The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. As part of its coverage, The Associated Press is republishing its primary Daytona 500 story from Feb. 18, 2001: ___ By MIKE HARRIS AP Motorsports Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt, the …
