ken schrader knew dale died
I hollered at Dale a couple of times [on the radio] and he didnt answer back which was a little unusual., Schrader, who was the first person to attend the crash scene, said that moment will always stay with me and has famously refused to divulge any details of what he saw inside Earnhardts car. "The cars went in side by side," he said. In the end, he decided he wouldnt let it. I never saw him. The 49-year-old racer was fighting for position when he slammed into the It was weird. WebEarnhardt died of a basilar skull ring fracture, the same injury that had killed three other NASCAR drivers Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper over the previous eight "I didn't know what the final deal was, so I just told him it was big and Dale was in trouble," Schrader said. These drivers go at high rates of speed over the course of a race, and the result can be a spectacular crash that puts the driver and sometimes even the crowd at risk a tire flying into the stands can be deadly. 40 Dodge and was turned to the left and onto the flat apron at the bottom of the track. There were other drivers I had been much closer to who had been killed in races, and NASCAR was having a string of deaths. After the crash, NASCAR did an internal investigation and found that there were some design flaws in the cars that pertained to safety, per the Orlando Sentinel. As Marlin had the inside track, it seemed as if Earnhardt Sr. went to block, which led to his left rear getting bumped by Marlins No. It was a truly sad day, one that would be etched in the minds of the people that saw it, but there would be something good that came of it. And, he finished second in 1984, 1993, 1995 and 1996. The strong run propelled him to 10th place in the standings prior to Sunday's race in Darlington, S.C., and did wonders for his psyche. I remember Sid Watkins describing arriving on Ayrton Senna crash and what he saw/experienced. Earnhardt Jr. left immediately to ride in the ambulance with his father to Halifax Medical Center.. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. Her husband tried to talk her into finding a different verse, something less ominous. 'The ones that look really bad are never really bad, and the ones that don't look bad can be bad,'" Petty explains. Could this thing that a few drivers wore, called the HANS Device, really have saved him? Through it all, he's remained strong and spirited. Things got so bad in the days following the wreck that Marlin received death threats, which he essentially had no choice but to address. The evening before the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt held a business meeting with old friend and rival Terry Labonte. Earnhardt crash haunts Schrader | CBC News Loaded. Fox was happy. He made eye contact with Schrader, who was behind a curtain being examined. And youve been a great friend to me. From Senna to Earnhardt," published just prior to Hubbard's death in February 2019. As the car turned around backward, a pair of roof flaps snapped into place, designed to keep the 3,400-pound machine from going airborne. On his way, Schrader was stopped by a TV crew and asked about Earnhardt. As that scramble rolled through the final two turns of the event, Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. were breaking away, hammering off Turn 4 toward the checkered flag. No one knew that February day would be the last one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.s life. Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. Earnhardt, seemingly trying to straighten out without slowing down, went to the apron for the briefest of moments before veering back up the track into the outside wall, hitting it nearly directly head-on before being pushed by Schraders No. Schrader was running in the top 10 that day, battling a pack of cars hot on Earnhardt's bumper when The Intimidator made contact with Sterling Marlin and his car went shooting up the high banking into the Turn 4 wall. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN . He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left ankle, but he was dead instantly from the damage to his head, which included a ring fracture of the base of his skull, via Autopsy Files . On race day, there were so many of those stories, especially during the prerace ceremonies. Earnhardt, one of the sports biggest names, died in a last-lap crash as he tried to protect Waltrips victory. For me, Earnhardt was a man whom everyone wanted to be. Earnhardt said to Waltrip two days earlier, in an interview with the rival-turned-retiree-turned-TV analyst. He touched many people in different ways. As his good friend Earnhardt was doing, Marlin was simply trying to win the Daytona 500. 