Ralph Dale Earnhardt, born on April 29, 1951, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, was the son of a renowned NASCAR Grand National champion, Ralph Earnhardt, and his wife Martha. His illustrious Winston Cup career began with a resounding victory, earning the Rookie of the Year title in 1979, followed by his first championship in 1980, a feat that has yet to be replicated by any other driver, with consecutive wins in both categories.
Three years later, Dale made a memorable appearance alongside other NASCAR drivers and personalities in the Burt Reynolds/Loni Anderson racing comedy "Stroker Ace". A closer look at the film's climax race reveals that actual race footage from Talladega was used, with close-up shots taken at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Following his victory in the Daytona 500 on February 15, 1998, Dale went on to film his second and final movie, "BASEketeball", which featured other sports luminaries as well as racing commentator Kenny Mayne.
As is the trend in recent years, drivers have become car owners, and Dale was no exception. In 2001, he expanded his operation to three cars with the addition of Michael Waltrip. Other drivers affiliated with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. included Steve Park and his son, Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr.
On February 18, 2001, in the closing laps of the 43rd running of the Daytona 500, Dale ran third behind two of his cars, driven by Waltrip and Dale Jr. As those cars went on to win 1-2, Dale was tragically killed in a multi-car crash on the 4th turn. Throughout his 22-year career, he won 22 poles, 76 races, and 7 championships on NASCAR's premier circuit.
