I’ve done The Driver Suit Blog since January of 2013. I’ve shared my love for auto racing and the uniforms and memorabilia. During that time, I’ve been harboring a deep secret. It’s been boiling inside me for some time. I simply haven’t been able to reveal it until now. I have to confess…I am a railfan. Whew! That felt good!
OK, seriously, all joking aside, I’ve always enjoyed traveling by train, be it CTA, Metra, or Amtrak. I’m also into watching train documentaries on YouTube. I’m not watching random videos of trains, but informative videos.
I was watching a video by Thunderbolt 1000 Siren Productions on the history of Conrail,
and I suddenly remember that I may have some railroad stuff in my basement. Sadly, it’s gone now, but I’ve decided to get some new stuff.
First, I found a few Conrail desk commemorative items, as show below.
Second I got some cheap engines and rolling stock, mostly because it was cheap.
My favorite item of this new group is road number marker from Alton & Southern Railway 1511.
Alton & Southern Railway 1511 or ALS 1511m was an EMD SW1500, a 1,500 horsepower diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division from 1966 to 1974. Alton and Southern Railway ordered a total of 18 of them, numbered 1500 to 1517. Alton & Southern Railway 1511 was built in February of 1970, and was the final build of EMD order 7190. I don’t know if Alton & Southern Railway 1511
Using pictures, I was able to determine that the road number lights were light on a dark background, at least on the front. This was changed not long after, and this appears to have been a long-used piece of glass, and it shows a lot of use.
As for Alton & Southern Railway 1511…well…I don’t know. I don’t know if Alton & Southern Railway 1511 still exists. I did a lot of research, and I can’t figure out anything. The best that I can come up with is that as of 2019, it still existed, as it was photographed. But that’s it.
I’ve not been willing to talk about this is a very simple reason. Truth is, like any fanbase, there are those who will take thing too far. I talked a few years ago about a couple of them, and since the more egregious of the two has been convicted, and, at the time of writing, is facing as much as two years in prison, and a $10,000 fine. This is also in addition to being held responsible for $350,000 of damage he caused.
So, I’m a railfan. I’m proud of it, and I will continue to collect train stuff.
In January, I discussed my thoughts on Utah’s new extreme DUI laws. I think they were the right move to make. I think we need stricter laws and regulations on repeat DUI offenders. I think they should be banned from buying alcohol, and they shouldn’t be allowed to drive.
Well, something else happened concerning this story in March, which I wasn’t aware of. Mason Andrew Ohms, whose selfish actions helped create these new laws, came up for parole, four years into a 20 year sentence for running over a 12 year old and running from the scene. As I thought, Ohms tried to appeal to the parole board by claiming he is a changed person, and is doing things in prison to help himself become better.
However, the family of Eli Mitchell, the innocent child Ohms drunkenly ran over, had a few things to say about it. Eli’s father, Jeremy Mitchell, wrote:
“He struck Eli, ran over him, and then tried to flee. He did not call for help. He did not try to save a dying child. Instead, he removed Eli’s bike from under his truck to escape, with the bag of candy my son had just bought still attached to his mangled bike handlebars. These details are burned into our family’s memory. They reflect not an accident, but a total disregard for human life.”
Eli’s grandfather, Glendon Mitchell, pointed to Ohms’ remarks at his January 2023 sentencing.
“At the January 2023 sentencing hearing, Mr. Ohms read from a short, prepared statement. He showed little signs of remorse. His brief comment still rings in my ears: “I’m sorry for what happened.” He didn’t take responsibility or ownership for his criminal actions after having been in jail for over 8 months with time to think about that. Many in the courtroom that day felt he was only concerned about being caught and held accountable. Any remorseful comments he might make now would seem shallow and contrived since he wouldn’t do that when he had the opportunity in 2023.”
Thankfully, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole isn’t run by bleeding hearts, and they declined Mason Ohms parole until 2032. Even though Ohms is trying to make himself better, the facts of the case prove that only four years simply isn’t enough.
I say good! Mason Andrew Ohms deserves to serve the full 20 year sentence. Every day he is in prison, is a day the streets are safer! This is his SIXTH DUI CONVICTION! He had five chances to learn his lesson, sadly, he didn’t and an innocent child had to die.
