I was asleep late Sunday afternoon when I awoke to the news, “the Intimidator” had been in a crash at Daytona. First I thought I was dreaming, but the surreal turned out to be true. Dale Earnhardt Sr., the most dominant driver in NASCAR over the past two decades, had crashed into the wall on the final lap of the Daytona 500 and was killed instantly. A legend’s life was taken by the very sport that made him famous.

Normally I don’t follow racing, but everyone who ventures into an auto parts store or a supermarket knows Dale Earnhardt. Racing fans have the legend’s No. 3 pasted to their car windows to show support for their hero. Hats, T-shirts, jackets, posters, even toys are sold to race fans around the country who follow the sport like Columbus follows the Buckeyes.

It seemed as if Earnhardt was indestructible, he was untouchable, it could never happen to “the Intimidator”, but it did.

Regardless, if it’s Earnhardt, the president or a bum on the street, I guess that when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go. This is a horrible tragedy, but it is a fact that race car drivers die.

These drivers are some of the most famous sports figures in the nation. They make millions of dollars, and thousands of fans flock to each race. Commercials, billboards and cereal boxes are plastered with cars and the drivers. Yet the glory and fame come with a catch; at any time if something goes wrong at 200 mph, a driver might not survive.

My heart goes out to his family, especially Dale Jr., who incidentally just announced that he will race this weekend. I also feel for the fans. They cheered for their hero and admired his every move. For some reason though, I don’t think that Earnhardt Sr. would want people to feel sorry for him. He knew the risks, accepted them, and drove to win. He never held back out of fear for his personal safety. His aggressive style of bumping and bullying made him a champion and earned him the respect of the racing world.

Three other drivers died in a race-related crash last year alone. At any given race it can happen to any given driver. This time it just happened to be one of the best.

The point is that as sports fans, we constantly complain about the big dollars and large contracts that professional athletes and sports figures receive. Yet, we seem to forget that in every race, game or competition they risk serious or even fatal injuries to compete and win.

Some say that you would have to be crazy to race inches apart at 200 mph, but NASCAR, CART and Formula One drivers do it week in and week out.

Competitors make insane amounts of money, but they also take insane risks. For that, they should have nothing but our utmost respect.

Chris McMillen is a senior in journalism from Mansfield, Ohio. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].