10 shocking moments in sport

#5 Dale Earnheardt Sr.\'s death on NASCAR track

Dale Earnheardt Sr. was the most successful stock car driver before his life was cruelly snatched away on the race track in 2001.

Being at the precipice of death is part of the thrill that the spectators vicariously derive from watching auto-sports. However, when this looming threat becomes a very real phenomenon and steals the life of an athlete, the tragedy is simply too huge to assimilate.

Dale Earnheardt Sr.'s death on the final lap of Daytona 500 in 2001 was one such incident. That he was the most successful stock car driver ever only adds to the grief that the many fans must have experienced at his death.

Earnheardt Sr. was cruising at a speed of over 180 mph, trailing behind the race leaders, when Sterling Malin's car bumped his from behind. Earnheardt Sr.'s car collided with Ken Scharder's vehicle before slamming the wall that left his car practically destroyed and him unconscious. Earnheardt Sr. died a few hours later. The cruel irony of the tale is that his son, Earnheardt Jr. finished the race second.