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Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (born October 10, 1974), better known simply as Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is a professional American race car driver who drives the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports, and drives in the Nationwide Series part-time for the #5 and #7 cars for his own team, JR Motorsports. He is the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and the grandson of both the late NASCAR driver Ralph Earnhardt and Robert Gee, the well known stock car fabricator. Earnhardt Jr. is also the half-brother of former driver Kerry Earnhardt, the uncle of driver Jeffrey Earnhardt, and the stepson of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team co-owner Teresa Earnhardt.
Career
Early life and career
Born in North Carolina and raised in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Son of Brenda Lorraine (née Gee, January, 2 1952 – ) and Dale Earnhardt. His maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, Sr., was a NASCAR car builder. Dale Jr. began his racing career at the late age of 17, competing in the Street Stock division at Concord (N.C.) Motorsport Park. His first race car was a 1979 Monte Carlo that he co-owned with his older half-brother, Kerry Earnhardt. Within two seasons, the young Earnhardt, Jr. had honed his driving abilities to the point of joining the Late Model Stock Car division. There he developed an in-depth knowledge of chassis setup and car preparation, while racing against his older brother Kerry and sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge. Dale Jr. worked at his father’s dealership as a mechanic while he went to Mitchell Community College to earn as associates degree in automotive technology.
Dale Jr. ran nine Busch Series races between 1996 and 1997 for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ed Whitaker, respectively, before driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Busch Series full time in 1998, in which he started the season in an amazing blowover after contact with Dick Trickle and Buckshot Jones at Daytona. Earnhardt, Jr. won consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Championships in 1998 and 1999 barely edging Matt Kenseth. In 1998 he made his first start in the Winston Cup, at the exhibition race held in Motegi, Japan. Also in 1999 he drove in 5 Winston Cup races in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., then in 2000 he went full time in the Winston Cup series.
2000
Earnhardt, Jr. competed for the Raybestos NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 2000. His primary competitor for the award was Matt Kenseth. Kenseth outran Junior in the season-opening Daytona 500. Earnhardt, Jr. scored wins at the Texas Motor Speedway, breaking the record held by his father, Dale Earnhardt for fewest starts by a driver to earn his first victory in NASCAR’s “Modern Era” by winning in just his 12th start (since broken 3 times: Kevin Harvick in 2001 on his 3rd start; Jamie McMurray in 2002 on his 2nd start; Trevor Bayne in 2011 in his 2nd start) and also won at Richmond International Raceway. He also became the first rookie to win the All-Star exhibition race. Kenseth ultimately scored a 42-point victory in the rookie race.