Nascar Driver Profile Dale Earnhardt Jr

Third generation racecar driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has proven time and time again that driving and winning is in the Earnhardt genes. Born October 10, 1974, Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the son of legend NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt (also known as the Intimidator) and grandson of Ralph Earnhardt – 1956 NASCAR National Sportsman division champion, which is now known as the Busch series. Born in Concord, North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been given several nicknames throughout his life including Jr., Little E, and the affectionate name of Junebug. Dale Jr. is the son of Brenda, the second wife of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. in which he also has a sister, Kelley. From his father’s first marriage, Dale Jr. has an older half-brother (Kerry) and a younger half-sister (Taylor) from his father’s third marriage. The early years of Dale Jr. show a young man that showed interest in the sport but didn’t take the track immediately. Earnhardt, Jr. instead worked at his father’s Chevrolet dealership but it wouldn’t be long before the racing bug hit this future racecar superstar. The young teenager started his career with a 1978 Monte Carlo which he and his brother Kerry would turn into a racecar to compete in the Street Stock division. In some other industries, having a famous name will get you great things without having the talent. This didn’t happen with the young Earnhardt, Jr. He worked his way from the bottom until he finally made it into NASCAR in 1997. His early NASCAR career would give him two championships in the Busch series – in 1998 and 1999. During these two championship years, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would finish in the top five in nearly half of all the races he competed. He would later start driving in the Busch series in a car owned by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and adopting the number 8 – the number that belonged to his grandfather. In 2000, Dale Jr. entered the Winston Cup circuit in which he won the Winston – the first rookie NASCAR driver to take the honor. However, the thrill of winning would soon be cut short with tragedy. During his second Winston Cup season in 2001, his father, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was killed instantly during the final lap of the Daytona 500. Unknown to Dale Jr. at the time as his father was rushed to a local hospital, the young Earnhardt would finish second in the race that took his father’s life. Besides the life of racing, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has a variety of recreational hobbies that include online gaming and enjoying a variety of music. He is an Elvis Presley fan as well as enjoying movies from his favorite actors like Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood. The six-foot NASCAR champion has a weakness for his favorite food – cheeseburgers or taking in pizza at one of his favorite eateries “Pie in the Sky”. Currently (2010), the single Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drives the #88 National Guard Car, a Chevrolet Impala SS, in the NASCAR Spring Cup series. References: http://www.dalejr.com/indexSma ll.html http://www.notablebiographies. com/news/Ca-Ge/Earnhardt-Dale- Jr.html http://www.dalejrpitstop.com/b io/bio.html Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society