If Dale Earnhardt Sr. was still alive?

In 1999, Dale Senior had surgery on his neck. He had been racing in pain for a number of years but thought it was due to aging. He was finally convinced to have it checked and a correctable problem was discovered. After the surgery he stated that until the problem was repaired, he didn't realize just how much pain he had been in. He speculated that the neck was hurt in the crash at Talladega in 1996. (Link to video included at bottom)

In 2000, he was healthier than he had been in a number of years and judging by his near miss at an 8th Cup, 2nd to Bobby Labonte, he was competitive as ever and a 48-year old racer to boot. Consider that Gordon won all those Titles beating an injured 40-something year old man and some of the shine on those trophies dims.

If he had not died, the HANS and closed face helmet would probably still be optional, but if they had been made mandatory, and Earnhardt still wanted to race with the same gear he always had used, he probably could have gotten a waiver. Hey, it was his neck he was risking, not NASCAR's and he was the sports best driver.

Besides, with the open face helmet and dark bubble goggles he could flash the drivers that famous grin as he drove by.

As long as he was healthy, competitive and a chance for the 8th Cup still felt within his reach, he would be going for it.

He would have turned 56 last April 19th and he would still be strong as a horse due to the farmwork.

Harry Gant won 7 races after the age of 51, and he, like Earnhardt was a strong, healthy 50 year old. Harry was a carpenter by trade but he retired from racing when he was nearly 55 after getting 7 top tens out of 30 races he competed in during 1994. He finished 4th in the Cup Standings two times in a row when he was 51 and 52.

Gant won 1 Pole at nearly the age of 54 in the season finale in Atlanta and just barely more than 4 months shy of his 55th birthday, won the Pole in Bristol.

At that time, Harry was Dales' idol and role model.

Earnhardt had 3 incomplete goals.

Building Junior a Championship team, earning his 8th Cup and becoming the oldest Cup winner in history.

BTW, I believe the Lucky Dog and no racing back to the yellow were in the rules while he was still alive. He was Lucky Dog a few times and for those who fail to recognize it, if more than 1 car is a lap down, you have to earn the Lucky Dog spot by racing against the other lap cars for track position.

All Dale ever wanted to do was race. He loved it and he had fun doing it and he was having fun right up to the fatal moment.

Of Dale Sr were still alive I don't think he would be racing anymore. Someone else would have probably died if it hadn't been him. He is the reason why all the changes were made in the first place. Who's to say though he could have continued racing to this day and maybe won a few more races probably not a championship but a few races. Jr wouldn't be the most popular if Sr was still around to this day it would either be Sr or Gordon.

GO JAMIE MAC

Well you wanna know what I think if Dale Sr were still alive, I think that he would be running DEI the way it should be, Dale Jr would still be there, and he should have at least 2 Championships by know, and 25 to 30 wins, and for Truex at least 1 championship and 5 to 10 races won by know.

I believe he'd have a few more wins under his belt, and an eighth NASCAR title before he'd retire (the same year as Rusty). Obviously he'd be running DEI and they'd be a LOT more prominant team than they are now. I also think Steve Park would also still be employed in the company in some shape or form.

If dale wouldnt have died the rules wouldnt be the way they are. its just unfortunate that someone had to die before Nascar decided to mandate the Hans and closed face helmets. But if he were still alive I think he would still be racing... would he be happy with the way Nascar is? hell no he wouldnt. I think he would be racing still tho its what he did and what he was meant to do....dale wasnt meant to be a car owner.

He'd probably be like Mark Martin, running a few select races (Daytona for sure), and other than that probably would be running DEI. I think Nascar would be more interesting and not so "sanitized" as it is, if dale were still around. He got away with his "wreck and run" driving for years, so if he were still spinning people out . Nascar couldn't very well be fining and punishing other drivers while he continued to get away with it.

Rubbin' fenders rules!

I don't think at this time dale sr would be racing a full schedule, i think that he would have gone with the rule changes as they came.... junior would not be the most popular driver and harvick would be driving for dei not rcr...

To think he would still be driving is just wishful thinking on his fans' part. He was an old man then and would be even older and slower now. His last title was won in what? 1994? He was all used up. With the younger more talented drivers coming into NA$CAR he wouldn't stood much change to win anymore, unless NA$CAR continued to let him wreck other drivers.

Ironhead would still be racin !!!

Racin was in his blood. (now it's in Junior's)

DEI would still be DEI and not TEI with Teresa & Ginn turning it into a Museum. No, it's not there yet, but you see how well

Ginn honors contracts, Teresa too for that matter.

Yep, he'd still be racin and having a blast out there with Jeff ..the one he nick-named "Wonder Boy" !

And regardless to what Earnhardt fans or Gordon fans want

to believe, these two were good friends and had a great amount of respect for ~each other~ ! They were not enemies .

Now, Dale's son will be teaming up with Gordon at HMS .

With Rick, a teamowner that Dale,Sr. himself raced for.

That's why I get confused with Earnhardt fans thinking Gordon & his fans are the enemy and Gordon's fans thinking Earnhardt & his fans are the enemy. ????

How Junior betrayed his fans and his dad and went to work in the enemy camp. What?

Dale,Sr. would be racin right now !!

Free the 8

Dale Sr. would have probably retired within the next couple of years, because he would have turned 50 the year that he died anyways. He would have retired before turning 60, that's for sure.