Most of the younger generation today know Dale Earnhardt Sr. only as a legend. They never got to see him race or experience his unique personality in interviews. But these were what made him who he was. The latest — and perhaps the best — attempt at bridging this gap is the “Earnhardt” documentary that Amazon Prime Video has created in partnership with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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The series premiered on the platform on May 22 amidst huge expectations. Speaking about the purpose of the project, Junior said, “I am most excited for someone like you [a young interviewer] to see this because much like my wife, you’ll never meet him. You’ll never be able to be in the same room with him. But I want to show you or get you as close as possible to that.”
He added with confidence, “I think this is as good as we can do.” The documentary provides a chance for fans to know the story of Earnhardt before he made it to NASCAR. Junior asserted that no previous documentary has provided such a comprehensive narration of his father’s human side. Fans can expect to see the father, friend, and man behind the legend.
As far as his target audience goes, Junior also said to USA Today, “For me, I just wanted to introduce Dad and his greatness to a generation of fans that hadn’t seen him race or didn’t understand why he was so loved or appreciated.” He mentioned that the creators have been mindful to be as honest as possible in portraying what Earnhardt was actually like, with help from him and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt.
The Earnhardt Documentary is for you – yes, you – and both @DaleJr & @EarnhardtKelley can’t wait for you to see it. 3️⃣️ pic.twitter.com/lzdQgalD49
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) May 22, 2025
In his words, “We’ve grown to understand to tell this story, Dad’s story, which has been told many, many times, to truly tell it was to be honest. Had we not, we would be just regurgitating the same ‘seven-time champion,’ ‘won this many races,’ ‘what a great guy,’ ‘he’s amazing,’ ‘The Intimidator,’ that everybody knows and loves. But to do this project justice, we had to be honest about what it was like being around him.”
The first two episodes are a part of the premiere and the final two will be released on May 29.
