Accompanied by never-before-published photos, this unrivaled tribute to Dale Earnhardt documents his entire winning history, from Bristol in 1979 to his final checkered flag at Talladega in 2000.
Dale Earnhardt was all about winning. He won on the track. He won in business. And he won in life.
As a youngster, he was heavily influenced by his fatehr. Ralph Earnhardt was one of the best short-track drivers in NASCAR history. He raced out of a garage at his home in Kannapolis, N.C., where he taught his son the nuances of car preparation.
Young Earnhardt was so taken by the sport that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He wanted to race for a living.
But it would not be easy - Earnhardt knew that, yet he made it even harder on himself. He quit school. He married, and divorced, at a very young age. He tired to make ends meet by taking on odd jobs that took him away from home.
All the while, he tried to fashion a racing career. He raced when he could, most often with his own makeshirt, underfinanced operation. Sometimes he drove another's car.
He was determined to make it, to establish racing as his career.
In 1979 he landed a full-time NASCAR Winston Cup ride with team owner Rod Osterlund. He promptly earned his first victory and captured Rookie of the Year honors.
He made it. He won. But he wasn't content simply to be a member of stock car racing's elite. He waned to be the best. In 1980 he won his first Winston Cup championship. After some turbulent years, he joined team owner Richard Childress in 1984. Together, they made racing history.
Over the next 17 seasons, Earnhardt won 67 more races and six Winston Cup titles. He set records. He received honors. His aggressive driving style earned him praise from some and criticism from others. Yet all respected him, and he became the most recognized driver in NASCAR. He stood proud as the symbol of what the sport was all about. In his quest to be the best, he won.
He wanted more. Driving for the present was one thing; the furture was another. Earnhardt wanted to provide a foundation for the years ahead, a source from which he, and others, could continue to be a part of NASCAR and contribute to its growth.
He founded Dale Earnhardt Inc., and, in time produced three top-quality race teams that enahanced NASCAR's competition. One of those teams employs his sone, Dale Earnhardt Jr., today considered by many to be on of NASCAR's most able, and certainly most popular, drivers.
In the quest for a lasting legacy, Dale Earnhardt won. Earnhardt knew full well what hard times were like. When they ended for him, he decided he would do his best to help others avoid them. Quietly, he went about the business of charity. He never wanted attention; he only wanted results. It was only after his passing that many learned of the many contributions he made to others. In a quest for compassion for his fellow man, Earnhardt won.
It is as a race driver, however, that Earnhardt will be remembered best. Each of his victories serves as a testament to his skill, courage, and determination.
They are all recorded here, told in words and pictures by NASCAR Scene, the publication that was with Earnhardt for every year of his stellar career.
They tell us that, indeed, Dale Earnhardt was all about winning.
