Most racing fans can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard Dale Earnhardt was killed. It was a story that not only rocked NASCAR, but continues to shape the sport's future. Here's a look back at the most-compelling storylines of the past decade.
"We've lost Dale Earnhardt"
NASCAR president Mike Helton broke the news with those four infamous words shortly after Earnhardt crashed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. The sport was never the same.
Racing lost its hero, a common man who left the mills of North Carolina to be a seven-time series champion. It also forced NASCAR to accelerate safety initiatives that eventually led to mandatory energy-absorbing barriers, head and neck restraints and bigger, safer cockpit with the Car of Tomorrow.
While Earnhardt's death led to revolutionary changes -- no driver has been killed in a NASCAR race or practice since -- the sport still struggles to fill the void he created with the fans.
No man was revered, and feared, as much as Earnhardt, and it's not likely any driver will have that kind of connection with the fans again.
SUPER TEAMS
Multi-car operations have been around NASCAR for more than 50 years. But the past decade saw the creation of super teams.
Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing combined to put 12 cars on the track and dominated the sport. They were able to attract the biggest sponsors, best drivers and top crewmen, and that translated to a total of 229 victories in 358 races.
In addition to winning 64 percent of the races, Gibbs, Hendrick and Roush also combined to win all 10 Sprint Cup Series championships, including the current run of four in a row by Jimmie Johnson.
The Big Three's prominence came at the expense of other teams. Yates Racing, Petty Enterprises, Evernham Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing all enjoyed success in the past, but they couldn't keep pace with the super teams.
Yates, Petty and Evernham have since merged to create their own super team, while the Wood Brothers now compete on a part-time basis.
JUNIOR GROWS UP
With his father gone, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was thrown into the role as the sport's most-popular figure.
And with it came a lot of problems.
Junior's battles with his stepmother Teresa Earnhardt escalated until he finally left the team his father started at the end of the 2007 season. Their relationship was tenuous before the breakup, and his failed attempt to buy her out only made it worse.
His move to Hendrick Motorsports was supposed to join the sport's biggest name with the sport's biggest team. The results, however, have been surprisingly bad.
His three teammates -- Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon -- finished first, second and third, respectively, in the 2009 Chase for the Championship. While Earnhardt Jr. continues to lead in souvenir sales, he finished 25th in the rankings.
FOLLOW THE MONEY
The sport was financially healthy during the first half of the decade, but it proved it wasn't immune to the same economic problems as Mainstreet America during the past couple years.
Attendance and television ratings dropped by more than 10 percent last year. Major sponsors like Jim Beam, DeWalt, Jack Daniel's, Kodak, Havoline, Coors Light, Sharpie, Viagra and Dodge Dealers have come and gone.
Speedways have reduced ticket prices and removed seats and more than 1,000 people have been laid off industry-wide in the past two years.
Manufacturers have reduced their support to NASCAR, and race teams are outsourcing a lot of their work to save money. Roush Yates Engines is the only source for Ford engines in NASCAR; Hendrick Motorsports supplies engines to Stewart-Haas Racing and Phoenix Racing.
BEST OF THE BEST
BEST DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson, who had a decade-best 47 wins.
BEST FINISH: Kevin Harvick's emotional photo finish with Jeff Gordon at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001, three weeks after replacing Dale Earnhardt at Richard Childress Racing.
BEST TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway because it always puts on a big show and usually has a spectacular accident.
BEST ATMOSPHERE: Bristol Motor Speedway, which has celebrated a decade of sellouts with a lot of high-tempered, short-track racing.
BEST FLOP: Indy-car champion Dario Franchitti's move to the Sprint Cup Series that lasted only 10 races and resulted in the closure of the team and layoffs of hundreds of employees at Chip Ganassi Racing.
BEST DECISION: Standard starting times -- 1 p.m. for day races and 7:30 p.m. for night races -- to make it easier to follow the sport in 2010.
BEST QUOTE: "I hit so hard my television changed channels back home." -- Mike Dillon after crashing in a 2001 Nationwide Series race at Bristol.
-- Don Coble, Morris News Service
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
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