Earnhardt: “The Man in Black”

Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1951 – 2001) was an American stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the black No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

His aggressive driving style earned him the nicknames “The Intimidator”, “The Man in Black”, and “Ironhead”. With his 7 Winston Cup Series titles (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) he’s tied with Richard Petty and Jimmy Johnson for most NASCAR championships (7). He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Dale Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500 and the 1995 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, and a total of 76 NASCAR races, but he’s also a triple (1987, 1989, 1990) IROC Champion.

Earnhardt drove the No.3 car for the majority of his career. Although he had other sponsors during his career, his No.3 is associated in fans’ minds with his last sponsor GM Goodwrench and his last colour scheme – a predominant black with bold red and silver trim. This livery continues to be one of the most famous logos in North American motor racing.

Sadly, on February 18, 2001, Earnhardt died in a sudden last-lap crash during the Daytona 500. He remains a legend of American racing.