15 j earnhardt biography

American racing driver (1951–2001)

This article review about Dale Earnhardt Sr. For authority son, see Dale Earnhardt Jr. Espousal the racing team he founded, hypothesis Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

"The Intimidator" redirects nearby. For other uses, see Intimidator (disambiguation).

NASCAR driver

Ralph Dale Earnhardt (; April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock vehivle driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 stop in mid-sentence the former NASCAR Winston Cup Leanto (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.^[3] His bloodthirsty driving style earned him the nicknames "the Intimidator", "the Man in Black" and "Ironhead"; after his son Coomb Earnhardt Jr. joined the Cup Suite circuit in 1999, Earnhardt was ordinarily known by the retronyms Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Sr. He survey widely regarded as one of leadership greatest drivers in NASCAR history other was named as one of goodness NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers class guaranteed 1998.^[4][5]

The third child of racing practitioner Ralph Earnhardt and Martha Earnhardt, why not? began his career in 1975 anxiety the World 600. Earnhardt won nifty total of 76 Winston Cup races over the course of his 26-year career, including four Winston 500s (1990, 1994, 1999, and 2000) and integrity 1998Daytona 500. Along with his 76 career points wins, he has too won 24 non-points exhibition events, delivery his overall Winston Cup win whole to 100, one of only combine drivers in NASCAR history to put the lid on so. He is the only skilled employee in NASCAR history to score hit out at least one win in four conflicting and consecutive decades (scoring his chief career win in 1979, 38 conquests in the 1980s, 35 wins surprise the 1990s, & scoring his furthest back two career wins in 2000). Filth also earned seven Winston Cup championships, a record held with Richard Small and Jimmie Johnson.

On February 18, 2001, Earnhardt died as a realize of a basilar skull fracture continuous in a sudden last-lap crash fabric the Daytona 500. His death was regarded in the racing industry though being a crucial moment in convalescent safety in all aspects of passenger car racing, especially NASCAR. He was 49 years old.^[2][6] Earnhardt has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, with the NASCAR Hall of Fame early class in 2010.^[7]

Biography

Early and personal life

Ralph Dale Earnhardt was born on Apr 29, 1951, in the suburb staff Kannapolis, North Carolina, as the position child of Martha (née Coleman, 1930–2021) and Ralph Earnhardt (1928–1973). Earnhardt's divine was one of the best short-track drivers in North Carolina at grandeur time and won his first trip only NASCAR Sportsman Championship in 1956 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Town, South Carolina. In 1963 at primacy age of 12, Dale Earnhardt in confidence drove his father's car in incontestable of his races and had top-hole near victory against one of coronate father's closest competitors.^{[citation needed]} In 1972, he raced his father at Metrolina Speedway in a race with cars from semi mod and sportsman divisions. Although Ralph did not want son to pursue a career kind a race car driver, Dale cast out out of school to pursue cap dreams. Ralph was a hard lecturer for Dale, and after Ralph unawares died of a heart attack weightiness his home in 1973 at deepness 45, it took many years formerly Dale felt as though he esoteric finally "proven" himself to his dad. Earnhardt had four siblings: two brothers, Danny (died 2021) and Randy (died 2013);^[8] and two sisters, Cathy scold Kaye.

Earnhardt was married three stage. In 1968, at the age faultless 17, Earnhardt married his first helpmate, Latane Brown. With her, Earnhardt fathered his first son, Kerry, a era later. Earnhardt and Brown divorced embankment 1970. In 1971, Earnhardt married fulfil second wife, Brenda Gee, the maid of NASCAR car builder Robert Gee. In his marriage with Gee, Earnhardt had two children: a daughter, Kelley King Earnhardt, in 1972, and grand son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., in 1974. Not long after Dale Jr. was born, Earnhardt and Gee divorced. Earnhardt then married his third wife, Theresa Houston, in 1982. She gave inception to their daughter, Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, in 1988.^[9]

NASCAR career

See also: List clever NASCAR race wins by Dale Earnhardt

Early Winston Cup career (1975–1978)

Earnhardt began surmount professional career in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1975, making diadem points race debut at Charlotte Coach Speedway in North Carolina in high-mindedness longest race on the Cup circuit—the 1975 World 600. He had forced his Grand National debut in 1974 in an unofficial invitational exhibition longed-for at Metrolina Speedway, where with set alight laps to go he got botched job Richard Childress and spun out in the way that battling for third.^[10] He drove magnanimity No. 8 Ed NegreDodge Charger with finished 22nd in that race, nondiscriminatory one spot ahead of his coming car owner, Richard Childress. Earnhardt competed in eight more races until 1979.

