It's been nearly 10 years since Dale Earnhardt died in the last lap of the Daytona 500, but racing fans will never forget the beloved driver of the #3 car. With NASCAR season opening this weekend and drivers and fans gearing up for another Daytona 500, many can't help but remember the man known as The Intimidator.

Michael Waltrip, the driver who won the Daytona 500 on that fateful day, perhaps feels the loss of Earnhardt more than most. The now 47-year-old driver recently released a memoir about the terrible day Earnhardt died on the track and the crushing sorrow and guilt he struggled to overcome.

“Such an unbelievable win -- and seconds later, an unimaginable loss. That contradiction had me stumbling through a life I didn't want to be living, constantly reminded of a day I wanted desperately to forget," Waltrip wrote in In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything, out February 1.

Waltrip recently sat down with Jonathan Welsh of The Wall Street Journal to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of his mentor's death and how Earnhardt's passing changed his life. Here are a few excerpts from the interview.

The Wall Street Journal: Can you believe it's been 10 years since Dale Earnhardt's death?

Waltrip: It's crazy the way time passes. It lives with me every day. For the general public it's like, "Wow, I can't believe it's been 10 years." But for me it was 10 years ago, and I've lived every day with that.

WSJ: Does it hurt when people ask you about the race?

Waltrip: It hurts when people say Dale died blocking for Michael or for Michael and Junior. He knew every circumstance and situation on that track. If you know anything about racing, the race was over in that last lap. Junior and I had won the race. He was three wide, and so Dale had one of two thoughts in his mind. One was, "It's going to be one-two, and I'm going to get this third spot." Or, "If I can get in front of Sterling [Marlin], I just might get there myself." Sterling had a fast car. With Sterling getting on his bumper, he could have given him the push to run to the front.

WSJ: So which one is it?

Waltrip: I want to believe he thought he could beat us. Secondly, I know he knew we won. That's the last thing on earth he knew, watching those two cars driving off. I know he had to be happy. It helps me sleep better at night.

WSJ: Why write a book about it?

Waltrip: I knew everyone would ask me what it's like coming up on the 10th anniversary. I also thought it might help other people know Dale better. What I've found out is it's good for me to write about it and talk about it.

WSJ: Is it difficult to be connected to such a dark day in the sport's history?

Waltrip: We were a quarter of a mile from maybe the greatest Daytona 500 ever, with all the action and the three-wide racing. Instead it was the worst 500 we ever had, and it happened that quickly. And there I stood not having a clue what laid a quarter mile from me at first. I don't think human beings are designed to deal with that sort of swing in emotions. I know I didn't do a very good job of handling it. I spent a lot of time not talking.

WSJ: Is there any sort of lesson?

Waltrip: It's simple. Don't take anything for granted. Don't assume that everything is like it appears.

Be sure to read the full Waltrip interview in The Wall Street Journal.

Tags: nascar, dale earnhardt, michael waltrip, daytona 500, in the blink of an eye
Categories: Sports