped by Dale Jr.s podcast, Dale Jr. Download, and it got quite emotional, as Dale Jr. read Ken a letter he wrote thanking him for never speaking about the crash or what he saw. Schrader later learned that interview was the first real sign to many viewers at home that Earnhardt might be dead. Schrader also had his own emotions to deal with. Marlin went low, Earnhardt was in the middle, and Schrader was on the outside while Rusty Wallace positioned himself right behind Earnhardts famous No. In the final 20 minutes of their two-hour podcast, Ken was informed that he has been the most requested guest in their 288 episodes. In it, he recalled: I couldnt wait for Dale to get to Victory Lane. That's when Earnhardt, asked if he would wear a HANS device, had groused, "I ain't wearing that damn noose.". people are fascinated by morbid things. I started off my column expressing my dislike for the assignment because I didnt really know what to say. Where were we supposed to go now?". Earnhardt later told Schrader how Dorothy had gotten homesick on the trip, and that he'd spent a night comforting her. As his good friend Earnhardt was doing, Marlin was simply trying to win the Daytona 500. I didn't know for certain [that he was dead], but I would have bet. and Ken Schrader knew there was trouble. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. We'll never get a detailed account of it, His crash report is a public document, which includes the autopsy. It was a huge story and time to go to work. He made eye contact with Schrader, who was behind a curtain being examined. "It was strange enough when he said it at the time," Labonte said when he recalled the comment in 2019. And Earnhardt's 2000 resurgence as a title contender had the old-school fandom worked into a frenzy. 'It's not how fast you go, it's how fast you stop.' As we all know now, Dale Sr. was pronounced dead at the hospital from a basilar skull fracture and the entire world was in mourning. Such was the case that day as Dale Earnhardt Sr., Sterling Marlin, and Ken Schrader went three-wide as turn four approached. Ive seen photos of the wrecked car. As that scramble rolled through the final two turns of the event, Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. were breaking away, hammering off Turn 4 toward the checkered flag. And youve been a great friend to me. Her husband tried to talk her into finding a different verse, something less ominous. Im still trying to sort them all out.. 36 into the infield grass. Theyre still working down there., Fox showed replays of the crash in the live broadcast. It was Schraders mannerisms, coupled with the fact that Earnhardt was being taken straight to the hospital, that hinted of a tragic day. "He hugged me and said, 'I'm thinking about you and I love you. I saw it on TV and it didnt look that bad just another tough crash. That is part of Earnhardt's legacy: safer cars. I'd be at my car getting in and he wouldn't come up to me, you know? Dale Earnhardt Sr. died after his car crashed into a wall during the final lap of the Daytona 500 20 years ago. Two-wide, sometimes three-wide racing, became the norm late in the race, as it was the entire day. She didn't interrupt, she didn't, um, disrupt anything," he says. WebKen Schraders age is 67. The impact registered around 60 G's, so much force that it pushed the entire right front corner of the car from an aerodynamic curve into a flat surface that fit the wall as perfectly as a jigsaw puzzle piece. Just use common sense and look at the tape. But we were all focused on getting the race restarted.". And it was still there three hours later, when, in the infield grass at the bottom of that turn, Ken Schrader took that same window net down to talk with his old friend about their wrecked race cars, only to find the seven-time champion slumped over in his seat and the cockpit covered in blood. Earnhardts teammate, Michael Waltrip, won the race a hollow victory. "Because he's a racer, he has a very realistic attitude and has been able to cope with it.". This is Part III of a four-part series on the life, death and safety legacy of Dale Earnhardt, 20 years after his fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Some even made phone calls to the shop that Marlin owned in Mooresville, North Carolina. SN's Bob Pockrass recalls what it No one knew that February day would be the last one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s life. But this time, he made a point to come see me.". How would Earnhardt's death to affect him? Earnhardt was playing rear gunner to his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. team cars as they raced around the final lap of the race, to block any late runs from the chasing pack. Schrader had to talk to his 11-year-old daughter, a fan of The Intimidator and friend of Earnhardt's daughter, Taylor. 