“Life looks pretty good from here, doesn’t it?”
He was an all-American tough guy, like John Wayne wearing a racing helmet. Some people would say he had an aura. There was something about the way he walked and the way he wore his sunglasses. They called him “The Intimidator.” The sun was setting behind him. The sky was painted in those same ol’ magnificent colors. It’s funny when I think about it – at the time I interviewed him, I didn’t notice the fiery beauty of that sunset. It was only twenty-four hours later, when I sat stupid from shock, my mouth half-open, that I realized how meaningful Dale Earnhardt’s words had been.
His life did look pretty good: he was the star of NASCAR, and he was loved. Some said he was the fastest man alive, somehow invincible. But on February 18, 2001, his invincibility ran out. Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR’s seemingly invincible superman, proved that human life is terrifyingly fragile.
His tragic end was met with disbelief and shock. Moments earlier, Earnhardt was full of life, speeding down the race track. Everyone was cheering with excitement, gripping the edges of their seats. It was the very end of the race. Darrell Waltrip was doing his first broadcast for FOX, while brother Michael was headed straight to the finish line. Darrell was naturally excited and bursting at the seams. Meanwhile, Earnhardt, who owned Michael’s race car, was blocking other cars to help him win the race. Earnhardt wanted to be sure that his team would win. When Waltrip passed the finish line, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., the excitement had hit a climax. There had been a spectacular crash, a win, and a great competitive finish. It was a euphoric moment.
Yet that crash was no ordinary crash. The audience, still reeling from excitement, saw a victory turn into a tragic loss within seconds. A driver ran up to the car to check on Earnhardt. He turned away quickly.
We had all seen crashes before, often serious ones, and yet the driver would walk away unharmed. Drivers defy death. That is what we love about the sport. And if anyone could survive a crash, it was The Intimidator.
We tried to radio in as people approached the car. We watched; we zoomed in with our cameras. We waited to see a moving arm, a leg, a body jumping out of the car. There was nothing. Had there been a concussion? No one spoke. The medical professionals came out. For once our broadcast team didn’t know what to say. We didn’t know any more than the fans. The broadcast was ended and he was taken to a hospital.
Meanwhile, I was trying to prepare for the post-race show. How could I possibly prepare? What could I say? FOX went to the hospital and got the official word from NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt was dead. We waited for word from NASCAR and then had to come back on the air.
Nobody knew how to react. We were stunned. It was too painful to cry. Our mouths just hung open and no sound came out – a silent scream. We went from great excitement to this. More information was constantly coming in. I had just interviewed him that week. I had met several people who worked on his crew, and I thought of the people who grew up with him, his family. The cameras came on and I sat stiffly in front of them. Then our broadcasting crew delivered the sad report, on a day that was so exciting and joyful just a few hours earlier.
In response to Earnhardt’s death, today NASCAR has built safety force fields around their drivers using technology. His death inspired a wave of technological advancements and new regulations in the sport to keep drivers safe and put NASCAR solidly in the twenty-first century. Everything from new safety restraint devices to new advancements in engine technology – even the way we broadcast – has changed. There have been many life-threatening crashes since Earnhardt’s death from which drivers have been able to walk away. Even in death, he left an impact on the sport. Dale is still keeping the sport alive.
If that accident happened today instead of over a decade ago, it may have happened differently. People would have demanded more information and more information would have been available faster. There would have been cameras in the car and recorded radio transmissions between Earnhardt and the crew chief. “Was there something wrong with the car?” people would wonder, listening to the radio conversations. We live in an information age, and when there’s a tragedy, we want that information. Even then, there were journalists who were at our doors to get access to more information. They wanted photos of the car and medical reports. At the time, that was all kept very private, maybe according to the family’s wishes or for the sake of good taste.
New helmet regulations are just one example of NASCAR bringing its safety regulations up to speed. The advancements are numerous and growing. Now there’s the HANS device that carefully cushions the driver’s head and neck from impact. The windows in NASCAR cars have been changed to polycarbonate – a material originally used in fighter planes – to prevent shattering. All drivers wear fireproof uniforms, another important safety measure.
