As I tell you all of the legend of the #3

It started way back on that small town dirt track

And grew until it could make all the stands packed

He'd race anything with wheels, even if it were pink

And he followed his dad which kind of makes you think

Who knew then that this kid from the small town you see

Would grow up to be the best in history

In '79 he would win his first big race

The very next year he'd finish the season in 1st place

A feat not outdone by any other man

Made it clear that the #3 would be the favorite of the fans

For excellence he pushed, both on & off the track

And the type of driving style to keep the fans coming back

From the high banks of Charlotte to the turns of Sears Point

The #3's racing feats had a way of exciting the joint

From bumping at places like Bristol & Darlington

He'd never lift off the pedal until he or another had won

The master at Talladega in leading the draft

And of course at Daytona where he perfected that craft

They said, why it's as if he can see air

He could do things with a car that would make most people stare

Oh of course now & then he would ruffle a few feathers

When he & another car would beat & bang together

Because what is a hero if not simply a man

But one who is loved or envied by all, to a fan

And through his career the others didn't want to see

In their rear view mirror the black #3

Because he'd give it his best, and that was better than all

He'd race so darn hard even if it meant hitting the wall

Seven championships later he'd tied the mighty King

But striving for the eighth meant to him everything

76 times he went to victory lane

But for all of us now it just won't be the same

And on that great day, February 15th 1998

He would taste a victory that was most certainly great

All the drivers & fans, reporters & crews

Lined up to congratulate him & I wonder if they knew

That just three short years later in the very same race

A tragedy would occur that would darken the place

For in that great race coming out of the last turn

An impact occurred which caused us all great concern

A tap from behind, but just racin' you see

Meant the man may be gone but not the legend of the #3

He was holding 'em off for his son & his friend

A selfless act that was true of the man till the end

If he couldn't win you know he would like to see

Dale Jr. or Michael claim the victory

And in victory lane they waited for the hug & the grin

For his boys who had gone on & taken the win

And as Michael would cheer, yell, hoot & holler

And wait for his boss, his friend, to come grab his collar

He had no idea that he would never get to see

How happy his win had surely made the #3

And the racing world did mourn & flags flew low

To remember the man who so often stole the show

And NASCAR went on & would hold it's next race

And when the rains came down it reminded us of the place

Where the #3 now resides raining tears from above

For in Heaven where he is witnessing Gods mighty love

First another of his boys, Steve, would claim victory

And salute him & proclaim that it was for the #3

And for three straight events & at three straight places

The caution would fly at lap number three of the races

And then we would come to the Atlanta stop on the tour

Where a young man named Kevin would put the pedal to the floor

And the man who would sit in the car that was the #3

Would take RCR on to taste victory

He would go three wide in a move we had seen

So many times before from the man who had been

Able to make cars do a wonderful dance

But this from young Kevin in just his third chance

And when he would beat the 24 by a trace

You would be hard pressed to find a dry eye in the place

For he had a co-pilot he would tell all you see

And this presence in the car was none other than the #3

He was telling us all it was OK to move on

To face unafraid the morning light of a new dawn

For the sport he had given everything he had

A champion, a winner and a very proud dad

Needed to move forward but not forget you see

Of how the sport flourished & would now miss the #3

And now on Sundays at all of the races

You can see it on all of the fan's faces

The excitement & joy of seeing the speed

A lap of silence to honor the #3 they do need

It will never be the same when the track is without the Three

But we will have to remember & smile & recall history

Of all of the times he would bring us to our feet

By doing something with his car that no one else could beat

And when you remember him, think of him and smile

Like the first time I saw him win at The Monster Mile

For if we keep him in our hearts & his memory alive

We call tell all of our children of the man who could drive

Like no other racer in all of history you see

And never extinguish our memories of the #3

Because thinking of the #3 these three things will truly never fail

We cheered you, we love you, we will always miss you Dale!

He grew up with a racing Dad, and to the tracks they went.

Times were not the best for them, they had bad days & good.

But his favorite times were in the shop, with his Dad, under the hood.

It really came as no surprise though Ralph did not agree,

When Dale left school, to go and race, and follow his own dream.

Then one day, Dale's world was crushed, when he went to help his Dad.

And found him laying by the car, he knew then, he was dead.

But with love of racing in his blood, and a fire from deep within.

Dale set out to make Ralph proud, his only goal, to win.

It seemed his Dad was watching him, and guiding from above.

As he circled home tracks every week, up The Ranks of the sport he loved.

It took some time to get there, but to the top, he went.

Top rookie honors, his first year, the next, he was the champ.

No other driver ever, has duplicated this feat.

It seemed, he was to be the best, to ever grace that seat.

Thru the years, he made it to the top 6 more times after that.

A feat that tied the record set, by a King in a cowboy hat.

Dale also raced in IROC, with others, all the best.

And four times won the championship, he was passing every test.

It took him twenty years, to win NASCAR's Super Bowl.

To prove the critics wrong, when they said, his age was taking it's toll.

Then on February 18, in the year 2001.

They dropped the green flag one more time, the season had begun.

It seemed that this would be Dales year, to take home #8.

And might have occured, had it not been, for the intervention of fate.

In two of his cars, Michael leads, with Jr. close behind.

And then was Dale, running 3rd, protecting them on his mind.

In the last turn, of the last lap, his car went to the wall.

And as we all watched Michael win, Dale answered Heaven's call.

There's really not much more to say, you can't question our maker's plan

But for these reasons, and many more, Dale will always be "THE MAN"