Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) 

Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash at Daytona International Speedway 
while driving in the 2001 Daytona 500. He has been inducted into
numerous halls of fame, including the inaugural class of the NASCAR
Hall of Fame. 

      Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001)

Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was involved in a fatal car accident during the last
lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on
February 18, 2001. The checkered flag dropped after the accident
and Michael Waltrip won the race, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finishing
in second place.

Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded by race car driver Louis
Chevrolet and businessman William C. Durant in Detroit. The company 
was later acquired by General Motors in 1918.

  
Louis Chevrolet                             William C. Durant

The very first Chevrolet, the Classic 6, was unveiled on the 3rd 
of November, 1911.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

 
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two races with a 
concussion, ending the championship chances of NASCAR’s most popular
driver who turned 38 yesterday, Oct. 10.

Hendrick Motorsports said Thursday that Earnhardt will sit out Charlotte and
Kansas, and Regan Smith (below) will replace him in the No. 88 Chevrolet.

Earnhardt was diagnosed Wednesday in Charlotte, the team said. Earnhardt,
team owner Rick Hendrick and crew chief Steve Letarte were scheduled to
discuss his injury Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt was injured in a 25-car last-lap accident Sunday, Oct. 7,  at Talladega. Because he was able to drive his car away from the accident — teammate Jimmie Johnson even caught a lift on the window back to the garage — Earnhardt was
not required to go to the care center for an examination at the time.

Immediately after the race, he called restrictor-plate racing "bloodthirsty" and said
he no longer had any desire to compete at Daytona and Talladega.

Sunday’s wreck was at least the second hard hit Earnhardt has had this season. He struck the wall extremely hard during an Aug. 29 Goodyear test at Kansas when his
right front tire failed.

Regan Smith

James Dean in his Porsche 550 Spyder,

Actor James Dean made a public information film for TV, during the filming
of the movie “Giant”, urging teenagers to drive safely. At the end of the
month he would be killed in a high speed car crash with his Porsche.