You Okay?

It seems we have, be it in the racing press or amongst
ourselves as fans, talked and speculated about the tragedy that befell us at
Daytona in February to death. Death is what it is really all about. Not Bill
Simpson, Richard Childress, "Don" Helton Corleone or his son
"Sonny" Nelson Corleone or even Kevin Harvick. It’s about the
greatest insult to any human walking the planet that enjoys and revels in life.
It’s about unforgiving, irreversible death. Oh oh! Here comes another one of
those "Let’s get over it" articles. Not hardly. As sure as a Roush
Ford has a shot at the Cup Title in 2001, this is another "Let’s get over
it" article.

The latest round of punditry revolves around what may or may
not become of something as insignificant as a number, specifically the number 3.
Will it land on a Childress car next year? Or a DEI car? Or on no car at all by
Childress’ hand? Then there is Herr Helton and the NASCAR hierarchy that fails
to realize that this is an extraordinary situation that requires tact, decorum
and a realization that this IS an extraordinary situation, and the absolute
dogmas of NASCAR just don’t apply here. But NASCAR doesn’t
"retire" numbers. They didn’t retire the 7 when Alan passed, or the
28 when Davey fell, or the 51 when Neil was taken or the 45 when we were robbed
of the career of Adam. Those losses were as devastating as the loss of Dale
Earnhardt, yet they didn’t have the IMPACT that the loss of the Intimidator
did on the sport as a whole. This was a seven-time champion who almost single
handedly took our sport from a regional circuit to a nationwide obsession. The
very least his memory deserves is to take that memory, his accomplishments, his
memorabilia, and his trademark number and set them all aside for posterity where
as yet to be born race fans can learn the legacy of the Man in Black.

Personally, I have no problem with Kevin Harvick sporting an
Earnhardtesque fire suit or driving a black car as long as the number remains
29. I have a real problem with any car from this point forward having a number 3
on it. The right thing to do is to retire the number, and that includes FOX and,
NBC, and TNT standing silent on Lap 3 of every race. It is time to lay the
number 3 to permanent rest…with one important caveat.

The call to "retire" the number has yet to be
passed to the proper governing body to make that decision. What about she who
lost the most? What about she who made a marriage in race haulers all across the
country? What about she who raised a fine family in circumstances that most of
us would buckle under? What about she who still operates the family business
known as Dale Earnhardt Incorporated? It’s time for Richard Childress to hand
the rights to the number 3 to Teresa Earnhardt and let her decide what the
future of the number shall be. It’s the right thing to do, and who can argue
in the face of all her personal sacrifice that she has the right to make this
call. She has earned the right, Helton and NASCAR be damned.

It can be argued that Teresa Earnhardt gave her life to the
sport long before Dale, Neil, Adam, Davey, and Alan did. This would be the case
with any wife that stands by her man week after week as he chases tight in and
loose off conditions for over thirty weeks a year. Who could argue that a racing
wife has the unenviable task of being both mother and father to her children? In
Teresa’s case, that task was even a greater burden as she was married to, and
is STILL married to the embodiment of the sport of stock car automobile racing.

When we look at the products of the Earnhardt marriage, the
children, it is clear that Teresa is an exceptional woman. There are those who
will argue, foolishly, that not all the Earnhardt children are HERS. I think the
children themselves may have quite a different assessment about that. Both Dale
Jr. and Kerry have shown that they will revel in the legacy of a famous father
rather than be haunted by a ghost. Their strength is a testimony to the even
greater strength of the maternal influence that guided them during the formative
years while their father guided a career that will never be equaled. Is this to
say that Dale Sr. was a bad father? No, just absent more than most by
professional necessity. Dale Sr. knew his lady could and did carry the family
ball when he just couldn’t be there.

It’s time to turn all things Earnhardt, including the
number 3, over to Teresa Earnhardt and let her decided how his legacy shall be
governed. She has earned this right. More importantly, it’s time for Richard
Childress and Mike Helton to observe some chivalry and give the Lady her due.
Give the Lady her peace. Of all the questions asked surrounding the untimely
passing of Dale Earnhardt, the one yet to be asked is what about Teresa?

How about it Teresa? You okay?