NASCAR Fans Mourn the Great Earnhardt
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: Dale Earnhardt died at the top of his game, but if you aren't a NASCAR fan, you may not understand what the motor sport community is feeling today. Think the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods of NASCAR, and you may begin to see. In 1998, CNN's Jim Huber spoke to Dale Earnhardt about his life on and off the track. Here's that interview.</s>JIM HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is a man of the Carolina earth, as many of his heroes before him. A 9th grade drop out, son of a stock car driver who died before he got to see his son make it big. Not just challenge the great man Petty, but rub bumpers with him.</s>DALE EARNHARDT SR.: I watched Richard Petty and these guys race for years and watch my dad race -- final to be in a race car, and Richard Petty drives by you; that was awesome. That was impressive, you know. Hey, I'm finally here. I'm racing with Richard Petty -- of course, he was lapping me, but at that time it was just impressive. You know, you start making accomplishments and win races and win a championship and all of a sudden you are a 7-time champion.</s>HUBER: There are moments of his career which he shudders. One took place at Talladega, when he took leave of this earth.</s>EARNHARDT: That was an exciting crash.</s>HUBER: To who? To you?</s>EARNHARDT: To go through it and realize and be aware of everything that was going on.</s>HUBER: You were aware of it all?</s>EARNHARDT: Oh, yeah, the wall and seeing the wall coming and the car spinning, and see the other cars hitting and the car was upside down car hitting on the top. You could see flashes when the car was back on its wheels, sliding to a halt and cars hitting it. The whole time I was aware of everything. When the guys got to me, they started climbing, trying to get into the car to help me. And I told them, just relax, I'm OK. "I'm hurt, but I'm OK" -- I think the words I said. Don't cut the top off, because when a big accident happens, they all go to cut the top off; it looks bad from the stands; and I'm so involved with NASCAR and so concerned about how the public sees us, and views us, is that, I said don't cut top off. I can get out.</s>HUBER: Another moment is fuzzy still. A year ago at Darlington (ph), when he simply blacked out during the opening laps.</s>EARNHARDT: Nobody's been able to answer the question or why did it happen or what caused it. No physical answer. Your healthy, your solid as a rock, there's nothing wrong with you, but, there is still a question in my mind, what did happen.</s>HUBER: Doctors found no cause and he was back in the harness a week later, still trying to find a way to win; and when he's off the track, he's still on the road working.</s>EARNHARDT: I'm maybe a little more calculated now than I used to be, and a little more planning for the end of the race more, but still, that fire inside of: go ahead, go ahead -- it's burning hotter and hotter and I've got to release it and let it go.