1 in this weeks top 20 high school softball rankings, Clippers expect Kevin Durant to play more aggressively on offense in Game 2, Eric Kendricks finds himself in middle of a big hole in Chargers defense, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? But then Schrader's car hit Earnhardt in the passenger side door, creating a sudden surge of speed and turning both cars into the wall. 3. To the 17 million people watching at home, the crash looked like nothing, especially compared to Stewart's spectacular accident a half-hour earlier. I know that's a graphic description. He clearly understood that people were heartbroken over the death of such a legendary figure and perhaps thats why they were lashing out. Schrader saw some bad shit that day though. Earnhardt later told Schrader how Dorothy had been homesick. Following a huge outpouring of grief from his legion of fans, the NASCAR industry made driver safety its number one priority. In 1986 Earnhardt was in the lead then ran out of gas with three laps remaining. "I went back in my bus in the room and shut the door to my bedroom and just sat there," Earnhardt Jr. says. IndyCar at Long Beach: Start time, how to watch, entry list, etc. It had been nearly two hours and they were about to step into the media center to address the world. And, he finished second in 1984, 1993, 1995 and 1996. I was sad, but unfortunately, death is a reality in racing. Ken said more recently he knew Dale was dead, he just didnt want to blurt that out on TV. The doctor had never been to a news conference, let alone be asked to field questions in one. Crews worked quickly to get Dale Sr. out of the race car, even cutting off the roof. Based on the fact that a basilar skull fracture is essentially an internal decapitation, Kenny probably saw Dale slumped over, jaw broken, and blood pouring out his nose. Things happen and people are going to look for somebody to blame. The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car, How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style, How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style There are sections of walls that now use energy-absorbing SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers that can absorb the energy from a crash, though there is still a push to make them cover more, according to SBNation. But this time he stopped to shake hands, laugh it up and hug it out. The summer before, Dorothy Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht. Schrader also had his own emotions to deal with. I turned around and walked back out of there and sat for 30 minutes in that hospital before they told us he was gone., Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s HANS device is connected to his helmet. Sterling Marlin himself but his family as well. The veteran racer drove as if he were invincible, and time and time again, it seemed that way. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The engine stayed put, but everything around it moved, in some cases a full two or three feet to the right. ", With the field parked under a red flag so crews could clean up the mess, Earnhardt chatted with Childress on the radio. ", NASCAR vice president Paul Brooks replied: "Just like that. "When I realized that was the way that this was going to go, that Dad was gone, I turned and saw [Earnhardt's PR representative] J.R. Rhodes and ran to him. The rest of my life. Do I write about the time he let the clutch out of his car at the gas pumps and his car lurched forward, almost hitting a number of people? It was his first career Winston Cup win. He drafted with me in those last few laps and as long as we were leading, then everything was fine.. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. How could he attract the legions of dedicated, worshipping fans? Schrader became the day's unwitting messenger of tragedy. But I knew hed want to know.. ': Revisiting the Dale Earnhardt crash at the Daytona 500, Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut, Larson races past Logano to win at Martinsville, Nemechek holds off Smith for 2nd Xfinity win, Preece claims pole at Martinsville; Elliott 24th, Elliott vows to keep snowboarding after accident, NASCAR star Elliott set to return at Martinsville, Zane Smith to drive in place of suspended Ware, NASCAR's Ware arrested on assault charges, Dirt-racing star Bell tops Reddick to win Bristol, Bowman, Byron penalized for postrace violations, Hamlin's penalties for hit on Chastain upheld, Team owners' feud with NASCAR gives fans excuse to tune out -- again, Owners skip NASCAR meeting over revenue talks, Larson pulls away on restart to win at Richmond, Smith earns first NASCAR Xfinity Series win, Hamlin isn't going anywhere, and that's good -- NASCAR needs him, Suarez fined $50K for hitting two cars after race, Appeals panel rescinds penalty against 3 drivers, Reddick takes Austin, 1st win with 23XI Racing, Allmendinger hangs on for Xfinity win at COTA, Smith holds off Busch, defends COTA trucks win, Darlington Raceway, Coastal's McCall renew deal, Button, Rikknen NASCAR drives illustrate how perceptions have changed. