***This site is in no way connected to Dale Earnhardt Jr. or DEI. It is a fansite made by a fan for other fans. It is a tribute to Junior since he does not have a public MySpace account. If you want more information on Junior you can go to his official site http://www.DaleJr.com or DEI's site http://www.daleearnhardtinc.com to get even more up to date info on the 8 car! Everything on this site is taken from either articles or other websites. Any questions or comments can be sent to this site or
[email protected]. Feel free to leave support for Junior!***
Dale Jr. Bio-
Birthday: Oct. 10, 1974
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most popular -- and well-seen -- driver in NASCAR. From television to videos to magazines and books (as an author) and then to the track, fans clamor to the third-generation driver of a famous racing family.
Earnhardt's roots in racing begin with his maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, who was a renowned NASCAR fabricator and mechanic. His grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, was voted as one of NASCAR's 50-best all-time drivers in 1999. His father, Dale Earnhardt, is a seven-time Cup champion.
Earnhardt Jr. became the first third-generation NASCAR champion when he won the first of his back-to-back Busch Series titles in 1998.
Earnhardt also had something else in common with his father -- a tremendous work ethic. Upon graduation from high school Earnhardt received a two-year automotive degree, and was hired as a mechanic in his father's Chevy dealership making a little more than $15,000 a year.
Earnhardt took up racing at 17 in Street Stocks, practically building a car from scratch. From there he went to the NASCAR Late Models. He raced in that division for three years and, as impressive as he was on the track, gained in-depth knowledge of chassis setup and car preparation.
In 1996, while enjoying the best season of his Late Model career, Earnhardt made his Busch Series debut in a car owned by his father. He started seventh and finished 14th at Myrtle Beach.
Earnhardt recorded his first top-10 in a limited 1997 schedule before taking over the No. 3 Chevrolet in '98. He won his first race, at Texas, in his 16th career start. Coincidentally, Dale Earnhardt won his first Cup race in his 16th start.
Earnhardt Jr. won seven races in 1998 with 16 top-fives and 22 top-10s in 31 races. He took a champion's Victory Lap with his father after the season-finale at Homestead.
Earnhardt out-battled Matt Kenseth and Jeff Green to win the Busch Series title again in 1999, posting six victories, 18 top-fives and 22 top-10s. He also made his Cup debut, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Earnhardt chose the number in honor of his grandfather's car. His best finish in five starts was a 10th in September at Richmond.
As in the Busch Series two years earlier, Earnhardt's first Cup victory came in the season's seventh race, at Texas. Earnhardt won twice in 2000 with three top-fives and five top-10s and became the first rookie to win the All-Star race at Lowe's.
In 2001 the DEI cars of Michael Waltrip and Earnhardt were racing up front in the season-opening Daytona 500 when they were about to get some help from Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt crashed, however, and was killed. Waltrip won the race, with Earnhardt Jr. finishing second.
Later that year Earnhardt returned to Daytona and won one for his father, with the drafting help of Waltrip, who finished second. Earnhardt won three times in '01 with nine top-fives and 15 top-10s to finish eighth in the final point standings.
Earnhardt finished third in points in 2003 but his best year came in '04 when he won six races, including the first Nextel Cup race in the Daytona 500, with 16 top-fives and 21 top-10s. He finished fifth in points.
Earnhardt is co-owner, with his stepmother, Teresa, of the car Martin Truex Jr. won back-to-back Busch Series titles in 2004-05, and he also operates his own team, JR Motorsports.I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
