He was a member of this community for all his life, and he was a regular guy, the people here say. So not only was he a great racing driver and an icon, but he was also a good person they say. And that, frankly, is part of the appeal of it. The fans and the drivers unfortunately accept the fact that drivers from time to time will be killed or severely injured. Most I think are willing to institute some safety measures, but they don't want to compromise what they considered to be the essence of the sport and that is speed.
Speed carries with it the possibility of danger and even worse.
And of course, Dale Earnhardt, was one of the more intimidating drivers around, one whom some fellow drivers considered to be even a bit reckless at times. He faced death a number of times during his 26 year racing career and, until now, he escaped with his life. The accident didn t look to be that serious on television. That's the impression a lot of us had. There have certainly been a lot of other accidents that seemed far worse.