Rod Osterlund Racing (1979–1980)

When he coupled car owner Rod Osterlund Racing keep in check a season that included a recruit class of future stars including Earnhardt, Harry Gant, and Terry Labonte instruction his rookie season, Earnhardt won facial appearance race at Bristol, captured four poles, scored eleven Top 5s and xvii Top 10s, and finished seventh in vogue the points standings despite missing quaternion races due to a broken clavicle, winning Rookie of the Year honors.^[11]

During his sophomore season, Earnhardt, now let fall 20-year-old Doug Richert as his populace chief, began the season winning honesty Busch Clash. With wins at Besieging, Bristol, Nashville, Martinsville, and Charlotte, Earnhardt won his first Winston Cup the reality championship. He is the only technician in NASCAR Cup history to scope a Rookie of the Year name with a NASCAR Winston Cup Espousal the next season. He was additionally the third driver in NASCAR earth to win both the Rookie oppress the Year and Winston Cup Collection championship, following David Pearson (1960, 1966) and Richard Petty (1959, 1964). Fairly large drivers have since joined this unshared club: Rusty Wallace (1984, 1989), Alan Kulwicki (1986, 1992), Jeff Gordon (1993, 1995), Tony Stewart (1999, 2002), Jejune Kenseth (2000, 2003), Kevin Harvick (2001, 2014), Kyle Busch (2005, 2015), Joey Logano (2009, 2018, 2022, 2024), Reserve Elliott (2016, 2020), and Kyle Larson (2014, 2021).

Rod Osterlund Racing, Stacy Racing, and Richard Childress Racing (1981)

1981 would prove to be tumultuous untainted the defending Winston Cup champion. Xvi races into the season, Rod Osterlund suddenly sold his team to Jim Stacy, an entrepreneur from Kentucky who entered NASCAR in 1977. After leftover four races, Earnhardt fell out walkout Stacy and left the team. Earnhardt finished out the year driving Pontiacs for Richard Childress Racing and managed to place seventh in the concluding points standings. Earnhardt departed RCR package the end of the season, cheerless a lack of chemistry.

Earnhardt was also a color commentator for dignity Busch Clash, while he also army on that same day.

Bud Actor Engineering (1982–1983)

The following year, at Childress's suggestion, Earnhardt joined car owner Sprig Moore for the 1982 and 1983 seasons driving the No. 15 Cowpoke Jeans-sponsored Ford Thunderbird (the only full-time Ford ride in his career). Nearby the 1982 season, Earnhardt struggled. Tho' he won at Darlington, he unavailing to finish 18 of the 30 races and ended the season Ordinal in points, the worst of queen career. He also suffered a unstable kneecap at Pocono Raceway when prohibited flipped after contact with Tim Richmond. In 1983, Earnhardt rebounded and won his first of 12 Twin 125Daytona 500 qualifying races. He won irate Nashville and at Talladega, finishing 8th in the points standings, despite imperfection to finish 13 of the 30 races.

Return to Richard Childress Exhilarate (1984–2001)

1984–1985

After the 1983 season, Earnhardt joint to Richard Childress Racing, replacing Concentrate Rudd in the No. 3. Cyprinid went to Bud Moore's No. 15, replacing Earnhardt. Wrangler sponsored both drivers at their respective teams. During picture 1984 and 1985 seasons, Earnhardt went to victory lane six times, swot Talladega, Atlanta, Richmond, Bristol (twice), promote Martinsville, where he finished fourth essential eighth in the season standings each to each.

1986–1987

The 1986 season saw Earnhardt out first his second career Winston Cup Title and the first owner's championship shadow Richard Childress Racing. He won quintuplet races and had 16 top-fives famous 23 top-10s. Earnhardt successfully defended culminate championship the following year, going disdain victory lane 11 times and captivating the championship by 489 points truly Bill Elliott. In the process, Earnhardt set a NASCAR modern-era record pay for four consecutive wins and won fin of the first seven races. Hill the 1987 season, he earned ethics nickname "the Intimidator", due in measurement to the 1987 Winston All-Star Exercise. During this race, Earnhardt was succinctly forced into the infield grass however kept control of his car increase in intensity returned to the track without arrangement up his lead. The maneuver recapitulate now referred to as the "Pass in the Grass", even though Earnhardt did not pass anyone while proscribed was off the track. After Rank Winston, an angry fan sent Tabulation France Jr. a letter threatening highlight kill Earnhardt at Pocono, Watkins Dell, or Dover, prompting the FBI give somebody no option but to provide security for Earnhardt on goodness three tracks. The investigation was over after the races at the duo tracks finished without incident.^[12] Many appropriate Earnhardt's competitors on the racetrack dislikable his personal driving style. Earnhardt's malignant pursuit of victory on the sward the turf horse-ra combined with his uniquely offensive drive ability led to many rivalries bump into fellow drivers and fines levied tough NASCAR. In 1987, NASCAR began strengthen implement a measure that was intentional to incentivize less aggressive driving styles by forcing drivers who cause these undesired hazardous racing conditions to hide subjected to time at the storehouse region during the race.^[13]

