Full Name
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Job Title
Former NASCAR driver and current NBC Sports analyst
Speaker Bio
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a third-generation driver in a family forever connected to the sport of stock-car racing, and while his innate ability behind the wheel comes from Earnhardt DNA, his competitive driving style and business savvy are all his own. His common-sense charisma and flair for originality have helped propel him to become one of the most popular figures in sports. Race fans have selected him a record 15 consecutive times as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver. Earnhardt’s appeal is not limited to loyal race fans, as he has appeared on Harris Interactive’s annual survey of America’s Top 10 Favorite Athletes, frequenting the list with such names as LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning and Derek Jeter.
Before retiring from full-time competition following the 2017 season, the native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, amassed 26 career victories, including the 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500s. His 26 victories tie him for 27th on NASCAR’s all-time race winners list. He also has 13 pole positions and six non-points wins (four in the Daytona 500 qualifying Duel, two in the Unlimited and one All-Star Race victory). Overall, Earnhardt qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs eight times (2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015).
Earnhardt is the only third-generation NASCAR champion, achieved when he won the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR XFINITY Series titles. He follows his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr., a seven-time Cup champion and winner of 76 races, and his grandfather Ralph Earnhardt, the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion. In October 2009, Earnhardt Sr. was selected as a posthumous inductee in the inaugural 2010 class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In 2007, Ralph Earnhardt was inducted posthumously into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Both his father and grandfather were selected among NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of all time in 1999. The three Earnhardts combine for 10 NASCAR championships.
Earnhardt’s first turn at ownership began with Chance 2, a team started in 2002 and jointly operated with Dale Earnhardt Inc. With that team, Earnhardt was co-owner of the 2004 and 2005 Xfinity Series championship teams with driver Martin Truex Jr.
Fans and media selected Earnhardt as one of the top-three Xfinity Series drivers of all-time in a 2006 NASCAR poll. Earnhardt’s 24 victories rank 11th on the all-time series wins list. His two championships in 1998 and 1999 introduced him to the NASCAR history books, and his accomplishments throughout the ensuing decade reinforced his place. On July 2, 2010, Earnhardt scored a popular victory at Daytona International Speedway in a throwback blue-and-yellow No. 3 Chevrolet made famous by his father in the mid-1980s. It was Earnhardt’s sixth Xfinity Series victory at Daytona, which ranks second all-time behind Tony Stewart and Earnhardt Sr. with seven each.
With crossover appeal that stretches beyond his accomplishments as an athlete in NASCAR, Earnhardt Jr. continues to garner media attention worldwide. He has appeared on more than 150 magazine covers and has been featured in high-profile publications such as Maxim, Rolling Stone, GQ, Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and TV Guide.
While the obligations of being a driver and team owner occupy much of his time, Earnhardt is active in charities and non-profit organizations. In 2007, he launched The Dale Jr. Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence, education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. The Dale Jr. Foundation has contributed to more than 400 local and national organizations. He also is involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In May 2010, Make-A-Wish recognized Earnhardt as one of only a handful of athletes who has facilitated more than 200 “wishes” for kids battling terminal or life-threatening illnesses. The occasion was documented by ESPN SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series. In recognition of his career achievements as a champion driver, team owner and philanthropist, Earnhardt was named the recipient of the 2014 NMPA Myers Brothers Award, a prestigious accolade recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.
Earnhardt’s hobbies include listening to music, traveling and continuously quenching his thirst for NASCAR history. He enjoys spending time on his property affectionately known as Dirty Mo Acres. It consists of a vintage Western-style town, a treehouse, a paintball course and five miles of ATV trails. In April 2018, he and wife Amy welcomed their first daughter, Isla Rose Earnhardt.
Before retiring from full-time competition following the 2017 season, the native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, amassed 26 career victories, including the 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500s. His 26 victories tie him for 27th on NASCAR’s all-time race winners list. He also has 13 pole positions and six non-points wins (four in the Daytona 500 qualifying Duel, two in the Unlimited and one All-Star Race victory). Overall, Earnhardt qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs eight times (2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015).
Earnhardt is the only third-generation NASCAR champion, achieved when he won the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR XFINITY Series titles. He follows his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr., a seven-time Cup champion and winner of 76 races, and his grandfather Ralph Earnhardt, the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion. In October 2009, Earnhardt Sr. was selected as a posthumous inductee in the inaugural 2010 class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In 2007, Ralph Earnhardt was inducted posthumously into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Both his father and grandfather were selected among NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of all time in 1999. The three Earnhardts combine for 10 NASCAR championships.
Earnhardt’s first turn at ownership began with Chance 2, a team started in 2002 and jointly operated with Dale Earnhardt Inc. With that team, Earnhardt was co-owner of the 2004 and 2005 Xfinity Series championship teams with driver Martin Truex Jr.
Fans and media selected Earnhardt as one of the top-three Xfinity Series drivers of all-time in a 2006 NASCAR poll. Earnhardt’s 24 victories rank 11th on the all-time series wins list. His two championships in 1998 and 1999 introduced him to the NASCAR history books, and his accomplishments throughout the ensuing decade reinforced his place. On July 2, 2010, Earnhardt scored a popular victory at Daytona International Speedway in a throwback blue-and-yellow No. 3 Chevrolet made famous by his father in the mid-1980s. It was Earnhardt’s sixth Xfinity Series victory at Daytona, which ranks second all-time behind Tony Stewart and Earnhardt Sr. with seven each.
With crossover appeal that stretches beyond his accomplishments as an athlete in NASCAR, Earnhardt Jr. continues to garner media attention worldwide. He has appeared on more than 150 magazine covers and has been featured in high-profile publications such as Maxim, Rolling Stone, GQ, Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and TV Guide.
While the obligations of being a driver and team owner occupy much of his time, Earnhardt is active in charities and non-profit organizations. In 2007, he launched The Dale Jr. Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence, education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. The Dale Jr. Foundation has contributed to more than 400 local and national organizations. He also is involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In May 2010, Make-A-Wish recognized Earnhardt as one of only a handful of athletes who has facilitated more than 200 “wishes” for kids battling terminal or life-threatening illnesses. The occasion was documented by ESPN SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series. In recognition of his career achievements as a champion driver, team owner and philanthropist, Earnhardt was named the recipient of the 2014 NMPA Myers Brothers Award, a prestigious accolade recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.
Earnhardt’s hobbies include listening to music, traveling and continuously quenching his thirst for NASCAR history. He enjoys spending time on his property affectionately known as Dirty Mo Acres. It consists of a vintage Western-style town, a treehouse, a paintball course and five miles of ATV trails. In April 2018, he and wife Amy welcomed their first daughter, Isla Rose Earnhardt.
Speaking At
