NASCAR is far from recovering after Dale Earnhardt‘s untimely death 25 years ago. Among the many documentaries dedicated to him, FOX and NASCAR have released yet another work on Dale Earnhardt. While some appreciate the move and some criticize it, the late legend’s impact on the sport cannot be ignored. In the recent episode of the Happy Hour, Kevin Harvick joined in the fray as he recalled the effects of Dale Earnhardt’s death on NASCAR.

Kevin Harvick recalls his experience on the ill-fated day

When asked about his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death, Harvick couldn’t help but compare the nerves he felt in 2001. He was the driver who would end up stepping into the shoes of Dale Earnhardt the very next week at Richard Childress Racing. Harvick was going to drive the No. 29 Chevy for the team.

“Well, it’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years. And obviously, I have lived that situation, pretty closely getting in the car the next week. And I think back to just the time of that period, when the accident happened to the unknown, we were actually at Mike Dillon’s house, in the kitchen. They called and said, ‘You need to come over.’ And that’s when I knew that something was not right.”

After that, Kevin Harvick was called in to become the next face for Richard Childress Racing. He was to drive in place of a seven-time championship-winning legend, and he was more than nervous to do so.

“You think back to those press conferences, the press conference next week at Rockingham. For me, that was the biggest press conference that I ever did. It was the most people, the most pressure, and the most everything that I ever had to experience.”

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But for Kevin Harvick, what matters most is how NASCAR and its practices evolved from the crash. Dale Earnhardt’s death on the track, due to a crash, was a turning point in the history of the sport. With a massive tragedy, NASCAR was forced to rewrite its entire strategy for driver safety on track.

“Our sport has evolved because of that accident from a safety standpoint. NASCAR immediately started the safety aspect of trying to get ahead of things and trying to keep up with things. Do things in a better way. And we do that all the way up until today.

“They are constantly looking at every wreck, every piece of equipment that the driver has. The racetracks, the soft wall—you think about the impact that one accident had on the safety of the sport, and it’ll never be matched. And NASCAR has done a great job of continuing that right into this moment.”

However, Harvick believes that no matter how long, the sport can never truly recover from the loss they had during the 2001 Daytona 500. For Harvick, it is the ultimate what-if in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series—a sentiment that he believes many others share with him.

“So you are sitting there waiting, trying to understand what’s going on. What’s going to happen with RCR? Who’s going to drive the car? How is the sport going to go on? 25 years later, the sport is still going on, but it’s missing a big piece of what was so important to NASCAR racing with Dale. And he had such a massive influence on anything that happened. The image of who we were and such a strong leader of the sport.”

Dale Earnhardt was more than a racing icon to the sport. He was the face of blue-collar workers. Earnhardt represented hard work and grit. His nickname ‘Intimidator’ was a subtle nod to his tenacity and his dominant behavior on the track.

As such, fans would love to know that one of the relics of his racing career will return for a short period during the Daytona 500 Speedweek.

Bobby Earnhardt set to revive iconic livery from Earnhardt’s career

For fans, the No. 3 RCR piloted by Dale Earnhardt Sr. is best remembered in the all-black colors of his later years in NASCAR. Earnhardt drove the same livery until his tragic death in NASCAR. After his death, RCR decided to retire the livery in his honor. However, for the first time in 25 years, NASCAR fans will get a chance to witness it on the oval once again.

The latest generation of the Earnhardt racing family, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, is going to revive the iconic livery in memory of his grandfather. Bobby Earnhardt is going to drive his Chevy with the same all-black colors as his grandfather once sported.

It is going to be a one-off livery reserved for the Daytona International Speedway. This liver is Bobby Earnhardt’s second attempt at reconnecting with the legacy of his grandfather. He gave the fans a glimpse of yet another beloved paint scheme during the ARCA Menards practice in January.

Back then, he attempted to recreate the colors of the fan-favorite 2001 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona livery, which Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced with Dale Earnhardt Sr.