NASCAR ILLUSTRATED
1973-1993
Thanks for all the emails and support for this site.
Rebecca Painter wrote this about Dale Earnhardt for a class speech and wished to share it with all ...
He never wanted much. For himself that is. He never let fame get to his head, and he remained himself for his entire life. He even said in an interview once, “I’m still Dale Earnhardt, I can win a race on Sunday and I can feed the cows on Monday or collect eggs at the chicken house or whatever, it doesn’t matter to me.” Dale Earnhardt wasn’t just some NASCAR driver whose life ended short. He truly is a hero.
Born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina it wasn’t easy. There was mom and dad and five kids. Dale was stuck in the middle. He always knew that he wanted to be a race car driver. He watched his father, Ralph Earnhardt race Stock cars throughout the Southeast. His father was his hero.
When Dale got into his teens he also began to race. He had begun to work in his fathers shop during the day, racing at night. As he watched his father race he learned what he had to do to make it in the racing business. He was competing against aggressive drivers who knew every trick there was, so he quit high school.
Six years after Ralph died and five years after he began racing full time, Dale won his first big race—the Southeastern 500. Yes, it took a while for Dale to win, but 1974 was noted as the toughest year of his adult life. His father’s death also took a toll on him.
Born on April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina it wasn’t easy. There was mom and dad and five kids. Dale was stuck in the middle. He always knew that he wanted to be a race car driver. He watched his father, Ralph Earnhardt race Stock cars throughout the Southeast. His father was his hero.
When Dale got into his teens he also began to race. He had begun to work in his fathers shop during the day, racing at night. As he watched his father race he learned what he had to do to make it in the racing business. He was competing against aggressive drivers who knew every trick there was, so he quit high school.
Six years after Ralph died and five years after he began racing full time, Dale won his first big race—the Southeastern 500. Yes, it took a while for Dale to win, but 1974 was noted as the toughest year of his adult life. His father’s death also took a toll on him.
Even though success took awhile, it definitely paid off. “I really believe this is only a start, I think you will see the boy win some more short-track races, and I’m even looking at a couple of super speedway wins. He’s young and he’s good. If he don’t get hurt, he’s got at least twelve good years ahead,” says Jake Elder, Dale’s crew chief. His words were truer than anyone would have thought. Dale won 97 races throughout his entire career.
He loved to win, of course everyone does. However, there were things that he felt were more important.
He had three kids and a wife. These people were his priority no matter what.
Dale Earnhardt was an inspiration to many people, including his sons. Just by looking at him you could tell that he wasn’t a fame crazed person. He did what he did just for the love of the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated started in 1980, in the Busch series. Dale himself drove in both the Busch and Winston cup— or it is now known as the Sprint cup—series. Although he began racing for Osterlund he finished out the 1981 season with Richard Childress Racing and to the day he died that was who he raced for. When it all started neither Dale nor Richard could have dreamed of the success that was made.
Earnhardt had only been racing for five years when people really started to see the possibilities; you can just imagine what people were saying now. In 1988, his cars colors were no longer blue and gold, but black. “The nickname the Intimidator just came along,” says Dale. He was an aggressive driver. He could push you to the point where you did things you just didn’t want to do. Even though he was a huge threat, you could probably ask any driver in NASCAR and they would say that he was the greatest driver of them all.
After almost 20 years, he accomplished the one thing he never had, he won the Daytona 500. This is the first and only Daytona 500 he ever won.
It was February 18, 2001 and Dale was coming around the final turn of the Daytona 500. He collided with Ken Schrader. Schrader hit Earnhardt behind the passenger door which made both cars go nose first into the wall. You would never think that this would be Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash, it really didn’t look that bad. However, when all the cars around him are going just as fast, you never realize that he’s hitting a wall at a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Dale didn’t die when he got to the hospital or on the way there, his life ended while he was still in that famous black number 3 car. As nobody knew this, fans were reacting quickly. While working in a newsroom, Fred Cliett experienced the troubles of the tragic crash. “Sundays are usually really slow,” he says. However, when they received the news everyone was called into work. Every phone was ringing off the hook. Other states trying to figure out what was going on, people who were watching the race, and multiple times huge fans had called hysterically crying, begging for some information. According to Cliett, “The only thing as big as that day, was when the shuttle didn’t come back in 2003.”
