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Tuesday, February 20
'Death is a part of racing'
By John Brasier
Scripps Howard News Service
Racing was Dale Earnhardt's life. Tragically, it was racing that ended Earnhardt's life.
|  | | Ayrton Senna was the Earnhardt of F1 before dying in the Italian Grand Prix on May 1, 1994. |
Like so many great drivers before him, Earnhardt's fate was to die
on the track.
Why was Earnhardt, only a few months shy of his 50th birthday,
still risking his life every weekend, hoping to defy the odds?
He was already considered by many, including NASCAR kingpin Bill
France Jr., the greatest driver of all time. He had already captured
seven Winston Cup championships. He no longer needed the money. He
owned a team.
Earnhardt had so much to live for. Why did he keep racing?
You probably have to be a driver to fully understand. Racing is
more than an occupation.
Racing is a way of life. By his own admission, Earnhardt knew
nothing else. He never played any other sports. All he ever wanted to
do was follow in his father's footsteps.
Unlike stars in other sports, drivers rarely retire early to spend
the rest of their lives on golf courses. Racing is in their blood.
It's an addiction. They can't stop.
Michael Jordan retired from the NBA twice at the top of his game.
Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Robert Smith each left the NFL in their
prime. Mario Lemieux took a few years off from the NHL.
Many ex-sports heroes use their names to open restaurants or sell
insurance or real estate. Some go into broadcasting or accept speaking
engagements. Others make commercials. Some even become movie stars.
But drivers tend to stay in racing. Earnhardt was no exception. He
wanted to drive. That's what he did best.
Unfortunately, death is a part of racing. It always has been. More
than two dozen drivers have died in races at Daytona International
Speedway.
Last year, three drivers were killed in NASCAR-sanctioned races. Death
has claimed many of the sports biggest names and stars ... Fireball
Roberts, Joe Weatherly, Tiny Lund, Neil Bonnett, Adam Petty, Clifford
Allison, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper ... and now the list includes
Earnhardt.
Several of racing's royal families have suffered losses, including
the Pettys, the Allisons and the Earnhardts.
Death seems to be part of the sport off the track as well.
Earnhardt's father, Ralph, died working on a car. Davey Allison was
killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega. Alan Kulwicki was lost
in a plane crash flying to Bristol.
But drivers keep on driving. They keep owning teams. They keep
allowing their children to follow them in this dangerous profession.
NASCAR tries to make the sport as safe as possible -- without
detracting too much from the sport's excitement.
Walls get padded, turns get modified, surfaces get repaved and cars
get redesigned. A recently designed head protection device required by
some racing circuits may have saved Earnhardt if he had elected to
wear it.
Racers continue to die. Many experts believe nothing can be done in
wrecks like Earnhardt's when a car goes head-on into a wall at 180
mph.
But death doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent to drivers.
This weekend, Winston Cup racing will continue at Rockingham, N.C.
NASCAR will honor Earnhardt before the race. Drivers will probably
recognize the tragedy with black armbands or decals on their cars.
But when the green flag falls, it will be back to racing.
Until the next death. If the Intimidator is mortal, every other
racer must be, too.
That's racing. For drivers, it must be worth the risk. Some of us
may never understand.
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