| Dale Earnhardt Sr. was born on April 29th, 1951 in | | | | He began his Winston Cup career in 1975. In 1978, |
| Kannapolis, North Carolina and sadly died at aged 49 | | | | things took a turn for the better when he met Teresa |
| on February 18th, 2001 as a result of massive head | | | | Houston who then helped pave the way for Dale's |
| trauma from a crash in the final lap of 2001 Daytona | | | | path to NASCAR success. Once out of his rookie |
| 500. Dale Sr. was also known as The Intimidator but | | | | season, he started the season off with a win in the |
| those who knew him, would say differently. He was a | | | | Busch Clash. He became the first and only driver thus |
| philanthropist and never found the need for media | | | | far to have won Rookie of the year and then winning |
| coverage of his donations. | | | | the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. He |
| His father, Ralph Earnhardt, was one of the best | | | | eventually went on to race for Richard Childress |
| known short-track drivers in North Carolina. He was | | | | Racing in 1981 and then joined Bud Moore during the |
| not very encouraging of his son's ambition of racing | | | | 1982 and 1983 season. After that he went back to |
| cars as well and even when he dropped out of high | | | | Richard Childress Racing and in that time, managed to |
| school to race, Ralph was hard on his son. Ralph did | | | | secure victory 6 times at Talladega, Atlanta, Richmond, |
| teach his son everything he knew and set the stage | | | | Bristol and Martinsville. |
| to make him the driver he turned into. His father | | | | He went on to carve NASCAR history in the following |
| realized that his driving skill came naturally and as such | | | | two decades. It is talked about the bigger things that |
| made his son view his mistakes as open mindedly as | | | | could have been achieved had Earnhardt Sr. survived |
| possible. Earnhardt Sr. appreciated everything his | | | | the fatal crash that took away a NASCAR legend. His |
| father did for him and missed his presence sorely | | | | #3 car was retired by his team owner who has |
| when he died of a heart attack in 1973. | | | | promised never to let another car on his team be |
| Although Sr. started racing professionally at age 23, he | | | | designed similarly. Although he was both loved and |
| ran his first race at Metolina Fairgrounds in Charlotte in | | | | hated in NASCAR, he has remained one of the sport's |
| the 1970 season where he finished in 10th place. In 1971, | | | | most popular drivers. Dale made sure his private life |
| he finally won his first race which would then bring | | | | was kept private. When he wasn't on the tracks, he |
| about 26 more wins while still racing at Metolina and | | | | was with his family, hunting, fishing, working on his farm |
| Concord Motor Speedway. After he had quit school, | | | | and known as generous giver amongst his friends. In |
| he worked at several places like for an insulation | | | | 2004, his life story was made into a television movie, |
| company and he was also a welder who did brake | | | | titled "3: The Dale Earnhardt Story" and in 2007, a |
| jobs as well. Dale's decision to race for a career came | | | | documentary-style movie was released into theaters. |
| about after his father's death. He bought an | | | | Even in death, many still remember the great things |
| asphalt-track car while still competing at Metrolina. | | | | Dale Sr. accomplished and tributes in song, movies and |
| Although money was tight, Earnhardt Sr. always found | | | | books have been dedicated to the passing to the |
| away to get through it. | | | | brightest star of NASCAR. |