Dale Earnhardt Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
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Earnhardt Jr. at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2023
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| Born | Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. October 10, 1974 Kannapolis, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 178.5 lb (81.0 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 1998, 1999 NASCAR Busch Series Champion 2004, 2014 Daytona 500 Winner 2000 The Winston Winner 2003, 2008 Budweiser Shootout Winner 2003, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2016 Can-Am Duel Winner 4 straight wins at Talladega Superspeedway (Fall 2001–Spring 2003) 2004, 2005, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2024 Xfinity Series Champion Owner |
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| Awards | Bill France Award of Excellence (2017) Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (2017) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2021) 2003–2017 Cup Series Most Popular Driver (15 times) 1999 Busch Series Most Popular Driver Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 631 races run over 19 years | |||||||
| 2017 position | 21st | ||||||
| Best finish | 3rd (2003) | ||||||
| First race | 1999 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 2017 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead) | ||||||
| First win | 2000 DirecTV 500 (Texas) | ||||||
| Last win | 2015 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 147 races run over 28 years | |||||||
| 2024 position | 55th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1998, 1999) | ||||||
| First race | 1996 Carolina Pride / Red Dog 250 (Myrtle Beach) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Food City 300 (Bristol) | ||||||
| First win | 1998 Coca-Cola 300 (Texas) | ||||||
| Last win | 2016 ToyotaCare 250 (Richmond) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of September 20, 2024. | |||||||
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is a famous American stock car racing driver, team owner, and TV commentator. He comes from a family of racers; his dad, Dale Earnhardt, was a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Since he stopped racing full-time in 2017, Dale Jr. has raced part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for his own team, JR Motorsports.
In 2018, he became a TV commentator for NASCAR on NBC. After his contract ended in 2023, he joined Amazon and TNT for their NASCAR coverage starting in 2025.
Dale Jr. used to drive the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), his father's team, from 1999 to 2007. In 2008, he moved to Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 88 car. He stayed there until he retired from full-time racing in 2017. He has 26 wins in the Cup Series. He also won the Xfinity Series championship twice, in 1998 and 1999.
Because he was so good at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, people called him "the Pied Piper." He won the Daytona 500 twice (in 2004 and 2014). He also won the Most Popular Driver Award for 15 years in a row, from 2003 to 2017!
Contents
Racing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Racing
Dale Earnhardt Jr. grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina. His grandfather, Robert Gee Sr., built NASCAR cars. Dale Jr. has an older sister, Kelley, and two half-siblings. He started racing at 17 in the Street Stock division at a local track.
He learned a lot about setting up race cars. He also worked as a mechanic at his father's car dealership. He even went to college to study automotive technology.
Dale Jr. raced in the Busch Series part-time in 1996 and 1997. Then, in 1998, he started racing full-time for his father's team. He won the Busch Series championship in both 1998 and 1999! In 1999, he also raced in five Winston Cup races to get ready for a full-time spot.
First Big Wins (2000-2001)
The year 2000 was a huge year for Dale Jr. in the Winston Cup Series. He won his first race at Texas Motor Speedway in only his 12th start, which was a record! He also won at Richmond International Raceway. He became the first rookie to win The Winston, a special non-points race.
In 2000, Dale Jr. raced against his father and half-brother Kerry in the Pepsi 400. This was a rare event, as it was only the second time a father had raced against two sons in NASCAR history.
The 2001 season started with a sad event at the 2001 Daytona 500. His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., crashed on the last lap and passed away. Dale Jr. finished second in that race. Fans were very upset, but Dale Jr. asked everyone not to blame anyone for the accident.
Later that year, Dale Jr. made an amazing comeback at Daytona. He won the Pepsi 400, leading most of the race. He also won at Dover after the September 11 attacks, holding a large American flag during his victory lap. He finished the 2001 season with three wins.
Becoming a Top Contender (2002-2006)
In 2002, Dale Jr. won both races at Talladega Superspeedway. He also earned two pole positions (starting first). In 2003, he became a serious championship contender. He won his fourth straight race at Talladega, which was a record! He also won at Phoenix. He finished third in the points standings, his best career finish. This was also the first time he won the Most Popular Driver award.
