The third-generation NASCAR Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., carries the weight of his father’s legacy. Of course, Dale Earnhardt Sr.‘s legend is known to all NASCAR fans. The 7-time champion got the nickname “The Intimidator” for his aggressive driving style and his profound records and legendary status in the sport inducted him to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr., though not eclipsing his father yet, has earned many accomplishments on the track. Dale Jr. won the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award 15 times consecutively from 2003 to 2017, something his father only did once, albeit he could never receive the award himself.

Dirty Mo Media, recently shared a reel on Instagram, where Dale Sr.’s right-hand-man Ty Norris shared a story from 2001. Ty is an influential figure in NASCAR and was working in a leading position at Dale Earnhardt Inc.. Ty talks about what happened in 2001 after Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s tragic passing. Ty recalls how Dale Jr was not ready to accept the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award in his late father’s stead.

The weight of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s legacy

Dale Earnhardt Sr. began his career in 1975 in the Winston Cup Series. Since then, he secured 76 NASCAR Cup Series wins, seven Cup Series Championships, a notable win at Daytona 500, in 1988, and many more accomplishments. During the final lap in, Daytona 500, on Feb 18, 2001, ‘The Hall of Famer’ was involved in a tragic crash. His car collided with another and hit the wall, resulting in fatal injuries. Sadly, the legend did not survive the incident and passed on. The cause of death was later determined to be a basilar skull fracture.

In the same year of his passing, the 2001 NASCAR Most Popular Award was awarded to Dale Earnhardt Sr. The responsibility of receiving it fell on his son Dale Earnhardt Jr., but Dale Jr. had no plans of doing so. In New York, Ty and Dale Jr. Got into an argument as he was “not coming down”. Junior said to Ty, “I’m not doing it, I ain’t f—ing doing it’.” Ty convinced Dale Jr. to show up for the award. He said to Jr., ‘Your dad will only win this award one time, there’s only one person in the world, in this earth that can accept this award, it’s not me, it’s not anybody else, it’s you.”

Truly, this award was a testament to Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s popularity and connection to his fans. He never got this award during his career, despite the huge fanbase. This made it all the more important for Dale Jr. to receive this award. Ty emphasizes the issue more by saying “You will live to regret it if you don’t get up out of this bed, and go downstairs and accept this award.”

Finally, Ty managed to convince Dale to come. “And about 20 minutes later, here comes, bloodshot eyes, a suit, unshaven and he’s like wrecked and he goes there, and he had one of the most eloquent speeches.”, said Ty. This moment was very hard for Jr. But even in the face of such immense grief, he honored his father’s legacy.

The aftermath of the legend’s death

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His death became the wake-up call for NASCAR, to implement new safety rules and guidelines. The HANS device became mandatory, to prevent neck injuries. Changes to the track and infrastructure were made to cushion impacts. Many other safety measures were implemented so such a tragedy can be avoided in the future. The death of such a prominent figure opened many eyes and helped change the whole scenario for good.

Dale Jr. spoke about how the passing of his dad gave NASCAR a wake-up call. “When it happened to dad, everybody said if it happened to him, then it made everybody face how delicate their situation could be,” Earnhardt Jr. said to Fox Sports. “From the industry down to the bottom, everybody started to look into how to be better prepared, and it worked.”

After the legend passed away, he was mourned by family and fans alike. The Legacy left behind by ‘The Intimidator’ is so big that it can never be forgotten. His son ‘Little E’ took up the mantle and went on to carve his name in the sport’s history. Earnhardt Jr. started his career in the late 1990s. Since then, Jr. has amassed 26 NASCAR Cup Series wins, which includes two Daytona 500 wins in 2004 and 2014. The Earnhardt legacy continues, with the third generation carrying their name and adding to the accomplishments left by those who came before.