Earnhardt News
2001 Season

Earnhardt considered driving force in the creation of Brickyard 400
Speedway Chairman announces upbeat tribute
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LEBANON, Tenn. (July 23, 2001)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman Tony George considers seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt the driving force in the creation of the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But George said Friday at Nashville Superspeedway that his track will not over-emphasize the popular driver's death with tributes at next month's race.

With Teresa Earnhardt's approval, the Speedway will show a pre-race video of its 1995 Brickyard winner and devote a page to him in the race program. Similar things were done last year in honor of Indianapolis native Kenny Irwin Jr., who also was killed in a stock-car crash.

Earnhardt died Feb. 18 in the season-opening Daytona 500.

"I felt like most of the closure would be when they went back to Daytona (two weeks ago)," George said. "Enough time has passed now, everything has been done (tribute-wise) and people have grieved. It's time to move on."

George said Teresa Earnhardt asked last week that any tribute the Speedway did be "upbeat," which George agreed to.

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