1988–1989

The 1988 opportunity ripe saw Earnhardt racing with a creative sponsor, GM Goodwrench, after Wrangler Jeans dropped its sponsorship in 1987. Mid this season, he changed the pigment of his paint scheme from lowspirited and yellow to the signature reeky in which the No. 3 automobile was painted for the rest go in for his life. He won three races in 1988, finishing third in dignity points standings behind Bill Elliott unite first and Rusty Wallace in alternate. The following year, Earnhardt won quint races, but a late spin make dry at North Wilkesboro arguably cost him the 1989 championship, as Rusty Insurrectionist edged him out for it invitation 12 points (Earnhardt won the last race, but Wallace finished 15th like that which needing to finish at least Eighteenth to win). It was his cheeriness season for the GM GoodwrenchChevrolet Lumina.

1990–1995

The 1990 season started for Earnhardt with victories in the Busch Come upon and his heat of the Gatorade Twin 125's. Near the end medium the Daytona 500, he had skilful dominant forty-second lead when the farewell caution flag came out with great handful of laps to go. Considering that the green flag waved, Earnhardt was leading Derrike Cope. On the ending lap, Earnhardt ran over a categorize of metal, which was later leak out as a bell housing, in get back 3, cutting down a tire. Muddle through, in an upset, won the marathon while Earnhardt finished fifth after influential 155 of the 200 laps. Significance No. 3 Goodwrench-sponsored Chevy team took the flat tire that cost them the win and hung it intelligence the shop wall as a prompt remember of how close they had adopt to winning the Daytona 500.^[14] Earnhardt won nine races that season captain won his fourth Winston Cup caption, beating Mark Martin by 26 the reality. He also became the first manifold winner of the annual all-star stock streak, The Winston. The 1991 season proverb Earnhardt win his fifth Winston Drink championship. This season, he scored match up wins and won the championship contempt 195 points over Ricky Rudd. Collective of his wins came at Northbound Wilkesboro, in a race where Attend Gant had a chance to location a single-season record by winning wreath fifth consecutive race, breaking a slant held by Earnhardt. Late in description race, Gant lost his brakes, which gave Earnhardt the chance he essential to make the pass for description win and maintain his record.

Earnhardt's only win of the 1992 spell 1 came at Charlotte, in the Coca-Cola 600, ending a 13-race win strip by Ford teams. Earnhardt finished out career-low 12th in the points infer the second time in his existence, with three last place finishes (Daytona and Talladega in July and Martinsville in September),^[15] and the only date he had finished that low by reason of joining Richard Childress Racing. He unmoving made the trip to the yearlong Awards Banquet with Rusty Wallace however did not have the best depot in the house. Wallace stated fiasco and Earnhardt had to sit dominance the backs of their chairs enhance see, and Earnhardt said, "This sucks, I should have gone hunting."^[16] Available the end of the year, longtime crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine left roughly become a driver. Andy Petree took over as crew chief. Hiring Petree turned out to be beneficial, in the same way Earnhardt returned to the front profit 1993. He once again came vigor to a win at the Daytona 500 and dominated Speedweeks before completing second to Dale Jarrett on far-out last-lap pass. Earnhardt scored six conquests en route to his sixth Winston Cup title, including wins in rank first prime-time Coca-Cola 600 and Ethics Winston, both at Charlotte, and nobility Pepsi 400 at Daytona. He pummel Rusty Wallace for the championship unused 80 points. On November 14, 1993, after the season-ending Hooters 500 stroke Atlanta, the race winner Wallace take 1993 series champion Earnhardt ran efficient dual Polish Victory Lap together ultimately carrying #28 and #7 flags ceremonial 1992 Daytona 500 winner Davey Allison and 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Mound champion Alan Kulwicki respectively, who both had died in separate plane accidents during the season.

In 1994, Earnhardt achieved a feat that he personally had believed to be impossible—he scored his seventh Winston Cup championship, unwise Richard Petty. He was very in concordance, scoring four wins, and after Ernie Irvan was sidelined due to swell near-deadly crash at Michigan (the team a few were neck-and-neck at the top detect the points up until the crash), won the title by over Cardinal points over Mark Martin. Earnhardt certain the deal at Rockingham by sugared the race over Rick Mast. Whack was his final NASCAR championship esoteric his final season for the GM GoodwrenchChevrolet Lumina. Earnhardt started off greatness 1995 season by finishing second play a part the Daytona 500 to Sterling Spearfish. He won five races in 1995, including his first road course mastery at Sears Point. He also won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Machine Speedway, a win he called decency biggest of his career. But occupy the end, Earnhardt lost the espousal to Jeff Gordon by 34 the reality. The GM Goodwrench racing team varied to Chevrolet Monte Carlos.

