DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — On a table at Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s home sits a photo of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Stenhouse — when he was just 3 or 4 years old and long before he raced for a living.
“I’ve got pictures sitting on the table of him signing autographs,” Stenhouse told the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s awesome.”
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Earnhardt inspired people to drive. Anyone who crossed his path, on or off the track, remembered the man known as “The Intimidator.”
A rare few, like his son Dale Jr. and Stenhouse, would go on to win the Daytona 500. Others climbed behind the wheel themselves, made the pilgrimage to the race track and spent race day dressed in Earnhardt’s signature black, raising three fingers every time his No. 3 car roared by.
Earnhardt’s presence will be palpable again Sunday on the 25th anniversary of his tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500. Memories and memorabilia will be omnipresent as fans recall NASCAR’s darkest day.
“I wasn’t alive to see what he did,” 19-year-old Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch said. “But that legacy will carry on forever. He’s one of the highest-selling brands in our sport still today. That’s a testament to the person he was and the way fans viewed him.”
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Outside Daytona International Speedway stand three statues honoring historic figures associated with the track. Two depict members of the France family, who founded NASCAR and built the iconic superspeedway.
The third is Earnhardt, who claimed a record 34 victories on the 2.5-mile oval but had to wait 20 years to win his lone Daytona 500. While battling for another, a final-lap crash into the wall in Turn 4 ended his life at age 49.
Judging from the scene on the track, many braced for the news to come. NASCAR President Mike Helton, a close friend, eventually delivered it: “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”
Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson watched the tragedy unfold on television at home after racing the previous day in the Busch Series.
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“Mike Helton delivering the news — I get goosebumps just thinking about that day,” Johnson told the Sentinel. “Very vivid emotions and memories go with it.”
Earnhardt’s death robbed the sport of its biggest star. It also forced a new course on driver safety.
In 2000, Kenny Irwin Jr.’s fatal crash during Cup practice in New Hampshire, along with the Truck Series death of Tony Roper and Adam Petty’s passing during a Busch Series practice run, were warning signs. Earnhardt’s close friend Neil Bonnett had died in a 1994 crash during Daytona 500 practice.
The Intimidator’s death became the long-awaited wake-up call.
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“The world went on notice,” Johnson said. “It was a collaboration from all OEMs, all race tracks, all sanctioning bodies. If there’s something positive to come from a tragic moment like that, I look at where driver safety is today — and that’s the moment.”
Because of the HANS (head and neck support) device, cockpit modifications and SAFER barrier technology, Earnhardt remains the last NASCAR driver to lose his life in Cup competition, following 27 previous fatalities in the sport.
Ryan Newman survived a fiery crash on the homestretch of the 2020 Daytona 500. During the 2023 summer race at Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece walked away after his car barrel-rolled 10 times.
The changes came too late for the old-school Earnhardt, who resisted certain safety precautions, including the HANS device, which was available at the time. After all, he had won a record-tying seven Cup Series titles and 76 races doing it his way.
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Now 38, Stenhouse still vividly recalls his own Daytona 500 victory. He will never forget the day Earnhardt died. On Sunday, Earnhardt’s shadow will loom large over Stenhouse, his fellow 39 competitors and a sellout crowd.
“It’s amazing to see what he meant,” Stenhouse said. “It was a super tragic racing accident that took him away from us. I just wish I could have raced with him — that would’ve been super cool.
“What he did for the sport is hard to measure.”
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