“And for nine long years, I tried not to think about it,” confessed Michael Waltrip, remembering the 2001 Daytona 500, the day (February 18, 2001) that changed everything. He had won the biggest race of his life, but at what cost? On the final lap, his mentor and friend, Dale Earnhardt Sr., crashed into the Turn 4 wall, right before the final lap. When Ken Schrader reached the wreck, he found  Sr.’s motionless body in his seat. And the celebration turned silent.

Following this tragic episode, Kevin Harvick, a rising talent in the Busch Series, received the call from Richard Childress. The man who had stood beside Dale for decades needed someone to carry the legacy forward. “It was a duty,” Harvick would later say to The Charlotte Observer. And so, at Rockingham Speedway, he took the wheel of the iconic #3 RCR Chevy, fulfilling his promise.  However, for Waltrip, the moment never faded. 24 years later, these two legendary men still carry the weight of that week, proving that sometimes, the finish line delivers heartbreak, not celebration.

Harvick and Waltrip recently met on the former’s Happy Hour podcast last Thursday, just before the return to the Rock with the Xfinity and Truck Series races. The former Stewart-Haas Racing member interviewed Waltrip, and the two veterans shared the tales of the past and shared their two cents on the state of NASCAR today. However, things started with the memories of the passing of Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip, in particular, had a tough time dealing with the loss of his mentor. Although he managed his emotions during the press conference ahead of the Rockingham race, the hard part was getting back behind the wheel.

Harvick recalled the whirlwind of emotions that week, “I tell people all the time, I will never see a press conference that big again. I will never see that many cameras, people, and instant feel. I hope I never feel the way I did on that particular day, a confused-sad-happy, didn’t really know where to even sit. But walk me back through just that week winning the biggest race of your life, having Dale pass, and now you gotta go race.” 

Waltrip had a bittersweet feeling after winning the Daytona 500 after 462 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. But, the very next weekend, he had to suit up, put on his helmet and get back to business at Rockingham. Sharing his perspective about the weekend, he said, “In my mind, there was going to be indecision. Do we go to Rockingham? Do we sit it out in honor? And we decided collectively as a group and correctly, Dale would be pissed if we didn’t go to Rockingham. I believe when you come on this Earth, your days are numbered, God knows when you’re leaving and when it’s your time, you’re going.” But then came to tough part, where he had to focus on racing again.

“Getting in the race car and getting out there, that was hard. That was probably the hardest part for me. Not the press conference, but just going to work. That should be what your escape is, you pull that helmet on and you put the problems of the world behind you and you just go race. But that weekend – it was just hard. I didn’t really feel like being there.” Waltrip explained.

Well, apart from sharing the struggles of the early 2000s without the leadership of Dale Earnhardt, Waltrip also opened up about the current state of racing in NASCAR. And surprisingly, his perspective and opinion on the sport were positive as he compared the two different eras.

Waltrip thinks NASCAR is in a better space

NASCAR is far from its glory days is the phrase we often hear. Well, in terms of the popular appeal and expansion, the sport is somewhat struggling. But, to tackle this, the governing body has brought in new provisions, format, and even a new car. Yups, the infamous Next Gen car, which for some reason or the other is always in the news. Remember, back in the day, drivers lost their lives trying to race on Sundays, but with the safety protocols in place, the drivers are in a better space compared to the previous generation of drivers.

Not to forget, with NASCAR promoting parity racing, even the smaller and new teams can go toe-to-toe with the powerhouse organizations. We’ve seen that with 23xi Racing and Trackhouse Racing. And Waltrip is tired of the cries where a section of fans keep comparing the current era of the sport to its glorious past. “I think people just want what they don’t have, and I get so tired of hearing racing ain’t like it used to be. I’m old, and they think that I would agree that it was better back in the day. Well, it wasn’t. It’s more competitive now than ever, we’ve got more fun venues, we’re doing new things. I’m just truly happy with where we are.”

Speaking about new things, NASCAR has signed up a new media partner, Amazon Prime Video, in a new $7.7 billion deal. They will exclusively stream five Cup races this year, which include the international race in Mexico City. So, there’s plenty of reason for fans to be excited about the efforts NASCAR is taking to elevate the sport to new heights.