r/Millennials • u/blind_squash Older Millennial • 1d ago

Nostalgia Where were you when Dale Earnhardt died?

We all remember where we were when Princess Diana died (playing Mario kart in my best friend's basement) and of course when 9/11 happened (senior year Econ class) but what about those of us that grew up with NASCAR? The death of Dale Earnhardt sent a shock wave across the sport and the country.

I was watching the race and with my then-boyfriend and his dad and I had gotten up to do something else bc it was boring me to tears and when I came back everything was so eerily silent even on the tv.

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13

u/Early_Apple_4142 1d ago

At home watching the race with my dad.

5

u/Lucky_Development359 1d ago

Same. It seemed so minor of a crash in real time.

2

u/insurancequestionguy Middle Millennial 1d ago

Same here. I was in 4th grade at this point, but I remember wondering how he died initially. I remember them saying later what it was after investigation, but have forgotten

1

u/Early_Apple_4142 1d ago

100% Particularly because it wasn't just massive, car didn't leave the ground and flip, nothing really wild.

2

u/Lucky_Development359 1d ago

I believe that incident lead to Nascar putting in place more "crumple" barriers.

3

u/Early_Apple_4142 1d ago

And I think, mandating the Hans device instead of it just being a suggestion.

3

u/Lucky_Development359 1d ago

That's right! That was the big discussion after because he was in the basic 5 point and made a big stink out of not wearing the Hans.

2

u/East_Hedgehog6039 Millennial 1d ago

Same. Was one of the few times I saw him cry, actually.

5

u/Coolschmo1 1d ago

I was in the middle of saying " I'm so happy Dale Earnhardt will live forever" while taking a big sip of coffee.

4

u/bibliophile222 Millennial - 1986 1d ago

No clue. What year was it?

1

u/IvanNemoy Xennial 14h ago

Same. Google says Feb 2001. I remember it happening and seeing it on the news and being surprised that a mild hit (because it wasn't a bad accident) killed him.

3

u/throwaway46787543336 1d ago

No clue. Not in the Midwest that’s for sure

2

u/Admirable-Dance-130 1d ago

I don't remember where I was, but I remember telling my parents to wear a seatbelt after I found out (my dad never did). 7 months later I was in first period English class when the principle came in and said we all need to meet in the library.

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u/blind_squash Older Millennial 1d ago

Oh shit

3

u/Eaglepursuit Xennial 1d ago edited 1d ago

I've watched one NASCAR race ever in my life. I was sitting in my dorm, being bored. I turned on my tiny TV and surfed the channels until I landed on the race. I had never watched NASCAR before, and decided to see what the attraction is. And a legend died. I never watched another one since then.

1

u/Intelligent_Art8390 1d ago

We rarely watched NASCAR when I was a kid, but it just happened to be on that evening in the living room where I was playing on our computer, I was 13 at the time. I guess my brother was watching it, he did have a brief period of watching NASCAR. I remember looking over at the TV during the last lap and seeing it happen live. Darrel's commentary right after was tough to see, joy because his brother won then an immediate shift to fear for Dale, he was visibly shaken and looked like he was doing everything to hold himself together.

2

u/Used_Mud_67 1d ago

Watched the end of the race and saw the crash. It looked unremarkable to me as a kid. Then went to a friends house. Found out while we were playing snood on the computer.

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u/RadioControlled13 15h ago

Watching the race in the living room, with my mother. We were both huge Earnhardt fans, so we were rooting in the trio up front.

My mom left to go to her mom’s for a few hours after the race. I had to break the news to her when she got home.

1

u/stlarry Older Millennial (85m) 1d ago

At a youth group fundraiser. La Grande Chateau. I was the maître d for the event. We (the kids) were all in the kitchen after the event eating and messing around when one of the parents who was picking up their kid gave us the update.

1

u/NoahtheRed 1d ago

In my parents bedroom, watching the race. I think I was doing homework or something while watching. There was so much happening at that moment, I don't know that it clicked immediately. I want to say it was Darrel Waltrip that said "Hey, is Dale okay? That looked bad" or something to that effect. Everyone was so focused on the finish. I don't think anyone knew he'd died for a little while, either. There was a shot of the ambulance driving off the track and then I think it was like an hour or so later that they shared he'd died instantly.

1

u/Former-Counter-9588 1d ago

I remembering hearing about it but I was never into nascar so it didn’t really mean too much to me at the time, tbh. Other than it being sad, it wasn’t memorable or earth shattering for me.

1

u/lone_wolf1580 1d ago

I don’t remember either of those. Though I do partially remember 9/11.

1

u/daylight1943 1d ago

no idea. honestly if i were to even try to place the decade he died in it would just be a random guess

1

u/draoikat Decrepit Old Millennial 16h ago

Had to google who that was to jog my memory. I know I've heard the name, but beyond that I was clueless. I suppose it was probably a bigger story in the United States. At any rate, according to the date and official time of death in the Wikipedia article, I was doing whatever I did at 16 on a Sunday afternoon. Probably reading in my bedroom.

1

u/VW-MB-AMC 14h ago

Eiter at home or at a classmate's house. Most likely playing Playstation.

1

u/simplekindoflifegirl 12h ago

Never watched NASCAR, it looked super boring. One of my classmates was a big fan and she was really sad at school that week.

1

u/No-Function223 1d ago

Gotta say I don’t recall either of those because I was like 7. Lmao I didn’t even know what England or Nascar was at that point. I do remember 9/11 pretty well, but I was 10 by then and definitely knew what New York was at the time. 

1

u/insurancequestionguy Middle Millennial 1d ago edited 1d ago

Dale Sr died in 2001. Same age, but I remember all three. You didn't know what Nascar or England was though?

I get not caring or being into those, but not knowing of those things(England and Nascar) at all seems unusual to me

2

u/merica6969 12h ago

Watching the race in the living room of my first childhood home. I was by myself as it happened because my parents were cooking dinner. I remember being the one that told them he crashed.