re: Where were you 18 years ago today? Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr. RIP 1951-2001

I used to watch a lot of races as a kid but not so much anymore. I would still like to experience a live race though

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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.

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. There were several scrapes on his body. He had blood in his ears and chest and partially collapsed lungs.

The autopsy report shows that the deadly skull fracture circled the base of Earnhardt's skull, extending from the bottom of the skull to the sides. There was a significant amount of internal bleeding at the base of his brain. He had blood in his ears and mild brain swelling from the skull fracture.

Basal skull fractures have killed four race drivers -- Earnhardt, Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper -- in the past year and at least 12 of the 15 drivers killed in auto racing since 1991. They are caused by violent head movement in which large blood vessels at the skull's base tear, creating immediate and severe blood loss.

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LINK

I remember him

Yeah He was Injured badly in Michigan when I was moving to Alaska back in 94. My mom called me at my hotel because they all thought he was dying.

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I grew up in Hueytown

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Names you know well, Neil, Bobby and Red would show up and run at the old BR Speedway years ago. Neil would always make time to talk with fans.

He was a dirty driver who NASCAR allowed to do as he wished. He wrecked people and was praised for it. If people wrecked him, they were fined or had points taken away. Happened to Dave Allison, and many others.

NASCAR has mandated full face helmets by then, but Earnhardt had his own set of rules. Cost him his life. He would have been just another semi-successful driver if he played by everyone else’s rules.

I just remember pre race how calm and relaxed he was. They went to interview him and he was just laid back relaxing with not a care in the world then he’s gone just like that.

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Saddest day of 2001.

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Nah, that was in March when Vince bought WCW.

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That’s interesting Do you have any more behind the scenes stuff you can share? Not just related to Earnhardt.

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Racing has changed a bunch over the last 10-15 years. I don’t consider myself old (44) but you don’t have the personalities you used to have. Sterling Marlin always drank Coors Light out of a Pepsi can, and he had a guy that poured it into the Pepsi can. I thought that was funny. I always chose to drive to races rather than fly when Red Farmer was my crew chief just to listen to his stories. Red never liked to fly. But he always had stories about breaking a transmission before the race and finding a truck in the parking lot and having someone go take it out so he could race. I don’t know how much of his stories were true, but they were awesome nonetheless.