Dale Earnhardt
Widely considered one of the best NASCAR drivers ever, Dale Earnhardt lost his life doing what he loved. On February 18, 2001, he was competing in the Daytona 500 when he had a collision in the final lap that sent his car careening toward a wall. He died instantly. Michael Waltrip won the race, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishing second.
Just before the race began, this photo was taken. After thinking about his own death, Earnhardt said that if he were to be accidentally killed by a tractor on his farm, it would be a tragedy. If he died during a race, however, that would just be part of life.