Even the way the seating is placed in the car has changed. Now, if a driver hits a wall from particular angles, he remains protected; the driver’s seat has been moved toward the center of the car and further back to reduce impact on the driver if the car is hit from the front or the side. Since 1988 restrictor plates have been used at Daytona and Talladega. Plates are installed in the race car’s engines to cut back on the amount of air traveling from the carburetor to the engine thus restricting the horsepower the engine can produce and decreasing the speed of the vehicles. Marshalls and safety teams exercise more caution; they’re more alert and are watching for danger.
Safety has become a priority for NASCAR, and the technological advancements in the sport have made the act of driving safer. NASCAR has a lot to offer in technological advancement, not only for its fans and drivers, but for the country. Perhaps if these innovations were used off the race track, they could make for safer cars on our highways as well.
Advancement hasn’t only come in the form of newer and more effective safety technology. In fact, the worry that many people have now is that there has been too much advancement in technology. The sport is becoming so advanced that NASCAR has to work to keep things from going on autopilot. We want drivers to have an influence and an impact. If there are too many high-tech tools and gadgets, it becomes more about the cars and technology a team can afford and less about the driver. There has to be that human element.
NASCAR also wants to keep the races fair. If it becomes too much about technology and who can afford it, then the races lose their human element. Sure, some teams can afford better cars – but NASCAR doesn’t want it to be about who has more money. They’re working hard to balance the sport competitively, allowing teams to compete and win based on more than the technology they have and the car they can afford to engineer. That’s one of the reasons NASCAR uses the restrictor plate. By placing the device in NASCAR engines, they can keep the speeds at Daytona and Talladega down.
Speed isn’t the only thing that NASCAR limits using technology. The engineers and mechanics working for these teams are some of the most creative and talented staff America’s body shops have ever seen. They’re constantly inventing new ways to make cars run faster, smoother, safer, and more efficiently. That’s why NASCAR officials have to keep a close eye on all technological advancements in the sport to make sure that the competition is fair and balanced, and that the human element doesn’t get lost. So NASCAR limits testing. They also regulate what type of fuel can be used in the cars. While this may seem trivial, fuel can make a big difference – especially when teams start using propylene oxide, which is a gel-like substance used in rocket fuel to help send their vehicles blasting to the finish line.
NASCAR is on top of all the latest technology – they have to be. Teams are working around the clock to get that competitive edge. They’re constantly creating new ways to get to the finish line faster, like tinkering with aerodynamics: the way in which air flows around the car. Getting good aerodynamics is essential for a winning race car. By creating a vehicle that is smooth and streamline, engineers and mechanics are able to avoid the friction that occurs when air flow is disturbed – something as small as a candy wrapper can slow a car down by disturbing the air around it. When a car isn’t streamline, air doesn’t flow past it easily and it moves slower. These cars must be fine-tuned.
Nothing can get in the way of NASCAR’s fastest automobiles, not even air. Sometimes, though, cars become too aerodynamic. In 1994, roof flaps had to be placed on cars to help prevent them from becoming airborne. Technology and expert engineering have made these cars go so fast that now we’re just trying to keep them on the ground. In 2012, NASCAR went to fuel-injected engines, for a variety of reasons. First, they’re more like the engines in the cars you and I drive, which is one of NASCAR’s key attractions. (Okay, we don’t have one seat and a roll bar in our cars, but you get the point.) Yes, it was easier for NASCAR crew members to work on vehicles with carburetors, and the traditionalists no doubt squawked when NASCAR mandated the change. But the new fuel-injected engines are more efficient, and efficiency is crucial in NASCAR.
In 2013, NASCAR car manufacturers are bringing their car models back to their roots. The new NASCAR vehicles that will be unveiled over the next year will look similar to the cars that fans can view and purchase off car dealership showroom floors. Each of the car makers that compete in NASCAR will now be distinguishable from each other, and this is one step closer to allowing auto manufacturer branding. This is something important for the re-engagement of fans and for continued fan loyalty – to see cars that resemble the ones they themselves could drive, have in their garages, or buy will create natural support for the fans of NASCAR.
