Reflections and ruminations

I'm x-posting to these three groups because I think it's appropriate, because I read them all and participate in two, and because the tragedy at Daytona has affected us all. If you have a problem with that, you can get stuffed. Anyhow, I just got done watching the replay of the race (because i'm Australian, it was shown live at 5am - I ain't getting up that early to watch a race when the replay is on at 8pm - but the rain delay meant I saw everything after the big wreck that took saw Tony Stewart go flying). I really don't know why I watched the replay, given what happened. I found myself choking back tears every time DE was mentioned - and I was never even a fan. I don't know what i'm writing or even thinking here, because it's a stream of consciousness sort of thing, you know? I just don't lnow what there is to say. How did Tony survive, yet Dale was killed? (not that I wanted Tony to die, far from it... but his wreck was so much worse....) It was a great race. What I always thought Daytona should be - close, hard fought and no one giving an inch. 43 cars started, I honestly think that at most points of the race there were 30 potential winners. Maybe not, but thats how close it seemed. Then the big wreck. It had to happen, in a race like that. Miraculously no one was seriously hurt. And after the green flag came down again, I knew there would be a great race to the checkered flag. Seeing Michael Waltrip finally break his duck - and at Daytona, with his brother in the commentary booth - that was magical. Thos last 5 laps I had a lump in my throat because of how emotional Darrell was - and what a great performance the DEI team had put in. It was great. Michael won, and I was happy. Only there was a wreck out of turn 4. Nothing too unusual in that really - except once the dust settled, Dale Earnhardt was still in his car. "Oh Shit" I thought. I may be relatively new to racing compared to alot of you people, but I know that if, after a wreck, the driver isn't straight out of the car that something is very wrong. Darrell Waltrip had tears in his eyes because his baby brother had just won Daytona and said "I just hope Dale's Ok... I guess he's OK...." but by then, I think we all knew, or at least suspected, the worst. I feel so bad. Bad for the Earnhardts. Bad for the Waltrips. Bad for NASCAR and everyone involved in racing. I just dunno what emotion is in my mind. And with Kyle Petty driving Adam's car.... Usually I come home from work and, after a little rest, do some sim-racing. I just couldn't tonight. Not GPL, not GP3 - most certainly not N3. I'm sorry I made so little sense here. Believe me, i'm perfectly sober - I just have this numbness in my brain so that I can't express what i'm feeling. I'm only a casual NASCAR fan, but love it when the racing is close and hard, and have always had alot of respect for Dale Earnhardt (although I prefer his son... maybe because he is closer to my age). But this... it is just unbelievable. I imagine this is how I'd have felt when Senna died had I been old enough, and deep enough into racing, to appreciate it. That's it. A bunch of drivel I typed as it came into my head. Many more will die driving race cars in my life time, and many already have. And we will keep watching, many of us will keep racing. I'm sure Jr will carry on his Father's legacy - but NASCAR, indeed motor racing as a whole, will be poorer without the intimidator. Thanks for listening, DG

[email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) writes: <cut a nice emotional post> I think you put words to what most of us feel right now. Confusion, emptiness and sorrow. Right now, I just don't know yet if I'm able to watch the race on Eurosport tonight, a race I so much looked forward to see.... -- Olav K. Malmin remove .spam when replying

On 19 Feb 2001 13:39:15 +0100, [email hidden] (Olav K. Malmin) wrote:

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>[email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) writes: > ><cut a nice emotional post> > >I think you put words to what most of us feel right now. Confusion, >emptiness and sorrow. > >Right now, I just don't know yet if I'm able to watch the race on >Eurosport tonight, a race I so much looked forward to see....

At least I don't expect Eurosport will broadcast the crash itself. I'm still doubting if I want to watch the race. I think I'll watch it untill the final lap and then turn the tv off. Andre > >-- >Olav K. Malmin >remove .spam when replying

[email hidden] (Andre Warringa) writes:

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> On 19 Feb 2001 13:39:15 +0100, [email hidden] (Olav K. > Malmin) wrote: > > >[email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) writes: > > > ><cut a nice emotional post> > > > >I think you put words to what most of us feel right now. Confusion, > >emptiness and sorrow. > > > >Right now, I just don't know yet if I'm able to watch the race on > >Eurosport tonight, a race I so much looked forward to see.... > > At least I don't expect Eurosport will broadcast the crash itself. > I'm still doubting if I want to watch the race. I think I'll watch it > untill the final lap and then turn the tv off.

