NASCAR should wake up and smell the death of racing

Today CNN aired live coverage of a funeral.

Was it English royalty? Was it a former president?

No, it was Dale Earnhardt, legend of NASCAR racing.

I’m not a racing fan – in fact I hate the “sport.” But I was fascinated when I found he died Sunday on the final turn of the final lap – at one of racing’s biggest races, the Daytona 500.

Earnhardt’s death was tragic in many ways. Racing fans called him The Intimidator because of his aggressive tactics on the race track. But when he crashed, he was uncharacteristically helping his teammate (his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.).

After 25 years of cheating death in stock car racing, his final crash was unspectacular. His car didn’t turn into a fiery, spinning ball of car parts. He just fish-tailed and slammed into the turn wall.

The six-time Winston Cup winner was dead when safety personnel got to him. He had to be cut out of his famous black No. 3.

Two hours after the race (Michael Waltrip quietly won), NASCAR president Mike Helton made the announcement: “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”

When I was in elementary school, I liked racing. I always watched the big races like this one and the Indy 500. And when I watched NASCAR, I cheered for Dale Earnhardt (well, not exactly, it was more like I cheered for his cool-looking car).

When the good ol’ boy “sport” grew out of the South and into the national spotlight, I tired of the boring five-hour follow-the-leader marathon. In short, I grew out of the sport.

And maybe the rest of the country should, too.

This is the most famous in a long string of NASCAR drivers falling dead at the race track. I, like many people, have wondered if this “sport” is really worth it. NASCAR administration said safety is its No. 1 priority. But if people are dying and the races at high speeds are continuing, how can that possibly be true?

Colleagues are saying the best way to deal with the grief of a dead driver is to race your best race next week. They had an almost nostalgic look on it, like was inevitable that people die in this “sport.”

For me, this is unacceptable. Sports are fun. They bring people together and keep people in shape. When people die, the game should stop.

Aaron Morton is the sports editor of the Statesman. Comments about the column or the section are welcome at sports@statesman.usu.edu