Whether you loved him or not you have to admit that the Intmidator was one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever. Seven Winston Cup Championships prove it. The man was a driver who knew no fear. Off the track the Man-In-Black had many friends and admirers. On the track he was a fierce competitor who raced hard and had no qualms in bumping his friends, a car he owned, or even his own son. He was a man who did not easily accept defeat and was not always humble in victory. He lived his life his own way, by simple principles and expected nothing less from others.

I never got a chance to meet him, never shook his hand or asked for an autograph. Yet every weekend between February and November I sat on the couch in front of the TV with my wife, or sat in the stands with 200,000 people and cheered this man on. He meant alot to me. In an era where drug abusers and wife beaters are paid millions and called athletes this man personified what an athlete and role model should be. A devoted husband and loving father. A man who pushed himslef and those around him to the edge in the race for victory. I think that Dale Earnhardt died the way he would have wanted at the palce he would have wanted--driving the black #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy on the last lap of the Daytona 500. I only hope that as he rests in heaven that he knows how much he meant to those of us he left behind, his friends, family and fans. If they have racing in heaven I'm sure that he's there in the lead. If they don't--well, they soon will.