"I hereby declare this day to be 'Dale Earnhardt Day'!"
Posted on 05/10/2004 11:05:52 AM PDT by southern bale
Dale Earnhardt Day
BY KIM GIBSON
EDITOR
The Mecklenburg Times
May 4, 2004
Mooresville, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt’s 76 race wins and seven Winston Cup championships may give his fans lots of bragging rights, but it’s more than statistics that continue to draw huge crowds to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. every April 29.
The third-annual Dale Earnhardt Day was held last week on what would have been the racing legend’s 53rd birthday. The theme to this year’s event was “Dale’s Legacy at Daytona.” Earnhardt’s Daytona wins and near-wins were played on a Jumbotron screen outside. Inside fans waited in long lines to see the displays of trophies, pictures and race cars of Earnhardt and other DEI drivers.
In one room, the last three laps of Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500 win was projected on a wall in a continuous loop. The film played on to show the celebrations on pit road and in victory lane after the race and then started over again. Even though most of these fans would have surely seen this race, everyone would stop and watch the clip at least once. There were many who had to wipe brimming eyes even as they smiled when Earnhardt took the checkers.
Suspended from the ceiling were pictures of Earnhardt’s victories at Daytona. And smack dab in the middle of the room was the Harley J. Earl trophy which was on loan from Daytona USA. The trophy has the names of all the winners of the Daytona 500 since the first race, which was in 1959. It was only the second time the trophy had ever left Daytona, according to a report on Fox Sports South last week.
As the long line snaked through the facility, people were heard telling their favorite Earnhardt story. One fellow was heard telling some folks how he had worked close to where Earnhardt worked in the old days, before the driver became famous. The reactions of the group hearing it showed they had no doubts about the man’s story. They also said how lucky the first gentleman was to have had that experience. Meeting Earnhardt is great, but knowing him in a more personal way garners reactions of awe and respect.
And that was the feeling that pulsated through the crowd. Everyone was happy and smiling. People said “Excuse me” and “I’m sorry” if they brushed up against another. These fans were here to honor their hero and they were on hallowed ground. Being here meant being on one’s best behavior.
After the tour fans had their choice of activities. They could shop in the retail store (the cash registers seemed to be going at a steady click during my shopping spree) or they could go outside where booths were set up with Ring Toss or Milk Bottle Knock-Down (but in this case they used plastic automobile oil bottles). There was also face-painting and a story-telling booth for kids. A display of a replica of the Liberty Bell was on hand. And a giant postcard was set up with a steady stream of people sending their best to the troops overseas.
It was a georgious day and the mood was light during Dale Earnhardt Day. As I left I looked at liscense plates in the parking area; I saw tags from at least 18 different states and a few from Canada. Most of the folks I talked to who drove from out of state came here just for this event.
As I drove down Dale Earnhardt Hwy. 3 — which was renamed in 2002 to honor the North Carolina hero — I remembered what one man said when asked why he was such an Earnhardt fan: “Because he just wanted to win and he didn’t quit.”
"I hereby declare this day to be 'Dale Earnhardt Day'!"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.