Ralph Earnhardt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birthplace: | Kannapolis, North Carolina | |
| Born: | February 23, 1928 | |
| Died: | September 26, 1973 | |
| Cause of Death: | Heart attack | |
| Awards: | 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion
1997 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee 1998 Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers 1989 inductee in the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame 2004 inductee in the Oceanside Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame |
|
| NASCAR Cup statistics | ||
| 51 races run over 6 years. | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 17tn - 1961 (Grand National) | |
| First Race: | 1956 Buddy Shuman 250 (Hickory Speedway) | |
| Last Race: | 1964 unnamed race (Concord Speedway) | |
| First Win: | - | |
| Last Win: | - | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 0 | 16 | 1 |
Ralph Lee Earnhardt (February 23, 1928—September 26, 1973) was a NASCAR racing legend. He was the father of Dale Earnhardt, and the grandfather of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt.
[edit] Background
Ralph was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina where he spent many years working in a cotton mill. One of the only ways out of this poor living was racing. Ralph started his racing career on dirt tracks where he was famous for keeping his car in top condition throughout each race.
[edit] Racing career
In 1956, he won the NASCAR Sportsman Championship. He had a second place finish in his first Grand National (now NEXTEL Cup) race in 1956. In 1961, Ralph had his highest finish by finishing 17th in the Grand National point standings.
Ralph Earnhardt was the first car builder/driver to understand and use tire stagger. [1]
Ralph Earnhardt died at the age of 45 on September 26, 1973 from a heart attack while working in his garage. [2]