I have zero sympathy for drunk drivers, and they deserve no respect. I have never, ever, in my life ever driven drunk, nor will I ever! I think Utah’s DUI and ID laws need to be the national standard. This is a problem, and soft laws and coddling aren’t working. Some people need to be forced to change. Not for themselves, but for the good of society.
Mason Ohms is the epitome of the saying “Everybody has a purpose in life. Some people’s purpose is to be an example to others.” Mason Ohms has ruined so many people’s lives for his own selfishness, and the fact that he will be old when he leaves prison, is a great thing. He deserves every second of that 20 year sentence, and the world will be a better place if he dies in prison. I hate Mason Ohms, and I enjoy his suffering. I also love that Utah has better laws as a result.
So the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season is progressing well. The racing has been good, and I’m enjoying it. I don’t always get around to watching the qualifying sessions. I watched some back DVR recordings last night, and I’ve noticed something.
Is the Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge Challenge really needed? I get that drag racing can be one note, but the the Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge isn’t as needed as the NHRA might think. Is it moving ticket sales? Are people buying more tickets to watch the the the Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge? If so, then fine, but I don’t see this as the ticket and rating mover that others think it is.
Truth is, while I get what they are trying to do, it does NOT need to be used as often as it is. The Dash 4 Cash in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is a similar thing, but it’s only four races in a season. The Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge Challenge is used in 13 of 20 races of the season. 13 races out of 20 races…why? Is there really that much demand?
If the NHRA needs something like the Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge, why not come up with a few different ideas, a few different gimmicks, and switch it up at different events? A few less Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenges, and a few more callouts. Also, using the areas around tracks to come up with a gimmick wouldn’t hurt ether.
I’ve even got a good idea for the NHRA Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. Call it the Mission Foods #1 Qualifier Challenge. It would work like this:
All four of the pro categories would have all of their #1 qualifiers race each other. Their ladders would be determined by their regular season points. It’s a standard bracket, and the winner receives $50,000, with another $50,000 being donated to a charity of the driver’s choice.
I’m not opposed to a gimmick, but only if used in moderation. It can be done well, but one gimmick used across 65% of races isn’t the way to go. Variety is the spice of life, and I hope the NHRA follows.
This week’s column is going to focus on one of the most deadly terrorist attacks in American history, the Oklahoma City bombing. Two days from today is the anniversary of the bombing. I’m going to focus on an aspect that has gotten little, if any attention. It’s the part that the NHRA and their suppliers unwittingly played in helping the bomb get built. I’ve never seen or heard this discussed anywhere. I’ve seen more on the place that rented the Ryder truck than I have this aspect. Here we go.
We start with Timothy McVeigh, and Terry Nichols, the two human cancers behind the bombing. After trying, and failing to find other materials for the bomb, they settled on a new plan. They planned to “construct a bomb containing more than 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer mixed with about 1,200 pounds of liquid nitromethane and 350 pounds of Tovex.”
The easiest part of this plan was the 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which was sold as a fertilizer. He was also able to acquite the Tovex, a gel explosive, as well as other parts. The trouble came when they wanted to purchase the 1,200 pounds of liquid nitromethane. To get the nitromethane, McVeigh formulated a plan he thought would work. He would pose as a driver, go to an NHRA event in Topeka, and purchase three 55 gallon drums.
On October 1, 1994, McVeigh made his way to the 1994 Sears Craftsman Nationals, held at Heartland Motorsports Park. Here, he tried to implement his plan. It was here that his plan ran into two major roadblocks, World Wide Racing Fuels representative Steve Lesueur and Glynn Tipton, of VP Racing Fuels.
Tipton and Lesueur were suspicious of McVeigh from the outset. He didn’t seem like a driver, and the amount he wanted to purchase was also odd. Tipton would testify that when he first encountered McVeigh, he asked about anhydrous hydrazine, a prodcut that VP Fuels didn’t sell, and has no use in auto racing. Tipton then gave McVeigh his card and asked to call him on Monday. In the intervening time, Tipton informed Wade Gray of Texas Allied Chemical, a chemical agent for VP Racing Fuels, who informed Tipton of the explosiveness of a nitromethane and hydrazine mixture. As such Tipton refused any sale to McVeigh.
