Aftermath
Dale Earnhardt's death received widespread media attention. One newspaper called the day "Black Sunday."
Grieving fans congregated at the headquarters of Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated the night of the accident, and at Daytona International Speedway. Earnhardt was featured in the following week's Time magazine, and video from the race was played on nearly every major United States televised newscast. Earnhardt's funeral was telecast live on multiple television networks.
Earnhardt's death resulted in both a police investigation and a NASCAR-sanctioned investigation. In a reversal of previous NASCAR policy, nearly every detail of the investigation was made public.
In the days following the accident, Sterling Marlin received hate mail and death threats from fans who blamed Marlin for Earnhardt's death. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Michael Waltrip absolved Marlin of responsibility and asked everyone who loved his father to stop assigning blame for his death. On February 20, Marlin relayed the following to the public:
| “ | I definitely didn't do anything intentional. We were just racing our guts out for the last lap of the Daytona 500. Everybody was going for it. Dale's car got caught in the middle . I was as low as I could go. Whether Rusty got him loose and down into me, I don't know. You have to talk to Rusty Wallace. I watched the tape one time and that is all I want to see it. | ” |
Read more about this topic: Death Of Dale Earnhardt
Famous quotes containing the word aftermath:
“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)