NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed on February 18, 2001, a shocking crash in the last lap of the Daytona 500. The 49-year old had a winning career driving stock cars, and gained his largest following of fans in his NASCAR years, winning seven Winston cup championships.
Outside Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona USA motorsports attraction is a nine ft. tall statue of Dale. He stands on a large Number 3 (his car's designation) in a pose taken from a photo of his 1998 victory at the Daytona 500 (the only time that he won that race). He's holding his winner's trophy, which reportedly was the thing that he treasured most.
The 1,200lb. statue, cast in silicon bronze with a patina finish by sculptor John Lajba, was unveiled in 2002, one year after Earnhardt's death.
