Dale Earnhardt Tag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Driver Matt Kenseth and crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine—both champions at NASCAR’s highest level—will become the newest Modern Era members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with ageless Hershel McGriff, who was elected from a group of five Pioneer Division nominees. Long-time NASCAR executive Mike Helton also was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR during the announcements made by NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. Kenseth and Shelmerdine wereRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor TALLADEGA, Ala. – Echoing memories of his late grandfather, Jeffrey Earnhardt charged through the pack in his black No. 3 Chevrolet on the last lap at Talladega, falling one spot short of scoring a statement win in Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300. The journeyman driver, who has driven for lesser funded teams for the duration of his career, finally got his shot this weekend to show off his talent in a Richard Childress Racing car with veteran crew chief Larry McReynolds at the helm. Earnhardt got his weekendRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor As the Beatles’ song goes, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” If there was one line from a song that illustrated the final laps of the 1991 Winston 500 at Talladega, it would be that one after a controversial push from teammate Rick Mast helped ensure teammate Harry Gant had enough fuel to make it to the finish and claim the victory. As the second half of the 188-lap race played itself out, fuel mileage would be the name of the gameRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Throughout the years, the “Dale and Dale Show” between Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett had several episodes, but the first one back in 1993 may have been the best as the two future NASCAR Hall of Famers battled it out in the season opening Daytona 500. Earnhardt was still looking for his first win in the Great American Race, while Jarrett was entering his second season with upstart Joe Gibbs Racing as the team was still searching for their first win. By the time the checkeredRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season for the full-time drivers in the series leading into February’s running of the Daytona 500. Age: 44 Years in Cup: 19 Career Wins: 83 Accomplishments: Seven Cup Series championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016) One last ride. After announcing over the offseason that the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season would be his last, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team are gearing up to send the greatest driver of his generation off withRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway and in celebration of the 50th anniversary for both the track and Richard Childress Racing, the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt to the final win of his career will pace the field with Richard Childress behind the wheel. With that in mind, this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday Theater” will look back at the 2000 Winston 500 and the amazing comeback Earnhardt was able to make in the waning laps ofRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Like many racing fans across the country, I saw the NASCAR documentary Blink of an Eye, which is based on the 2011 autobiography about Michael Waltrip, at my movie theater which is literally a two-minute walk from home. After the roller coaster ride about Waltrip’s career leading up to the ill fated 2001 Daytona 500 and the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt’s death, I hate to be that guy, but the Paul Taulieb film had several production flaws. Let’s begin with audio. It started with the tragicRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The 1996 running of the Bud at The Glen had it all. A hometown hero brought the fans to their feet en route to the final victory of his career, while a legend was on a mission to prove he was still one of the toughest drivers in the garage. Two weeks prior to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series visit to Watkins Glen, they were racing at Talladega Superspeedway, when disaster struck for Dale Earnhardt, who was leading at the time. Earnhardt was turned head-onRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor When Riverside International Raceway was shuttered following the 1988 season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was forced to look for another road course venue to replace it on the schedule. Officials didn’t have to look far as Sonoma Raceway, a winding 12-turn, 2.52-mile course in Northern California fit the bill and was added to the 1989 schedule with the running of the Banquet Frozen Foods 300. From the start of the weekend, the track proved treacherous, with Michael Waltrip flipping in practice and theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer With the 61st running of the Daytona 500 being 65 days away, Richard Childress Racing announced Friday their season-long 50th Anniversary celebration by unveiling two golden cars, driven by defending winner Austin Dillon and rookie Daniel Hemric, that’ll compete in the “Great American Race” Feb. 17. Dillon will have a gold No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and for the Advance Auto Parts Clash Feb. 10, he’ll also run a gold car, with Bass Pro Shops being his primary sponsor. Dillon’s Clash car resembles a throwbackRead More