MAIN Sports Sports Stars Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

View pics & posters

The current NASCAR star was born Oct 10, 1974 in Kannapolis, North Carolina, into a racing dynasty that included his famous father, Dale Earnhardt, and grandfather Ralph Earnhardt.

In his teens, Earnhardt Jr. worked at his father's car dealership and would later joke that if he wasn't racing he would still be "the fastest oil-change man in the place."

His racing career took off as he and brother Kerry began go-karting, later graduating to the street stock division in which Dale Jr. took three wins at the Concord Speedway over a two year period from 1994-1996.

By 1998, Dale Jr. had entered the Busch Series and won more than a dozen races and two series championships, becoming the the first third-generation NASCAR champion following in the careers of father Dale Sr. and grandfather Ralph.

The 2000 season was Dale Jr's and the Bud Team's first full year in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, when the Budweiser Team won two NASCAR Winston Cup points races and the Winston Select. Earnhardt Jr. was the first rookie to ever win the all-star race.

Currently, Earnhardt Jr. is the subject of intense speculation of what his next career move might be following lackluster seasons over the past several years in which cup championships have proved to be allusive.

In a major press conference in May 2007, the racing champ finally announced his departure from the team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. which his father founded and his step-mother Theresa Earnhardt now controls.

After weeks of speculation, the popular racing star announced in June that he had closed a deal with Hendrick Motorsports to begin racing for the most dominant team in NASCAR beginning in 2008.

No. 88

Meanwhile, it had been widely speculated that the racer's new number would be 81 for the 2008 season, this after negotiations with his stepmother broke down over the summer regarding Earnhardt's retention of No. 8.

The official announcement of the new racing number - 88 - came in September, close behind news of the launch of a new Big Mo candy bar with ingredients said to be picked by Earnhardt Jr. himself (peanuts & caramel) and named for the racing star's hometown of Mooresville, North Carolina.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. promises to continue to make headlines whenever he races, winning name recognition all his own as the unofficial poster boy for a whole new generation of NASCAR fans.

As a very visible spokesperson for the sport, he has also appeared on magazine covers, television talk shows and was the subject of two MTV documentaries: “Cribs” and “True Life, I’m a Race Car Driver.” as well as being named the Sexiest NASCAR Driver in a FOX Sports poll.

The Official Site of Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Fast, flashy "hi-octane" site featuring a complete biography, FAQ, career stats and highlights, news and updates, fan club information, pit crew profile, and extensive fan section of pictures, video clips, appearances in commercials and music videos, wallpapers and more...

NASCAR.com - Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Photo, vital stats, team info and biography, career highlights, related news and feature stories, video clips, audio reports.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Pitstop - Major fan site with current events, news and stories, Bud Race Reports, weekly race highlights, biography, vital stats, and an extensive photo gallery including baby pictures, career milestones and publicity shots, plus a separate picture collection of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing car.

FOXSports.com - Nextel Cup - Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Photo, news & updates, complete career statistics, season overview including wins, starts, finishes and earnings, fantasy driver reports.

also see in Sports Idols-> Jeff Gordon

Jimmie Johnson | Danica Patrick | Tony Stewart

also see in Sports -> NASCAR | NEXTEL Cup Chase