- A moment of silence will be observed at Sunday’s Daytona 500 to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt.
- Fans will be asked to stand in silence on the third lap of the Daytona 500 and raise three fingers in the air to honor the legendary driver who was killed on February 18, 2001.
- The No. 3 will also be painted on the grass at Daytona on Saturday night before NASCAR’s most prestigious race.
DAYTONA, Florida — A moment of silence will be observed at Sunday’s Daytona 500 to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.
NASCAR fans will be asked to stand in silence on the third lap of the Daytona 500 and raise three fingers in the air to honor the still-iconic driver who was killed on February 18, 2001 when his black No. 3 Chevrolet slammed into the wall on the last lap of the sport’s most prestigious race. The Fox broadcast of the event is expected to be momentarily silent to salute the seven-time champion.
The No. 3 will also be painted on the grass at Daytona on Saturday night before the race.
The anniversary of Earnhardt’s death is prompting plenty of retrospectives on how it affected NASCAR in the ensuing decade.
Observers say that his death changed the face of NASCAR, especially in terms of safety, with a mandate for head and neck restraints for drivers. The Washington Post on Friday said that Earnhardt’s death “created a safer car that, while cutting down on fatalities and serious injuries, took much of the excitement and spontaneity out of the sport.”
Earnhardt’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will go for his second Daytona 500 win on Sunday.
Inside Line says: Time to raise a glass — and three fingers — to the iconic Dale Earnhardt. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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