Ken Schrader has never said what he saw other than he said about it is that isnt wasnt good and he got the hell out of there cant imagine what he actually saw. "I'm a lucky man. "The cars went in side by side," he said. In it, he recalled: I couldnt wait for Dale to get to Victory Lane. "Kenny's always going to be doing that, even when he's grey and in a wheelchair. The day Dale Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. It looked as though his save from Friday's IROC race might happen again. A broken collarbone at Talladega and Earnhardt's rushed return had taken away his feel for the car. He was declared dead by all the physicians in attendance at 5:16 p.m.. His wife, Teresa, and Dale Jr., were at his bedside. It's going away from me with that junk. What I saw in the car that day, that will stay with you, Schrader said in his first extensive interview about the wreck. It was the day that NASCAR fans and the racing community and family were in shock. NASCARs crash report, published in August 2001, stated: Dale Earnhardt's death was most likely caused by a blow to the back of the head not from one single cause but from a combination of unusual factors. THE BIBLE VERSE was taped to the instrument panel of Dale Earnhardt's Chevy Monte Carlo when it veered into the Turn 4 wall at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500. I do know that his children are polite and have been a pleasure to deal with in this industry. Crews worked quickly to get Dale Sr. out of the race car, even cutting off the roof. Theres also some photos that you mentioned in another comment that are tough to find. "It was strange enough when he said it at the time," Labonte said when he recalled the comment in 2019. I talked him into it. ", "The technician looked at me like, 'What do I do?' Schrader had nowhere to go when Earnhardt's car turned sharply up the track and into the wall. "It was Mikey's biggest moment and you're adding news that he doesn't want. A note, a comment, a last conversation with a lost loved one that wasn't really an indicator of cosmic tumblers about to fall into place, but man, in retrospect, they sure feel like it. Fans hold up three fingers on the 3rd lap to remember Dale Earnhardt ten years after he died, Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images, Earnhardts former rival Darrell Waltrip was calling the race for Fox Sports, which was broadcasting the Daytona 500 for the first time. The 49-year-old racer was fighting for position when he slammed into the 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. He knows things can happen in a race car, Ann Schrader said. Even the walk to get to that point had been different. As we all know now, Dale Sr. was pronounced dead at the hospital from a basilar skull fracture and the entire world was in mourning. MORE: Dillon puts No. But how, especially without any head and neck restraints? Earnhardts teammate, Michael Waltrip, won the race a hollow victory. Bill Elliott, Ricky Rudd, Jeremy Mayfield, and Bobby Hamilton were right there in the mix as well. "So, there's a stupid saying that you'll hear around the sport. WebKen said more recently he knew Dale was dead, he just didnt want to blurt that out on TV. The restart came on Lap 180, with 20 to go. "Because he's a racer, he has a very realistic attitude and has been able to cope with it.". After the two cars slid down the track and onto the grass, Schrader rushed over to check on his friend. "Any time the driver's unconscious, we know it's going to be a difficult situation," Bohannon said in January during a visit to Daytona, his first time back to the track in years. 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. It suggested that, had Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Tony Roper worn head and neck restraints, they would likely still be alive. He didnt get mad at all at the question about how beer and guns could coexist on the quarter panel of a racecar. Earnhardt led four times for a total of 17 laps up front. 36 into the infield grass. I knew both those guys [Earnhardt and Earnhardt Jr.] would be right there at the end, said Waltrip. When his race car smashed into a concrete wall at an estimated 180 mph Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, it broke eight ribs, his left ankle and his breastbone. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Through it all, he's remained strong and spirited. 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. He made eye contact with Schrader, who was behind a curtain being examined. We can only imagine why. But anybody Ive talked to before--and Ive even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews--they said they knew it was serious from that interview.. Ken Schrader was the driver that hit Earnhardt behind the passenger door. 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. Dale Earnhardt's death caused the sport to look inward. Ive managed to find this: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2011-02-14-os-earnhardt-first-responder-0215-20110214-story.html. Unfortunately, Dale Sr. collided with driver Ken Schrader and hit the outside wall head-on. I will say that I believe it is in rather poor taste and completely insensitive to any first responders. Speed was a vital part of what attracted people to watch, and watering it down could have turned people away. Its a secret that youll keep til your last breath. At the time of the interview, Ken still raced and 2020 marked his 50th year in racing, so it has been hard to schedule around that, but they finally got him. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It was a surreal moment. "He hugged me and said, 'I'm thinking about you and I love you. Two-wide, sometimes three-wide racing, became the norm late in the race, as it was the entire day. Im still trying to sort them all out.. When NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing looked over the car in the garage, they discovered that the steering wheel was bent, dented from the impact of Stewart's full-face helmet. No, she said -- something was telling her that one was the right one. They couldnt believe he was gone. Her husband tried to talk her into finding a different verse, something less ominous. Stuff flying everywhere. "We went in there and knew it right away," he remembers now. