DALE EARNHARDT JR. Biography - Famous Sports men and women

 
 

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DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Name: Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr.                                                 
Born: October 10, 1974 Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA                           
                                                                                 
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (born October 10, 1974), is a professional American   
race car driver who drives the #88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet     
Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for Hendrick Motorsports, and drives   
in the Nationwide Series part-time for the #5 car for his own team, JR           
Motorsports.                                                                     
                                                                                 
Earnhardt, Jr. was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina to Brenda Lorraine Gee and 
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. His maternal grandfather was a NASCAR car builder.     
He began his Racing career at the late age of 17, competing in the Street Stock 
division at Concord (N.C.) Motorsport Park. His first race car was a 1979 Monte 
Carlo that he co-owned with older half-brother Kerry. Within two seasons, the   
young Earnhardt, Jr. had honed his driving abilities to the point of joining the 
Late Model Stock Car division. There he developed an in-depth knowledge of       
chassis setup and car preparation, while racing against Kerry and Dale's sister 
Kelley Earnhardt-Elledge. Junior ran 9 Busch Series races between 1996 and 1997 
for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ed Whitaker, respectively, before driving for Dale   
Earnhardt Inc. in the Busch Series full time in 1998. Earnhardt, Jr. won         
consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Championships in 1998 and 1999 over Matt Kenseth.
Also in 1999 he drove in 5 Winston Cup races in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet for   
Dale Earnhardt Inc., then in 2000 he went full time in the Winston Cup series.