Even more amazing than just walking away from that wreck was that Dale went on two weeks later to win the pole at Watkins Glen, with one friggin arm. There will never be another driver like Dale Earnhardt.
Remember how Earnhardt liked to lean over toward his door when driving, especially on the big tracks. There was no head restraints keeping the driving sitting straight up and down at the time, so he always like to sit kind of slumped over to the left a bit in his seat. And that is the side he hit the wall with. A miracle he lived through that impact.
I was born in 88 so I remember watching tons of races growing up there is no better race coverage like cbs in the 90s Ken, Buddy and Ned are the best ever in the booth. Neil was great with them
Me too! I was close to where Earnhart came to a stop. He was to my right. I was happy to see Earnhart knocked out of the race. I'm also happy he wasn't hurt more then he was. That was a hell of a crash. Little did we know at that time he was going to be in another crash nearly the same that would take his life.
Jesse Mullen Reggie Heaton was involved in a wreck 23 years after Dale Sr. crashed hard. Dale Sr. was hurt, Gaughan was okay, but Heaton died after the flames were put out.
I remember being so goddamned pissed that they didn't show this live. I know they had a rain delay, but they went to a Senior PGA event. If it had been a major like The Masters, I could have understood. The only notable player was Lee Trevino, and he was 3 over par. I ended up having to listen on the radio. They showed it a week later & I still watched it, but it's not the same as seeing it live.
That's what happens when TRACKS, and not the sanctioning body, negotiate with the TV networks. Prior to the 2001-2006 deal, that is exactly how TV deals for NASCAR races occurred.
Earnhardt was never the same as far as results on the track after this. yeah,he had a few more seasons of winning 2,3 races,but the days of 6 wins,18 top 5s,24 top 10s,and the championship were over. he had been getting consistent top 5 pretty regular this season until this race.
I was at this race .After the Earnhardt crash, what I remember most is that it was delayed for three hours by rain, and NASCAR waited so long that the race had to be called on account of darkness.
I remember as a kid thinking this accident was Ernie Irvan's fault. After watching it now, it is completely obvious and undeniable that it was absolutely Ernie Irvan's fault. Dear lord. I didn't remember it being this blatant. Pause it at 1:37:25 and watch it in slow motion.
I think that this crash was one of the reasons that Robert Yates Racing decided to move on from Irvan after the '97 season. Irvan was getting involved in more than his share of accidents, and his overall performance was becoming mediocre.
I've never understood why NASCAR allowed him to race again after his 94 crash at MIS. He was already a menace on the track with his vision intact and once he came back with his vision compromised, he became a literal weapon on the race track. Between him and Jimmy Spencer, I am amazed neither of them, especially Irvan since he was in really good equipment, never killed anyone.
Last time the race was run in July. In 1997 the moved the event from July to October because the race was known for always being run with the threat of rain, and the sweltering temperatures. In October the Alabama weather is ideal and it is much cooler for the fans.
I know this is 24 years later but Larry Mac you either weren't watching this race on your monitor or you just flat out lied Irvan moved up into the 4 car Irvan shouldn't have been behind the wheel of a station wagon let alone a cup car and I'm pretty sure most of his fellow drives either said close to what I said about him or would agree with me
It was a different angle into the wall. And he rolled over which took away the forward energy. That crash in Daytona was rough because he stopped immediately.
I was there. We were sitting where his car came to a stop. We went to both races there for years, my favorite track. My brother and I did the RP driving experience there. Freaking awesome.
The following week at the Brickyard, Sterling had to be pulled away from kicking Irvan's ass in the garage. Never cared for Irvan, as he never showed any kind of remorse for causing this wreck. Would've paid money to see Sterling punch his other eye shut.
Earnhardt was pissed at him too, Dale immediately came out and said that Sterling didn't anything wrong, and he was racing Dale hard for the lead. I've always wondered if this accident was one of the reasons that Robert Yates Racing decided to cut Irvin loose after the '97 season. His performances were mediocre, and was causing more than his share of crashes.
Broadcast of this was watched by hardly anyone because it was shown on tape the following week on CBS on Saturday afternoon... in I believe the same time slot as the Brickyard 400 was shown live on ABC.
