Just before the running of the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt gave his final televised interview. After a momentary focus on his driving-shoe-clad feet, propped up insouciantly on a chair, the camera panned back to the seven-time NASCAR champion, lounging while wearing his trademark dark sunglasses. When asked whether he could win that day, he responded, with a little grin, “You’ll see something you probably haven’t ever seen.”
Earnhardt turned out to be right. A few hours following that interview, he lost his life in an accident in the final turn of the race’s final lap. It was impossible to know that that television interview would be the driver’s last, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one more in line with his persona: steely, fearless, and a bit devil-may-care. First impressions matter, but as Earnhardt’s legacy proves, so do last ones.
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