About six months ago, I bought a Canon Canoscann which converts old photos and negatives to digital images. I was waiting for our desk to be done to install it. So desk is done -- yeah! And digital scan is now installed. Joe figured it out and scanned one of my favorite photos, from the negative no less.
It was taken at the Pepsi 400 on July 4, 1993. We had pit passes from a client, and I am known for my ability to get photos (and get autographs). I had this photo enlarged and took it back to the Daytona 500 in 1994 and got it autographed by Dale Earnhardt. It is framed downstairs, and it is one of my prized possessions. I had waited patiently behind pit wall during pre-race activities (for a long time) waiting in the same spot, waiting for that shot, I hoped. Dale Earnhardt noticed me (at least I hoped) and sure enough when he hopped in the car, he looked right at me, in that steely look, with his head barely above the window frame. If you notice the open face helmet, that was something he insisting on wearing. He said he couldn't race the same without the vision. Ultimately, it was that type of helmet and the impact of a head on into the turn 4 wall on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 that ended his life. Now, the drivers are in like cocoons, with wrap around seats and all sorts of protections that this accident led to in terms of innovations. Racin' just hasn't been the same since the day Dale Earnhardt died.
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