1 in this weeks top 20 high school softball rankings, Clippers expect Kevin Durant to play more aggressively on offense in Game 2, Eric Kendricks finds himself in middle of a big hole in Chargers defense, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? Calls of warning that were shrugged off by authorities or documents that revealed a corporation knew it was flirting with disaster but went on doing it anyway. Other racing drivers to be killed by a similar injury were Roland Ratzenberger (F1), Blaine Johnson (NHRA drag racing), Blaise Alexander (ARCA stock cars) and Gonzalo Rodriguez (IndyCar). How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style, Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season, Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season ", Helton walked into the room packed with cameras, held his microphone and worked up the courage not to cry over the loss of his friend. Sterling Marlin himself but his family as well. Earnhardt, considered a master of super speedway racing, was locked in a battle for third place as his newest driver, Waltrip, and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., headed toward the finish line for what should have been the most triumphant moment in the brief history of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. "Dale said he just had to get her up in his lap and just hug on her awhile until she got over it," Schrader said. Some speculated that the belt had broken, which but Tommy Propst, who took part in the futile effort to save the racing legend, was adamant that the seat belt was intact, via the LA Times. His first civics lesson? I talked him into it. If they could drop out of school, accomplish great things, help out friends in need, own businesses, including a race team, and yet also dictate their will on many people, that would be a great life. "I didn't think it was my place to tell the world," Schrader said. In the Halifax Medical trauma room, Bohannon and his coworkers tried to inflate Earnhardt's collapsed lungs, performed a chest X-ray and continued pumping his body with blood. #DJD pic.twitter.com/yuUtVhuJcB, NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 11, 2020. "I walked out after that. Schrader became the day's unwitting messenger of tragedy. Rescue personnel work to free Dale Earnhardt Sr. from his No. After finishing the race, Dale Jr. began running to check on his dad. A broken collarbone at Talladega and Earnhardt's rushed return had taken away his feel for the car. IndyCar at Long Beach: Start time, how to watch, entry list, etc. The only big-ticket item missing from the show was the "Big One." The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. Earnhardt Sr. was going 150 miles an hour when he hit the wall at the angle that he did. When I walked up to that car, I thought about a lot of things over the next couple of hours, he said, and quitting was never on the list., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Elliott: Anze Kopitar ignites Kings to thrilling overtime win over Oilers in Game 1, Los Alamitos stays No. The impact also broke a left side lap belt that was already frayed, but multiple doctors interviewed said that, due to the nature of a basilar skull fracture, Earnhardt's mortal wound had already been inflicted by the time the force of the crash broke the belt. The 24-year-old thought about himself, his own racing career and his life as a fatherless son. NASCAR would never be the same, with his death having an incredible impact on everyone in the sport. Thats all I ask. Today is the 10th anniversary of the day Dale Earnhardt died. There was this noise coming out of me that I can't re-create. But the people who lived that day in the arena with the man in his final hours still find themselves wrestling with the reality that Dale Earnhardt is gone. PHOTOS: Memorable moments of Earnhardt's No. He told Eury what had happened, assuming he already knew, but it was the first he was hearing of it, and the stoic old mechanic broke down. Ken Schrader had the best view of Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash. And Earnhardt's 2000 resurgence as a title contender had the old-school fandom worked into a frenzy. On the night of Feb. 18, 2001, phones started ringing at the homes of HANS device co-inventors Jim Downing in Atlanta and Robert Hubbard in Michigan. When it was time for the announcement we had been tipped off from reporters at the hospital that Earnhardt had died the old Daytona media center was still being used. A racer through and through who spends his time away from Winston Cup at dirt tracks and other small circuits, Schrader had seen death before. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. How did we let this happen?'". Even the walk to get to that point had been different. "We all knew that the biggest threat to keep one of us from winning the race was Sterling [Marlin]," Waltrip says of those frantic final 17 laps, running first with a mirror full of teammate Earnhardt Jr. and the black Chevy of Senior zigzagging back and forth to keep two different lines of cars at bay, the inside line led by Marlin and Rusty Wallace and the group in the outside lane led by Schrader. Schrader couldn't avoid hitting Earnhardt's car, tagging him in the passenger side. The trauma room was just inside the door. Since Earnhardts death, and its subsequent safety drive, NASCAR has not suffered a fatality in its major leagues. A broken bone in his neck at Atlanta had him essentially driving with one arm in 1999. "I was in the garage at the invitation of those teams and I knew who was going to listen to me and I knew who wasn't going to listen.". When he limped around to talk to his friend, he instead dropped the window net to an unimaginable scene. It's going away from me with that junk. Does Dale Actually, it was in fact the entire Earnhardt clan who got Waltrip to victory lane. Schrader, whose car hit the wall adjacent to Earnhardt at much the same speed but at a far shallower angle, was completely unhurt. "So, there's a stupid saying that you'll hear around the sport. "Tony's crash looked really bad, right? Racing is a dangerous way to make a living and these things are going to happen. Kenny has never talked about it like that and never will. