The Titanic is Sinkable
By, Katrina Robinson
He's the Intimidator, but Sunday we also learned something else. Something that in all his years of racing did we never think possible…Dale Earnhardt wasn't unsinkable. As with the Titanic, Dale Earnhardt was, in our eyes, invincible.
He could crash hard and walk away with a shrug and a smile, he could do things no one else could even imagine possible in a car. Dale could make us so angry in one moment and leave us sitting mouths open in awe in another. The man could SEE AIR for goodness sakes.
Dale was what dreams were made of. Amazingly, Dale was not just a driver. From the pre-race festivities to literally his last lap of life, he showed the racing world sides of him that we soon will never forget.
Dale was almost like a machine. Once he strapped himself into that black # 3 Chevy, the combination of him and his car were a force to be reckoned with. But yet, eerily, yesterday we saw the husband, the father, and the grandfather. We saw more in his eyes than just determination for that 8th Championship. We saw that he is human after all. Now I think back in almost embarrassment that we shared those few intimate moments with him and his family, but I am glad to have seen the multi-dimensional Dale Earnhardt.
Were signs there that something was to come? Did we not marvel at how much Taylor had grown since we'd last seen her? Did we not 'aww' at the hug and kiss he shared with Teresa? I did. I smiled. I also smiled as I watched him give his all to protect the first and second place finish for his son and his friend. He stretched that car across the track with determination, and it wasn't even for HIS technical win.
He wanted Mikey to be able to celebrate what was supposed to be the happiest moment of his life. One of the saddest things that came to mind watching Mikey's Victory celebration was that I'm sure he was waiting for Dale to walk up to him and give him a brotherly hug. Sadly, Michael didn't know, Dale was already there with him.
Dale was Nascar. Dale IS Nascar. What Nascar will be without the Intimidator is beyond all comprehension but it will go on. They'll race, we'll cheer and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. will watch. He'll be in every Victory Lane celebration from here on. And he's happy, he may not have clinched that 8th championship, but how can that even possibly compare to what he has gotten now?