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN. Has there ever been a telling by a doctor, worker, or anyone on the scene of Dale Earnhardts fatal crash? A subreddit for everything NASCAR related! That is part of Earnhardt's legacy: safer cars. He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left Ive seen photos of the wrecked car. And after poor performances in Rockingham, N.C., and Las Vegas, Schrader had to make a difficult change on his team by firing crew chief Sammy Johns before last week's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. I didnt idolize Earnhardt I dont really idolize anything. How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory, How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022, How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022 The 24-year-old thought about himself, his own racing career and his life as a fatherless son. Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN. The summer before, Dorothy Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht. We compete and sometimes we fight and we want to beat each other on the racetrack, but this is a small group of people who do what we do. 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. Them high-speed race tracks, you know you dont touch anybody because its going to hurt when you hit. It was Teresa Earnhardt. "I was within a few feet of Earnhardt and he just didn't want to hear about the HANS," Hubbard recalled in his book "Crash! So it was hard for her, she had a lot of questions and a lot of concern for Taylor.. He touched many people in different ways. 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. He got so excited that he leapt out of his seat. The veteran racer drove as if he were invincible, and time and time again, it seemed that way. Unconscious, unresponsive, not trying to breathe. Waltrips victory came in his first race as a member of Dale Earnhardts race team. An autopsy completed Monday showed Earnhardt died of blunt force injuries to the head. This is Part III of a four-part series on the life, death and safety legacy of Dale Earnhardt, 20 years after his fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. How could he attract the legions of dedicated, worshipping fans? WebKen Schraders age is 67. For me, Earnhardt was a man whom everyone wanted to be. Theyre good people, and that is a reflection of the influence of their father and others on their lives. A new @DaleJr Download Ken Schrader: The Best Week Ever! It led to the adoption of head and neck restraints (such as the HANS device) and the SAFER barrier, which was developed in conjunction with IndyCar and the University of Nebraska. France Jr. was happy. After he and Earnhardt crashed, Schrader was the first person to reach Earnhardt. "But it sure came back to my mind just about exactly 24 hours later.". Unlike his fellow competitors, who didn't 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. No idea if hes ever went in detail about it. Tragic Details Found In Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s Autopsy Report. 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 knew right away when I saw him that it was just as bad as it could be. You can see blood, the bent steering wheel . Schrader was sandwiched between the concrete barrier and the nose of Earnhardt's ride. What can be done to the walls? But Stewart climbed out of what was left of his car, shaken but OK. 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. Darrell Waltrip was there too, with a growing number of NASCAR officials. THE 2001 DAYTONA 500 was without question the most hyped and anticipated event in NASCAR's then-53-year history. We'll never truly know what he really saw, and that's probably for the best. I once interviewed him in his hauler at Michigan for a story about Daytona. It was only my third time covering the Daytona 500 for The Charlotte Observer. That forced Earnhardt's car to ricochet back up into the steep 31-degree banking, cutting across the front of the pack of the cars behind him. You got the sense that something wasn't right.". We travel together, we live together, we're a tribe. To the 17 million people watching at home, the crash looked like nothing, especially compared to Stewart's spectacular accident a half-hour earlier. That sticks with you., Earnhardts son, Dale Jr, recalled what happened in hospital: I walked right into Dads room. How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival, How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory, How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory He won 76 NASCAR Cup races and earned over $42 million in winnings, per Racing Reference. It was a huge story and time to go to work. DAYTONA BEACH Dale Earnhardt died from a severe fracture to the base of his skull that caused bruising and bleeding to the soft tissue in his brain. But he can do something about how it affects him. While doing so, he was interviewed about the race. "I've got it all right now, Darrell, I've got it all!" In 1997, he flipped his car with just 12 laps to go. Earnhardt, one of the sports biggest names, died in a last-lap crash as he tried to protect Waltrips victory. It's just like a bellow of shock and sorrow and fear.". Schraders next thought was to go to Michael Waltrip, who was celebrating his first win, unaware of Earnhardts death. I'm not discouraging the question from being asked. 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. ", E60 explores the legacy of Dale Earnhardt 20 years after his death. There were rumors at the next weeks race that Schrader was going to quit, that what he had seen in Earnhardts car--which he wont discuss in detail--was just too much to overcome. He got fixed up and our cars got fixed up and in 2000 we almost won the championship.". It was just strictly a racing accident. Dale Earnhardt, also known as The Intimidator, Ironhead and Man in Black had died after a crash on the last lap in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. 