“This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I’ve ever personally had to make. But after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500, we’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.” Mike Helton
Those are the inevitable words that came after the 2001 Daytona 500 shocking the world.
While Michael Waltrip went to victory lane that fateful day for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, Dale Sr. him self would be involved in a last lap, turn four incident that claimed the life of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Blink of an Eye recounts the day through the eyes of Michael Waltrip who would celebrate with his team and the win at Daytona mindful of what had occurred before the news broke on the passing of Dale Sr.
Waltrip came into the event with a 462-race losing streak which would be broken that day. The win would also be the first of his two Daytona 500 victories.
Filmmaker Paul Taublieb using work from Waltrip’s book “In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything” along with archive footage from the day of the incident weaved together the triumph of a team who would win yet experience pain in the passing of Dale Sr. who owned the team.
Through the film fans are given an insider perspective in which Waltrip would live out his career in the shadows of older brother Darrell Waltrip, the lead announcer that day calling Michael home to his victory at Daytona. Michael himself would later go on to join Fox Sports and his brother on the network covering the sport from the TV side.
Fans can catch the film in theaters for a one-day special showing on Sept. 12. To see the theater nearest you for the special showing fans can check out Fathom Events website at https://www.fathomevents.com/events/blink-of-an-eye?date=2019-09-12.
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