Motorsports is about what happened Sunday, brave men risking death for private thrills and public reward. Daytona got what it wanted, got what it designed, got 50 lead changes and a wreck at the end, got a show for the fans. They'll bring a friend next year. This one will be talked about, not like last year's race when no one died, almost no one crashed, the lead changed only nine times all day and the winner had to apologize for racing like a drum major at the head of a very dull line. Bad television, bad show, not an ounce of breath was stolen, not a gasp was caused.
Thrills come out of such danger.
And this would look very good on TV, justify the new contract with Fox Sports. Earnhardt's crash, on the last lap, wasn't even the most exciting. That came earlier and took out 19 cars, all in a bunch as planned, all so much mangled sheet metal flying and flapping around. It made very good TV pictures. Compared to that, Earnhardt's crash was wasted, not that there wasn't much videotape of it later on, nearly unnoticed as Michael Waltrip screamed first across the finish line, ahead of Earnhardt's son, Dale Jr ., both driving Earnhardt cars.