Like me, I imagine hundreds of thousands, millions of race fans just finished watching the television premier of Dale The Movie, on CMT. I’m also quite sure that a fair share of those millions watching (including myself), either fought back tears, or they chose to freely let them flow.
Featuring archival race footage, outtakes, home videos and interviews with Dale Earnhardt’s friends, family, and competitors, the film does an incredible job of capturing the life and times of the man known to the racing world as “The Intimidator.”
Whether you were a fan of the man behind the wheel of the black No. 3 or not, you owe it to yourself to catch this movie. CMT will air “Dale” again Wednesday and Thursday night at 8 p.m. EDT. Of all the books, tributes, movies, highlight reels, etc., produced following Earnhardt’s death at Daytona in 2001, this film stands high above them all.
Dale Earnhardt transcended the sport. He was, and still is, a legend. And just like he did on many race tracks, Dale Earnhardt made his mark on Bristol Motor Speedway. From his first career Cup series win, which came at Bristol in 1979, to his final Bristol win some 20 years later in the 1999 August night race, seeing Dale run at Bristol was something special.
But then again, seeing Dale race anywhere was something special. That man could wheel a race car — but as you saw, or will see in the movie, he was so much more than just a race car driver.
If you haven’t seen this movie, see it. For more on Dale The Movie, check out Marty Smith’s editorial written following the theatre premier earlier this year for ESPN.com. Marty sums up the film well and aptly states, “This movie is worthy of the man. He would be pleased. You will be, too — race fan or not.”