This could have been the end of the story, but a few weeks later, The NHRA was now at the Texas Motorplex, for the Chief Auto Parts Nationals. World Wide Racing Fuels representative Steve Lesueur again refused to sell anything to McVeigh. McVeigh would try VP Fuels again, and encountered Tim Chambers. Tim Chambers sold McVeigh three barrels.
Chambers’ actions are baffling in retrospect. McVeigh stood out like a redneck at a royal wedding. He seemingly had no knowledge or passion for auto racing, which confused Tipton. To quote Tipton’s testimony:
“Usually when you’re talking to somebody that’s involved in racing, they seem to be real interested in it. This, you know — or talking to them about racing fuel, they seem to be real interested in as application, how to use it for their application. This person did not seem to have any type of application, was just more concerned about the chemical.”
Another red flag was that McVeigh also had no competitor license. The lack of a competitor license isn’t a minor issue. Sanctioning bodies, fuel suppliers, drivers, crews, and teams are very well aware of how hazardous these substances can be. A competitor license is a way for someone to prove they know the dangers of racing fuel, and a lack thereof, is a red flag.
Also, McVeigh claimed he was racing a Top Fuel Harley, but the category wasn’t racing that weekend. It’s also important to note that this is all taking place just over a year after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. You would have thought that fuel companies across the US would realize that their proudcts could be used in such an attack, but no changes in vetting were made. As such, McVeigh was able to get his nitromethane.
It’s amazing that the world works the way it does. Two people almost prevented one of the worst terrorist attacks in American history, and didn’t even realize it, until several months later. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t know about this until I watched a documentary about the bombing, and looked it up, and found the connection. I also read Glynn Tipton’s testimony, which is linked below.
Before I finish up, I do want to point out something I noticed in Glynn Tipton’s testimony. It’s an exchange between Tipton and Special Attorneys to the U.S. Attorney General Scott Mendeloff: “What kinds of cars ran at the Sears Craftsman National in that first weekend in October?”
Tipton: “There would be top-fuel dragsters, top-fuel funny cars, pro stock, pro stock bike, federal mobile dragsters, federal mobile funny cars, comp, super comp, super street, super gas, super stock, and stock.”
I was a racing fan back then, and I didn’t know what “federal mobile dragsters” or, “federal mobile funny cars” were. After some looking up, I know why. “Federal mobile dragsters,” and “federal mobile funny cars” were actually called “Federal Mogul Dragsters” and “Federal Mogul Funny Cars,” better known as Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars. Federal Mogul being the titular sponsor of the series. Just a little detail I found interesting.
After the tragedy, there were massive changes. According to Wikipedia:
“The National Hot Rod Association has tightened its regulations for nitromethane. Section 21 of the current NHRA rule book states nitromethane is limited to 400 pounds (180 kg), or 42 US gallons (160 L) in a barrel, instead of the normal 55 US gallons (210 L). The NHRA requires competitors to submit a Top Screen Questionnaire to the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, competitors are not allowed to own nitromethane at official events. Instead, it must be stored at the series’ official fuel supplier, VP Racing Fuel (as of 2025). Each time a team purchases nitromethane, it is logged by the Series fuel supplier, which dispenses the correct amount of nitromethane ordered to the specific team.”
A few years ago, I wrote a column discussing how the teams in the NASCAR Cup Series lean, and I’m going to revisit that. Number designs are an important detail in American auto racing, especially NASCAR, where the number is used on all of the merchandise sold to fans. The number is an identity for the driver and for the fans. While I was watching the Camping World RV Sales 301, for some reason, I noticed that the majority of the car number are slanted. As the race went on, I noticed that almost all of them were slanted towards the rear of the car on the driver side, as if being pushed back by the wind. Some were straight, and some were leaning towards the front.
I decided to look at all active Cup Series Teams that have raced, or tempted to race one race in 2026 season. All of these will be sorted by driver side door number. We start with the numbers leaning towards the rear:
Personally, I like the forward leaning numbers best, though straight numbers work well too, since they aren’t often used.
Now, this was a filler column, as I’m working on a project for next week that, while historical accurate, will also be a little controversial, See you then!
So, two races in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series are behind us. With this being the 75th Anniversary of the NHRA, the celebration will continue all year. With this anniversary comes the obligatory 75th Anniversary logo. It’s alright, not too over done.
