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In memory of Dale Earnhardt Sr. Poem

A fine Daytona afternoon, the season just begun  My boys were running one and two, and I was having fun.  I probably could have won the thing, but something held me back.  I was busy watching Dale and Mike - and holding off the pack.

I was looking toward the front and not really the rear.  Something tapped me on my bumper, but still I had no fear.  I thought it might be Sterling - I knew he was nearby.  When Sterling smells the checkered flag, I'll tell you he ain't shy.  I slipped a bit, I turned the wheel, I sensed something very odd.  It wasn't Sterling's tap I'd felt. It was the tap of God.

"Not now," I said "I'm racing hard. There's work still here to do."  "Your time is up," He whispered low, "So say a quick adieu."  I wasn't really ready, but I didn't have a choice.  He'd tapped me on the bumper, and I'd heard His hallowed voice.  So I did as He instructed. I just packed it in and left.  I guess it can't be helped that I left some of you bereft.  Did you see those birds upon the wall as they scattered in the breeze?  Will it make it any easier to know that one of them was me?  There was also Davey, Dad and Neil and some of the other guys I've known.

And they all came to Daytona just to escort me home.  Hey- Congratulations, Mikey! You made a worthy run.  I wish you many, many more. Your wins have just begun.  All that fun you had in Victory Lane, I was proud as proud can be.  Did you see a seagull flying low? Yeah, Mikey that was me.  So friends and fans and family, don't mourn me for too long.  Get on with life - take care of things - be brave and proud and strong.  I'll surely miss you, everyone, about that I will not lie.  But as long as you remember me, I really didn't die.  author unknown.....

In Loving Memory

He soared through the track, as if gliding on an eagle's wing. As the black beauty reached its vertical limit, it raced pass and excelled forward in unparallel speeds. With the striped finish only a short distance away, the Monte Carlo stretched its arm and grabbed the checkered flag, claiming victory over its Ford and Dodge counterparts. The taste of the first win remained fresh in the blood and mind until the next time those four rubber wheels gripped the scorching hot and tarred road.

Dale:
You can't imagine the impact you've had on my life. Ever since I was a young child I watched and gazed hopelessly at you on television, yearning for that win you so deserved. You were more than just a racecar driver, you were my idol and the one person who shaped the strong bond between my father and I. I watched you crash into the wall that faithful day, and I knew something was wrong because your wheels kept thrusting forward. And when I read in the papers that you were gone for good, I cried to myself tears that would fill a bathtub. You brought out so much happiness in my father's life and when you were taken, he cried as well. As irony has it, you couldn't have left this world any better. You died doing what you loved on a track that elluded you for so long. No matter what, you were and will always be our champ. Rest in peace and race those heavens like never before.

The Earnhardt Family:
I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you're doing well, living his dream on as he would have wanted. He's in a much better place now and he'll always be watching over you and protecting you all. God bless you and your family.