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| Feb. 19, 2001 article | "Life with Dale Earnhardt" | Tribute Poem | Career Rides | Racing Family |
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Name: Ralph Dale Earnhardt Birthdate: April 29, 1951 Birth Place: Kannapolis, N.C. Height: 6'1" Died: February 18, 2001 Wife: Teresa Earnhardt Children: Kerry, Dale Jr., Kelley, and Taylor Parents: Ralph and Martha Earnhardt Brothers/Sisters: Randy and Danny/Kaye and Kathy |
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Dale Earnhardt never doubted what he wanted to do in his life. He had developed a deep love of motorsports watching his dad, Ralph, race and win stock car races throughout the south.
In his late teens, Dale was working during the day, welding and mounting tires, and racing or working on a racecar during the nights and weekends. He was on a shoestring budget, often having to borrow money for parts, hoping to win enough to pay back the loan on Monday!
Dale's dad died in 1973 of heart failure while working on his car. This could've disenchanted the young Earnhardt but, instead, made him more determined.
He made his Winston Cup debut in 1975, finishing 22nd. Over the next three years, he started 8 more times, finishing fourth in the last one. He finally got a full-time ride offer for the 1979 season.
Dale Earnhardt won at Bristol in only his 16th ever Winston Cup start. He got his first pole eight races later. By the end of his first full season, he had 11 top 5's and the "Rookie of the Year" award. In his second full season, Dale became the only driver to date to win Rookie of the Year and the series' Championship in back-to-back years.
He drove briefly for Richard Childress, who urged him to find a team with more money and a better racecar to fit his talent. By the time the 1983 season ended, he made the decision to move back with Richard Childress's race team. This started a partnership between the two that would result in Earnhardt being (arguably) the best driver in Winston Cup history.
Earnhardt was an original, one-of-a-kind guy who captured the hearts of Americans. With a twinkle in his eye and a devilish grin on his face, Earnhardt shoved and pushed his way to the front. With incredible determination, he willed his race cars to victory. He was loved not so much for the number of checkered flags and championships he won but for the spectacular style with which he won them.
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