Here’s the thing, I HATE anniversary logos in sports. This all started in late 1997, with the introduction of NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary logo:
The moment I saw this logo, I knew I hated it, and I was going to be so tired of it by the end of the 1998 season. Well, I was right. NASCAR put this logo on EVERYTHING in 1998. It was all over merchandise, it was prominent at every track and telecast, you couldn’t escape it. By the time 1998 ended, fans were done with the logo.
This, in turn, posed a massive problem for independent stores that sold NASCAR merch. By the end of 1998, they had so much overstock, that they lost money on it. It actually common to see entire sections of stores with 1998 50th Anniversary stuff on massive clearance.
NASCAR was big enough to handle the low sales, but many of these store are mom and pop stores, and their bottom line to a major hit by selling this stuff on clearance. While it is still sold on places like eBay almost 30 years later, at the time, you really couldn’t give it away.
Now this is not a phenomenon confined to racing. In 1994, I was 12, and the World Cup was hosted in the US, and Chicago was one of the venues. World Cup merchandise was EVERYWHERE! But just like any other event, the World Cup comes to an end. After the World Cup ended, stores across the country were sitting on piles of unsold merch, which was sold at a loss. Many individual teams also have championship or anniversary logos, and the same thing happens.
I have no problem with a sports team or league celebrating a championship, or anniversary. I have a major problem with those who sell merchandise on a local level getting screwed by this merch. I think all sports leagues across the world need to understand that local stores are in precarious positions with these kinds of merchandise. I really hope that there are no permanent casualties because of this, there have been in the past.
With that said, I look forward to the 75th Anniversary of the NHRA, and I love the racing.
So I was working on something this week, but I ran out of time. With that said, two separate social media incidents occured, that I want to talk about. First, we talk about NASCAR driver Daniel Dye. Daniel Dye is a name I’m vaugely familiar with, mainly from watching ARCA. He was a driver for Kauling Racing, but that’s come to a halt.
Danie Dye was suspended for mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas using what was term a “homophobic voice.” While as of the time of writing Malukas hasn’t responded, Dye has, in an apology that sounds like he had a professional write it for him.
“I want to first apologize to David Malukas. I recently went on a live stream with some friends and made some careless comments. I chose my words poorly, and I understand why it upset people. I’m sorry to anyone who was offended. That’s not how I want to represent myself.
I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who I would never want to feel less of themselves because of what I said, and that’s exactly why I should hold myself to a higher standard. In talking with them, I realize that a true friend would know better than to act the way I did and for that I need to be a better friend. What I said doesn’t reflect how I feel about them or anyone else.
I didn’t think enough before I spoke, and I in no way meant any harm. I know that intention does not erase impact and I need to do better.
I’m taking this seriously and working on being more aware and respectful moving forward. I’m sorry to everyone I let down. I am committed to learning from this and better understanding that the impact that my decisions can have on others. That includes educating myself, listening to those affected, and taking meaningful steps to ensure my actions reflect respect and inclusivity going forward.
I know I’ve got a platform and a responsibility, and I need to use it better.
– Daniel Dye”
How this will affect Dye’s career going forward is uncertain. I will say that, in the year 2026, what you say and how you say it can and will come back to haunt you. Even if Dye thinks he was only doing a funny voice, it’s how others see you.
With that said, let’s talk about AEW star Ricochet. Ricochet is a wrestler who has wresteled all over the landscape, and currently wrestles in AEW. He has justifiably taken some serious flack for some postings on X. He’s always been kind of a douche, but this whole debacle has cemented it.
Ricochet can’t handle criticism on X, and he proved it. He targeted one specific account, which is run by a woman suffering with MS. In response to her criticisms, he posted “I’m glad you got MS.” The backlash was instant, and harsh. It seems like the whole wrestling community was against him. The heat got too hot and he issued an “apology” for his actions.
“I took out my hatred for the IWC on Sandi, and inadvertently others who are effected by MS. She didnt deserve it and for that, I sincerely apologize. Moving forward I’ll do better.”
Fans quickly and justifiably pointed out that he had been defending his actions hours before his apology, and that this was not the first time this happened.
Ricochet is one of the many wrestlers who need to learn how not to react on social media. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the spotlight. I don’t feel bad for him, he’s always been a dick on social media, but now he can’t hide behind anything anymore. I hope this will result in a suspensipn, but it might not.
