Earnhardt, Dale

Earnhardt, Dale (Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr.) (ûrn`härt), 1951–2001, American auto racing driver widely regarded as stock car racing's greatest star, b. Kannapolis, N.C. The 1979 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Rookie of the Year, he became, initially in rivalry with Richard Petty, one of the dominant U.S. drivers. Earnhardt won seven Winston Cup (NASCAR) championships and a total of 76 races. "The Intimidator" was especially successful at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, but did not win his first Daytona 500 until 1998. Also nicknamed "Ironhead," Earnhardt died in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona race. His son,

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 1974–, is also a race-car driver, and won his first Daytona 500 in 2004.

Bibliography

See biography by L. Montville (2001).

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Earnhardt, (Ralph) Dale

(born April 29, 1951, Kannapolis, N.C., U.S.—died Feb. 18, 2001, Daytona, Fla.) U.S. automobile racer. He earned Rookie of the Year honours on the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing's Winston Cup series in 1979. In his career he drove to seven Winston Cup titles (1980, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1993–94), equaling the mark of Richard Petty. Earnhardt gained a reputation as an aggressive driver and became known as “the Intimidator.” He died from injuries suffered in a crash during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.