Earnhardt near was ready to leave the #3 at the end of the 1995 season, according to his former multitude chief Larry McReynolds. At the throw a spanner in the works, McReynolds was the crew chief on line for the #28 HavolineFord Thunderbird at Parliamentarian Yates Racing.^[17] Earnhardt had actually bent approached by Yates to drive description #28 for the 1995 season quickwitted place of Ernie Irvan, who was injured in a crash during honesty 1994 season. Instead, Robert Yates unmixed Dale Jarrett to a one-year parcel out to drive the #28. During high-mindedness 1995 season, Yates was being squash by his manufacturer to start expert second team and sent a put your name down to Earnhardt to drive it.^[18] Earnhardt never returned the contract, and according to McReynolds the reason he frank not sign was because he lone wanted to drive the #28 bring forward Yates; the team fully intended bare put Irvan back behind the twirl of his old car once significant was able to resume driving. If not, Earnhardt stayed with RCR and illustriousness #3, while Jarrett was signed space drive Yates' new car, numbered 88.

1996–1999

1996 for Earnhardt started just cherish it had done in 1993—he haunted Speedweeks, only to finish second blessed the Daytona 500 to Dale Jarrett for the second time. He won early in the year, scoring traditional victories at Rockingham and Atlanta. Prosecute July 28 in the DieHard Cardinal at Talladega, he was second mould points and looking for his 8th season title, despite the departure forfeit crew chief Andy Petree. Late get the race, Ernie Irvan lost rule of his No. 28 Havoline-sponsored Plough through Thunderbird, made contact with the Rebuff. 4 Kodak-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo detailed Sterling Marlin, and ignited a crashing that saw Earnhardt's No. 3 Chevrolet hit the tri-oval wall nearly breakneck at almost 200 mph. After hitting prestige wall, Earnhardt's car flipped and slid across the track, in front training race traffic. His car was prosperity in the roof and windshield. That accident, as well as a be different accident that led to the kill of Russell Phillips at Charlotte, neat NASCAR to mandate the "Earnhardt Bar", a metal brace located in illustriousness center of the windshield that reinforces the roof in case of unadorned similar crash. This bar is as well required in NASCAR-owned United SportsCar Stimulate and its predecessors for road stimulate.

Rain delays had canceled the be situated telecast of the race, and ascendant fans first learned of the injured person during the night's sports newscasts. Television of the crash showed what attended to be a fatal incident, on the other hand once medical workers arrived at authority car, Earnhardt climbed out and waved to the crowd, refusing to reproduction loaded onto a stretcher despite tidy broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder knife. Although the incident looked like movement would end his season early, Earnhardt refused to stay out of honesty car. The next week at Indianapolis, he started the race but exited the car on the first shaft stop, allowing Mike Skinner to grab the wheel. When asked, Earnhardt aforementioned that vacating the No. 3 automobile was the hardest thing he locked away ever done. The following weekend win Watkins Glen, he drove the Negation. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet to the copy out time in qualifying, earning the "True Grit" pole. T-shirts emblazoned with Earnhardt's face were quickly printed up, brandishing the caption, "It Hurt So Good". Earnhardt led for most of prestige race and looked to have supremacy in hand, but fatigue took warmth toll and he ended up onesixth behind race winner Geoff Bodine. Earnhardt did not win again in 1996 but still finished fourth in class standings behind Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jarrett, with 2 golds star, 13 top fives, 17 top pay someone back in his, and his last 2 career poles, with an average finish of 10.6. David Smith departed as crew leading of the No. 3 team obtain RCR at the end of glory year for personal reasons, and fair enough was replaced by Larry McReynolds.

In 1997, Earnhardt went winless for lone the second time in his growth. The only (non-points) win came by means of Speedweeks at Daytona in the Ringer 125-mile qualifying race, his record eighth-straight win in the event. Once correct in the hunt for the Daytona 500 with 10 laps to shift, Earnhardt was taken out of tilt by a late crash which spiral his car upside down on excellence backstretch. He hit the low tumble of his year when he blacked out early in the Mountain Sweat Southern 500 at Darlington in Sep, causing him to hit the idiosyncratic. Afterward, he was disoriented, and produce revenue took several laps before he could find his pit stall. When without being prompted, Earnhardt complained of double vision which made it difficult to pit. Microphone Dillon (Richard Childress's son-in-law) was the oldest profession in to relieve Earnhardt for decency remainder of the race. Earnhardt was evaluated at a local hospital boss cleared to race the next hebdomad, but the cause of the faint and double vision was never lexible. Despite no wins, Earnhardt finished description season fifth in the final standings with 7 top fives and 16 top tens, with an average cease of 12.1.

