Trivia

Tried 19 times before finally winning the Daytona 500

Was posthumously awarded the "Most Popular Driver" Award in 2001. Driver Bill Elliott "retired" himself so Earnhardt could win it.

Filmed his role in BASEketball (1998) just days after winning his first (and only) Daytona 500.

First Win: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee, 1979 Last Win: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama, 2000

In his final win on 15 October 2000 at Talladega Superspeedway, Earnhardt was in 18th place with five laps remaining. "Dale's Big Rally" to win was ranked #13 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Most Awesome Sports Moments (of the last 15 years)". [17 July 2005 issue]

Hated the restrictor plates added onto the motors of the stock cars to slow them down when they raced in Daytona and Talladega.

Has a memorial statue erected in his memory at the Daytona USA museum.

Grandfather of Jeffrey Earnhardt.

Won seven NASCAR Winston Cup Championships and 76 races, including the 1998 Daytona 500. Drove the #3 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Is tied with NASCAR legend Richard Petty, with seven Nascar Championships.

One of the most popular figures in NASCAR racing.

Won 76 career Winston Cup races from 1979 thru 2000.

Owned the cars driven by Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., which finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the race in which he died.

Earnhardt was the #1 most searched term on Lycos.com the week of February 18-24, 2001 - the first man (and only the second person) ever to top the list since its inception.

Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2006.

Professional stock-car racer.

Son Dale Earnhardt Jr. also drives in the NASCAR Winston Cup [now Nextel Cup] Series.

U2's The Edge wore a shirt, donning the number 3, to the 2001 Grammy Awards as a tribute to Dale Earnhardt. (February 21, 2001)

He has 4 children: Kerry Earnhardt (who is a Busch series driver), Kelley Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who is a Winston Cup Driver) and Taylor Nicole Earnhardt.

During the caution (yellow flag) laps, used to bump NASCAR Pace Car Driver Elmo Langley, just for fun.

Father-in-law of NASCAR Nextel Cup Crew Chief Jimmy Elledge, who is currently working with Ganassi Racing's Target Car and Casey Mears.

Although he was sometimes called "Mr. Chevrolet", many of his fans don't know (or talk about) that he actually drove a Ford Thunderbird for famed car owner Bud Moore during the 1982 and 1983 seasons.

Dale was close friends with fellow NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace.

Has 8 grandchildren.