Dale Earnhardt Jr. is both blessed and burdened with one of the most legendary names in stockcarracing account . As the Word of the late NASCAR iconDale Earnhardt , Dale Jr. has inherit his father ’s instincts and firmly - charging drive style . Because he is his father ’s son and the inheritor to a great racing bequest , he must operate under greater mass medium and public scrutiny .
Sometimes known as " piffling E , " Earnhardt Jr. began his professional racing calling at 17 , competing in the street stock division at Concord Motorsport Park , a half - naut mi tri - oviform racecourse near his Kannapolis , N.C. , hometown .
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He then moved up to NASCAR ’s Busch Series , where he soon dominated with back - to - back championships in 1998 and ' 99 . He also run five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events in ' 99 before moving to NASCAR ’s top series full time in 2000 . Jr. quickly made a name for himself , capturing two wins and two pole during his greenhorn season .
Tragedy struck at the 2001 Daytona 500 , when Dale Earnhardt Sr . was killed in a last - circuit accident as Jr. crossed the refinement strain in second place behind teammate Michael Waltrip . Earnhardt Jr. stood tall in the face of this immense exit , tally an aroused Daytona triumph five months subsequently at the Pepsi 400 and winning twice more to end eighth in the 2001 standing .
The 2003 time of year saw Junior become a reliable title contender as he scored a disc - reveal fourth consecutive profits at Talladega on his direction to a career - best third - place finish in the final standings .
In 2004 , Earnhardt Jr. conquered Daytona again , winning the Daytona 500 on his way to a career - in high spirits six victories and a fifth - place conclusion in serial publication points .
In spite of an intense personal schedule , Earnhardt Jr. maintains a put - back demeanor and an ability to cut free and have a right sentence . recall his days as a mechanic in his pa ’s Chevrolet dealership , he also enjoys function on his extensive specialty car collection .
Over the grade of his racing vocation , Earnhardt Jr. has become a bona fide mainstream celebrity . In addition to the expect onslaught of advertising and promotional appearances , he has seem on TV talk shows , MTV and VH-1 documentary film , Hollywood movies , and music video , as well as several popular mag such as People , Maxim , Forbes , and Rolling Stone . He is a three - clip - straight winner of the National Motorsports Press Association ’s Most Popular Driver honor .
As a third - coevals stock car racer , Dale Earnhardt Jr. represents NASCAR ’s southern past tense and its future . If his career thus far is any reading , the future is bright .