Actually back then, the Brickyard 400 was run on Saturday. So we actually got to watch the race where Dale Earnhardt climbs out of the car due to injury, a day before we got to watch the race that got him injured.
Man, I hate that crash happened. Ernie flat out got into the 4 and turned him right into Dale. And, that was the best car Morgan-McClure ever had. That car won the 1995 Daytona 500, the 1995 Diehard 500, the 1996 Winston Select 500, and 1996 Pepsi 400. Probably would've won 2 more if not for engine trouble. MMM never won another plate race after this crash.
I'm not sure, but I think was one of the reasons Robert Yates Racing decided to move on from Irvan after the '97 season, he was getting in more than his share of accidents. And Ernies overall performance was becoming mediocre.
I appreciate Larry Mac trying to save face here, but let's be honest. At 1:35:52, Ernie is not all the way at the bottom anymore. He started moving up into Sterling's lane. The 3 was at the bottom and Sterling was doing just fine, but Ernie pushed up into the 4. Still chaps my ass in 2020, lol.
What I remember most about this race was it was never aired until the following week. CBS cut away to something else during the rain delay and never came back. I remember CBS never giving anyone else the footage so all I saw for a week was the crash from an ESPN camera on pit road. The race was then aired the following Saturday and we all got to see what happened.
Once again Larry McReynolds lied to cover his own tracks Ned Jarrett should have spoke up on TV and said that Erna hit Sterling Ernie never was down on the apron
Compared to the Daytona crash that claimed his life, this crash seemed more likely to have killed Earnhardt... I was watching back in 1996 when this wreck happened. I was 8 years old, almost 9. It scared the shit outta me.
My first race. #3 was my man. Me and my dad sat in the tower between end of pit lane and start finish. When Dale wrecked and ended up down to turn #1, I thought he was dead.
It didn't help but there were other crashes that led to several injuries that just built up over time. This is why 1997, 1998 and most of 1999 were down years for him. Before the 2000 season, he got his neck fixed which allowed him to race pain free again and this is why you saw the last splash of greatness and the near championship in 2000. Everyone points to this accident but honestly, the crash he had at Michigan in 1995, while not nearly as spectacular, did more to damage his long term health. According to Dale Jr, he actually broke his neck in that crash because the hit was so hard but it wasn't discovered until a few years later.
Although this wreck looks worse than the wreck at Daytona that took Dale from us. Watch the different angles that Dale hit the wall. Here at Talladega he hits more with the left front, causing the car to kind of glance off the wall and up in the air, allowing energy to dissipate over a larger distance. When Dale hit at Daytona, it was a sold hit and stop with the force of Schrader hitting him in the door before hitting the wall, possibly shifting Dale in the seat and and putting his belts in a awkward position. I miss you Dale, ur were the greatest. Ur still the greatest.
Wrong. He died at Daytona due to broken lap-belt, and that was all. Half is body was unrestrained when he hit. The entire left-side of his body crashed into his steering wheel. His car's impact with the wall was very minor.
This is the last July race at Talladega. It moved to October the following year where it remains today It's also the most recent race to be aired on tape delay
agreed doyle when the grim reaper took earnhardt from e i mean us nascar died that day the confederate flag ban sure did not help things none for clean non hateful rednecks
@@CoasterMan13Official he succeeded on February 18th 2001! My husband and I Will never forget the death of our Dale Earnhardt Sr! We watched the race that took Dale and we never watched again! Too traumatic for Jerry and Sugar Bear and me! And yes to this day we all miss and love Dale..👩🦳🐕🐻3️⃣🚖😇😇😇😇😇🙏🙏
Randy Sherman Jeff was already opening the door when the injury happened. I think he would have with out Dale getting injured he was that good in his prime.
Randy Sherman, absolutely agree. People seem to forget that Earnhardt was the points leader at this time and steadily inching towards his 8th Winston Cup Championship. Gordon may have been winning like crazy but in '96 Earnhardt was consistent as hell race by race.
Consistency was key if you wanted to win the Winston Cup in 1996. Had Gordon had that, we would have seen the four-peat for him in the late 1990s. Instead, another grizzled veteran like Earnhardt, "Texas" Terry Labonte, came through and won his second championship.
@@Ghostmotorfinger People forgetting that Earnhardt was the points leader at this time probably has to do with the fact that he was not the points leader.
