Tennessee Woman Explains How Dale Earnhardt’s Death Caused Her Parents Divorce: “My Father Didn’t Know How To Process His Grief”

Honestly, this is one of the more valid reasons I’ve heard for a couple getting divorced.

The world lost the greatest to ever do it when Dale Earnhardt passed away 24 years ago, and NASCAR hasn’t been the same since. I think anyone who was a fan back then would pretty much agree with that, though his legacy obviously lives on and he remains a pop culture legend and the GOAT race car driver known around the world.

It’s pretty amazing what his legacy is considering he was just a small town boy from Kannapolis, North Carolina who had big dreams to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he died doing what he loved which is poetic in some dark and twisted way,  I think.

Tragically, Dale Sr. was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 after hitting the wall and suffering a basilar skull fracture. The Intimidator managed to win an incredible 34 races at Daytona during his NASCAR career, including the 1998 Daytona 500. He was so good at these big tracks that it was always said that he could “see the air” moving around the cars, knowing exactly where to go to get the best aerodynamic advantage and move (or stay) up front.

It was a shocking day, though, something no one was obviously anticipating or prepared for, and it sent people across the United States, particularly in the South, into mourning. I mean, people took it extremely personally, and he really was a beloved figure that people identified on a very deep level.

So when I scrolled past the following video on TikTok, where a girl said that tragic day was the “cause of divorce” with her parents marriage, I had to laugh a little bit, because I’m sure it’s really not hyperbole and probably did contribute greatly.

Tennessee resident, Maeghan, described how her father completely withdrew and became reclusive in the weeks and moths follow Dale Sr.’s death, and her mom eventually kicked him out of the house because she was tired of it. He moved in with his mom, and her parents never got back together, ultimately deciding to divorce:

“‘Oh, did you know the lead caused of divorce is…’ Eh, gonna stop you right there. The leading cause of divorce in my parents marriage was the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. at the Daytona 500 in 2001. That man died and my father did not know how to process his grief. That was his hero. That was his main man. That was his person, you know?

So he died, and so therefore, my father became reclusive, and withdrawn, and really sad. So my mom had enough of it a few months later and kicked him out of the house. And so then my father moved in with my grandmother, and they never got back together. And they ended up getting divorced. So the leading divorce in my family’s household was NASCAR.”

It’s like a something out of Southern Shakespeare novel… why has no one written something like this yet? I feel like we need it…

@mae_tryingherbest♬ Awkward Moments – AstroMusic

And if you haven’t checked out the new Earnhardt documentary, which focuses on the life and legacy of the late, great Dale Earnhardt, you absolutely need to. Featuring interviews from Dale’s friends, family, and obviously his son, Dale Jr., it also features never-before-seen footage of Dale during his racing career from both his personal and professional life.

It’s an incredibly interesting, and nuanced, look at Dale Earnhardt the race car driver, the man, the friend and the father, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.  and his sister Kelley played a huge part in the production of the series, in addition to being heavily featured in it, telling stories about their dad and memories that were both good and bad.

Here’s the trailer:

The post Tennessee Woman Explains How Dale Earnhardt’s Death Caused Her Parents Divorce: “My Father Didn’t Know How To Process His Grief” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.