Posted Mar-13-08 15:38:03 PDT
It's hard for me to imagine NASCAR without Dale Earnhardt.
For me...he was NASCAR. He was the reason I tuned in every Sunday. It has been said that Dale was the Michael Jordan of NASCAR. Well, I haven't watched a NBA game since M.J. left the court. Because he was the reason I watched. I could care less about basketball. I liked watching the best at the sport play. Same goes for Dale, he was the best at the sport of auto racing. He didn't always win, but he was always a threat to win, every time he took to the track. Just like M.J.
I cannot express the sense of loss I feel. I want to keep watching the races, mostly to see what kind of tributes the other drivers and networks bestow on Dale Earnhardt. But I don't think I can ever watch another race without thinking...I sure wish Dale was in the field.
I've read so many memorials, poems and news articles...they all express great feelings of loss and respect for a man that touched more lives than he could ever know. He made NASCAR the huge success that it is today. Yes I know, there are 42 other drivers on the track every week. But, whether you loved Dale or hated him, you always wanted to know how he was doing in the race. Whether so you could cheer or boo...you wanted to know where he was on the track. That's why I say he was the reason most people tuned in...to cheer for their driver, and see what Dale Earnhardt was doing.
I never actually got to meet Dale in person, a fact that makes me truly sad. But, if in heaven all dreams come true...I'm gonna get to ride in the black #3 with Dale at the wheel.
Goodbye Dale, I'll miss you till I see you.
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