Here’s the bottom line: What you post can come back to haunt you. Daniel Dye and Ricochet are the two latest examples, and tere will be more.
Just a brief update this week. There wasn’t a column last Friday, and that was by design. I’m working on a couple of projects this month, one of which is a lot more time consuming than I previously thought. Once complete, this will free up some time.
With that said, last week was an over/under week. For the entire week, I was either over stressed, or under the weather. Sometimes, I just had to stretch out on the couch for a while to get back to where I needed to be. It was in these moments of weakness, that one of the greatest small pleasures in life occurred.
Let me introduce you to Zoe.
We’ve had Zoe since 2019, and while she is timid, she is very loving to those who have earned her trust. Her way of showing her humans that she loves them is to lie next to them on the couch or bed. Literally, as I was typing that last sentence, she jumped up next to me.
There is nothing better when you are down in the dumps than having a pet who loves you showing affection. That’s why we love our pets. I’m grateful for Zoe. I know I won’t get to spend the rest of my life with her, but I’m happy she will spend the rest of my life with us.
I live in Evanston, Illinois. I’ve lived here my whole life. I love living here, and I can’t think of living anywhere else. Sure, Evanston has problems, but all cities, villages and towns have problems, but I still love Evanston.
In addition to loving Evanston, I also love auto racing. Until recently, I had no idea that Evanston had their own race track. Evanston Motor Speedway also known as Evanston Speedway, Tessville Motor Speedway, Chicago Motor Speedway, Chicago Midget Speedway and Lincolnwood Motor Speedway, operated from 1932 through 1936. This is from kalracing.com’s page on the subject:
The track was located in Tessville, which is now known as Lincolnwood, Ill. The track property was bordered to the north by Touhy Ave., to the south by Pratt Ave., to the northwest by railroad tracks and to the east by McCormick Blvd. and the North Shore Channel. Early newspaper stories, ads, etc. said location was at Lincoln & Devon and McCormick Blvd. Use of various computer aerials show track located north of Pratt Ave. with entrance to the speedway roughly at Pratt and St. Louis Ave. Track ran east and west and was bordered by today’s Central Park Ave on the west and Christiana Ave. on the east with main straightway north of current Northeast Parkway.
This is an Evanston Speedway program from 1934.
Here are some notes concerning the track, and it appears that these are the only surviving records:
-First mention of track was in the summer of 1932.
-Bill Kiser of Chicago’s south side was the feature winner in modified stock car competition there on August 7th, and 14th, 1932.
-Bill Kiser was later seriously injured there and later died from injuries suffered on August 21, 1932 which saw Indiana’s Virgil Livengood the winner of the 30-lap/15-mile feature race.
-According to a 1932 program, the track was known as Tessville Motor Speedway. This same program shows Len Barnard as President and Charles Barnard as Vice President, Miles E. Barry – Announcer, John Ugaste – Starter and Norman Ross – Publicity Director
-Stock cars and other race cars competed there in 1932, 1933 and 1934; Jimmy Snyder, Emil Andres and Cletus “Cowboy” O’Rourke got their starts there
-Emil Andres won 50-lap Central States Stock Car Championship on November 6, 1932.
-While the track was an originally a half-mile track, it was “cut down” to quarter-mile (or fifth-mile) for midget racing in 1935 and 1936.
-Ernie Carlson was the first feature winner of this new course on June 5, 1935.
-Midget racing was the fixture there in 1935 and 1936. At this time, the track was known as Chicago Midget Speedway.
-On July 19th, 1936, the track was opened back up to bigger cars. Around this time, the name of the track was known as Lincolnwood Motor Speedway, since Tessville became Lincolnwood in 1936.
-Though record keeping isn’t great, we do know that the last known race was on August 9, 1936, with Mike Salay the feature winner.
-The last known record of the speedway was when the Chicago Tribune reported that track property suffered “storm damage” with races scheduled for 8/16/36 being canceled. The track closed and was dismantled and plowed up in the spring of 1937.
-In researching this subject, I also learned something interesting. Evanston was part of the first auto race in America. This was how the event was described by Joshua Lipowski of dailydownforce.com:
“America’s First Auto Race: Chicago to Evanston, Thanksgiving 1895
Yes, the very first auto race in the history of the United States was held in Chicago, and sponsored by the now defunct local newspaper, the Chicago Times-Herald. The race was far from a smooth show, however.
