......(Memorial
Page 1)......
This page has been created especially to pay tribute to the best driver in the history of NASCAR! Dale Earnhardt had an amazing impact on the sport of NASCAR. He had the most fans, sold the most merchandise, and tied Richard Petty for most championships! This remarkable legend truly had it all! Unfortunately, he was taken from us before his time. This page will take a look back at Old Iron Head, the Man in Black, the Intimidator, Mr. Restrictor Plate himself, Dale Earnhardt. Memorial page one is basically a life and times/timeline from 1970-2001. It includes all the ups and downs of Dale's career, as well as pictures to go along with each year!
I don't know exactly what year it was at the time, it was 1970 I believe, but this is the very first race car that Dale ever drove! It is a 1956 Ford Club Sedan. The paint was supposed to be a color called avocado, they mixed the paint wrong and it turned out pink!!! What's worse is that the roof was metallic purple to begin with... It was later painted pink to match the rest of the car. I can't believe that the man in the black Chevy got his start in a PINK FORD!
1974
Dale got his first asphalt win on July 18, 1974 driving this 1965 Chevy Chevelle at Metrolina Speedway.
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1975
Dale's very first NASCAR Winston Cup ride... This number eight Dodge was owned Ed Negre. Dale was 24 years old at this time. He qualified this car 33rd for the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 1975. Dale finished the race in 22nd place, four laps down to race winner Richard Petty. His winnings were $1,925. It was Dale's only race of 1975... But little did anyone know, that this was the start of an AMAZING career! In 1999 his son, Dale Jr. had his first Winston Cup Start at the same track... In a number 8 Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt!
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1976
Dale started two Winston Cup races in 1976. His second career Winston Cup race was in the #30 Chevy Malibu pictured below, which was owned by Katy Ballard. This race came one year after his first Cup start. It was once again the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30, 1976. Dale finished 31st in the race after a blown engine.. Later in the year, on November 7, Dale drove the #77 Malibu in the Dixie 500 at Atlanta. he finished 19th after being involved in a crash. His earnings for these two races combined were $3,085.
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1977
Dale drove this Johnny Ray owned number 19 car for his only race of 1977. It was the NAPA National 500 on October 9. The rear end in the car broke, and he ended up completing only 25 laps and finished 38th. His winnings were $1,375. This is a career low for race winnings and season winnings for Dale Earnhardt.
1978
Dale ran five Winston Cup races in 1978. The first four were in the number 96 Ford pictured below, which was owned by Will Cronkite. The first race of the year was once again the May 28th World 600 at Charlotte, where Dale finished 17th. He scored his first top ten on July 4th at Daytona in the Firecracker 400. He also competed in this car on August 6 in the Talladega 500, and September 4th in the Darlington Southern 500, finishing 12th and 16th respectively. He then drove the Rod Osterlund owned number 98 Chevy in the Dixie 500 at Atlanta on November 5th. This is when he earned his first top five finish by finishing the race in 4th place. His earnings for the year were $20,745. Dale Earnhardt was now ready to hit the big time... Full time.
1979
Dale Earnhardt started his first full season of NASCAR Winston Cup racing out on the right foot. He drove the number two Chevy Monte Carlo owned by Rod Osterland. In his rookie season, Dale got his first Winston Cup win, in just his 16th start, at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Southeastern 500 on April 1st. He won his first pole on June 8th at Riverside Speedway. But Dale's season had a major setback on July 30th when he was injured in a crash during the Coca Cola 500 at Pocono. He broke both collarbones and a leg, and was forced to sit out the next four races while healing. These are the only four races that he ever missed in his entire Winston Cup career. Displaying his usual "Dale Earnhardt toughness," Dale came back just four weeks later to qualify in first place for the race at Richmond on September 9th, but was relieved part way through the race by Lennie Pond. The following week at Dover he qualified in first place again and was relieved part way through by Bill Elliott. Apon coming back to complete his first full race, Dale was involved in a crash at Martinsville, completing only 67 laps. As if to make up for it, in the next five races which capped of the '79 season, he finished 10th, 4th, 5th 2nd, and 9th. Dale scored 11 top fives and 17 top ten finishes in 27 starts, and also won Rookie Of The Year!
Rookie of the Year!!!
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This is the trophy from Dale's
very first Winston Cup win!
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