The track design also affects the car’s aerodynamics and how engineers approach the build of the vehicle. If a team is racing at Tennessee’s popular Bristol Motor Speedway, they’re going to have to prepare themselves for a short track and hard concrete. In Daytona or Talladega, the tracks are bigger and getting around them quickly is everything. In those situations, teams need good aerodynamics so they can move more quickly – every second counts. When teams prepare their cars, they design them with specific race tracks in mind.
Technology has taken the sport to the point where preparation, research, and good engineering are essential for a driver to be successful. It cuts time. Technology is used to get things done faster, just as it is in everyday America – we drink our coffee from the automatic espresso machine, make breakfast in two minutes in the microwave, multi-task by using an electric toothbrush while we dry our hair, and drive too fast to get to work on time. As a culture, we like to move fast, and technology saves valuable time.
That’s why America is one of the most technologically advanced societies in the world. And that’s why NASCAR is constantly advancing – we want to do things faster, and we’re always trying to move ahead. We’re racing into the future. The technology displayed in NASCAR is cutting-edge. That’s what many fans love about NASCAR: the speed and the technology. They love learning about engineering innovations. That’s what the gearhead is: a NASCAR fan with mechanical know-how and a passion for cars.
My brothers were the gearheads of the family. They knew cars and engines. They were mechanically minded and kept track of up-and-coming automotive technology. I wasn’t a car guy in the same sense, and I’m still not. I know how to turn it off and turn it on. Yet, there are a lot of fans that live for this. For them, NASCAR offers a delectable smorgasbord of things to look at. These are people who take their lawnmowers and motorcycles and pull apart the engines – just for fun. They know the names of all the different parts, and they can tell you what they do and why they’re important. They look at how things are fixed during the race and how teams make adjustments. They’re like crew chiefs watching a race.
That’s what separates NASCAR from all other sports. There’s this technological element in it – it’s where science and sportsmanship meet. It’s America’s most technologically advanced and scientific sport. Technology has a lot to do with the final result, and that’s what fascinates gearheads.
However, the sport isn’t just for the mechanically minded. Even people who just like speed and competition or fans who enjoy the human element of the race can appreciate the skill it takes for a driver to win. They can enjoy the ambience that the races offer, the spectacle, the sounds of engines purring, and the people around them. Every fan is a part of the sport. Our broadcasting team has made sure that all fans have an opportunity to learn what’s going on and enjoy the races – even if they have no idea what’s under the hood of their car.
Our broadcasting coverage of the sport has really helped NASCAR grow. Our approach keeps it simple: we ask the questions with everyone in mind. If our fans know about the engines and the cars, they won’t find themselves bored or alienated, but at the same time we try to keep our fans well-informed. We use diagrams and real-life vehicles to explain what’s going on and what technology is being used in the race. On top of that, we have a crew chief and driver on our team to give us the inside scoop.
Between Jeff Hammond, Larry McReynolds, and me, we make sure that NASCAR fans know what’s going on. Our team will physically go in and show the engine, point out the parts, and explain what they are. We keep the less-knowledgeable fan on top of what’s going on, yet manage to keep everyone entertained and engaged. Even people who know a lot often want more information, and this is where they get it. Fans want to learn. We’ve been working at this for twelve years, and by now we’ve become a part of the race.
To take one example: fans listening in on a crew chief and driver talking might hear the driver say the car is “pushing” or “loose.” We have to translate. We’ll explain that pushing is when the car is tight and isn’t moving smoothly, and that loose is when the car slides too much and the driver feels he has less control over the vehicle. On the race track, the computers aren’t there to diagnose the problem. The driver has to explain vehicle malfunctions to his crew chief. Sometimes the problem is difficult to communicate. It’s like a doctor and a patient: the crew chief listens as the driver describes the symptoms. Then the crew chief prescribes a solution.