This not only hurt the fans, but Dale’s fellow racers as well. Ned Jarret says, “Dale Earnhardt was the greatest race car driver who ever lived, he could do things with a race car that no one else could. You never think anyone will get killed, but he was the last one you’d think that would happen to.”
“For a lot of fans, Dale Earnhardt was what they though about when they thought about NASCAR racing. He could do so much and was so talented. He knew it, and he knew you knew it. That grin of his, a lot of times you wouldn’t know what he was thinking, but you thought you did. And it might not mean a thing in the world, but he knew you were trying to figure it out. He was the last cowboy,” is how Kyle Petty described Dale’s legacy.
Now it’s 8 years later, and Dale Earnhardt is just as much everyone’s hero as he was when
He loved to win, of course everyone does. However, there were things that he felt were more important.
He had three kids and a wife. These people were his priority no matter what.
Dale Earnhardt was an inspiration to many people, including his sons. Just by looking at him you could tell that he wasn’t a fame crazed person. He did what he did just for the love of the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Incorporated started in 1980, in the Busch series. Dale himself drove in both the Busch and Winston cup— or it is now known as the Sprint cup—series. Although he began racing for Osterlund he finished out the 1981 season with Richard Childress Racing and to the day he died that was who he raced for. When it all started neither Dale nor Richard could have dreamed of the success that was made.
Earnhardt had only been racing for five years when people really started to see the possibilities; you can just imagine what people were saying now. In 1988, his cars colors were no longer blue and gold, but black. “The nickname the Intimidator just came along,” says Dale. He was an aggressive driver. He could push you to the point where you did things you just didn’t want to do. Even though he was a huge threat, you could probably ask any driver in NASCAR and they would say that he was the greatest driver of them all.
After almost 20 years, he accomplished the one thing he never had, he won the Daytona 500. This is the first and only Daytona 500 he ever won.
It was February 18, 2001 and Dale was coming around the final turn of the Daytona 500. He collided with Ken Schrader. Schrader hit Earnhardt behind the passenger door which made both cars go nose first into the wall. You would never think that this would be Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash, it really didn’t look that bad. However, when all the cars around him are going just as fast, you never realize that he’s hitting a wall at a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Dale didn’t die when he got to the hospital or on the way there, his life ended while he was still in that famous black number 3 car. As nobody knew this, fans were reacting quickly. While working in a newsroom, Fred Cliett experienced the troubles of the tragic crash. “Sundays are usually really slow,” he says. However, when they received the news everyone was called into work. Every phone was ringing off the hook. Other states trying to figure out what was going on, people who were watching the race, and multiple times huge fans had called hysterically crying, begging for some information. According to Cliett, “The only thing as big as that day, was when the shuttle didn’t come back in 2003.”
This not only hurt the fans, but Dale’s fellow racers as well. Ned Jarret says, “Dale Earnhardt was the greatest race car driver who ever lived, he could do things with a race car that no one else could. You never think anyone will get killed, but he was the last one you’d think that would happen to.”
“For a lot of fans, Dale Earnhardt was what they though about when they thought about NASCAR racing. He could do so much and was so talented. He knew it, and he knew you knew it. That grin of his, a lot of times you wouldn’t know what he was thinking, but you thought you did. And it might not mean a thing in the world, but he knew you were trying to figure it out. He was the last cowboy,” is how Kyle Petty described Dale’s legacy.
Now it’s 8 years later, and Dale Earnhardt is just as much everyone’s hero as he was when
you turned on the TV Sunday afternoon and saw him cross the finish line.
None of us could have said it better.
Thank You
All subject matter contained in this webpage is the sole property of the owner and is not to be used or reproduced without their pemission.
Now did I really have to tell you that?
Don't Steal.
