Ralph Earnhardt
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| Born: | February 23, 1928 | |
| Birthplace: | Kannapolis, North Carolina | |
| Died: | September 26, 1973 (aged 45) | |
| Cause of Death: | Heart attack | |
| Achievements: | — | |
| Awards: | 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion
1989 inductee in the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame 1997 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee 1998 Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers 2004 inductee in the Oceanside Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame 2007 inductee in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame [1] |
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| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics | ||
| 51 races run over 6 years. | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 17th - 1961 (Grand National) | |
| First Race: | 1956 Buddy Shuman 250 (Hickory) | |
| Last Race: | 1964 unnamed race (Concord) | |
| 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, the grandfather of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt, and great grandfather of Jeffrey Earnhardt.
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[edit] Background
Ralph was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina to Effie Mae Barber and John Henderson Earnhardt.[2] He spent many years working in a cotton mill in North Carolina. 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. Ralph died of a heart attack in the garage behind his house on Sedan St working on his car. Dale Earnhardt Sr. found him on he floor in the garage just after it happened.
[edit] Racing career
In 1956, he won the NASCAR Sportsman Championship. He had a second place finish in his first Grand National (now Sprint 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. [3]
Ralph Earnhardt died at the age of 45 on September 26, 1973 from a heart attack. [4]
[edit] Trivia
In the film 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, Ralph Earnhardt's son Dale Earnhardt was portrayed by J. K. Simmons.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ NDLMHOF Announces 2007 Class, written by Bill Holder on December 26, 2006, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, Retrieved March 14, 2007
- ^ Ancestry of Dale Earnhardt Jr
- ^ Biography at the Daytona Beach Stockcar Hall of Fame
- ^ Biography at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