Meanwhile, the fans try to figure out what’s up and why the driver is headed to pit road. We explain what’s going on so that fans will understand. Then the fan knows why the team had to go in for a pit stop to adjust the car. Sometimes it can get complicated. We know a big portion of our fans aren’t gearheads, so we try to make our explanations simple. That way fans don’t have to be engineers or know about the latest technology to enjoy NASCAR. As a result, we’ve drawn a lot of fans to the sport.
We’ve gotten a good deal of positive feedback from fans about our broadcast’s display of technology. We have loyal viewers, not only because they like what we’re doing, but because they like us. Being a good broadcaster and attracting fans is all about having a personality that will draw them in. You’re sitting in their living room and talking for hours on end – if they don’t like you, you don’t have a show. We have Darrell Waltrip, the former driver, who is NASCAR’s Terry Bradshaw. We have Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds. In addition, our team employs a great staff of pit-crew reporters. We’ve been successful because our staff is deeply involved in the sport, well-informed, and also because we like to have fun with each other. We each know how to play our roles well. Fans are going to get their questions asked and answered in a fun way. They’re going to enjoy watching, and that’s what NASCAR is all about.
Whether they’re into the details of it or not, fans love the technology. It’s just plain fun. You go to a race and you hear the sounds of the engines roaring and you get that feeling. The audio transmissions come buzzing on, and we get fans listening in on the driver’s conversations with the crew chief, as if they’re in the cars with the driver themselves. They may overhear a driver asking for a banana or some chips at the next pit stop. It’s funny to think of Stewart or Earnhardt Jr. munching on chips at 180 miles per hour, but sometimes that’s the way it goes. Fans are right there on the track, in the car – even if they’re at home. They love it. It puts them closer to their drivers.
Few sports translate as well to the screen. Some don’t translate to TV successfully at all. Hockey is a sport I always prefer to see in person; the television broadcast just isn’t the same for me. Football does a good job of being entertaining on the set, but baseball is somehow better in the stadium. With NASCAR, there isn’t a place we can’t put a camera. Whether you’re reclining lazily in your easy chair or gripping the edge of your seat, you’re on the track with the drivers. You’re right there.
That’s why our fans love the way we broadcast. We put the race track in your living room. One of the most popular parts of our broadcast is “Crank It Up”: we broadcasters close our mouths and let the cars do the talking. It’s the natural sound of the track. People at home with surround sound can crank up the volume and experience the races. They can really get the feel of the race. Using every camera angle possible and our carefully placed microphones, we’re able to put our fans everywhere on the track. They see every angle, watch the cars whiz by, and hear them roaring down the track.
NASCAR knows that many of its fans can’t always make it out to the races, and they’ve been very cooperative with FOX in that regard. We’ve seen a good deal of evolution in broadcasting coverage as a result. NASCAR let FOX put cameras onto the tracks so viewers can see the cars rolling, crashing, and crossing the finish line from every perspective. There are cameras inside the cars, so the race can be seen and heard from the viewpoint of the driver. You hear the crash and the sound of the tires screeching. You hear the radio transmissions. That’s the kind of broadcasting technology on which the fans depend. It’s all about getting them as close to the action as possible.
That’s what makes “Crank It Up” so popular. Fans feel like they’re really at the race. Even as a broadcaster, I have to say it’s nice to hear the cars. Our team knows that our fans want to be informed, but they also want to watch the race. We keep our fans informed – we weave in our conversations – but we make sure the fans don’t miss out on the action. On the radio I’d have to describe everything, but with television’s visual and audio clarity, my job as an announcer is simply to enhance things. People need to be able to hear the crew chief talking. Those are the moments that we don’t want to talk over.