Well, I decided to watch the race to kind of celebrate Dale's last race. But Eurosport only showed the crash and had a 10 minute tribute. Which was kind of nice. IMHO the correct way of doing it. -- Olav K. Malmin remove .spam when replying

On Mon, 19 Feb 2001 15:01:56 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) wrote:

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>On 19 Feb 2001 13:39:15 +0100, [email hidden] (Olav K. >Malmin) wrote: > >>[email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) writes: >> >><cut a nice emotional post> >> >>I think you put words to what most of us feel right now. Confusion, >>emptiness and sorrow. >> >>Right now, I just don't know yet if I'm able to watch the race on >>Eurosport tonight, a race I so much looked forward to see.... > >At least I don't expect Eurosport will broadcast the crash itself. >I'm still doubting if I want to watch the race. I think I'll watch it >untill the final lap and then turn the tv off. > >Andre

Well, Eurosport made the choice easy for us - they broadcasted a short tribute to Dale and not the race. Andre

It's not drivel. It's how most of us feel. At least it's how I feel. Thanks. -- ------------------------------------- Morgan Vincent Wooten GPLRank: +10.02 http://home.earthlink.net/~morganv00/ ------------------------------------- "Disgruntled Goat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I'm x-posting to these three groups because I think it's appropriate, [] Jr will carry on his Father's legacy - but NASCAR, indeed motor racing > as a whole, will be poorer without the intimidator. > > Thanks for listening, > > DG >

Watch the race! Dale was fighting right to the end, as he always had been. A RACER right 'til the end... There is a 49 year old mixing it up with the best of them at the front end of the pack, and showing he wasn't anywhere near slowing down. When I think of all the other drivers that reached that age only to be a backmarker, it makes me appreciate even more the talent and desire of the best Nascar driver ever...... R.I.P. Dale "Olav K. Malmin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> [email hidden] (Disgruntled Goat) writes: > > <cut a nice emotional post> > > I think you put words to what most of us feel right now. Confusion, > emptiness and sorrow. > > Right now, I just don't know yet if I'm able to watch the race on > Eurosport tonight, a race I so much looked forward to see.... > > -- > Olav K. Malmin > remove .spam when replying

Olav K. Malmin: >> At least I don't expect Eurosport will broadcast the crash itself. >> I'm still doubting if I want to watch the race. I think I'll watch it >> untill the final lap and then turn the tv off. >Well, I decided to watch the race to kind of celebrate Dale's last >race. But Eurosport only showed the crash and had a 10 minute >tribute. Which was kind of nice. IMHO the correct way of doing it. I agree. They also showed the 18-car pileup, btw. That was horrendous, but it's surprise that visually Earnhardt's crash was not that huge. -- Duck. -- RIP Dale Earnhardt Sr. 1951-2001

>or even thinking here, because it's a stream of consciousness sort of >thing, you know? I just don't lnow what there is to say. How did Tony >survive, yet Dale was killed? (not that I wanted Tony to die, far from >it... but his wreck was so much worse....) Actually, it wasn't. It was high-flying. It was spectacular. But it took awhile. Tony took a bunch of little bumps. Dale took one big one. The latter is far, far worse. -Tim

On Tue, 20 Feb 2001 05:41:34 GMT, [email hidden] (The Enigmatic One) wrote:

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> >>or even thinking here, because it's a stream of consciousness sort of >>thing, you know? I just don't lnow what there is to say. How did Tony >>survive, yet Dale was killed? (not that I wanted Tony to die, far from >>it... but his wreck was so much worse....) > > Actually, it wasn't. It was high-flying. It was spectacular. >But it took awhile. Tony took a bunch of little bumps. Dale took one >big one. The latter is far, far worse. >

I realise that now. I wasn't really "thinking" at the time. Just typing. Show any two non-race followers both accidents, though, and I know which one most of them would think most likely to be fatal. DG

>I realise that now. I wasn't really "thinking" at the time. Just >typing. > >Show any two non-race followers both accidents, though, and I know >which one most of them would think most likely to be fatal. True. Heck, many race-followers think the same. -Tim