NFJJ: Dale Earnhardt’s 1997 Health Scare

On the first lap of the 1997 Southern 500, Dale Earnhardt clipped the wall in turn 1 and rode it until the exit of turn 2. After sustaining damage, Earnhardt attempted to make it to pit road, but appeared to completely miss it. Once he finally made it to pit road, a chaotic scene emerged as the no. 3 crew desperately tried to get Dale out of the car. After successfully extracting Earnhardt, his crew carried him to the medical center.

In the following days, Dale was medically cleared to race, but other drivers were concerned about him even being in the car. In this video, we take a deep dive into this accident and find out what really happened to Dale Earnhardt in the 1997 Southern 500.

• Take a deep dive into one of the weirdest and mysterious moments in NASCAR history
• Explore the likely explanations of what happened to Dale
• Hear Dale’s and other drivers’ thoughts on the controversial clearance of Earnhardt to race

Watch the latest video from NFJJ on this lesser-known history of the Intimidator now.