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. When everyone else in the room broke out into laughter, he never joined them. 3 car as it slid down the banking and into the infield grass, clearly under no control. Ken said more recently he knew Dale was dead, he just didnt want to blurt that out on TV. So many years have passed since this day and the man who was involved in the crash, the man who looked into Dale Sr.s window after the crash, has never spoken publicly about what he saw, until his March 2020 appearance on Dale Jrs podcast, The Dale Jr Download. Kenny Schrader came to Victory Lane and said, I just want you to know that I saw Dale, and it aint it aint good., Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardts car owner and longtime best friend Richard Childress said: I thought it was just another crash. He was beating himself up for talking his friend out of quitting and couldn't shake that "they're going to get someone killed" comment during the red flag. Every Daytona race had to have an Earnhardt story, and there were plenty of times when it was a mad scramble to get him following an event. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2011-02-14-os-earnhardt-first-responder-0215-20110214-story.html. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Marlin had attempted one last push to catch them, moving below Senior down the backstretch. "And watching Ken Schrader, quite frankly, move around the way he was moving around. Just use common sense and look at the tape. It's been 13 years since Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Sr. couldnt have been saved by protective equipment at the time. "I feel pain for you to have to carry that memory, but you carry it for me you carry it for anyone who's ever cheered for him. THE RACE ITSELF was a good one, with 49 lead changes swapped among 14 different race leaders. The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardts death, From the archive: Dale Earnhardts final Autosport interview, Taylor explains calamitous pitstop that led to fateful Acura charge, Taylor explains calamitous pitstop that led to fateful Acura charge Johns Hopkins Medicine describes this injury as the most serious type of skull fracture, and involves a break in the bone at the base of the skull. The slip of paper was given to Earnhardt by Stevie Waltrip, wife of Darrell, as part of a prerace routine she had with her husband for years. Earnhardt, 49, died after a crash into the retaining wall after making contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. Im still trying to sort them all out.. He took one look and instantly recognized by the body language of the doctors that the battle was over. However, the changes have not affected popularity in America, as the sport continues to gain fans, according to Tireball Sports. Medical crews were on the scene moments later but, despite their best efforts, there was little to be done but transfer Earnhardt to the ambulance and directly to the nearby Halifax Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. "He's been absolutely on cloud nine, just ecstatic," Ann Schrader said. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strong-arm tactics that were the trademark of his persona. The drivers of these cars have to have unshakable confidence in themselves. The 20th Things happen and people are going to look for somebody to blame. More often, the signs are much smaller, much more personal. No one knew that February day would be the last one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s life. I had to ask him, for a different story, about having Budweiser and Remington on the side of his sons car at the same time. He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left ankle, but he was dead instantly from the damage to his head, which included a ring fracture of the base of his skull, via Autopsy Files. I cant imagine knowing that and then having to go on National TV, and then having to Leading into the race, Earnhardt tried to convince Waltrip that his winless skid wouldnt last for long., Thats not right, said Waltrip. It often leads to major bleeding in that area. The organization made changes to make things safer, according to NASCAR. I knew when he got there it would be the biggest hug ever. That's when Bohannon realized someone else was in the room with them. He got fixed up and our cars got fixed up and in 2000 we almost won the championship.". How could he attract the legions of dedicated, worshipping fans? He also threw his arms around Kyle Petty, the man whom he worked so hard to avoid throughout the 2000 season after Petty's 19-year-old son, Adam, was killed in a Busch Series practice crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, mortally wounded with a basilar skull fracture. Tony Stewart's orange No. Theyre good people, and that is a reflection of the influence of their father and others on their lives. I knew right away when I saw him that it was just as bad as it could be. No idea if hes ever went in detail about it. I really appreciate you for who you are and the friend youve been to me.. There was some initial confusion about what had happened with the crash. He was so adamant in his distaste of the carbon fiber brace that when General Motors, Ford and NASCAR brought esteemed automotive safety expert Dr. John Melvin to a January 2001 Daytona 500 test session to make a presentation to drivers on its benefits, Earnhardt was the only no-show. In the days leading up to the race, his car's garage stall was in between those of Dale Jarrett and Bill Elliott, both of whom were fitted for devices by HANS co-inventor Robert Hubbard. Schrader also had his own emotions to deal with. Months later, when the photos of the car were released as part of NASCAR's presentation of its crash investigation, hardly any image didn't include blood stains. