Tuesday marks 19 years since the tragic death of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who died in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

Earnhardt won a total of 76 Winston Cup races over the course of his career, including the 1998 Daytona 500; these titles making him one of most highly regarded in the sport.

Earnhardt's death resulted in the many safety improvements put in to place by NASCAR; from head gear to seat belts. The organization now says that no Cup driver has died during competition since that Sunday afternoon in 2001.


Denny Hamlin won this year's Daytona 500 for the third time in what became the second-closest finish in race history.

More From KUSJ-FM