Daytona 500

78 · Feb 18, 2018

I'm more an IMSA guy than NASCAR, but the final seven or eight laps of the 2001 500 are the very definition of riveting. Seventeen years later, my stomach still gets tight.

Michael Waltrip is leading and a pair of teammates, including Dale Earnhardt, are running interference at the second and third positions. Sterling Martin has the faster car and is making all sorts of noise about passing, but Earnhardt has King Kong balls. You ain't gonna go by him without a gargantuan fight.

Martin taps Earnhardt's bumper several times over the last seven, one time almost causing him to lose control. At the high bank leading into the final straight -- the 7:00 mark -- Earnhardt loses control, strikes Kenny Schrader and bangs the wall at 200-plus, dying instantly from blunt force trauma to the skull.

Waltrip goes on to win his first 500. Watch his brother, Darrell, in the TV booth lose it over the combination of his brother winning and seeing what's happened to his buddy Earnhardt.

Today is the 59th running of the 500.

Gulfstream · Feb 18, 2018

'78 said:
I'm more an IMSA guy than NASCAR, but the final seven or eight laps of the 2001 500 are the very definition of riveting. Seventeen years later, my stomach still gets tight.

Michael Waltrip is leading and a pair of teammates, including Dale Earnhardt, are running interference at the second and third positions. Sterling Martin has the faster car and is making all sorts of noise about passing, but Earnhardt has King Kong balls. You ain't gonna go by him without a gargantuan fight.

Martin taps Earnhardt's bumper several times over the last seven, one time almost causing him to lose control. At the high bank leading into the final straight -- the 7:00 mark -- Earnhardt loses control, strikes Kenny Schrader and bangs the wall at 200-plus, dying instantly from blunt force trauma to the skull.

Waltrip goes on to win his first 500. Watch his brother, Darrell, in the TV booth lose it over the combination of his brother winning and seeing what's happened to his buddy Earnhardt.

Today is the 59th running of the 500.

Unfortunately this is the moment NASCAR started its decline. Sad to this day.

itsgr82bag8r · Feb 18, 2018

'78 said:
I'm more an IMSA guy than NASCAR, but the final seven or eight laps of the 2001 500 are the very definition of riveting. Seventeen years later, my stomach still gets tight.

Michael Waltrip is leading and a pair of teammates, including Dale Earnhardt, are running interference at the second and third positions. Sterling Martin has the faster car and is making all sorts of noise about passing, but Earnhardt has King Kong balls. You ain't gonna go by him without a gargantuan fight.

Martin taps Earnhardt's bumper several times over the last seven, one time almost causing him to lose control. At the high bank leading into the final straight -- the 7:00 mark -- Earnhardt loses control, strikes Kenny Schrader and bangs the wall at 200-plus, dying instantly from blunt force trauma to the skull.

Waltrip goes on to win his first 500. Watch his brother, Darrell, in the TV booth lose it over the combination of his brother winning and seeing what's happened to his buddy Earnhardt.

Today is the 59th running of the 500.

I had forgotten that it was on the last lap when Earnhardt died. You know Sterling Marlin must think about that all the time, especially given that he’s been up in the back of Dale for the better part of the last 7 laps.

78 · Feb 18, 2018

itsgr82bag8r said:
I had forgotten that it was on the last lap when Earnhardt died. You know Sterling Marlin must think about that all the time, especially given that he’s been up in the back of Dale for the better part of the last 7 laps.

I needed reminding about old Sterling. I mistakenly referred to him as Martin two or three times in the OP.

78 · Feb 18, 2018

Ironic win is ironic.

Austin Dillon wins in the #3 car 20 years after Earnhardt won his only 500 and 17 years to the day since he died on this same track.

gatorkev85 · Feb 18, 2018

'78 said:
Ironic win is ironic.

Austin Dillon wins in the #3 car 20 years after Earnhardt won his only 500 and 17 years to the day since he died on this same track.

I thought it was a great race, and I like where NASCAR is headed with these young drivers. They go after it rather than just sitting back. Wallace Jr is gonna be your next big star. I also think Elliot will be as well

lizardbreath · Feb 19, 2018

Hell, I can turn left as good as anybody, just not at 200 MPH.

Spectator · Feb 14, 2021

I was going to start a 500 thread and saw this. I'm an IMSA guy, been flagging corners for the past 5 yrs.
Plenty of attention to Dale Sr this week, being the 20 year mark of his crash. I was there but took off to beat traffic right when the wreck happened. I was in the front row of the brand new Earnhardt Tower. Never dreamed he would die from that crash. I was not a Dale Sr fan. I was a Dale Jr fan and my heart broke for him. I saw Schrader twice last week, racing dirt mods. Its still a nightmare for him to think about it. Today I'm watching it on tv because there is just no 'event' atmosphere this week w/ chinavirus restrictions. Plus I'm worn out from walking all day and doing 4 or 5 sets of stadium steps at Supercross yesterday. Next wknd I'll skip the Nascar road course races for Sebring vintage cars and Trans Am series.

