Distraught Waltrip a forgotten champion in wake of disaster

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael Waltrip had waited 16 years for this moment -- his first NASCAR Winston Cup victory.

After 462 starts without a win in a points race, Waltrip finally got the monkey off his back Sunday by winning the grand daddy of them all: the Daytona 500.

But Waltrip didn't have time to revel in the thrill of victory. Moments after he climbed from his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway, Waltrip learned that his car owner, Dale Earnhardt, was seriously injured in a final-lap accident.

He wouldn't find out until later Sunday evening that Earnhardt had died when his famous black Monte Carlo slammed head-first into the wall in Turn 4, just as Waltrip was crossing the finish line a car length ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I would rather be anywhere else right this minute than here," Waltrip said as he met the media following his win. "The only reason why I won this race is Dale Earnhardt and I was so looking forward to doing well for him.

"My heart is hurting right now because ... I want to be with him to try to help him."

Waltrip, who was driving in his first race for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., could do nothing to help his car owner. But it was his Earnhardt who helped Waltrip snap his winless streak.

In addition to furnishing Waltrip with a car that was capable of contending in the 500, Earnhardt helped Waltrip and Little E pull away by blocking contenders Rusty Wallace, Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott from his third-place position in the closing laps.

As Earnhardt entered Turn 4 on the final lap, the rear end of his car broke loose and he slid up into Schrader and hit the wall at 180 miles per hour. Earnhardt, 49, was pronounced dead at a local hospital less than an hour later.

Most of the drivers had left Daytona for their North Carolina homes when NASCAR president Mike Helton announced that Earnhardt had succumbed to head and neck injuries.

When Earnhardt's peers received word of the tragedy, the reaction was heartfelt and unanimous.

"NASCAR lost its greatest driver and probably the greatest driver it will ever have," Johnny Benson said. "My heart goes out to his family, his crew, his friends and his fans. Our sport will go on, but I don't think it will ever be the same."

"I don't know what to say -- this is incredible, just incredible," Jeremy Mayfield said. "I think everybody is just in shock right now.

"I didn't see much of what happened up there (in the fourth turn). After the race was over, I heard things didn't look very good but, man, Earnhardt ... you figure he'll bounce right back. Your first thought is, hey, he'll probably come back next week at Rockingham and beat us all."

Kyle Petty, whose son Adam died of similar injuries in an accident last year at New Hampshire International Speedway, likewise was saddened by the news.

"No matter where it happens or how it happens or even how prepared you think you might be for it, losing somebody close to you hurts," he said. "My heart just breaks for (Earnhardt's wife) Teresa and the family."

Earnhardt's tragic death marred what proved to be a Daytona 500 that finally lived up to its hype. After years of single-file racing with little passing, NASCAR's new aerodynamic package for Daytona resulted in a spectacular race that featured 48 lead changes among 14 drivers and plenty of three-wide racing.

Ironically, a much more serious-appearing crash on lap 174 that collected 18 cars and sent Tony Stewart's car flipping end-over-end down the backstretch resulted in no catastrophic injuries. Stewart was sent to a local hospital with a concussion and shoulder pain, but was treated and released.

Las Vegas native Kurt Busch contended for the lead much of the race before clipping Joe Nemechek and hitting the wall on lap 157. Busch was unhurt and finished the race 41st in his first Daytona 500 start.

Rusty Wallace, who lost a lap early in the race, battled back to finish third but was not enthralled by the tight racing the new rules created.

"I understand the reasoning for the rules," Wallace said before he had learned of Earnhardt's death. "We knew we were doing it for the fans, to try to put a better race on.

"I'm sure they saw one whale of an exciting race but is this the type we want? I don't know, I'm going to let NASCAR make that decision."

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