Ralph Earnhardt

Ralph Earnhardt
BornRalph Lee Earnhardt
(1928-02-23)February 23, 1928
Kannapolis, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 1973(1973-09-26) (aged 45)
Kannapolis, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of deathHeart attack
Achievements1956 Sportsman Division Champion
AwardsNational Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame (1989)
International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1997)
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
Oceanside Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame (2004)
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (2007)
Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
51 races run over 6 years
Best finish17th (1961)
First race1956 Buddy Shuman 250 (Hickory)
Last race1964 Race No. 29 (Concord)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 16 1

Ralph Lee Earnhardt (February 23, 1928 – September 26, 1973) was an American stock car racer and patriarch of the Earnhardt racing family. He was the father of 7 time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, grandfather of Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt Putnam and great grandfather of Bobby Dale Earnhardt and Jeffrey Earnhardt. Earnhardt helped give Bobby Isaac his start in racing.

Background

Ralph Earnhardt replica car

Earnhardt had German ancestry. He was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina as the son of Effie Mae Earnhardt (née Furr) (August 30, 1895 – September 1979) and John Henderson Earnhardt (Mar 23, 1879 – Nov 5, 1953). John Henderson Earnhardt's first wife was Florence Phillips (Oct 7, 1877 – Nov 18, 1922). He and Florence had four daughters — Mary, Eula, Margie, and Octa Vayne. He spent many years working in a cotton mill in North Carolina. One of the only ways out of this poor living was racing. Ralph started his racing career on dirt tracks where he was famous for keeping his car in top condition throughout each race.

Racing career

Earnhardt began racing in 1949, and in 1953 it became his full-time occupation. In 1956, he won the NASCAR Sportsman Championship, and was runner-up in 1955 and third in 1957. In 1967, he was the reigning South Carolina state champion, and track champion at Columbia Speedway and Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He won the pole and finished second in his first Grand National Series race in 1956 at Hickory Speedway. In 1961, Earnhardt had his highest finish by finishing 17th in the Grand National point standings. 1961 also saw Earnhardt fill in as a relief driver for Cotton Owens in the Daytona 500, running more than 300 miles and finishing 5th. Earnhardt was the first car builder/driver to understand and use the tire stagger. In 1972, he raced his son Dale Earnhardt at Metrolina Speedway in a race with cars from semi mod and sportsman divisions. Earnhardt won 350 NASCAR races in different series.

Death

Earnhardt had a heart attack in January of 1973. Earnhardt died from a second heart attack on September 26, 1973 at the age of 45 in the kitchen of his house.

In media

In the film 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, Ralph Earnhardt was portrayed by J. K. Simmons.


This page was last updated at 2023-09-16 13:42 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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