NVGator · Feb 14, 2021

@78 I don't get the video.

Back Alley Gator · Feb 14, 2021

gatorkev85 said:
I thought it was a great race, and I like where NASCAR is headed with these young drivers. They go after it rather than just sitting back. Wallace Jr is gonna be your next big star. I also think Elliot will be as well

Will there be anyone left who wants to go to the races, pay the prices, and watch heat racing? I stopped going about 10 years ago. I lived less than 2 hrs from four major tracks back then. They've alienated their fan base and gone woke. So now they can go broke as far as Im concerned.

Spectator · Feb 14, 2021

Stage racing is stupid. I remember when it started, Chocolate Myers called it "two heats and a feature."
The entire Nascar points system and 'playoff' elimination is ridiculous.
I still might go tomorrow if the rain doesn't stop. Tickets will be CHEAP.

FlyingGator · Feb 14, 2021

Spectator said:
I was going to start a 500 thread and saw this. I'm an IMSA guy, been flagging corners for the past 5 yrs.
Plenty of attention to Dale Sr this week, being the 20 year mark of his crash. I was there but took off to beat traffic right when the wreck happened. I was in the front row of the brand new Earnhardt Tower. Never dreamed he would die from that crash. I was not a Dale Sr fan. I was a Dale Jr fan and my heart broke for him. I saw Schrader twice last week, racing dirt mods. Its still a nightmare for him to think about it. Today I'm watching it on tv because there is just no 'event' atmosphere this week w/ chinavirus restrictions. Plus I'm worn out from walking all day and doing 4 or 5 sets of stadium steps at Supercross yesterday. Next wknd I'll skip the Nascar road course races for Sebring vintage cars and Trans Am series.

I was supposed to go to that race but a late flight that morning had me driving by it on my way home from the airport when it was about half way finished. Got home in time to watch the end where Tony Stewart had a horrific crash and then turned it off after Dale hit the wall and the race ended. Called my Dad the next day and asked if he had seen the race and he said yes and that he couldn’t believe that crash killed Dale Earnhardt. I thought for sure he meant Tony Stewart since his crash looked much worse and couldn’t believe it when it ended up being Dale that died.

Spectator · Feb 15, 2021

Congrats to Michael McDowell on his first Nascar win in 358 starts. Until now he was only famous for the Texas qualifying crash in his second career race in 2008. Could not have happened to a nicer guy. He wears a Christian cross and American flag on his helmet.
Dale Jr has this car on his property, exactly as it came off the track that day.

Spectator · Feb 25, 2021

Sebring rocked last wknd. Both Trans Am races had last lap passes for the win. Saw some cool cars race in the Vintage events, a couple driven by recently named Ford CEO, Jim Farley. A rare Cobra and rare Lola 298

Fodderwing · Feb 26, 2021

I raced Hot Wheels back in the day!

Buddy of mine had a Maserati. I got a new Mustang Cobra. My Mustang smoked his Maserati!

Wish I still had all those old toys new in the wrapper.

Carry on.

Frozen Gator · Feb 26, 2021

Used to love to go to the Sebring 24 Hr Enduro as a teenager. Drink, watch racing, chase women then repeat all day and all night!

stephenPE · Feb 26, 2021

Fodderwing said:
I raced Hot Wheels back in the day!

Buddy of mine had a Maserati. I got a new Mustang Cobra. My Mustang smoked his Maserati!

Wish I still had all those old toys new in the wrapper.

Carry on.

my dad invented the battery they put in hot wheels cars WAY back then

Fodderwing · Feb 26, 2021

stephenPE said:
my dad invented the battery they put in hot wheels cars WAY back then

Mine did not have batteries.

Had a drag strip set up similar to this:

stephenPE · Feb 26, 2021

We had that track and cars, too. My youngest brother was into it. The finally put a very small motor with a battery into the hot wheels cars and thats the battery Im referring too.

rogdochar · Feb 28, 2021

Fodderwing said:
I raced Hot Wheels back in the day!

Buddy of mine had a Maserati. I got a new Mustang Cobra. My Mustang smoked his Maserati!

Wish I still had all those old toys new in the wrapper.

Carry on.

In their day Hot Wheels was the largest tire manufacturer in the world.

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