| The most popular driver in NASCAR for five years | | | | third degree burns to his neck, chin, and legs |
| running, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the only third-generation | | | | preventing him from finishing two races. Martin Truex |
| champion in the sport. Like a lot of young drivers | | | | Jr. and John Andretti had to replace him in the middle |
| today, he has racing in his blood. | | | | of the races. By the fall of 2004, Jr. was back in |
| His grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt won the NASCAR | | | | business and became the first driver to sweep the |
| sportsman championship in 1956 and his father, Dale | | | | weekend at Bristol, winning both the Nationwide and |
| Sr. followed in his footsteps and was a seven-time | | | | Sprint Cup races. |
| cup champion and won 76 races. Both Ralph and Dale | | | | In 2002, Jr. decided to expand his talent outside the |
| Sr. have been selected to be among NASCAR's 50 | | | | seat of his racecar. He started his own company-JR |
| greatest drivers of all time. Now, Dale Jr. has made a | | | | Motorsports. It consisted of only 6 employees and a |
| name for himself in the world of racing and already | | | | Camaro to race at local short tracks. Since then, JRM |
| has 17 wins in his less than 10 year career. The three | | | | has grown to over 100 employees and now has |
| Earnhardts together have won 10 NASCAR | | | | several cars that compete in the Nationwide series |
| championships. | | | | and other local late divisions. |
| Dale Jr. was born in Kannapolis, NC and didn't start his | | | | In May of 2007, Jr. announced that he would be |
| racing career until the age of 17. It was then that he | | | | leaving his dad's company, DEI, to join the Hendrick |
| got involved in competing in the Street Stock division | | | | Motorsports team. He said his decision was based |
| at Concord Motorsport Park.It didn't take long for him | | | | solely on a desire to advance in the sport and |
| to develop his driving skills and move to the next | | | | achieve a Sprint Cup Championship. He would not be |
| level. Within two seasons he was competing in the | | | | taking his #8 or Budweiser sponsor with him, both |
| Late Model Stock Car division. He then took a shot at | | | | for which he was so well known. He did however, |
| the Nationwide Series and brought home consecutive | | | | bring his cousin and crew chief Tony Eury, Jr. It didn't |
| championships in '98 and '99. In 2000 Jr. went full time | | | | take long for Jr. to make his own way and his fans |
| in the Winston Cup series and competed with his | | | | followed the #88 Mountain dew AMP/National Guard |
| father and half-brother Kerry in the Pepsi 400 at | | | | Chevrolet with no questions asked. |
| Michigan. It was a milestone in NASCAR history, only | | | | In July of '07, Dale JR Motorsports joined up with |
| the second time a father had raced against two | | | | Hendrick Motorsports to run two full-time Nationwide |
| sons. Lee, Richard, and Maurice Petty were the first | | | | teams with HMS engines, chassis and technology. |
| to accomplish this feat. | | | | Aside from the realm of racing, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| The year 2001 was an emotional year for Dale Jr. His | | | | owns Hammerhead Entertainment, a company that |
| dad suffered a serious crash in the last lap of the | | | | produces the TV show "Back In the Day" on SPEED |
| Daytona 500 on turn 4. Jr. was the first to rush to | | | | and "Shifting Gears" on ESPN2. He's also involved in a |
| his father's side after the wreck but Earnhardt Sr. did | | | | project for a new track. Alabama Motorsports Park is |
| not survive. Jr. tried to rebound the next week at | | | | located near Mobile and will have stock car and KART |
| Rockingham but finished 43rd. He did however, return | | | | racing as well as a road course. |
| to victory lane at Dover and Talladega that year and | | | | One of his most recent endeavors is a bar named |
| took and emotional win at the Pepsi 400 at Daytona | | | | "Whisky River" in downtown Charlotte, NC. This |
| where he lost his dad earlier that year. He was able | | | | well-rounded kid actually has a candy bar out called |
| to finish 8th in points. | | | | Big Mo' and recently started his own recruiting division |
| In 2004, Jr. won the Daytona 500. It was six years | | | | of the Navy called the Dale Jr. Division. His sister |
| to the day after his dad had won the "Great | | | | Kelley, with whom he's very close, owns a Realtor |
| American Race". The year wasn't all fun and games | | | | company with him called DEJ Realty Inc. The 2008 |
| for the young Earnhardt, however. During an | | | | season marks Jr.'s ninth season in NASCAR's cup |
| off-weekend practice Jr. suffered a crash at Infineon | | | | series and up through '07 he has earned over $46 |
| Raceway. His car slid off course, hit a concrete | | | | million in career winnings. |
| barrier, and burst into flames. Jr. suffered second and | | | | |