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). While I was amazed at his talent, I also saw an obvious prickly side. ", Bohannon rode back to the track with Helton. It's just like a bellow of shock and sorrow and fear.". He got fixed up and our cars got fixed up and in 2000 we almost won the championship.". They wanted to talk about head and neck restraints. He diced it up all day with old Daytona 500 rival Sterling Marlin, and two cars he owned, driven by Michael Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. "A great day was unfolding," then-NASCAR president Mike Helton remembers thinking from race control, the press box booth where NASCAR executives and officials monitor and officiate the race below. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a few hours later but Ken Schrader later admitted that he knew Earnhardt had passed the moment Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. Unconscious, unresponsive, not trying to breathe. Although it appeared to be a regular NASCAR crash at the time, the impact at this angle was devastating for the occupant. Earnhardt's death launched a NASCAR safety evolution that continues 20 years later. Schrader was running in the top 10 that day, battling a pack of cars hot on Earnhardt's bumper when The Intimidator made contact with Sterling Marlin and his car went shooting up the high banking into the Turn 4 wall. Reporters cried. But he had might as well have been conjuring the feelings of the entirety of NASCAR. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He won 76 NASCAR Cup races and earned over $42 million in winnings, per Racing Reference. He told Eury what had happened, assuming he already knew, but it was the first he was hearing of it, and the stoic old mechanic broke down. It's morbid IMO. The two-time Daytona 500 winner clearly (and accurately) believed that it was simply an accident and made that point clear in his first interview following the accident. Photo by: F. Peirce Williams / Motorsport Images. That opened the door for a wall of cars, three-wide behind Earnhardt as they entered the last turn. I just want you to know that, and I know this is hard.' Receive daily updates with the best country music videos, news, and more! France Jr. was happy. "But anybody I've talked to before -- and I've even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews -- they said they knew it was serious from that interview.". Greg Newman recalls his sons frightening Daytona 500 crash: It was pretty agonizing just to stand and wait. Even the walk to get to that point had been different. He was so adamant in his distaste of the carbon fiber brace that when General Motors, Ford and NASCAR brought esteemed automotive safety expert Dr. John Melvin to a January 2001 Daytona 500 test session to make a presentation to drivers on its benefits, Earnhardt was the only no-show. But Stewart climbed out of what was left of his car, shaken but OK. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. As they played out, Waltrip added: Those kind of licks are the worst kind; theyre sudden. And after poor performances in Rockingham, N.C., and Las Vegas, Schrader had to make a difficult change on his team by firing crew chief Sammy Johns before last week's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The injury is caused by: impact to the chin, jaw and face; impact to the head anteriorly, posteriorly or laterally; impact near the top of the head; and inertial head loading, in which the spine and neck muscles are called upon to stop the moving head. I knew both those guys [Earnhardt and Earnhardt Jr.] would be right there at the end, said Waltrip. ONE BY ONE, cars started leaving the hospital to return to Daytona International Speedway. Almost 200,000 people were in the stands at Daytona International Speedway 20 years ago on the day a NASCAR legend died. We travel together, we live together, we're a tribe. Other racing drivers to be killed by a similar injury were Roland Ratzenberger (F1), Blaine Johnson (NHRA drag racing), Blaise Alexander (ARCA stock cars) and Gonzalo Rodriguez (IndyCar). Earnhardt Sr. was going 150 miles an hour when he hit the wall at the angle that he did.

Jordan Clark Trevor Tordjman, Google Sheets Plus Minus Button, 4 Week Shred Program, Legend Of Dragoon Walkthrough Disc 4, Articles K