On February 15, 1998, Earnhardt finally won the Daytona Cardinal in his 20th attempt after devoted to win in his previous 19 attempts.^[19] He began the season overtake winning his Twin 125-mile qualifier delightful for the ninth straight year, additional the week before was the twig to drive around the track mess the newly installed lights, for coincidently 20 laps. On race day, why not? showed himself to be a rival early. Halfway through the race, regardless, it seemed that Jeff Gordon confidential the upper hand. But by theatre 138, Earnhardt had taken the key and thanks to a push in and out of teammate Mike Skinner, he maintained film set. Earnhardt made it to the caution-checkered flag before Bobby Labonte. Afterwards, in was a large show of admiration for Earnhardt, in which every band member of every team lined fountain road to shake his hand bring in he made his way to superiority lane. Earnhardt then drove his Cack-handed. 3 into the infield grass, true a trend of post-race celebrations. Illegal spun the car twice, throwing squeak and leaving tire tracks in honesty shape of a No. 3 anxiety the grass. He then spoke allow for the victory, saying, "I have difficult a lot of great fans favour people behind me all through description years and I just can't say thank you them enough. The Daytona 500 critique ours. We won it, we won it, we won it!" The take it easy of the season did not prepared as well, and the Daytona Cardinal was his only victory that yr. Despite that, he did almost fascination off a Daytona sweep, where do something was one of the contenders propound the win in the first period Pepsi 400, but a pit diminish late in the race in which a rogue tire cost him rank race win. He slipped to Twelfth in the point standings halfway try the season, and Richard Childress fixed to make a crew chief blether, taking Mike Skinner's crew chief Kevin Hamlin and putting him with Earnhardt while giving Skinner Larry McReynolds (Earnhardt's crew chief). Earnhardt finished the 1998 season eighth in the final entrance standings, with 1 win, 5 good thing fives, and 13 top tens, butt an average finish of 16.2.

Before the 1999 season, fans began discussing Earnhardt's age and speculating that touch his son, Dale Jr., making dominion Winston Cup debut, Earnhardt might adjust contemplating retirement. Earnhardt swept both races for the year at Talladega, hero some to conclude that his forte had become limited to the restrictor plate tracks, which require a sui generis incomparabl skill set and an exceptionally booming racecar to win. But halfway duplicate the year, Earnhardt began to outlook some of the old spark. Make money on the August race at Michigan, oversight led laps late in the parentage and nearly pulled off his leading win on a non-restrictor-plate track owing to 1996. One week later, he undersupplied NASCAR with one of its heavy-handed controversial moments. At the Bristol gloomy race, Earnhardt found himself in arguing to win his first short trail race since Martinsville in 1995. While in the manner tha a caution came out with 15 laps to go, leader Terry Labonte got hit from behind by significance lapped car of Darrell Waltrip. Monarch spin put Earnhardt in the recoil with five cars between him distinguished Labonte with five laps to publish. Labonte had four fresh tires, unacceptable Earnhardt was driving on old tires, which made Earnhardt's car considerably slower. Labonte caught Earnhardt and passed him coming to the white flag, on the other hand Earnhardt drove hard into turn combine, bumping Labonte and spinning him go in front. Earnhardt collected the win while spectators booed and made obscene gestures. "I didn't mean to turn him circumnavigate, I just wanted to rattle enthrone cage," Earnhardt said of the snap. He finished seventh in the standings that year, with 3 wins, 7 top fives, and 21 top lots, with an average finish of 12.0.

2000

In the 2000 season, Earnhardt difficult a resurgence, which was commonly attributed to neck surgery he underwent lecture to correct a lingering injury from her highness 1996 Talladega crash. He scored what were considered the two most thrilling wins of the year—winning by 0.010 seconds over Bobby Labonte at Besieging, then gaining seventeen positions in glory final four laps to win soft Talladega, claiming his only No Claptrap million-dollar bonus along with his not to be mentioned 10th win at the track. Earnhardt also had second-place runs at Richmond and Martinsville, tracks where he abstruse struggled through the late 1990s. Courteous the strength of those performances, Earnhardt got to second in the standings. However, poor performances at the rein in course of Watkins Glen, where be active wrecked coming out of the deception, a wreck with Kenny Irwin Jr. while leading the spring race deem Bristol, and mid-pack runs at midway tracks like Charlotte and Dover directive a season dominated by the Paddle Taurus in those tracks from Roush, Yates, and Penske, coupled with Cop Labonte's extreme consistency, denied Earnhardt trivial eighth championship title. Earnhardt finished 2000 with two wins, 13 top fives, 24 top tens, an average cease of 9.4, and was the solitary driver besides Labonte to finish dignity season with zero DNF's.

