Earnhardt's death AP's top sports story

All year long at NASCAR races, thousands of fans stood during the third lap and raised three fingers to salute their lost hero.

Winning drivers ran slow victory laps while holding out three fingers, or waving a black No. 3 flag in tribute.

The death of Dale Earnhardt in the season-opening Daytona 500 shook the 53-year-old sport to its very foundations. It also served as a catalyst for a safety initiative that could affect its drivers for decades to come.

The accident that killed {quot}The Intimidator{quot} was voted The Associated Press Story of the Year by member newspapers and broadcast outlets, beating Barry Bonds' feat of breaking baseball's single-season home run record.

In the AP voting, Earnhardt's death received 31 first-place votes and 663 points overall.

Bonds' record got 10 first-place votes and 479 points. The sports world's reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks received 25 first-place votes and 461 points.

Ten points were awarded for first place, down to one point for a 10th-place vote.

Rounding out the top 10 were the Arizona Diamondbacks winning a thrilling World Series; Michael Jordan's comeback; Lance Armstrong winning a third straight Tour de France; Tiger Woods winning his fourth straight major at the Masters; baseball owners voting to eliminate two teams; the retirement of Cal Ripken Jr.; and Jennifer Capriati's comeback wins in the Australian and French Opens. NASCAR entered 2001 on a high, with a new $2.8 billion TV contract and immense mainstream popularity - much of it due to Earnhardt.

Not only was he a seven-time champion and a winner of 76 races in his 22 seasons, but the roughhewn, second-generation driver often raised the emotions of the fans to a fever pitch. You either loved him or hated him.

{quot}There wasn't any middle ground on Dale Earnhardt,{quot} said Jeff Gordon, who won his fourth championship in 2001. {quot}The sport will not be the same without him and there may never be anybody come along with that unique combination of hard driving and personality that he had.{quot}

At an age when most drivers are thinking mostly about retirement, the 49-year-old Earnhardt was still intent on winning a coveted eighth championship that would have broken a tie with Richard Petty for the most titles.

After a few down years, Earnhardt had roared back into contention in 2000, spurred by his own internal fires and the emergence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a budding Winston Cup star.

{quot}It's hard to even tell you the feeling you'd get looking in your mirrors and seeing that black No. 3 behind you,{quot} Gordon said. {quot}Anticipation, excitement, fear. You knew you were going to have your hands full and that he had the advantage.

{quot}How do you replace somebody like that?{quot}

The Feb. 18 accident was followed by the most comprehensive crash investigation in racing history. It concluded that Earnhardt died of a basal skull fracture, possibly caused - at least in part - by a broken seat belt.