In 1994, a record 4.8 million fans attended 31 races, an average of 157,936. Whenever you asked him to do something to promote the series, he stood tall. If there's a race out there to race, I want in it, and I want to win it. He went from being despised to the crowd favorite. To sit back and look at what it was 20 years ago, it's mind-boggling where it is today.
Life has to go on.
We have suffered great losses before when Fireball Roberts and Little Joe Weatherly and Tiny Lund were lost. They were tragic, but someone came along. This was our main guy. The only things moving were sea gulls and ducks on the infield lake, and the American flag at half-staff in a brisk breeze. Team haulers were gone, headed for Rockingham, N.C., and Sunday's Dura-Lube 400, before Earnhardt's death was announced.