Dale Earnhardt

Earnhardt co-holds the record for most NASCAR Cup Series championships (seven) with Richard Petty.

Inducted: 2010
Position:Driver / Owner

Vitals

Hometown

Kannapolis, NC

Born

04/29/1951

Died

02/18/2001

PREMIER SERIES STATS

Championships

7 Premier Series
(1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994)

Competed

1975-2001

Starts / Wins / Poles

676 / 76 / 22

The Intimidator

In only his second full season, 1980, Earnhardt nabbed his first championship.

Earnhardt won consecutive titles on three separate occasions (1986-1987, 1990-1991 and 1993-1994). Earnhardt’s 76 victories rank seventh all time.

He is the all-time leader in race victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34, though the most prominent of them was a while in the making.

In 1998, Earnhardt won his most coveted race —the Daytona 500. The scene was a memorable one, forever etched in the minds of race fans. As Earnhardt’s black No. 3 rolled down pit road, a Daytona 500 winner at last, every crew member from every team lined up to congratulate one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Dale Earnhardt earned the first of his record-tying seven NASCAR premier series championships in 1980. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

The 1998 Daytona 500 was the biggest of Dale Earnhardt’s 76 NASCAR premier series race victories. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (l) and team owner Richard Childress won six NASCAR premier series championships together. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.