In 2004, Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500, exactly six years after his father won his only Daytona 500. He almost won every race during "Speedweeks" at Daytona that year. He also won five other races in 2004, making it his best season for wins.
During a practice session in 2004, Dale Jr. had a scary crash where his car caught fire. He suffered some burns, which made him miss parts of two races. Even with this, he finished fifth in the championship points. He continued to win the Most Popular Driver award.
In 2005, Dale Jr. won one race at Chicagoland. He also continued to be a successful team owner with his team, JR Motorsports. In 2006, he won a race at Richmond. He finished fifth in the championship standings that year.
Leaving DEI and Joining Hendrick Motorsports (2007-2008)
In 2007, Dale Jr. decided to leave his father's team, DEI, to pursue his dream of winning a Cup Series championship. He felt he needed to make a change to achieve this goal.
On June 13, 2007, he announced he would join Hendrick Motorsports for the 2008 season, driving the No. 88 car. This was a big move in NASCAR! His longtime crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., also joined him at Hendrick.
Dale Jr. started the 2008 season strong by winning the 2008 Budweiser Shootout, a special non-points race. He also won one of the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. In June, he won his first points race for Hendrick Motorsports at Michigan International Speedway, ending a long winless streak. He finished 12th in the points standings that year.
Challenges and Comebacks (2009-2015)
The 2009 season was tough for Dale Jr., with many poor finishes. He changed crew chiefs to try and improve his performance. He finished 25th in the standings, his lowest career finish.
In 2010, Dale Jr. had a strong start at the 2010 Daytona 500, finishing second. He also won a Nationwide Series race at Daytona, driving a car that looked like his father's old No. 3 car. He continued to win the Most Popular Driver award.
In 2011, Dale Jr. had many top-10 finishes and made it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup (NASCAR's playoffs) for the first time since 2008. He finished seventh in the final points standings.
The 2012 season was a big one for Dale Jr. He won the 2012 Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan, ending a 143-race winless streak! This was a huge moment for him and his fans. He also led the points standings for a while.
Later in 2012, Dale Jr. had to miss two races because of a concussion (a brain injury). This was a serious concern for his health. He returned to racing and finished 12th in the points. He also tied a record by winning the Most Popular Driver award for the 10th time in a row.
In 2013, Dale Jr. had a very consistent season. He finished second in the 2013 Daytona 500 and had many top-5 and top-10 finishes. He ended the season fifth in the points, his best finish since 2006. He also broke the record for most consecutive Most Popular Driver awards, winning it for the 11th time.
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The 2014 season was another great year. Dale Jr. won his second Daytona 500! He also won two races at Pocono and his first career win at Martinsville. He finished eighth in the final standings with four wins, his most since 2004. He won the Most Popular Driver award for the 12th time.
In 2015, Dale Jr. continued his success. He won the qualifying race for the Daytona 500. He also won at Talladega and his second race of the year at Daytona. He made it into the Chase playoffs again. He won his third race of the season at Phoenix. He finished 12th in the points and won his 13th Most Popular Driver award.
Concussions and Retirement (2016-2017)
In 2016, Dale Jr. won his qualifying race for the Daytona 500 again. However, he had a crash in the Daytona 500. Later in the year, he was diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms and had to miss the second half of the season. Other drivers filled in for him.
In December 2016, he was cleared to race again for 2017. He also announced that he would donate his brain for concussion research after he passes away, to help scientists learn more about brain injuries. Even though he missed half the season, he won his 14th Most Popular Driver award.
On April 25, 2017, Dale Jr. announced that 2017 would be his last year as a full-time driver. He had one top-5 finish that year and finished 21st in the points. In his final race, he finished 25th. He won his 15th and final Most Popular Driver award, setting a NASCAR record for consecutive wins.
Part-Time Racing and Broadcasting (2018-Present)
After retiring from full-time racing, Dale Jr. started racing part-time in the Xfinity Series for his team, JR Motorsports. He has raced in a few events each year, often performing very well. For example, in 2018, he finished fourth at Richmond. In 2019, he finished fifth at Darlington. In 2020, he finished fifth at Homestead-Miami.
