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Earnhardt To Be Inducted Into Motorsports Hall of Fame |
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Novi, MI – Dale Earnhardt has been called the greatest driver in NASCAR history, and on June 12, he will join other NASCAR greats like Junior Johnson and Richard Petty in being enshrined into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Richard Childress, Earnhardt's team owner from 1984 to 2001, will first introduce NASCAR President Mike Helton, who will then present the bronze "Horsepower" statuette to Dale Earnhardt's wife, Teresa. The late Earnhardt competed in his first NASCAR race in 1976 and won his first of 76 victories at the Southeastern 500 at Bristol International Speedway in 1979. This was his first full season of competition and he earned the 1979 Rookie of the Year honors. Earnhardt's first Winston Cup Championship came in just his second season. He would go on to win another six championships in 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994. To this day, Earnhardt and Richard Petty are the only NASCAR champions with seven championship titles. In 1998, Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 in his 20th try, scoring perhaps the most popular victory in NASCAR history. It was in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21, 2001 that a crash took the life of Dale Earnhardt in the fourth turn on the last lap. He was running third at the time, watching cars he owned driven by Michael Waltrip and his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., flash to the finish line 1-2. His death shocked the racing world. At the time of his death, Earnhardt had amassed nearly $42 million in winnings and had attracted millions of fans with his daring and intensive driving style. Other inductees that will join Earnhardt in being enshrined into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America include: Gordon Johncock, open wheel racing; Fred Offenhauser, at-large; Eddie Hill, drag racing; Eddie Lawson, motorcycle racing; Brian Redman, sports car racing; Paul Mantz, air racing; and Gaston Chevrolet, historic racing pre-World War II. The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America houses numerous racing and high performance vehicles. The continually changing collection showcases racers and vehicles from the world of Indy cars, stock cars, Can Am, Trans-Am, sprint cars, powerboats, airplanes, truck racing and motorcycles. Among the highlights is the last ever Novi Special Indy car, namesake of the city of Novi, Mich. For more information, please call (248) 349-7223. ### |