Dale Earnhardt was a professional race car driver with NASCAR. He was one of the pioneers of auto racing until his untimely death at the 2001 Daytona 500. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also a champion professional driver with NASCAR.

• 1979: Rookie of the YearOfficial Site: Biography
• 1990's: ESPYs Drive rof the DecadeOfficial Site: Biography
• 1998: Daytona 500 winnerOfficial Site: Biography
• 2001: NASCAR's Most Popular Driver (posthumous)Official Site: Biography
• 2002: Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
• 2006: Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame
• 2007: ESPN's NASCAR Greatest Driver

"Undoubtedly this is one of the toughest announcements I've personally had to make...After the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500 we've lost Dale Earnhardt."—MIke Helton, NASCAR presidentNASCAR.com: Earnhardt Dies Following Daytona 500 Accident (February 21, 2001)

""Dale Earnhardt was the greatest race car driver that ever lived. He could do things with a race car that no one else could. He had a tremendous impact on NASCAR racing. He's done so much to help the sport get where it is today. He took the sport to new places. It's going to be hard for anyone else to take it there. He leaves a big, big void here that will be very hard to fill."—Ned Jarrett, broadcasterNASCAR: Best Quotes: Dale Earnhardt