Twenty years ago on Feb. 18, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway, then NASCAR President Mike Helton stepped up to a podium in the media center and uttered a few words the world will never forget.
“We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,” he said in a broken voice.
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It was a shock to not only the NASCAR community, but the entire world. Media members had waited on word on Earnhardt after The Intimidator crashed into the wall on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. On that fateful day, there were several people from Henderson County there, including Earnhardt’s former crew chief, Andy Petree.
After being the crew chief for Earnhardt when he won back-to-back championships in 1993 and 1994, Petree went on to own his own racing teams. He’s now back with Richard Childress Racing as the Vice President of Competition.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Earnhardt’s death, Petree talked about his friendship he had with the racing legend.
“Without Dale, I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career. He has meant so much to me,” Petree said. “I really wish he was still here so I could thank him.”
1993: Petree and Earnhardt bond begins
“It was back in 1993 when Richard hired me to be the crew chief for Dale, and I was basically inserted into a team that was used to winning championships,” Petree said on Wednesday. “I remember me and Dale working together for the first time in January of that year as we were testing at Daytona for the 500. It was a good start we had together, especially the week of the Daytona 500.
“Dale won the Busch Clash and won the qualifying race. We almost won the 500, too.”
On that last lap, Earnhardt was leading, but Dale Jarrett took over the lead with his father, Ned, announcing on TV.
“It’s the Dale and Dale show, and you know who I’m pulling for,” Ned Jarrett said.
Jarrett went on to win, with Earnhardt finishing runner-up. Earnhardt made a quote famous about finishing in the runner-up position: “Second place is just the first loser,” and Petree felt the same way back then.
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“It was tough. That really felt like our first loss together. We did pretty well in the next few races, but we weren’t connecting like a driver and crew chief should,” Petree said. “Then Richard had a meeting with us and said, ‘Listen, you two are going to have to figure out a way to bond together. Go out do dinner … do something.'”
So, before the Darlington race, Earnhardt said, “OK, let’s go out to eat,” Petree remembered.
“And so we did. It was kinda funny … we went out to eat in Darlington the night before the race and Dale had me sit between him and his wife, Teresa.”
The bonding session worked.
“We went out the next day and won at Darlington. We went on to win many races that year and then won the championship,” Petree said.
1998: Dale’s first and only Daytona 500 win
“We never won the Daytona 500 together. I’ve still never won one, but I’ll never forget when Dale won his,” Petree said.
It was on Feb. 15, 1998. Petree, who owned Andy Petree Racing then, had one car in the race, the No. 33 car driven by Kenny Schrader. Schrader ended up giving Petree one of his best Daytona 500 finishes since Petree had been with Earnhardt.
“We had a very good race that year and had a top five with Kenny coming in fourth,” Petree said.
After the race ended, he said he saw every member of every pit crew lining up on pit road, waiting to congratulate Earnhardt on his win.
“I saw everybody lined up, and I thought, ‘Man, I’m not waiting in line,'” Petree said.
As Earnhardt slowly made his way down pit road, Petree ran up to the No. 3 car and dove on its hood. He then slid over to the driver’s side to congratulate his old friend.
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“We made eye contact and we were both smiling,” Petree said. “I grabbed him and shook him a little bit. It’s a special moment that I’ll never forget.”
2001 and beyond: Earnhardt’s death and his legacy
“It’s been 20 years now since we lost Dale, and he’s still a major part of the sport,” Petree said. “Did you see the tribute for him on Lap 3 of this year’s Daytona 500? It was incredible and would’ve been even better with all the fans.”
For the race in 2001, Petree had two cars in the Daytona 500 and both finished in the top 11, with Bobby Hamilton in eighth place and Joe Nemechek in 11th. Michael Waltrip won the race, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was runner-up.
On the last lap, Earnhardt Sr. and his No. 3 Chevy slammed into the retaining wall at an estimated speed of 155-160 mph. After being removed from the car and taken to Halifax Medical Center, the seven-time Cup champion was pronounced dead at 5:16 p.m.
Members of the Andy Petree Racing team were boarding their flight home when they heard the news.
“We had no idea of the severity of the crash. Back then you hustled to beat traffic and get to your airplane to fly home. That’s what we did,” former APR Vice President and General Manager Steve Barkdoll said on Wednesday.
As he and members of the team were boarding their plane, they received the news that Earnhardt had passed away.
“Jimmy Elledge was our crew chief on the 55 car, and he was married to Dale’s daughter, Kelly,” Barkdoll said. “We were loading in the airplane and Jimmy and I were last in and he was on the phone. He looked at me and told me before we got on. The world seemed to stop.”
Although he didn’t have as close of a relationship with Earnhardt as Petree did, Barkdoll still has fond memories of his time spent with The Intimidator. One will always stick out to him.
“It was a week before that last race. We were at DEI for the Chevrolet kick off meeting, and all the teams were there with suits and ties, and I was sitting next to Dale,” Barkdoll said. “When the president of General Motors was speaking, Dale kept pinching my inner leg under the table and smiling, hoping to get me to make a noise. I finally had to pinch him back to get him to quit … I will never forget that smile.”
Thinking back about Earnhardt’s influence on the sport, Petree said Earnhardt will always be a big part of it.
“The safety innovations that came after his death were huge. The cars and the safety restraints are so much better now. They’ve saved so many lives,” Petree said. “He always had such a big presence at the track, and even now, he still does. He always will.”
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