Dale Earnhardt- The Later Years
Dale Earnhardt Biography- the later stages of his career
Jan 11, 2008
In 1990, Dale Earnhardt reclaimed the Winston Cup title by winning 9 races. It was his fourth championship, moving him into second place all-time behind Richard Petty who owned seven championships. Despite his title run, Earnhardt’s season was incomplete as he lost the Daytona 500 on the final lap due to a cut tire.
He clinched the championship for a fifth time in 1991 by 195 points over Ricky Rudd after posting four wins.
The 1992 season marked one of the few substandard years in Earnhardt’s celebrated career. While Ford Thunderbird drivers Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, and Alan Kulwicki dominated the top of the championship standings, Earnhardt would stumble to a 12th place spot in the final Winston Cup championship standings with only one victory. It was the first time since 1982 when he finished outside of the top ten in the Winston Cup standings.
Following the 1992 season, crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine resigned from his position as he pursued his aspirations to become a racecar driver. He was replaced with Andy Petree.
But for those who began to believe that Earnhardt’s dominance was over and done with were reminded of how consistent yet dominant the Man In Black can be. He won back-to-back championships in 1993 and 1994 after posting a combined 10 wins in those two seasons. It was his sixth and seventh championships, tying him with Richard Petty for the most championships all-time. Additionally, it was the third time in his career that he won back-to-back titles.
In 1995, Earnhardt came up just 34 shy of his third consecutive championship and 8th overall as 24 year old Jeff Gordon captured his first Winston Cup championship. A year later, Earnhardt would fall to 4th in the final championship standings, winning just two races.
At Talladega in July of 1996, Earnhardt was involved in a fierce multi-car accident, which broke his collarbone, sternum, and shoulder. Despite the severity of the injuries, Earnhardt would start the next race at Indianapolis; however, he would relinquish the seat of the # 3 Chevrolet to Mike Skinner during the team’s first pit stop. The series hit the winding road course of Watkins Glen a week later, and in true Earnhardt heroic fashion, he drove his Chevrolet to the pole position. He would dominate the event before fading to a sixth-place finish.
In 1997, Larry McReynolds replaced David Smith as the crew chief of the # 3 car. Earnhardt failed to win a single race in a season for the first time since 1981 when he drove for three different owners. Despite the doughnut in the win column, Earnhardt finished 5th in the standings.
In 1998, Dale Earnhardt captured the one crown jewel race that had eluded him for 20 years- the Daytona 500. After years of trying and numerous close calls and disappointments, Earnhardt held off Bobby Labonte and Jeremy Mayfield en route to his first Daytona 500 triumph. The win was debatably the most popular since Richard Petty won his 200th race at Daytona in July of 1984. Earnhardt was greeted and congratulated by every pit crew member from every team on pit road. Finally, a colossal weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and his career was complete. Still, he desired to hunt for that eighth championship.
The remainder of the 1998 season was not as memorable as the Daytona 500 was as he would not win another race and would fall to 8th in the final championship standings. In fact, Richard Childress removed Larry McReynolds as Earnhardt’s crew chief and replaced him with Kevin Hamlin. Basically, the #3 and #31 team car driven by Mike Skinner swapped crew chiefs. Meanwhile, young Jeff Gordon would win 13 races and clinch his third Winston Cup Championship in four years. A lot of critics began to crown Gordon as NASCAR’s top driver as they concurred that Earnhardt was on a downward spiral that could not be reversed.
In 1999, Earnhardt would notch three victories and finish 7th in the final championship standings. His win at Bristol in August may have been the most controversial of his career as he wrecked Terry Labonte on the white flag lap. The win was greeted with thundering boos, and his good friend Labonte was less than thrilled. However, the win provided us with the catch phrase ‘I didn't try to turn him around, I just wanted to rattle his cage’.
In 2000, Earnhardt was primed and ready to contend for a championship as his team had gradually improved since the dark days of 1997 and 1998 when he won just one race and when many thought his best days were behind him. Throughout the season, he remained within striking distance of points leader Bobby Labonte. He would post two wins in 2000, at Atlanta and Talladega, and would fall 265 shy of his 8th Winston Cup Championship.
Earnhardt’s win at Talladega in October of 2000 was the 76th and final win of his storied career. He would rally from deep in the pack in the late stages of the race and record the astounding victory.
The 2000 season also marked the rookie season for Dale Earnhardt Jr in the Budweiser # 8, as he would win at Texas in only his 12th career start. It was also the first win for the DEI organization. At Michigan in August, Kerry Earnhardt, Dale’s oldest son, made his Winston Cup debut driving for Dave Marcis in the #71 Realtree Chevrolet. It was the first and only race in which Dale, Dale Junior, and Kerry all raced on the same track.
In February of 2001, Earnhardt and his son Earnhardt Jr would partner in the annual Rolex 24 Hours Of Daytona. They would finish second in their class and fourth overall.
Once the 2001 Daytona 500 weekend commenced, Earnhardt was favored by many to capture his second Daytona 500 victory as well as his 8th Winston Cup championship. It was also the first race of NASCAR’s new television contract with FOX. Earnhardt remained among the leaders throughout the event, but late in the running, he was third behind his DEI driver Michael Waltrip, who was searching for his first career win, and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. On the final lap of the race, Earnhardt attempted to block Sterling Marlin and the two made contact. Earnhardt’s car lost control and awkwardly hit the outside retaining wall, also making contact with Ken Schrader’s car. His car would drift to the bottom of the track following the hit. The wreck, which appeared innocent compared to many others, was fatal as Earnhardt died due to head and neck injuries on February 18th, 2001.
His death dealt a severe blow to the sport of NASCAR as they had lost their chief driver. However, saftey became a foremost concern like never before. Eventually, the HANS Device, a head and neck constraint, was mandated by NASCAR. The installation of softer walls and safer barriers, which softens the car’s impact with the wall, began on NASCAR facilities.
Following Earnhardt’s death, Richard Childress painted the GM Goodwrench cars white and replaced the #3 with the #29. Busch Series driver Kevin Harvick was named as Earnhardt’s replacement. Earnhardt’s DEI driver Steve Park valianly won the very next race at Rockingham following Earnhardt’s death in poignant fashion. Three weeks later, Kevin Harvick won his first race at Atlanta in only his third career start as he edged out Jeff Gordon.
In July of 2001 at Daytona, the very track where he lost his father, Dale Earnhardt Jr won his first race since his father’s the tragic passing. The win may have been the most emotional win in the sport’s history. Unfortunately, many conspiracy theorists attempted to taint the win by stating that it was fixed in order to capture the storybook appeal. But the win was legit, and lessened the pain of the tragic loss.
In June of 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr announced that he was leaving DEI to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.
Dale Earnhardt was named as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver in 2001.
Dale Earnhardt was survived by his wife Teresa Earnhardt, his four children Kerry, Kelley, Dale Junior, and Taylor, as well as his mother Martha.
Dale Earnhardt- 7-time Winston Cup champion, 76-time race-winner, 1998 Daytona 500 winner.
A few of Dale Earnhardt’s hobbies were hunting, fishing, and working on his tractor.
Dale Earnhardt Biography, Part I
