The Beginning of a Legend

[revvinjim]

The Beginning of a Legend

Eddie Roche
RacingOne Contributor



Here we were on a Saturday night in 1974 at Charlotte all ready to go to the NASCAR Cup Series race the next day. So what were we to do this night before? Our group decided to head over to Metrolina Speedway at the local fairgrounds, a half-mile paved oval. We were all born and bred short track racers anyway.

The usual array of top flight Late Model Sportsman (now Nationwide) drivers were present. As I watched practice from the infield pits, a particular driver caught my eye, partly because of his rather out-of-place sponsor — "Doc's Cycle." The driver of the 1964 Chevelle was Dale Earnhardt. He was one of us boys: a Saturday night racer.

Let me tell you in this brief tale some developments in his early life and career. Dale grew up as a likeable country boy who got to the 10th grade in high school before he knew that formal education wasn't going to serve his desired path. He began working at area automotive shops until his urge to go racing took him over at age 21. He quit his job at the wheel alignment shop and hit the racing trail, but maintained various employment on and off until 1974, when he pursued racing full-time. That was his first year in NASCAR Late Model Sportsman.

To get to this point, he had first begun racing in dirt outlaw support classes during the summer of 1971 with a 1956 Ford. He finished 10th in his very first race. His first track titles came at Charlotte and Concord weekly tracks in 1972 and 1973. He drove a Ford Falcon to 22 wins in 1972, and had 27 victories in 1973 at Concord in the semi-modifieds. He won his first race in 1974. He later became champion at Metrolina in 1975.

It's funny, yet so appropriate, that on his official NASCAR license application under the query, "Ambitions other than racing," Earnhardt wrote in his own hand writing, "None." He also noted his favorite drivers as Bobby Isaac, who had a quiet and concentrated personality at the tracks much like Earnhardt's, and Richard Petty, quite the opposite of Dale.

Since Dale's racing career was getting more serious and heading towards the big time, he entered into NASCAR Cup Series events from 1975 to 1978, but limited his participation in order to remain eligible for Rookie of the Year once a season-long ride was secured.

His first Cup endeavor was in the 1975 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a Dodge owned by Ed Negre. He finished 22nd. He competed in two events in 1976, again the World 600 where he suffered engine failure in a Chevrolet, and at Atlanta where he crashed the Johnny Ray Chevrolet. He entered only the National 500 in 1977 at Charlotte and dropped out with rear end failure. He then had five starts in 1978, allowing him to apply for Rookie of the Year for the 1979 season. But let's back up for a second.

Dale was feeling rather dejected after the 1977 season, so he called Charlotte head honcho Humpy Wheeler in 1978 to seek guidance toward procuring a ride. As luck would have it, Willie T. Ribbs was set for a promotional car in the 1978 World 600, but failed to show up for two scheduled practice sessions and was dismissed. Car owner and preparer Will Cronkrite agreed to put Dale in the Ford he had just bought from Bud Moore which produced a 17th-place finish for the new team (with relief from fellow Sportsman driver Harry Gant).

In 1979, Dale accomplished his first Cup triumph in his initial start at Bristol, aboard a new team — owner Rod Osterlund and crew chief Jake Elder. It was the first time a rookie had won since 1974. No doubt Dale's appearances in Cronkrite's cars got him noticed by Osterlund, and their first race together came at the end of the 1978 season. Rod signed him to a second team car to Dave Marcis at Atlanta, where he came in fourth. Marcis later quit the team, and Dale got top billing.

Dale experienced a bad crash at Pocono in 1979. It looked like a run-of-the-mill wreck, but the consequences were more pronounced, forcing him to sit out and David Pearson fill in for him at Talladega. Nevertheless, Earnhardt came away with Rookie of the Year honors at year's end. To top that, he managed garnering the Cup national championship in 1980 after luring sponsorship from Mike Curb Productions. Osterlund sold out to J.D. Satcy in 1981, prompting Dale to quit mid-season and join the infamous Richard Childress operation.

So there you have it, the beginnings of what was to become one of NASCAR's greatest drivers and fan's favorite. And about his growing reputation of becoming The Intimidator, there's evidence that Buddy Baker once said of Dale's aggressive ways, "He could give an aspirin a headache!"
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[wopher]

Thanks rev, sniff sniff, gets to me every time. Still seems unreal after all these years ............. :)

[admin]

Nice one, thanks :)

[Dirt track racer]

Thanks for that one.

[Raven]

Thank you! Dale was an amazing man.