Dale Earnhardt is considered one of the greatest race car drivers of all time, and his career is well-known among race fans. However, there are still several aspects of his life that people may not be aware of.
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His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., often shares stories about the late legend on his podcast which engrosses his listeners, throwing back NASCAR’s heyday.
It was The Intimidator’s personality, an aura that surrounded him as a result of his robust racing techniques and off-track demeanor that set him apart. The same carried on to his personal life, often with surprising details.
On this date in 1994:
Dale Earnhardt clinched his seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship with a victory at Rockingham.
🔗: https://t.co/eTdpWL7iXv pic.twitter.com/QxRNt4xIau
— NASCAR Classics (@NASCARClassics) October 23, 2024
There are several lesser-known facts about the seven-time Cup Series champion but perhaps the most surprising of them all is that he did not have a driver’s license until his 30s.
Junior revealed the same on his podcast. Earnhardt did not possess a driver’s license until he was 31 years old. By that point, he had already become a prolific race car driver as he had won the first of his seven Cup Series titles two years earlier.
It was such an unlikely fact that even his son admitted to being surprised when he first heard of it. Another aspect of his life that might come as a surprise to his fans has something to do with his iconic mustache. The Intimidator is unimaginable without his characteristic facial hair but he has shaved it off several times.
Dale Earnhardt, 1999 Brickyard 400. They had been on vacation the week before, his snorkeling mask wouldn't seal so Taylor told him to shave off his mustache so he did. #NASCAR #DailyDale pic.twitter.com/UgteJNvArn
— NASCAR Classics (@ClassicsNascar) July 29, 2022
A couple of documented incidents where did so were in 1983 before a shoot with Ricky Rudd and in 1999 when he went on a vacation with his family. Still, he mostly has been photographed with the ‘stache and would look incomplete without it.
Dale’s unlikely color choice for his racing debut
Earnhardt made his racing debut in 1970 at the Metroline dirt track and his first race car was pink in color, another fact about the seven-time Cup Series champion that fans would be hard-pressed to guess. The same came as a result of what was essentially a botched paint job back in the day.
The first race car Dale Earnhardt drove was a 1956 pink Crown Victoria. Why was it pink? Well, the color didn’t come out as planned when they mixed it and they couldn’t afford to redo it.
If anyone else has any pictures of the pink K2 car please share. Thanks!! pic.twitter.com/210znMqEVQ
— The Dale Earnhardt Archive (@ArchivesDe) July 30, 2023
After all, the color choice comes in stark contrast to one of his later rides, the black #3 Chevrolet Lumina, one of the Kannapolis native’s most infamous cars.
Named after his father Ralph, Ralph Dale Earnhardt, has been a spitting image of the former racecar driver himself. A blue-collar worker whose passion for going fast and determination behind the wheel allowed him to make a name for himself.
Ralph might not have won the Cup Series championship but he has been included in NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers of All Time list.
From introducing the world to NASCAR while becoming somewhat of a pop culture icon himself, Dale Sr. is one of, if not the sole driver responsible for making racing relatable to the common man, something which some might say is missing in the modern day and age.