In 2021, he raced at Richmond with a special paint scheme honoring those affected by the 9/11 attacks. In 2022, he finished 11th at Martinsville. In 2023, he had a fire in his car at Bristol, but still finished fifth at Homestead-Miami. In 2024, he raced at Bristol again, finishing seventh despite car issues.
Dale Jr. also became a popular TV commentator for NASCAR on NBC in 2018. He is known for his exciting calls, like "Slide job!" when cars battle closely. In 2024, he announced he would join Amazon and TNT for their NASCAR broadcasts starting in 2025.
Other Racing and Interests
Besides his NASCAR wins, Dale Jr. has won nine special exhibition races. He also raced in the International Race of Champions (IROC) series. In 2001, he competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona, a famous endurance race, and finished second in his class.
Dale Jr. is also involved in other racing activities, like iRacing (online racing simulations) and the CARS Tour (a regional stock car series).
Team Ownership
JR Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a co-owner of JR Motorsports with his older sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller. This team races in the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series. In 2014, their team won its first NASCAR national championship with Chase Elliott as the driver.
JR Motorsports also has a successful program for younger drivers in regional late model racing.
Business Ventures
Dale Jr. owns Hammerhead Entertainment, a company that makes TV shows. He also co-owns Whiskey River Beer and Wings restaurants. He even owns car dealerships in Florida!
He is a big fan of sim racing (racing video games) and is an executive director at iRacing, a popular online racing platform. In 2023, he became part of a group that bought the CARS Tour, a racing series.
In Popular Media
Movies and TV
Dale Jr. has appeared in several movies, including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Herbie: Fully Loaded. His No. 88 car was even featured in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
He has hosted TV shows like Back in the Day and Lost Speedways, where he explores abandoned racetracks. He has also appeared on shows like MTV Cribs and Shaq Vs.. He even has a home renovation show with his wife, Amy.
Voice Acting
Dale Jr. has lent his voice to characters in video games and animated shows. He voiced "Junior," a No. 8 car in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. He also voiced a character in an episode of Handy Manny and Teen Titans Go!.
Music and Radio
He has appeared in several music videos for artists like Jay-Z, Sheryl Crow, and Nickelback.
Dale Jr. also hosts a popular weekly podcast called The Dale Jr. Download, where he talks about racing and interviews other NASCAR personalities.
Personal Life
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Dale Jr. is a big fan of the Washington Commanders football team. He even gets game updates during his races! He also owns a collection of wrecked race cars on his property in North Carolina.
On June 17, 2015, Dale Jr. got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Amy Reimann. They got married on New Year's Eve in 2016. They have two daughters, Isla Rose (born 2018) and Nicole Loraine (born 2020).
In 2016, Dale Jr. announced his plan to donate his brain for concussion research after he passes away. This is to help doctors understand more about brain injuries in sports.
In 2019, Dale Jr., his wife, daughter, and dog were in a small plane accident. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. He still raced the next week, showing his dedication.
Dale Jr. has a unique fear called kosmemophobia, which is a fear of jewelry.
Images for kids
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Earnhardt racing at the 2000 Coca-Cola 600
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Earnhardt at the Pepsi 400 in 2002
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Earnhardt and his team in victory lane
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An Earnhardt merchandise hauler
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Earnhardt turning into the garage at Texas Motor Speedway in 2007
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Dale Jr.'s No. 8 Sharpie Busch car at the Sharpie display at the 2007 Ford Championship Weekend
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Earnhardt addresses the media at Hendrick Motorsports headquarters on January 23, 2008
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Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 83 NAVY Chevrolet in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series.
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Earnhardt Jr at Daytona
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Earnhardt during the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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Earnhardt during practice for the 2013 NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
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Earnhardt on pit road during the 2013 STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway
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Earnhardt Jr. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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Earnhardt racing alongside Joey Logano on lap 115 of the 2015 Daytona 500.
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Earnhardt Jr. racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2015
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Earnhardt Jr. at the 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway in 2020
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Tallahassee Chevrolet dealership
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A Dale Jr. autograph
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See also
In Spanish: Dale Earnhardt Jr. para niños
