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Sprint Cup
CUP: Earnhardt Still The Man
Dale Earnhardt’s induction was the high point of the NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremony...
From the left: Dale Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, and children Kerry, Kelley, Dale Jr. and Taylor remember the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion at Sunday's NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Photo: Getty Images)
More than nine years after his death, the late Dale Earnhardt remains a huge star and the heart and soul of much of NASCAR’s fan base.
That much was obvious at Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where Earnhardt joined Bill France Sr. and Jr., Richard Petty and Junior Johnson in the first class for the new $195 million facility. The crowd at the Charlotte Convention Center was heavily pro-Earnhardt, with one fan even screaming and holding three fingers aloft as Earnhardt’s induction began.
And the crowd experienced a rare treat: Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa, and all four of his children — Kerry, Kelley, Dale Jr. and Taylor — appeared together and all spoke about the late star.
The Earnhardt family’s appearance was the highlight of what was a hugely emotional afternoon in general.
“When Dale Earnhardt had his hands on the steering wheel, he felt and saw things that you and I will never see,” Teresa began. “He could see the wind. Moving at 200 miles an hour, he could see things more clearly than most of us could ever fathom, and thrill us all while doing it. Some call him legend. Some call him hero. Some simply call him Dad. Or son. Dale Earnhardt was a man who personified the American dream. He worked hard. He earned everything he had and he enjoyed it. This is an achievement of a lifetime. To be able to celebrate it, for me, this is a moment of pride for Dale that I just can't put into words.”
Teresa talked about how others perceived Earnhardt, concluding with “Dale Earnhardt was definitely a hero to his family. No one can say more about that than his children. Through them, his friends and fans, through this Hall of Fame, through you, Dale Earnhardt, the legend, lives on.”
The four Earnhardt children then went in the order of oldest to youngest. Kerry spoke first, reminiscing of his father’s love for his millions of fans. “I can't say enough about what the fans meant to Dad,” Kerry said. “Dad would always take the last minute and plus some to be associated with the fans, young ones up to older ones. There's a lot of times Dad would give back to fans for what they did to him.”
“My dad was a very giving person,” said Kelley. “Though he was an incredible driver and a businessman, that was very important to him. But it was also important to give back. Whether he did that to the local farmers on Highway 3 (in Mooresville, N.C.) or racers just getting started like Jeff Gordon, or the men and women serving our military in the public service, it was about doing business the right way and using his successes to give back to others.”
Dale Jr. then recounted an experience with his father back in the late 1990s, when NASCAR ran exhibition races in Japan at the end of the season. “I was racing for the first time against the Cup competitors and my father. It was late in the race,” Dale Jr. said. “I got some new tires. Only had a few laps to make those work for me. I got up underneath him in turn three and four; I just needed two inches to clear him. I didn't have him cleared. I slid across his nose, up to the wall. He carried me all the way down the front straightaway with my back tires in the air all the way off into (Turn) one. That was the day I met 'The Intimidator.'”
Finally, it was Taylor’s turn to close, and close in grand style she did.
“Dad gave all four of us something,” said Taylor. “He gave all his fans something. I think that's what makes him a true champion in everybody's eyes.”
Afterwards, the Earnhardt family spoke about the day. “I thought it was great how all four of us just got out there and talked, got to kind of hear different sides of dad from the four of us,” said Taylor. “It's not something that happens all at one time. So I thought it was special that we got to tell everybody about it, and it's definitely an honor for all of us.”
And the Earnhardts agreed that the day was emotional, although mostly in a positive way. “I'm the type that I really don't put my emotions out there,” said Teresa. “But I do have them.”
“I think any time you get up and talk about anything that's personal to you, you're going to have a lot of emotions,” Kelley said. “And definitely the stories that were told today from everyone, the room was full of emotion, and it's no different for us when you talk about someone you miss and left us too soon. We all have very strong emotions about that. Good and fond memories about it.”
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEEDtv.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
That much was obvious at Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where Earnhardt joined Bill France Sr. and Jr., Richard Petty and Junior Johnson in the first class for the new $195 million facility. The crowd at the Charlotte Convention Center was heavily pro-Earnhardt, with one fan even screaming and holding three fingers aloft as Earnhardt’s induction began.
And the crowd experienced a rare treat: Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa, and all four of his children — Kerry, Kelley, Dale Jr. and Taylor — appeared together and all spoke about the late star.
The Earnhardt family’s appearance was the highlight of what was a hugely emotional afternoon in general.
“When Dale Earnhardt had his hands on the steering wheel, he felt and saw things that you and I will never see,” Teresa began. “He could see the wind. Moving at 200 miles an hour, he could see things more clearly than most of us could ever fathom, and thrill us all while doing it. Some call him legend. Some call him hero. Some simply call him Dad. Or son. Dale Earnhardt was a man who personified the American dream. He worked hard. He earned everything he had and he enjoyed it. This is an achievement of a lifetime. To be able to celebrate it, for me, this is a moment of pride for Dale that I just can't put into words.”
Teresa talked about how others perceived Earnhardt, concluding with “Dale Earnhardt was definitely a hero to his family. No one can say more about that than his children. Through them, his friends and fans, through this Hall of Fame, through you, Dale Earnhardt, the legend, lives on.”
The four Earnhardt children then went in the order of oldest to youngest. Kerry spoke first, reminiscing of his father’s love for his millions of fans. “I can't say enough about what the fans meant to Dad,” Kerry said. “Dad would always take the last minute and plus some to be associated with the fans, young ones up to older ones. There's a lot of times Dad would give back to fans for what they did to him.”
“My dad was a very giving person,” said Kelley. “Though he was an incredible driver and a businessman, that was very important to him. But it was also important to give back. Whether he did that to the local farmers on Highway 3 (in Mooresville, N.C.) or racers just getting started like Jeff Gordon, or the men and women serving our military in the public service, it was about doing business the right way and using his successes to give back to others.”
Dale Jr. then recounted an experience with his father back in the late 1990s, when NASCAR ran exhibition races in Japan at the end of the season. “I was racing for the first time against the Cup competitors and my father. It was late in the race,” Dale Jr. said. “I got some new tires. Only had a few laps to make those work for me. I got up underneath him in turn three and four; I just needed two inches to clear him. I didn't have him cleared. I slid across his nose, up to the wall. He carried me all the way down the front straightaway with my back tires in the air all the way off into (Turn) one. That was the day I met 'The Intimidator.'”
Finally, it was Taylor’s turn to close, and close in grand style she did.
“Dad gave all four of us something,” said Taylor. “He gave all his fans something. I think that's what makes him a true champion in everybody's eyes.”
Afterwards, the Earnhardt family spoke about the day. “I thought it was great how all four of us just got out there and talked, got to kind of hear different sides of dad from the four of us,” said Taylor. “It's not something that happens all at one time. So I thought it was special that we got to tell everybody about it, and it's definitely an honor for all of us.”
And the Earnhardts agreed that the day was emotional, although mostly in a positive way. “I'm the type that I really don't put my emotions out there,” said Teresa. “But I do have them.”
“I think any time you get up and talk about anything that's personal to you, you're going to have a lot of emotions,” Kelley said. “And definitely the stories that were told today from everyone, the room was full of emotion, and it's no different for us when you talk about someone you miss and left us too soon. We all have very strong emotions about that. Good and fond memories about it.”
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEEDtv.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
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