A close up of Dale Earnhardt Sr. as he looks on during the NAPA Auto Parts 500, in Fontana, CA
Photo – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Officially, it’s been 15 years since we unexpectedly lost ‘The Intimidator,’ Dale Earnhardt. A lot has happened during those 15 years to improve safety for race car drivers. Of course we all know that Earnhardt’s untimely death is the reason safety is at an all time high. Earnhardt definitely missed out on all the technology that has helped safety evolve. But safety isn’t the only innovation he has missed out on. Earnhardt has missed all the other changes happening on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit the last 15 years.

I’ve often wondered about how Earnhardt may have affected NASCAR over the last 15 years had he survived in 2001. So, looking back at Earnhardt’s career, I’ll explore some possibilities of his alternate reality.

After finishing second in points in 2000 behind Bobby Labonte, Earnhardt had a shot of challenging Jeff Gordon the following year, when Gordon won his last Sprint Cup Championship in 2001. The Earnhardt-Gordon rivalry is well documented and with Gordon retiring after the 2015 season, I would have loved seeing how the last 15 years would have played out for two of NASCAR’s legendary drivers.

Twice in 1995 and 2000 Earnhardt missed his chance of breaking Richard Petty’s record to win eight Sprint Cup titles. Had he won a title either year, Earnhardt would have nine championships to his credit. I wonder if Earnhardt would then be the next king along with Richard Petty? At the very least, it would have sparked a huge debate.

How would Earnhardt have fared against the next generation of drivers like Kyle Busch or Greg Biffle? The veterans left after his death were Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Even Jeff Burton was still racing with the next generation as those like Mark Martin and Terry Labonte began to settle down. Can you imagine witnessing the farewell tour of Dale Earnhardt?

Next generation drivers Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson began taking over the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit winning championships. This is when Hendrick Motorsports became the strongest team in NASCAR for a decade.

Watching Earnhardt race against and challenge the next generation may have kept some fans engaged in the sport. Would Earnhardt have been a fan of the Chase? How would he have competed with the likes of Johnson and other upcoming drivers during the Chase era?  Richard Childress Racing has not won a Sprint Cup title since 1994 – with Earnhardt.

In 2006, his teammates would have been Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer at RCR. Bowyer came close to beating Johnson in 2007 for the Sprint Cup title. By this time, Johnson had started his five-year reign as champion, who knows, perhaps Earnhardt and Burton may have continued to run strong at RCR.

Here’s another mind-boggling thought. Earnhardt at RCR may have prevented or delayed the arrival of Kevin Harvick. Harvick may have replaced Earnhardt eventually, and he may have been Harvick’s mentor. Would Harvick take heed on what Earnhardt had to teach him? Could he have become champion earlier and not later?

The No. 3 would have likely stayed on the car with Harvick, and no doubt he would have been proud to carry on the No. 3 tradition with his own style and personality. Of course others thought Harvick could become the next Intimidator. Harvick did go on to win his first title, but look at how long it took him to win that championship.

What’s the most important part of this alternate NASCAR reality? Earnhardt having more chances to race against his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. I’m sure that all NASCAR fans would agree that competing with flesh and blood was more important than just winning races and championships for both Earnhardt drivers.

Junior had just started his rookie year at Daytona in 2000. It’s possible that racing against each other would fuel more competition between them and possibly helped both contend for championships for maybe five or six more years.

It’s no secret that NASCAR went through dramatic changes since Earnhardt’s death, and safety was just a small part of their evolution. NASCAR was on the verge of falling behind and had to make changes to survive competition from other sports in the 21st century. Let’s face it NASCAR and all sports are in competition for every fan’s attention. Earnhardt as a fan-favorite could have become an ambassador helping NASCAR grow their fan base. I’m sure he would have had a positive impact in making the Chase great.

As far as the new NASCAR and Team Owner charter system, we can only wonder.

On this 15th anniversary, I’m sure many Earnhardt fans are asking…What if?