Teresa Earnhardt poignant in statue dedication

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In announcing the unveiling of her late husband’s statue at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Teresa Earnhardt was gracious and poignant in describing the man so many fans loved.

			Credit: Action Sports

The statue, a 9-foot-tall, 1,200-pound likeness of the Man in Black that now stands tall in front of the track that claimed his life one year ago, is the first of its kind in NASCAR. It was developed by John Lajba, of Omaha, Neb., and took eight months to design and construct.

Along with Bill France, Jr., Mike Helton and the rest of the NASCAR executives, Teresa, Dale Jr. and Kerry were all on hand to view the unveiling in the pouring Daytona rain. It was a priceless family moment, indeed.

“I'm very pleased to say thank you today to Daytona Speedway and the France family,” Teresa Earnhardt said, in front of a packed house at NASCAR media day just after the drawing for the Budweiser Shootout.

“Dale Earnhardt's legendary persona inspired people who had never even met him, which is evident in John Lajba's work that we're about to see. People looked up to Dale probably because he stood up strong for his beliefs and values.”

And there was no more glaring example of Earnhardt’s devotion to his profession and his fans than the story of the penny -- a good luck charm given him by a nine-year-old girl he met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Clutching that penny, he took the checkered flag in the 1998 Daytona 500 for the first time in 20 tries.

A replica of that fabled penny now rests on the wall behind the statue, alongside Earnhardt’s bronzed racing gloves.

			Credit: Action Sports

“On the day that this statue celebrates, Dale took time out of all the necessary business at hand -- quite a lot, given it was Speedweeks at Daytona,” Teresa Earnhardt said. “He took time out of all the necessary business for one penny. And look at what he wound up with that day: The Daytona 500 victory.

“What he really took time out for was to care about someone's feelings whom he had never met -- the little girl with the penny. I hope that everyone who looks up at this statue is reminded that victory comes in more ways than one and that this Dale continues to inspire people to believe in themselves and remember that you get what you give.”

Earnhardt gave all to NASCAR. This statue will forever be a reminder of that.