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN. "You could tell in the communication from those arriving on scene," Helton says of his view from race control. 20 machine took a hard right-hand turn and drilled the concrete wall with a perfectly centered shot from the nose of his Pontiac. Ken Schrader would have the most accurate account. Crash: Im Glad It Was You, Alligator Bites Off Leg Of Elderly Man At Florida RV Park, Coors Stock Goes Up As Bud Light Stock Takes A Hit Following Controversy, 6 Facts Youll Be Surprised To Learn About John Wayne, Cody Johnson Drops Details About His New Album, Crowd Cheers As Riley Green Slams BUD LIGHT With Lyric Swap, Anheuser-Busch CEO Breaks Silence As Stocks Take A Hit, Relive The Country Music Sing-Off Between Steve Austin And The Rock. I do know that his children are polite and have been a pleasure to deal with in this industry. Unconscious, unresponsive, not trying to breathe. Earnhardts teammate, Michael Waltrip, won the race a hollow victory. It's a test of skill, reflexes, and concentration, along with resource management and nerves. "All he's ever wanted to do was go fast, race well and be competitive. and Ken Schrader knew there was trouble. He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left According to Legacy, his fellow racers dubbed him "The Intimidator." The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Its a secret that youll keep til your last breath. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Earnhardt died of a basilar skull ring fracture, the same injury that had killed three other NASCAR drivers Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper over the previous eight months. "I thought for us to be able to deliver it to Fox on their premiere Daytona 500," Helton says, "was everything we wanted it to be for the audience that was watching it on television.". The day Dale Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. His car slid alongside Earnhardt's and they stopped nose-to-door in the infield grass. Receive daily updates with the best country music videos, news, and more! It was 13 years ago today when Earnhardt died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. She had arrived with her stepson, Earnhardt Jr. It was the first race of a new six-year billion-dollar broadcast deal and Fox Sports had wallpapered the nation in promotion, from ads during NFL playoff games to getting Terry Bradshaw named grand marshal of the event, complete with a Daytona 500 Eve ridealong with Earnhardt, who jerked the wheel like he was headed into the wall just to scare the four-time Super Bowl champ. Its just the nature of the sport. safety improvements in the sport over the past 20 years, which saved Ryan Newman in a scary crash at the 2020 Daytona 500. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly, Dale Earnhardt death: NASCARs tragic Daytona 500 remembered, Death of "hero" Earnhardt impacted me hugely - Ricciardo. "It was Mikey's biggest moment and you're adding news that he doesn't want. Unlike his fellow competitors, who didnt learn Earnhardt was dead until well after the accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Schrader knew how bad it was the moment he poked his head into the battered No. It had been there when his crew secured his window net on pit road and he rolled away to take the green flag. The headlines the next day said it all Racing loses a giant.. Back then, The Observer had two beat writers who covered NASCAR the late David Poole and myself. The two-time Daytona 500 winner clearly (and accurately) believed that it was simply an accident and made that point clear in his first interview following the accident. That's energy that's leaving. I turned around and walked back out of there and sat for 30 minutes in that hospital before they told us he was gone., Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s HANS device is connected to his helmet. He was survived by Dale Jr. and his other son Kerry as well as his daughters Kelley and Taylor. As they played out, Waltrip added: Those kind of licks are the worst kind; theyre sudden. It had been nearly two hours and they were about to step into the media center to address the world. The final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 was absolutely crazy as a plethora of drivers had a chance to win. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. All she said was, "No. WebKen Schraders age is 67. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He clearly understood that people were heartbroken over the death of such a legendary figure and perhaps thats why they were lashing out. Unfortunately, Dale Sr. collided with driver Ken Schrader and hit the outside wall head-on. (3:04). Sometimes, it's through a formal investigation of a historic event, like a terrorist attack or space shuttle explosion. His own teams cars, driven by good friend Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr, finished 1-2 on a day that should have been filled with great joy.