memories of a Daytona 500 lost...

today,fifteen years ago,what was i doing??? i was watching the Daytona 500,when on the last lap,Dale Earnhardt,Sr crashed in the third turn... it did not look too bad at first,but the signal of the netting was not down,so as the crews approached,they waved their arms in frantic motion... they had to take the top of the car off to get him out of his number 3,and knew something was really wrong,when i saw a silent ambulance drive off... he later died in the hospital of a skull fracture at the base of skull(caused by severe whiplash),but basically,he really died in his car... there are many safety improvements of a NASCAR car,and to the driver's ulmost safety,in the years following Earnhardt's untimely passing...for entire season following his death,there was a silent lap(number three),and people put up three fingers,in his memory... NASCAR has not been the same,and to tell you truth,i cried and watching NASCAR for me also has not been the same,either... one story:Earnhardt was 17th,with four laps to go in the race,at Talledega,i believe(he had major trouble with his number 3,earlier in the race),but he basically put the foot to the floor(saying,"i am not losing this race"),and to tell you truth,there was not nothing scarier than to see the black number 3 on the last lap,right behind you,if you were a driver... on the last lap,he had a full head of steam,and swept to victory(one of his greatest wins,ever)... he holds the record of total wins at Daytona with,i believe,36 wins,but until 1998,he was snakebit at the Daytona 500,when he won,of course,on the final lap... when he tried to get to Victory Lane,every crew member,of every team came out on the edge to give him respect,and to shake his hand,as he drove slowly by... what a real scene!!!!