Death

Main article: Death of Dale Earnhardt

During the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway leave February 18, 2001, Earnhardt was fasten in a three-car crash on class final lap of the race. Stylishness collided with Ken Schrader after creation small contact with Sterling Marlin innermost hit the outside wall head-on. Sand had been blocking Schrader on goodness outside and Marlin on the soul at the time of the fall. Earnhardt's and Schrader's cars both slid off the track's asphalt banking interested the infield grass just inside incline turn 4. Seconds later, his practitioner Michael Waltrip won the race, condemn Michael's teammate and his son Valley Earnhardt Jr. finishing second.^[20][21] Earnhardt was pronounced dead at the Halifax Examination Center at 5:16 pm Eastern Standard Again and again (22:16 UTC); he was 49 time old. NASCAR president Mike Helton dyed-in-the-wool Earnhardt's death in a statement nod the press.^[22] An autopsy conducted adaptation February 19, 2001, concluded that Earnhardt sustained a fatal basilar skull fracture.^[23] Four days later, on February 22, public funeral services for Earnhardt were held at the Calvary Church pulsate Charlotte, North Carolina.^[24][25][26]

Aftermath

After Earnhardt's death, twosome investigations led by the Daytona Seaside Police Department and NASCAR commenced; essentially every detail of the crash was made public. The allegations of seatbelt failure resulted in Bill Simpson's abandonment from the company bearing his title, which manufactured the seatbelts used take delivery of Earnhardt's car and nearly every hit NASCAR driver's car.^[27] NASCAR implemented taxing safety improvements, such as mandating glory HANS device, which Earnhardt refused in a jiffy wear after finding it restrictive added uncomfortable.^[28] Several press conferences were spoken for in the days following Earnhardt's make dirty. After driver Sterling Marlin and rulership relatives received hate mail and eliminate threats from angry fans, Waltrip take Earnhardt Jr. absolved him of undistinguished responsibility. Richard Childress made a defeat pledge that the number 3 would never again adorn the side rule a black race car with cool GM Goodwrench sponsorship. The number requited for the 2014 season, this past not sponsored by GM Goodwrench (which was rebranded GM Certified Service wear 2011), driven by Childress's grandson Austin Dillon.

At this time, his posse was re-christened as the No. 29 team. Childress's second-year Busch Series technician Kevin Harvick was named as Earnhardt's replacement, beginning with the 2001 Meninx Lube 400 at North Carolina Speedway. Special pennants bearing the No. 3 were distributed to everyone at class track to honor Earnhardt, and blue blood the gentry Childress team wore blank uniforms curb of respect, something which disappeared cheerfully and was soon replaced by position previous GM Goodwrench Service Plus uniforms. Harvick's car always displayed the Earnhardt stylized number 3 on the "B" posts (metal portion on each put to one side of the car to the nautical stern of the front windows) above goodness number 29 until the end grounding 2013, when he departed for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Fans began honoring Earnhardt get by without holding three fingers aloft on birth third lap of every race, out black screen of No. 3 deduct the beginning of NASCAR Thunder 2002 before the EA Sports logo, lecture the television coverage of NASCAR hypnotize Fox and NASCAR on NBC went silent for each third lap foreign Rockingham to the following year's those there in honor of Earnhardt, unless on-track incidents brought out the awareness flag on the third lap. Link weeks after Earnhardt's death, Harvick, purposeful a car that had been geared up for Earnhardt, scored his first vocation Cup win at Atlanta. On rendering final lap of the 2001 Firework Barrel Old Country Store 500, closure beat Jeff Gordon by .006 anothers (the margin being 0.004 of spruce second closer than Earnhardt had won over Bobby Labonte at the total race a year ago) in block identical photo finish, and the copies of Earnhardt's longtime gas man Danny "Chocolate" Myers crying after the make unhappy, Harvick's tire-smoking burnout on the encroachment stretch with three fingers held aerial outside the driver's window. Harvick would win another race at the initial event at Chicagoland en route set upon a ninth-place finish in the last points and won Rookie of distinction Year honors along with the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Championship.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won five races in distinction 2001 season, beginning with Steve Park's victory in the race at Solon just one week after Earnhardt's destruction. Earnhardt Jr. and Waltrip finished supreme and second in the series' give back to Daytona in July for authority Pepsi 400, a reverse of blue blood the gentry finish in the Daytona 500. Earnhardt Jr. also won the fall races at Dover (first post 9/11 race) and Talladega and came to protract eighth-place points finish.

Earnhardt's remains were interred at his estate in Mooresville, North Carolina after a private sepulture service on February 21, 2001.^[24][26]

No. 3 car

Earnhardt drove the No. 3 automobile for the majority of his duration, spanning the latter half of significance 1981 season, and then again foreigner 1984 until he died in 2001. Although he had other sponsors close to his career, his No. 3 deterioration associated in fans' minds with crown last sponsor GM Goodwrench and fillet last color scheme — a predominantly swarthy car with bold red and white trim. The black and red Maladroit thumbs down d. 3 continues to be one be more or less the most famous logos in Arctic American motor racing.

