�You can't let one bad moment spoil a bunch of good ones."
"The winner ain't the one with the fastest car its the one who refuses to lose.�
"You win some, lose some, and wreck some.�
�To think anybody could come from as far back in the field as we were and win this race is beyond me. You saw it. I couldn't believe it.�
�Second Place is just the first place loser.�
"�If Elway can win the Super Bowl, then I can win the Daytona 500.�
"You better tie a rag around your ankles so the ants don't climb up there and eat your candy ass."
�If ya weren't supposed to use 'em, they would'nt call'em bumpers.�
�Take the restrictor plate off. If they dont want to go that fast, then don�t race!�
�Anger Management.� - Dale Earnhardt on what it takes to win a race at Bristol
�It ain�t what you have or how much money you have. It�s how happy you are with what you have.�
"It's a kind of a verbal agreement. He tells me what to do, and I do it."
Dale Jr. speaking of the driver/owner relationship and no formal contract with Dale Earnhardt Sr., 1998
We shared a common bond in championships as well as a mutual respect. Our family has raced against his family since this sport began, going back to when my dad and I raced against Ralph Earnhardt."
-Richard Petty
"Dale and Teresa changed my life with a simple phone call, and I will be forever grateful to them both for having that confidence in me."
-Ron Hornaday
"I am saddened by the untimely loss of this American legend and want to express my deepest sympathy to his family, friends and fans. Dale was an American icon who made great contributions to his sport. Dale's legacy will live on for millions of Americans. He was an inspiration to many."
George W. Bush
"Words cannot express the tremendous loss all of us at Richard Childress Racing are feeling at this time. All of our thoughts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with Martha, Teresa, Kerry, Kelley, Dale, Jr. and Taylor Nicole and the entire Earnhardt family.
"Dale Earnhardt was much more than a race car driver. He was a very loving husband and a proud father and grandfather. He was a successful businessman. He was also a hero to millions of racing fans throughout the world.
"Dale was my friend. We hunted and raced together. We laughed and cried together. We were able to work side-by-side and have the success we had for almost 20 years because we were friends first.
"I will miss him always. He was the greatest."
-Richard Childress
"Brooke and I are deeply saddened by this devastating loss. Not only is it a huge loss for this sport, but a huge loss for me personally. Dale taught me so much and became a great friend."
"When I was coming into the sport, I hadn't had a lot of success. Dale was the man ... but there were people booing (Earnhardt) and there were people who were cheering (Earnhardt) as well. I remember him saying, �When you have signs like that, and you hear boos, and you hear cheers, well you're doing something right. You remember that.' And I always did.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Teresa and the entire Earnhardt family."
-Jeff Gordon
�You know, holding that No. 3 flag certainly was by no means saying I am as good or we are as good or even close, but we just wanted to honor Dale in that way. It really means a lot to me. I learned so much from him. To even come close to anything he had ever done in this sport is amazing to me. We just wanted to honor him. We'd been holding on to that flag for a long time. To get 76 wins is just incredible.�
Jeff Gordon, Phoenix 2007
"Patti and I are both having a hard time dealing with this. It's such a tragic loss. We're grieving just like so many people are today with such a loss.
"He and I were about as close of friends as you can get in our sport with the competition and all that goes along with it. We've had some helluva battles out there on the race track through the years, but we've had so many good times off the track.
"I can't help but think about all the fun we've had out on the water with the big boats and all. We've had some helluva good times out on the boats down in the Bahamas. We were both on the boats down in Daytona for all those days. All the ups and downs we've both experienced...that all comes to mind.
"I just keep on running that last lap in my mind and keep saying to myself, 'Man, if I'd just been able to give him a little tap from the rear...that could have meant all the difference in the world.' It's just a helpless feeling I have.
"I have to think that the way it happened and where it happened...he and his old buddy Neil Bonnet are up there doing something fun together right now. It's just such a hard blow to the sport for everybody involved and for me personally.
"Patti and I both want extend our thoughts, prayers and sympathy to Teresa, Taylor Nicole , Dale Jr., Kerry, Kelley and the whole Earnhardt family. Our hearts go out to all of them, to all his many fans and friends all over the world and especially to all the employees at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and at Richard Childress Racing."
-Rusty Wallace
"As millions of race fans mourn the loss of the man they knew as 'The Intimidator,' the sport and the race that he truly loved has taken from me one of my best friends. I know I should feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to race with, tangle with, sometimes outrun, and like most usually finish behind, the greatest driving talent NASCAR racing has ever seen."
"I am thankful for that opportunity but, more importantly, I am most grateful that I had the chance to know Dale Earnhardt in a way that so many people could only dream of. He was a true friend -- someone I could always depend on to give me an honest answer and, at the very least, his opinion. I looked up to him not only because of his driving skills, but because he was so much more to so many people, including me and my family. Kelley and I choose to remember this incredible racer for his caring and giving personality."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Teresa and the kids in this time of mourning. But knowing Dale, he would rather this be a celebration of his amazing accomplishments. This, we will do in his honor. Just know, Dale, that we love you and we all are truly going to miss you. Thanks for making our sport what it is today and for being my friend."
-Dale Jarrett
"Dale Earnhardt made a difference in the world. On the track, he made us all better drivers because he set a standard of excellence we all aspired to achieve. He had a passion and a desire that took the sport of NASCAR to a new level every time he climbed in the car. Off the track he was a kind, giving, loving man who gave his all to his family and friends. He worked tirelessly to make the world a better place for as many people as possible who were less fortunate than he. I did not know him as long as most of the other drivers, but he made a huge impact on my life in the years I have been in NASCAR. I am grateful and blessed to have had the benefit of his wisdom and guidance. My heart and prayers go out to his wife Teresa; his children Dale Jr., Kerry, Kelley and Taylor; and all his family and friends."
-Tony Stewart