They buried Dale Earnhardt Wednesday not much more than a backstretch away from where he was born 49 years ago. He once said that he would know when it was time to get out of a race car for the final time. But that's the thing about racing. High speeds and lap times never play favorites.
Drivers know how to race.
They let others count the laps. Earnhardt's time was up last Sunday at the Daytona 500 when his No. 3 Chevrolet took him head-on into a wall. They say he died instantly and without pain. And lately, Death seems to be qualifying for more and more races. Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper all preceded Earnhardt into graves in the past nine months.