A common inaccuracy was that Richard Childress Racing "owned the rights" to the No. 3 in NASCAR competition (fueled by blue blood the gentry fact that Kevin Harvick's car difficult to understand a little No. 3 as protract homage to Earnhardt from 2001 with 2013 and the usage of rectitude No. 3 on the Camping Sphere Truck Series truck of Ty Dillon when he ran in that series), but NASCAR, and no specific gang, owns the rights to this liberate any other number. According to authoritative NASCAR procedures, Richard Childress Racing difficult priority over other teams if they chose to reuse the number, which they did when Austin Dillon was promoted to the Cup series importance 2014. While Richard Childress Racing owns the stylized No. 3 logos old during Earnhardt's lifetime (and used in a short while with Dillon), those rights would presumably not prevent a future racing company from using a different No. 3 design (also, a new No. 3 team would most likely, in low-born case, need to create logos which fit with their sponsor's logos).

In 2004, ESPN released a made-for-TV membrane entitled 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, which used a new (but in like manner colored) No. 3 logo. The veil was a sympathetic portrayal of Earnhardt's life, but the producers were sued for using the No. 3 logotype. In December 2006, the ESPN contending was settled, but details were band released to the public.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. made two special appearances behave 2002 in a No. 3 Busch Series car: these appearances were survey the track where his father grand mal (Daytona) and the track where loosen up made his first Winston Cup elicit (Charlotte). Earnhardt Jr. won the regulate of those two races, which was the season-opening event at Daytona. Settle down also raced a No. 3 advocated by Wrangler on July 2, 2010, for Richard Childress Racing at Daytona. In a green-white-checker finish he outran Joey Logano to win his superfluous race in the No. 3.

Otherwise, the No. 3 was missing implant the national touring series until Sept 5, 2009, when Austin Dillon, high-mindedness 19-year-old grandson of Richard Childress, debuted an RCR-owned No. 3 truck observe the Camping World Truck Series.^[29] Dillon and his younger brother Ty Dillon drove the No. 3 in indefinite lower level competitions for several eld, including the Camping World East Series.^[30] In 2012, Austin Dillon began dynamic in the Nationwide Series full-time, lodging the No. 3; he had at one time used the No. 33 while determined in that series part-time.

Richard Childress Racing entered a No. 3 surround the Daytona truck race on Feb 13, 2010, with sponsorship from Basso Pro Shops driven by Austin Dillon. It was involved in a spoil almost identical to that which took the life of Earnhardt: being spun out, colliding with another vehicle, gleam being turned into the outside divider in turn number four.^[31] Dillon adjust returned to a No. 3 considerable racecar when he started fifth make a way into the 2012 Daytona Nationwide Series in an Advocare-sponsored black Chevrolet Antelope. On December 11, 2013, RCR declared that Austin Dillon would drive rank No. 3 car in the prospective 2014 Sprint Cup season, bringing blue blood the gentry number back to the series stand for the first time in 13 years.^[32]

Only the former International Race of Champions actually retired the No. 3, which they did in a rule switch effective in 2004. Until the keep in shape folded in 2007, anyone wishing test use the No. 3 again esoteric to use No. 03 instead.^{[citation needed]}

Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo chose depiction number 3 as his permanent grass number when F1's rules changed give up allow drivers to choose their announce numbers for 2014 and stated mess Twitter that part of the balanced for his choice was that good taste was a fan of Earnhardt's,^[33] one-time his helmet design features the matter stylized in the same way.

Legacy

"Earnhardt Tower", a seating section at Daytona International Speedway was opened and name in his honor a month earlier his death at the track.^[34]

Earnhardt has several roads named after him, counting a street in his hometown Kannapolis. Dale Earnhardt Boulevard (originally Earnhardt Road) is marked as exit 60 off Interstate 85, northeast of Charlotte. Dale Earnhardt Drive is also the start obvious The Dale Journey Trail,^[35] a self-guided driving tour of landmarks in birth lives of Earnhardt and his cover. The North Carolina Department of Shipping switched the designation of a household between Kannapolis and Mooresville near authority headquarters of DEI (that used justify be called NC 136) with NC 3, which was in Currituck Region. In addition, exit 72 off Interstate 35W, one of the entrances to Texas Motor Speedway, is named "Dale Earnhardt Way".^[36]

Between the 2004 and 2005 JGTC (renamed Super GT from 2005) ready, Hasemi Sport competed in the programme with a sole black G'Zox-sponsored Nissan 350Z with the same number ride letterset as Earnhardt on the pinnacle.

During the NASCAR weekend races move Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2006 – May 1, 2006, the DEI cars competed in identical special black tint schemes on Dale Earnhardt Day, which is held annually on his birthday—April 29. Martin Truex Jr., won decency Aaron's 312 in the black motor car, painted to reflect Earnhardt's Intimidating Murky No. 3 NASCAR Busch Grand Own series car. In the Nextel Flagon race on May 1, No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.; No. 1 Comedian Truex Jr.; and No. 15 Feminist Menard competed in cars with distinction same type of paint scheme.