According to EnjoyIllinois.com, 83 vehicles were originally slated to enter, but only six made it to the starting grid. The race was also delayed by almost four weeks partially due to automobiles being illegal. EnjoyIllinois.com also reports that this race played a role in automobiles being legalized in Chicago.
As for the race, it was eventually held on November 28, 1895, Thanksgiving Day. Of course, weather was cold, and there was snow on the ground. The 54 mile race featured only two finishers, but auto racing in America was now a thing, albeit a long way off from what it would become through the years.”
So, Evanston, Illinois was not only the site of the first auto race in American history, it was also the site of the first NCAA Championship Basketball game, on March 30, 1939, which saw the Oregon Webfoots, now the Ducks beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 46 to 33. It’s kind of amazing these two tidbits of information aren’t more widely known.
So the 2026 Daytona 500 is behind us, and it was actually a good race. The Duels were good, and the race as a whole was good. I will say that, like a lot of fans, I’m over a few things. First, when it comes to FOX, I do NOT need to hear Larry McReynolds say “You can’t make mistakes on pit road” every telecast. We get it. Making a mistake at a critical point in the race is bad.
But the other thing I’m over is stage racing. Seriously, nobody wanted this to begin with, and most fans are done with it. Maybe the drivers like it, or maybe the teams, but as a long-time fan, I’m done. I don’t see how this is a net positive for anyone here. Let the drivers race.
But I’m posting this just after the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Daytona 500. Growing up, the first race I ever watched was the 1990 Daytona 500. I saw that black and silver #3 Chevy Lumina running at the front, and I was hooked! That love carried stayed until the 2001 Daytona 500. I’ve never been able to have a favorite driver since Earnhardt’s death. One of my all-time favorite photos of myself is me next to one of Dale’s Luminas, taken at the museum at Talladega in 1999.
Dale’s death hit me hard. I cried in my dorm room after my roommate went to work out. I had just lost my idol, and a huge piece of inspiration. 25 years later, I’m still not fully over it, and neither is NASCAR. Sure, new drivers have slowly replaced the old guard, but with Dale Earnhardt, he was so much more. He was a true legend in every sense of the word. But his legacy means so much more to auto racing.
Dale Earnhardt’s death was a moment that robbed us of one of the greatest drivers of the modern era, but also was a water shed moment for racing safety. Auto racing safety has always been written in blood. It’s also a constantly moving target. As the cars get faster and more technically complex, the safety standards have to change too. Sometimes these changes are made in good faith, other times, blood has to be spilt.
After the 2001 Daytona 500, there was a massive shift in the way racing viewed safety. Before, for a lot of racing, the approach was a matter of fixing problems after they happen. After Earnhardt’s death, that switched to trying to fix problems before they lead to serious injury or death. While there had been pushes for new safety standards, Earnhardt’s death kicked all of that into high gear.
While I was thinking about this column, I came to a realization. F1 had already started that approach after Ayrton Senna’s death in 1994, but somehow, no real changes outside of F1 took place between 1994 and 2001. A major driver was going to have to die before this approach was implemented. The question I began to think about was, who would that driver have been?
Thinking about this, it’s a pretty horrifying thought. Would it have been Jeff Gordon? Dale Jarrett? Mark Martin? Michael Andretti? John Force? That number was going to land on someone, and on February 18, 2001, that someone was Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Another thought that I had was, what if none of the major drivers died? Sure, there were plenty of other drivers who were killed in wrecks across the world, but nobody’s death was more critical to the overall safety culture of the sport than Dale Earnhardt Sr. So if this major death never happened, what would auto racing look in 2026?
First, I can promise that there would have been a lot more deaths in auto racing across the board. Second, a lot of safety features, many of which are taken for granted, wouldn’t be as uniformly implemented as they are now. Eventually that major death would have happened, but there would be a much bigger body count.
In the end, Dale Earnhardt’s death was tragic. While NASCAR hasn’t recovered from it, there are countless race car drivers who owe their lives to the safety culture his death helped create. I can say for sure, his death wasn’t in vain. Rest in peace Dale.
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