[HAIL PIKEVILLE!]

When Dale Earnhardt died hands down. Ill never forget that day. I remember how frantic Kenny Schraders body language was when he went to Dales car after the wreck to check on him. I remember Darrell Waltrip who was so excited just moments before when his brother had won to just somberly saying "I just hope Dales OK". I remember Dale Jr bypassing interviews after his 2nd place finish and sprinting down pit road to get to the ambulance his father was in. I remember the final shot of the race coverage that day with the ambulance headed slowly out of the speedway. I remember Mike Helton fighting back tears when he uttered the words "Weve lost Dale Earnhardt". I remember just sitting on the couch and crying after that. I remember asking my wife "I never met the guy in person, so why does it feel like one of my uncles just died?" My wife, who has a knack for putting things in perspective for me, turned to me and said "No, you never met him in person, but you spent every sunday with him".

RIP DE3