Rest in Peace My Friend

Today marks the beginning of the 2008 NASCAR season. Something will be missing though. A friend of mine. I miss him most on this day. Below is something I sent to somebody and it was put on national website for a while. It was sent to Jim Huber. He asked for our favorite memories of Dale be sent to him. It was sent to him on February 19, 2001. It is as follows:

Mr. Huber:

I guess you could say a part of me was lost yesterday. I am a 30 year old bnad director in South Carolina and have grown up with Dale Earnhardt. I just simply have a hard time to remember when Dale was not in my life. As a kid I remember seeing him on TV and always hearing about him. It has always been a ritual with me on Sundays to sit down with Dale and watch him race. The reason I call him Dale is I have always considered him my friend. I go to about 15 races a year just to get a glimce of that unmistakeable frame. (Anybody that has seen Dale in person will know what I am referring to. There are not many frames like Dales.) The thought of never seeing that smile again pains me so.

I guess my favorite memory of Dale is this. I was a(t) Rockingham for the fall Bucsh race. It was very early and the Winston Cup cars had not began practice yet and there may have only been a few hundred pepole at the track as it was cool that mornig. We had seats near the entrance of pit road and Dale was walking up the track. I think mayb checking something out. Of course I immediatley start yelling his name. He was only about 30 feet away. To my suprise, he continued to walk up the banking of the track to the fence where I was yelling and he simply smiled and said "Calm down boy. It will be alright" He flashed his smile and returned to his car with a little laugh.

No I never really knew Dale Earnhardt but if you ask me I will always consider him one of my very best friends. The turmoil of this tragedy will quiet in the coming weeks and years. But for young mem like myself that grew up in the South and always wondered if we could be successful and look to Dale as our hero, he will not be forgotten or replaced.

Sincerely,

Jon Brady

Today there may be a black mark on the wall in turn 4 but maybe if you look close enougth you just may see something more. Maybe a smile, maybe a 3, or maybe a black Chevrolet. Just remember to look for it.