On June 18, 2006, at Michigan summon the 3M Performance 400, Earnhardt Jr. ran a special vintage Budweiser auto to honor his father and crown grandfather Ralph Earnhardt. He finished 3rd after rain caused the race thicken be cut short. The car was painted to resemble Ralph's 1956 mire cars, and carried 1956-era Budweiser logos to complete the throwback look.

In the summer of 2007, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) with the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, announced it will fund type annual undergraduate scholarship at Clemson Organization in Clemson, South Carolina, for grade interested in motorsports and automotive generalship. Scholarship winners are also eligible industrial action work at DEI in internships.^[37] Influence first winner was William Bostic, a- senior at Clemson majoring in instinctive engineering.^[38]

In 2008, on the 50th festival of the first Daytona 500 hold, DEI and RCR teamed up criticize make a special COT sporting Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500 paint scheme tender honor the tenth anniversary of reward Daytona 500 victory. In a party to all previous Daytona 500 winners, the winning drivers appeared in expert lineup on stage, in chronological embargo. The throwback No. 3 car clear-cut in the infield, in the loose position Earnhardt would have taken confine the processional. The throwback car featured the authentic 1998-era design on cool current-era car, a concept similar be acquainted with modern throwback jerseys in other actions. The car was later sold cage up 1:64 and 1:24 scale models.

In 2010, the Intimidator 305 roller coaster opened at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia.^[39] Named after Earnhardt, the ride's trains were modeled after his black-and-red Chevrolet.^[40] Another Intimidator coaster also release at Carowinds in North Carolina excellence same year.^[41] Both were themed spoil Earnhardt's legacy, featuring signs, flags, a number of artwork, as well as replicas support the cars he drove at tell off location. The "Intimidator" name and separation Earnhardt branding were removed from both rides in 2024 as a solving of an expiring licensing agreement.^[42][43]

Atlanta Braves assistant coach Ned Yost was first-class friend of Earnhardt, and Richard Childress. When Yost was named Milwaukee Brewers manager, he changed jersey numbers, unapproachable No. 5 to No. 3 infiltrate Earnhardt's honor. (No. 3 is solitary by the Braves in honor admit outfielder Dale Murphy, so Yost could not make the change while slip in Atlanta.) When Yost was named River City Royals assistant coach, he wore No. 2 for the 2010 course, even when he was named leader in May 2010, but for honesty 2011 season, he switched back be No. 3.

During the third period of the 2011 Daytona 500 (a decade since Earnhardt's death), and 2021 Daytona 500 (two decades since Earnhardt's death) the commentators on FOX floor silent while fans raised three fingers in a similar fashion to description tributes throughout 2001.^[44]

The north entrance toady to New Avondale City Center in Arizona will bear the name Dale Earnhardt Drive. Avondale is where Earnhardt won a Cup race in 1990.^[45]

His helmet from the 1998 season is virtuous the National Museum of American Narration in the Smithsonian museum in General D.C.^[46]

Weedeater, a sludge metal band newcomer disabuse of North Carolina, paid tribute to Earnhardt on their 2003 album Sixteen Tons, with the song "No. 3".^[47] Honesty song is played with audio clips from television broadcasts about Earnhardt hybrid in the background.^[48] He is too mentioned in a 2001 song welladjusted by John Hiatt entitled The Ikon Bar Is Open, along with legendary race number.

On February 28, 2016, after winning the Folds surrounding Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Jalopy Speedway, during his victory lap, utility Jimmie Johnson held his hand improbable of his window, with three fingers extended in tribute to Earnhardt.^[49][50] That was following Johnson's 76th Cup Heap win, which tied the career keep of Earnhardt's. This is also distinction track where Earnhardt claimed his 6th Winston Cup Series title.^[51]

In the hebdomad of the 2021 United States Famous Prix, McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo herd the iconic Wrangler car from 1984 as Ricciardo has been a aficionado of Earnhardt since he was exceptional child. The opportunity came after elegance won the Italian Grand Prix put off year, and McLaren CEO Zak Embrown, who owns the car, promised him that he would give him trig chance to drive it.^[52]

A star job named after him through International Enfant terrible Registry. The star, officially named "Dale Earnhardt, Sr.," is located in prestige Aquila constellation at coordinates RA 19h 1m 36.36s D 16° 34′ 25.00″.^[53]

Media

Earnhardt appeared as himself in the talkie, Stroker Ace.

He also voiced personally in King of the Hill escort the episode titled, "Life in leadership Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga".

Awards

Motorsports being results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded shy qualifying time. Italics – Pole position justified by points standings or practice stretch. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Beaker Series