Dale Earnhardt Sr. was born in Kannapolis, NC to Martha Coleman and Ralph Earnhardt. His father, Ralph, was a born runner and one of the best short-track drivers of the day. Although Ralph didn’t want Dale to follow in his footsteps, his son had a dream and it was to race cars. The more he saw his father run, the more he wanted that for himself. He even dropped out of high school to compete.

As a teenager, Dale worked at a local auto repair shop doing welding and mounting tires. When he got off work every day, he would run to his garage to work on his race car. Dale grew up fast and at the young age of 17 he married his first wife and had a son on the way. Financial problems soon arose and he became separated from his wife and son. In 1973, Dale lost his father, Ralph, to heart failure. He died in his own garage, doing what he loved working on his race car.

The passing of Dale’s father devastated him, but he moved on with his dream of running and with his life. Dale’s second wife was Brenda Gee (the daughter of NASCAR car builder Robert Gee). Together they had two children, Kelley and Dale Jr. Shortly after Dale Jr.’s birth, Dale and Brenda divorced. His third wife was Teresa. They were married for 20 years and had a daughter, Taylor.

Together in 1980, they founded Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Dale usually kept his personal life to himself. Most only saw the no-nonsense, intimidating side of him on the track. Privately, he enjoyed family time, fishing, hunting and working on his farm in Mooresville. He was known by those close to him to be charitable and generous. Dale’s NASCAR racing career spanned from 1975 to 2001. Over the years, Dale’s aggressive driving skills and style earned him the nickname “The Bully.” He was also known as “The Man in Black”, in reference to the black paint scheme his number 3 car was painted in. Some fans even called him “Darth Vader” because of the black uniform and car, adding to his notoriety as a driver who would tear you apart if he couldn’t pass you. Dale was either loved or hated by racing fans; however, he was one of the most popular sports drivers.

Earnhardt was tragically involved in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001. He did not survive the crash and was the fourth NASCAR driver to die in the previous nine months, the first being Adam Petty in May 2000. These fatal accidents led to increased safety precautions instituted by NASCAR. In a press conference, Mike Helton, NASCAR president, made the formal announcement of Earnhardt’s death: “Without a doubt, this is one of the most difficult announcements I’ve ever had to make personally. We lost Dale Earnhardt. Car # 3, driven by Earnhardt since 1988, was immediately retired by Richard Childress, the team’s owner. Indeed, the life and death of Dale Earnhardt touched many fans across the United States.

Birth: April 29, 1951

Place of birth: Kannapolis, North Carolina

Died: February 18, 2001 (age 49)

Awards: 1979 Rookie of the Year

4 time IROC Champion, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2000

1998 Daytona 500 winner

2001 NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award

2002 Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame

2006 Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame

wins: 76

Top 10: 428

Poles: 22

NASCAR Championships: 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994