In the wake of yesterdays tragic death of Indy racer Dan Wheldon, I reflected back to the day that I came within feet of legend Dale Earnhardt and captured this image of him waiting to race the clock during qualifying. This would end up being his last race in Sonoma before being killed at the Daytona 500 in 2001. By chance, I had an opportunity to spend the afternoon on pit row and had the time of my life burning through roll after roll of film. To this day, I distinctly remember smiling at the images entering my cameras viewfinder. Dale Earnhardt was my uncles hero and by default became one of mine. I remember how awful and surreal it was following the crash that took his life. Very similar to yesterdays Indy tragedy and its numbing aftermath. This photo has always been a sentimental favorite of mine and each time I look at it I smile knowing that legends never die.
Dale Earnhardt
Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, California 2000
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