Dale Earnhardt Jr. and The Earnhardt Family Legacy

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

What comes to mind when you see that name?

I’m willing to wager that ten years ago the immediate response among long-time NASCAR fans would have overwhelmingly been “He’s Dale Earnhardt’s son, the heir apparent.”

Now, take a step back and try to imagine what those high expectations meant. Unless your father was a man driven to be the very best at what he did, I doubt you can really relate.

If you take one more step back, the question then becomes, “What drove Dale Sr. to achieve greatness?”

Dale Earnhardt was one of those rare people who followed in a legendary father’s footsteps and exceeded what his father had accomplished.

Ralph Earnhardt, limited as he was by family obligations that he readily accepted,
was, as a consequence, hampered throughout his racing career by minimal funding. He still made it while racing the majority of the time on local tracks so he could be home at night. In fact, Ralph Earnhardt won over 350 Sportsman, NASCAR modified and Grand National series events in a 23 year racing career that led to two different auto racing Hall of Fame enshrinements.

Those familiar with the Earnhardt’s family history are aware that when Dale, Ralph and Martha’s oldest of five children, let it be known he wanted to drive race cars too, his father and mother were against it. They knew the hardships his father's passion for racing had placed on the family. They didn’t want that kind of life for Dale. The oldest Earnhardt son adored his father. He had no use for school and only wanted what his parents advised against. This created a rift that if anything, only stoked the fire in Dale’s belly to succeed in racing. Dale didn’t heed his parent’s wishes. He dropped out of high school without graduating and went ahead trying to make auto racing his life.

Dale Earnhardt not only inherited his father’s passion for auto racing, he was also bestowed with Ralph Earnhardt’s will to win. Ned Jarrett is quoted as saying, “Ralph Earnhardt was absolutely the toughest race driver I ever raced against. On the dirt or asphalt short track in Sportsman competition, you went to the track you knew he was the man to beat.”

While Dale and his second wife struggled to make ends meet, he lost his father when he succumbed to a heart attack at 45 years of age. Dale was but 22.

By the time Dale Earnhardt had clawed his way to the top, winning 7 Cup Championships in the process; he was into his third marriage, had fathered four children, missed out on raising his oldest son, Kerry, and was the most recognized figure in auto racing. His popularity transcended NASCAR. He became the second most recognized person in all of sport behind basketball legend Michael Jordan. He was so recognized that people who knew little to nothing of auto racing could tell you Dale Earnhardt drove the black number 3 in NASCAR.

Like his parents before him, Dale had problems raising his younger son and namesake; Dale Jr. Just like his father, Junior had trouble achieving good grades in school. By this time, Dale Sr., who knew how important a good education was after dropping out himself, became adamant about Junior doing well. It got to the point that for a period of time, Junior was shipped off to a military school. Once young Earnhardt was done with his education he had spent two years in college and earned an automotive degree. He was happy to work in the shop at his father’s Chevy dealership claiming the title of the fastest oil change man in the garage. It’s interesting that when responding to an interviewer, Junior’s sister Kelley stated she would never have guessed that Junior was destined to become a race driver. She said, “He spent a lot of time playing with Matchbox cars, but he was not aggressive ... and didn't take risks."

Evidently Junior was never discouraged by his father when it came to racing and he eventually got involved at 17 years of age. One thing led to another as he worked his way up from the bottom, buying his cars, earning his racing money at the Chevy dealership and trying to entice sponsors, mostly on his own, just as his dad had done. By 24 Junior had made a reputation as a winner and became known as “Little E”.

"I don't really think about that (carrying on the family racing name)," Earnhardt Jr. said in an interview after winning his first Busch Grand National event, the Coca Cola 300 at Texas Motor Speedway in 1998. "I'm just so proud of my family and real proud to be involved with my father in racing and be a driver for him. It's a good relationship we have. Winning with this team in front of my father ... It's important to me. I'm proud of my father and grandfather and what they've done. I'm just glad I'm able to be successful at it, too."

At the end of 1999 he’d won back to back Busch Series Championships and was ready for the show. The next year Junior became a full-time Cup driver, winning two races, the NASCAR All-Star race (the only rookie to do so) and narrowly missing out on Rookie of the Year honors falling just short of Matt Kenseth.

All was right with the world…

The first of a three-part series.

Resources:
http://www.earnhardtnation.com/ralph_earnhardt.html
http://www.oceansiderotary.org/stockcarhalloffame/R_Earnhardt.htm
http://blk3gm.tripod.com/intimidator.htm
http://blk3gm.tripod.com/photo/photoearnfamily.htm