Mr. Nascar: Dale Earnhardt (1951 - 2001)

earl-dk

Mit store idol i Nascar var Dale Earnhardt, der omkom ved en tragisk ulykke. Han vandt i sin karriere 74 løb i sin Chevrolet med nr. 3. Dale Earnhardt (med kælenavnet: The Intimidator) debuterede i 1975 i en Dodge. Han skiftede hurtigt til Chevrolet, kørte nogle få løb i en Ford, før han igen satte sig til rette i en Chevrolet, den bil, der stod hans hjerte nær. I 1979 kørte han for første gang en hel sæson. Og hvilken sæson! Han vandt sin første sejr allerede i debutåret, og han vandt titlen "Rookie-Of-The-Year". Året efter vandt han The Nascar Championship og blev dermed den eneste, der har vundet Rookie-Of-The-Year og mesterskabet i to på hinanden følgende år. My big idol in Nascar was Dale Earnhardt, who tragically died in an accident in the 2001 Daytona 500. In his career he won 74 races in his Chevrolet with the famous no. 3. Dale Earnhardt (with the nickname: The Intimidator) made his début in 1975 in a Dodge. Early in his career he shifted to Chevrolet, then raced for Ford for a few races, before he took a seat in a Chevrolet, the car he loved from the bottom of his heart, again. The 1979 season was his first full season for Chevrolet. And what a season it was! He won his first victory this season, and he won the title "Rookie Of The Year", too. In his second full season he won the Nascar Championship, and that made him the first racer ever to win "Rookie Of The Year" and the Nascar Championship in two successive years.

Han nåede i sin karriere at vinde The Nascar Winston Cup Championship 7 gange, nemlig i 1980, -86, -87, -90, -91, -93 og -94. Han vandt ca. $40 mio. på sine bedrifter. I 1998 vandt han det eneste løb, han selv syntes, han manglede i samlingen: Daytona 500. Daytona 500 blev også hans sidste løb. I 2001 omkom han på løbets sidste omgang. Hans død berørte amerikanerne dybere end nogen anden sportsmands død. Han var elsket og æret for sin kompromisløse kørestil og sin indædte vilje til sejr. Han vil blive husket, ikke så meget på grund af antallet af hans sejre, men mere måden, han vandt dem på. Han nåede at køre nogle få løb, hvor hans søn, Dale Jr., også deltog. In his career he won The Nascar Championship 7 times, namely 1980, -86, -87, -90, -91, -93 and -94. He won about $40 mill. on his achievements. In 1998 he won the only race, he was missing in his collection: The Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 also sadly became his last event. In 2001 he was killed on the last lap of the race. His death affected the american people deeper than the death of any other american sportsman. He was loved for his uncompromising way of driving and his inveterage will to victory. He will be remembered, not so much because of the numbers of his victories, as for the way, he won them. He achieved to race a few races, that his son, Dale Jr., participated in, as well.

Æret være hans minde. R.I.P.