As a racer, I loved to hate him. Still, I almost cried when I heard he died. He's such a legend, and he meant so much to NASCAR. He will be missed
His crash wasn't as spectacular as the Tony Stewart crash, but you have to rememer, throwing a car in the air and spinning it takes a lot of energy out of the crash.
Ramming a car at the wall at 180 mph means that every bit of energy is focused on the front of the car.
Regardless, NASCAR rides are still very safe. Much more than any other sort of race car, and much more than a street car.
After the big reck, Gordon warned that this is the kind of things that happen in restrictor plate races. DE was the biggest opponent of them. Tragically ironic that it's what cost him his life.
RIP, Earnhart.