By Hans Nieborg
Tampa, FL(KNS) - The message was broadcast far and wide throughout Tampa Bay today about an opportunity to pay homage to fallen Nascar driver, Dale Earnhardt, with a candlelight vigil.

The event was held this evening, February 19, 2001 near the Gandy Causeway boat ramp.

Although the affair was scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM, fans began arriving at the Gandy Causeway Beach as soon as they heard the reports of the upcoming gathering from the media. People from all walks of life were on hand to share stories of their experiences and opinions of Dale Earnhardt. Some mourners simply sought out others who, like themselves, were so grief stricken, they just needed a shoulder to cry on. At one spot on the beach, you could see the riders on a Harley motorcycle talking to the driver of a Dodge Viper parked next the them while the Viper's passenger talked to the occupants of a tattered old truck on the other side.

The atmosphere at the beginning of the vigil was somber, as fans and friends alike milled about looking for words to say. Then, a bright red foil balloon with #3 printed on it, was held aloft in the middle of the crowd and released. The crowd cheered and whistled as they recognized the symbolism of watching the balloon rise toward the heavens on a destination to who knows where. More red balloons were tossed aloft and were quickly followed by black ones too. All stood in silence as they rose faster and faster into the sky, with the setting sun and glimmering clouds serving as a fitting, silent backdrop.

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Suddenly, the starting of an engine broke the silence. It revved up a few times and eventually settled down to an idle. Its staccato idling sound was something that a person with an ear for such a thing would find seductive, in a Nascar sort of way. The car turned out to be a yellow and blue Monte Carlo painted similar to one that Dale Earnhardt drove as a champion in his earlier days, and was positioned as a centerpiece in the middle of the gathering.

As the sun sank further on the horizon, candles were lit amidst cheers from the crowd, the volume of which increased with each successive lighted candle. Prayers could be heard as total strangers held hands and wept for the loss of one of racing's legendary drivers.

And then, flowers were placed and/or thrown into the Tampa Bay waters to drift with the receding tide. Mini-shrines comprised of collectibles of anything imaginable regarding "Big E" could be found lining the beach, carefully placed to show solidarity for Dale. Several vehicles, painted with logos, symbols or even outright copies of the racecars themselves were practically everywhere. Several fans decided to hold back from the center of the throng and quietly watch, emotions playing across their faces as they struggled with thoughts they were afraid to share. This was a time for hurting and healing, a time to reminisce of races gone by. And talk of ones to come.

It's a sight to watch the racing community band together in a time of such emotional need. There is no society quite like the one that could be seen at Gandy Causeway tonight. All measures of prejudice, value, and caste were thrown aside as hands were joined to remember a fallen hero, a man who helped to raise his chosen sport to a level beyond the stigma of "For Rednecks Only."

Within a short 49 years, Dale Earnhardt rose from a simple factory worker in his youth, to Nascar racing's greatest superhero. And we have learned much from this Master Instructor of the asphalt jungle. The lessons supplied by Earnhardt were hard and strong, yet lasting and full of purpose. These lessons were delivered without reproach as he dealt evenly with all that dared to press him. He often spoke out about restrictor plates in Nascar, saying that a freight train of racecars wasn't real racing. It was said that he had tons to say about the changes Nascar made to the Winston Cup cars in an effort to bunch the cars and make for more exciting racing. He was even quoted as stating the same over the radio to his spotter and Richard Childress immediately after Tony Stewart's spectacular wreck.

Now the racing community is left to reflect upon the legacy he left behind, realizing that when a terse, normally quiet Dale Earnhardt found it necessary to speak up, it just might be worth listening to what he had to say.

Hans Nieborg

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