H. Res. 57

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

February 27, 2001.

Whereas Ralph Dale Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis,

North Carolina, on April 29, 1951;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt was the son of Martha and the late

Ralph Earnhardt and brother of Danny Earnhardt,

Randy Earnhardt, Kaye Snipes, and Cathy Watkins;

Whereas his father, Ralph Earnhardt, a pioneer of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

(NASCAR), introduced Dale Earnhardt to the sport, and

Dale began racing Hobby-class cars in and around

Kannapolis, working full-time welding and mounting tires

during the day and either racing or working on his cars

at night;

Whereas, upon the death of his father in 1973, Dale

Earnhardt followed in his footsteps, becoming a professional race car driver;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt made his Winston Cup debut in

1975 and was named Rookie of the Year in 1979, his

first full season of racing;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt earned his first Winston Cup

Championship in 1980, becoming the first driver to win

Rookie of the Year honors and the Winston Cup Championship in successive years;
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Whereas Dale Earnhardt had an extraordinary career as a

NASCAR driver, was named Driver of the Year five

times, and is tied with Richard Petty for the most Winston Cup Championships, with seven titles;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt won 76 career races, including the

1998 Daytona 500;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt lived and worked in Mooresville,

North Carolina, and his racing and related businesses

contributed much to the employment, business development, and prestige of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Davidson,

Iredell, Lincoln, and Rowan counties in North Carolina;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt, nicknamed the Intimadator, was a

fierce competitor, an exceptional driver, and a legend in

his sport;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt was always known for his kindness

and friendliness to his fans and community;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt was a loving husband to his wife,

Teresa, and an exemplary father to his sons, Dale Jr.

and Kerry, and daughters, Kelley and Taylor;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt was a man of strong faith and had

on his dashboard a citation from Proverbs 18:10, ‘‘The

name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous

runneth into it and is safe.’’;

Whereas Dale Earnhardt was one of the most respected drivers for his achievements on and off the track and in the

words of his son, Dale Jr., ‘‘stands as an example of

what hard work and dedication will achieve. He praises

God, loves his family, enjoys his friends.’’; and

Whereas Dale Earnhardt died in a crash during the final lap

of the Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001, prompting

Bill France, Jr., Chairman of NASCAR’s board of direc-
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tors to declare, ‘‘NASCAR has lost its greatest driver in

the history of the sport.’’: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes Dale Earnhardt as one of the greatest

race car drivers ever to participate in the sport of racing and

for his many contributions to the Nation throughout his lifetime, and honors him for transcending the sport of racing to

become a role model as both a talented competitor and as a

loving husband and father; and

(2) extends its deepest condolences to the family of Dale

Earnhardt.

Attest:

Clerk.