I tuned in to this race which was rain delayed and track &field was on. I listened on the radio and heard the Earnhardt crash but I didn't get to see until the following Saturday Saturday.
so on a completely nonracing related note.... this seems to have been taped in the detroit area from the commercial for the lions game and the commercial for lions tickets. the commercial for the game says 12am which means the game didn't sellout and couldn't be broadcast live in the detroit market. how damn sad was that that the lions couldn't sellout a home game in the midst of barry sanders' prime....... that man deserved so much better.
You can see the urgency that the track medical crews had in responding to Dale that they were very concerned about him. In all my years of watching Nascar I have never seen one of them climb inside the car with the injured driver
BTW SMIFF TV, do you have the 94 DieHard 500 from the very beginning when they do the intro talking about Sr's performance at the track. Same music is playing from the start of this race when they talk of Marlins wins at Dega...
Back n day I worked 4. Bobby. Harper and his Uncle Pee Wee Bobby. Liked. Marlin. Pee wee. Dale and me was. Gordon all. Fans of all Beloved guys. Racing 😘
I was watching this race live that day and I can tell you that Sterling Marlin had nothing to do with Ernie Irvan getting his wheels down onto the apron in the tri-oval. Robby Gordon did the same thing there in 1993 driving the 28. Simply a mistake.
Irvans excuse was that Dale Jarrett got up close and took the air off his spoiler which made him loose. But the fact was that Irvin misjudged his angle and went into the tri-oval too low, which put the cars tires on the apron and sent him into Marlin.
Earnhardt hit that wall driver's side at full speed. Could not believe he wasn't more seriously hurt in this crash when it happened. I remember seeing this at the time and really thinking I just watched him die.
You are correct. I was super pissed. I could understand if was The Masters, but it was a Senior PGA event. The only notable player in it was Lee Trevino & he was 3 over par.
Need to dissolve NASCAR,throw their inspection books into a fire,start a new organization where the crew chief & the mechanics can build any kind of engine,no restrictions on anything,back to 200 mph and build up the cars according to their likings. Bump,grind,smash into your opponent for the win. Get back to raw racing. You burn,you lose!
He had 2 wins up to that point in the season (Rockingham & Atlanta) and was contending easily for the championship, along with 70 Winston Cup wins. After this crash, he only won six more times with four of them being restrictor plate races, and two on unrestricted. This crash definitely contributed to the 59-race winless drought, but his next win was the most coveted as he finally won the Daytona 500 in 1998 after going winless in 1997. If it wasn't for this crash he would have most likely tied Yarborough, Allison, or Waltrip, win in 1997, and maybe win at a few facilities that were added to the schedule.
I know it was taped but the announcers sound like they knew What happened but we had to find out dales condition from other tv channels that was very frustrating cause i was an earnhardt fan at age 7 almost 8 but that's what tv networks do when they have to have something else on there network that was scheduled at the time but it was a great race til that crash
1:33:30 MetLife Stadium 2014 Versions Actual Event: June 14, 2014 (POD) with CBS PPV: June 14, 2014 Live (Taped delayed) with Commercials FOX Sports 1: 2014 - Tape 1 And 2, DVD CBS: 2014 - POD Recap, History of Eight Years Of MJ At MetLife And 10 Years Of Monster Jam At MetLife Stadium on Tape 1 And 2 With Racing and Freestyle In 2012-2021, Two Wheel Skills In 2017-2021, Wheelies In 2015, Donuts In 2015 and 2016 on SPEED, CBS, PPV, CBS/FS1, CBS/NBCSN, CBS/CNBC. CNBC: Racing And Freestyle Actions From past 10 Years Of Monster Jam At MetLife Stadium 2012-2021
1:54:45 Ken Squier: This week we also talk to the other two Drivers on the top of the accident Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin we show them The replays and Mike Joy asked them about the incident
this wreck or the wreck in the 1998 spring race here a DEGA? both of these wrecks scare the snot out of me for dale sr. I still can't decide on what wreck was the worst!
The only difference between the two wrecks was that Earnhardt was there keeping Elliott's car from ricocheting off the wall. Both equally savage, identical hits and both bad ones for Earnhardt
Dale would have definitely won this race if that crash never happened, he probably would have won a lot more because he wasnt the same after his injures.
