Dale Earnhardt was killed 25 years ago in a crash at the Daytona 500. The 49-year-old racer was competing for position when he slammed into the wall on the final lap of the race. He had to be cut from his car and taken to Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries. The death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt won the Associated Press Sports Story of the Year for 2001. The 10-year anniversary of Earnhardt's fatal accident will be celebrated on Friday, February 18, 2011, just two days before the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR's version of the Super Bowl.