Sometimes, if we’re paying attention, we’ll catch a driver and crew chief arguing. The crew chief might say something like, “You should come in for some fresh tires,” to which the driver will stubbornly reply, “No, I want to stay out here.” The crew chief will yell back in frustration, “Well, I’m in charge – get your butt in here, or stay out there and it’s your own neck. You’re on the line,” he’ll say. I don’t want to talk through that. If there’s a moment after the exchange, I’ll give an opinion to enhance the broadcast. But if an announcer talks too much, it can ruin the broadcast. With the broadcasting technology we have today, there’s so much that doesn’t need to be communicated by an announcer. The fan can hear and see a lot of what’s going on independently. As technology advances, fans are able to get closer and closer to the races.
As the races have modernized, so have the broadcasts. If someone were to go back to the first televised version of the sport, they would see something entirely different. There’s a certain charm about those old broadcasts. Yet, they just didn’t have the ability to get their cameras in all the places we do, to get access to the radio conversations between the driver and the crew, and to put their fans as close to the action. Technology has taken NASCAR to the next level, and broadcasting coverage has had to keep up to make sure that fans don’t miss a thing.
As broadcasting technology grows, so does the concern that cameras might catch more than they should. With the in-car cameras, some of the drivers worry about their privacy. An in-car camera is only a few pounds. It’s a small discus – it resembles something you might see on a James Bond film. There’s no way that these little devices are weighing the car down or are any distraction to the driver. Yet some drivers ask that the cameras not be in the car. They just don’t want to be watched all the time, which is understandable. They’re already being watched and filmed by thousands; do we really need one more camera? Imagine being watched while you work, being filmed from every angle. It could get a little nerve-racking. These days, that’s the reality of live sports television. It’s true reality television because it’s unscripted and the viewers are right there. Most drivers are cooperative and consider the multitude of cameras just a part of the job.
Still, the concern for privacy isn’t unfounded. There have been situations when things have been caught on camera that should never be aired. We had a situation with a driver who crashed and suffered a concussion. The camera caught it, but we never aired it. You have to be respectful of the drivers and the fans. With cameras everywhere, they sometimes catch things that should be kept private. It’s a situation that calls for discretion, which is something that our broadcasting team definitely has.
FOX respects NASCAR drivers, their privacy, and their viewers. This is quality entertainment and a family sport; we don’t want to show anything inappropriate. We may catch a car hitting a wall and catching fire, and we might see something we’d rather not see. It’s our broadcasting team that then makes an adjustment. The first broadcast that I covered was the 2001 Daytona 500. One of Dale Earnhardt’s teams was winning and he was running third when his car crashed. We showed the wreck. At that time we didn’t know that it was any different than any other wreck. Another driver ran up to the car, and I saw him quickly run away. We had to carefully edit the shots. We want to make sure we’re not showing anything gory or too extreme. Until we know what’s going on, we have to wait before making an announcement.
At the time of Earnhardt’s death, we didn’t have the same technology as we do today, and there was less information available. We didn’t have the in-car camera in operation. While it would have helped us understand his death better, the in-car camera footage would never have made the air. We edit what we catch on camera before we put it out for the whole world to see.
Yet with the rise in popular communication technology today, it’s hard to stop information from leaking out. There are too many fans able to take photos, record video, and make phone calls for us to be able to stop the flow of information. When Carl Edwards had his spectacular crash in Talladega, people had phones and cameras. They got pictures of the crash the instant that it happened. One of the women who witnessed the crash was in the news within minutes. She was attending her first race. What baffled me as a sports newsman, however, was the fact that the word was out on the Internet minutes after the race ended – without the winner even being announced. With the growth of technology and the fast rate at which we can communicate with each other, it’s hard to keep anything quiet for long.
Technology is great. It makes our cars faster and our broadcasts better. It keeps us in touch with one another. It makes our races safer. But Dale Earnhardt’s death was far from simple – it was a tragedy that changed the face of the sport. In the years since, NASCAR has turned its focus toward harnessing technology in a way that maximizes safety for the drivers while providing an unparalleled level of transparency for the fans. The result is, hopefully, a sport that is safe and technologically advanced while still being human. It can be difficult to retain the human element amid America’s fast-paced, technology-driven society and NASCAR’s mechanically minded culture. But as the sport continues to evolve, it is constantly finding new ways to strike that perfect balance between man and machine.