Ten NASCAR Drivers Who Had Their Careers Cut Short

Dale Earnhardt

What can I possibly say about the man that hasn’t already been said by every fan and media pendant in NASCAR? The man simply showcased his brilliance at every turn of the wheel and was one of the most iconic, and aggressive drivers of all time. He also had a connection with the fans that has gone unrivaled since his untimely death in 2001.

With that being said, it’s impossible to say that Earnhardt’s career was cut short because doing so would mean that his career was imperfect and that something was missing off of his Hall of Fame resume. Fortunately, with 76 career wins, seven championships, and a Daytona 500 victory, that just isn’t the case.

While Earnhardt’s career wasn’t cut short in terms of his accomplishments, it was cut short in terms of what the man in black did for the sport of NASCAR. Not only did Earnhardt attract one of the biggest audiences to the sport of NASCAR, he was also one of the most exciting personalities ever witnessed in NASCAR.

It wasn’t the accomplishments that were cut short, even though Earnhardt very well could have won his record eighth championship if he were still alive. Instead, it was the connection with the fans that was cut short. Earnhardt’s death in 2001 left NASCAR without their greatest hero and that’s what I think hurt the most for race fans around the world.

What had to hurt even worse was the finality of it all. We all remember that day probably like it was yesterday. Earnhardt was desperately trying to block the field from overtaking the lead from his DEI driver, Michael Waltrip and his son, Dale Jr. Sadly, this would prove to be Earnhardt’s undoing, as he was tapped in the rear quarter panel by Sterling Marlin and sent hurtling up the track into the turn four wall.

After the accident had taken place, Fox Sports went off the air without giving an update on Earnhardt, leaving fans in the dark to what had actually taken place. It was then announced two hours later in a press conference outside of Halifax Medical Center that Earnhardt had died from blunt force trauma due to the incident. We probably all remember Mike Helton famously saying that “We lost Dale Earnhardt”

With those four words burnt into every fans mind for years to come and the hole that was left by the tragic passing of Dale Earnhardt still in our hearts today, one has to wonder if there will be someone that can come along and touch lives and energize fans the way The Intimidator did.

Next: The Man They Called Fireball Roberts?