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. Emotional Dale Earnhardt Jr. No one knew that February day would be the last one of Dale Earnhardt Sr.s life. Schrader was battling a pack of cars when The Intimidators car made contact with Sterling Marlins and went shooting up the high banking into the Turn 4 wall. How did we let this happen?'". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. But he was immediately distracted by Earnhardt's crash, watching the No. Greg Newman recalls his sons frightening Daytona 500 crash: It was pretty agonizing just to stand and wait. While I was amazed at his talent, I also saw an obvious prickly side. Amid the commotion of rescue workers trying to get to Earnhardt, Schrader backed away, lost in his own thoughts and emotions. When Earnhardt dropped low in front of Marlin, he hadn't completely cleared the nose of the No. "Out of compassion for his friend, he went to the car and I think maybe he saw more than what he bargained for," said Schrader's wife, Ann. "So, now, here we all were, balancing grief, the loss of our friend. "This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I've ever personally had to make," he began, "but after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500 we've lost Dale Earnhardt.". For a fraction of a second, the nose of Earnhardt's Chevy corrected itself, pointed briefly in the right direction to resume racing. Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who were running 1-2 when the white flag dropped, had separated themselves a bit as the pack hit turn three, which is always a madhouse as every NASCAR driver worth his salt wants to make that one last push to win. Dale Earnhardt Sr. couldnt have been saved by protective equipment at the time. I cant imagine knowing that and then having to go on National TV, and then having to I am a big believer that we all put our pants on one leg at a time. I didn't know for certain [that he was dead], but I would have bet. "But at the same time, he takes comfort in that one of the last people Dale might have seen and heard was Kenny, a friend who was there for him.". Things got so bad in the days following the wreck that Marlin received death threats, which he essentially had no choice but to address. 3 on the pole for the 2014 Daytona 500, it will bring back plenty of memories of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt. There were other drivers I had been much closer to who had been killed in races, and NASCAR was having a string of deaths. Today is the 10th anniversary of the day Dale Earnhardt died. 3 Chevrolet, grazed Sterling Marlins car while fighting for position. 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. According to the official accident report, Earnhardt's Monte Carlo was traveling 160 mph when it blasted into the bare concrete wall at the 1 o'clock angle and immediately decelerated by 42-44 mph. Before @DaleJr let Ken Schrader leave the @DirtyMoMedia studio, he shared an emotional message on what he means to the Earnhardt family. #DJD pic.twitter.com/yuUtVhuJcB In the garage, just a few paces from where Helton was speaking, Earnhardt Jr. had returned to the garage to see his team. Rusty Wallace finished third while Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott, who went from the pole to 42nd in a span of 30 laps, was fifth. When the news was brought to them from the emergency room, everyone there in that moment who talks about it now says what they remember most is silence. When we look back on tragic days in our lives, we always find what feel like missed signs of what was to come. The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car, How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style, How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style It was his first career Winston Cup win. 3 car and saw his lifeless body. American racecar driver who was named 1985 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Theres nothing Ken Schrader can do to erase the image he has of seeing Dale Earnhardt dead in his car. Then he went to Victory Lane, where Waltrip wasn't expecting him. 3. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. "And watching Ken Schrader, quite frankly, move around the way he was moving around. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remembers back to what the day his father's fatal crash was like. On Lap 183, Earnhardt was in the lead. ", Before @DaleJr let Ken Schrader leave the @DirtyMoMedia studio, he shared an emotional message on what he means to the Earnhardt family. And Earnhardt's 2000 resurgence as a title contender had the old-school fandom worked into a frenzy. You can actually see Ken Schrader telling Michael Waltrip about Dale's condition in victory lane at the thirty minute or so mark. The injury is caused by: impact to the chin, jaw and face; impact to the head anteriorly, posteriorly or laterally; impact near the top of the head; and inertial head loading, in which the spine and neck muscles are called upon to stop the moving head. He got to race in these newer cars and tracks before semi-retiring in 2017. The world began looking at racing in a completely different way after his autopsy results. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a few hours later but Ken Schrader later admitted that he knew Earnhardt had passed the moment he looked in the car. SPEED has filled in a lot of the gaps from one very dark day. I'd be at my car getting in and he wouldn't come up to me, you know? In the end, he decided he wouldnt let it. 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. "So it was hard for her, she had a lot of questions and a lot of concern for Taylor.". "Yellowstone" Stars Debut Relationship On Instagram, Dale Jr. "Truthfully, when I took a look at him in his car, when you have no signs of life after a major blunt trauma, major car accident, the chances of being resuscitated and survival from that are close to zero, but we try heroic measures.". "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.". As soon as Earnhardt Jr. saw Schrader's eyes, he knew he would need to go offsite to Halifax Medical to see his father. Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht E60 explores the legacy of Dale Earnhardt life! 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