Dale Earnhardt
The autopsy report and official records of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt — killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
The Driver
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an outstanding race car driver who spent most of his career driving on the NASCAR circuit. In 1975, Dale began his racing career competing in the World 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he finished in 22nd place.
In 1979, Earnhardt captured four poles, had 11 Top 5 finishes, 17 Top 10 finishes, and finished 7th in the final points standings — earning Rookie of the Year honors.
In 1980, Earnhardt had wins at Atlanta, Bristol, Nashville, Martinsville, and Charlotte, earning him his first Winston Cup championship. He remains the only driver in NASCAR Winston Cup history to win Rookie of the Year honors and then win the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship the following season. In 1982, Earnhardt joined the Richard Childress Racing Team, finishing 7th in the point standings. He spent 1982 and 1983 with the Bud Moore racing team before rejoining Richard Childress Racing after the 1983 season.
In 1994, Dale earned his 7th Winston Cup Championship, tying Richard Petty for the most Winston Cup Championships earned by a driver — beating Mark Martin by 400 points in the final standings. In 1995, Earnhardt finished second, failing to earn his 8th championship; symbolically, Jeff Gordon won his 1st Winston Cup Championship by beating Earnhardt by just 34 points.
In 1996, Earnhardt was chasing his 8th Winston Cup Championship going into the DieHard 500 when a serious on-track accident most likely cost him the title. Ernie Irvan lost control of his car, igniting a frightening crash that sent Earnhardt's car into the tri-oval wall nearly head-on at almost 200 miles per hour. The car flipped and slid across the track — yet Earnhardt miraculously climbed out and waved to the crowd, refusing a stretcher despite a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade. He finished 4th in the final point standings.
In 1997, Earnhardt went winless and suffered two more serious accidents: a late crash in the Daytona 500 that sent his car upside down on the backstretch, and a blackout in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 that sent him into the wall.
In 1998, after 20 years of trying, Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 — though he finished 8th in the final point standings. He finished 7th in 1999 and 2nd in 2000.
The Crash
On February 18, 2001, during the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt was killed heading into Turn 3 on the last lap. Racing three-wide with Sterling Marlin to his left and Ken Schrader to his right, Earnhardt's left rear fender made slight contact with Marlin's front bumper. His car slid off the steep banking onto the flat apron, then turned sharply up the track toward the outside retaining wall — colliding with Schrader's car. The impact sent Schrader's car into Earnhardt's just behind the passenger door, and both cars ran nose-first into the wall. Earnhardt's car hit at a critical angle at nearly 150 miles per hour. The right-rear wheel assembly broke off, the hood pins severed, and the hood slammed against the windshield as the car slid down the track. Though the crash looked relatively minor, it was devastating. Earnhardt was taken to Halifax Medical Center, where he died shortly after arrival.
Following the race and several investigations, his death was ruled an accident. The official cause of death on the autopsy report is listed as “Blunt Force Injuries to the Head.” Dale Earnhardt is interred in a memorial on his farm in Mooresville, North Carolina.