TNN "The Great Drivers" - Dale Earnhardt

Elena hi I'm Brock yay I want you to understand something broken flower South Carolina is not one of the great centers of grand national stock car racing but it is a place you're likely to find one of its young stars behind me is this hunting camp and today we're gonna talk with one of the great drivers Dale Earnhardt no driver has ever achieved so much in such a short time in Grand National stock car racing Dale Earnhardt's first full season in 1979 brought him Rookie of the Year honors one year later he made history by winning the coveted grand national championship and in so doing one more prize money five hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars than any driver in a single season the son of the late great Ralph Earnhardt a national shark track champion Dale has earned a place among the elite of great drivers and six short seasons you know I can't really believe that I chased you all the way to broken fly South Carolina to do this place to be you know I'm down here doing this enjoyable bit yeah bring us a place to spend your vacation you've got a lot of property that you lease down here yeah we're probably a rider thousand acres laying in here there's 18 of us in the Hunt Club down here and we just come out down here and come and go as you please how many how many days a year will you what do you try to spend down here who knows why I don't want me to spend that much I mean probably spend I'd say out of the two and a half three months of hunts he's not spending probably a month yeah yeah oh you're kind of lucky when the hunting season starts that's racing starts to quiet down a little bit doesn't it yeah you get some weekends off in between races it's in the season and it works out pretty good you know sometimes I think the hunt interferes more racing then it sometimes we racing in trigger the hunting so you just sort of have to work around it I really don't worry about it it is something I can and enjoy it you know if you had a choice between hunting and fishing well I would could would you what would you purchase I know I've not had to put it that way yet the right season is around you in efficiencies and you know hunt so you can go to the out fishing gets better so you know that I'm not cross that Huntford deer in and what I'll smog and stuff like that I'd leave some quail hunting sometimes and death hunting that makes their deer I'm pretty much deer hunter have you ever they were hunted outside of the Carolinas they would travel like when you're when you're a redhead races here we go out and that offers the hunt in Georgia and Alabama don't amount of fact on the house and I keep talking about wound I coming down there and go hunting with him and everything we've never done it Don is a big bass fisherman I mean he's a Lardon offense but he's also do him yeah he's pretty and deer everything boys are anyway boys killed a big deer did ha have you been hunting all your life you go to your kid I grew up around my dad he was pretty pretty big another quail hunter and he's a bigger hunter and rabbit hunter ever watch and that's when I got into it and then when he died I really didn't both of them a chapter that but I did deer and I've enjoyed that and so I stuck with it and this feeling something that I can get away from the everyday life and enjoy and that I you know it's a hobby or sport or what that I do enjoy that I can devote my time to and then enjoy doing - well you don't have to think about anything other than honey when you're on the field yeah well and a lot of times I'm go deer hunting and sat in a deer stand I think a lot of problems that you got worse two ways talk to you a little bit about your dad I know it was an enormous influence I'd heard about your dad before I heard about you long time before because it was such a great race driver himself when when did you recognize do you have any remembrance of when you recce remember your dad as being a race driver of being say being different than your friend's dad well he was always a great race Traver to me but in Iowa the neighbor down the street your dad work someplace I did I never did they never did well he was always a race driver that's you know and he's always the best to me when I started driving it I always just tried to pattern myself after him how he drives and watched him and that's how real I reckon I learned how to drive or can adapt to driving so well when I started is because of watch my dad so much and all kind of situations this just really worked out good for me did you go to the races a lot with your doing all the little kid lay out of school do everything you could to go to race man is that right just everything they did go to Columbia sakurai on Thursdays back in the 60s and I'd get sick on Thursday morning wouldn't go to school I wanted to go to the race you know so it was tough but I got together a lot of it is it true that your dad never did a much Grand National driver because he liked to stay in your home near his family and didn't like to travel a lot well he was a family man and I think it brought to the biggest thing is he had to support his family and you know he did it the best we could and what's $2 pretty close he's independent and it's very independent he did the best he could with what he had to do with and he raised the family on his race you know it's and he mechanic did a little mechanic work alone but he really just did it on racing along how do you fit in with brothers and sisters Dale where he's older younger I'm the middleman we've got two older sisters until younger brothers my sisters got families and my brothers they helped my dad on race cars and worked around there and my youngest brother didn't that much because he was growing up at the time hey they've helped me on my cars but they never really expressed an interest in driving that much or pursuit it or anything they might want to drive but no they have never really followed it up there was never really in the time of your life then you didn't want to be a restaurant wizard that's all I ever thought about race cars I didn't really think about driving race cars probably till I was 18 years old you know I really I always thought about it but I never really pictured myself doing I reckon it was college my dad was such a you know it's active at the time and I you know I sort of like I was sitting in you know the back seat you know and that's late and then all of a sudden you know I said well you know I'm gonna drive you know and I got thinking about it one morning and then gasa got started when I was 18 what was your first race and Charlotte a Metrolina Speedway I talked my brother-in-law and letting me drive his car he was driving for somebody else time had a car and Riaan 10th the first racer and was hooked how long did you race before you reckon you were really good I mean it smarter than the other guys no I'm good yeah no but you had to know that you could beat guys pretty early in their going well I thought I was a Bearcat first race I reckon I don't know I never really thought about gonna start running Grand National reckon I run a mile sportsman with her again Tommy you seen all these guys when I started and I was a loner then you know it's like starting over when I went to asphalt from dirt after my dad died this winter when asphalt in 74 and his life starting over and learning again so I was the new guy on the block so I sort of had to you know learn again this and then when I started winning a few races and yes I got more confidence and more you know felt like I knew what was going on on asphalt and then I got into Grand NASA and I had to start over again you know learning normally I'd buy those things and heavier cars and everything and race against the the guys that I used to so on the back truck watching the titties the Pearson's Allison you know those guys and and the after that all came about the Allison's and the patties and the David Pearson them guys is the ones that helped me along when I needed help yeah those are the ones that and you wouldn't know when I was sitting on the truck into the infield watch them race and I was a kid you know you would think they wouldn't have time for anybody but what they were doing you know they came right up with the suggestions that you know more you're driving the car wrong you're gonna get us all wrecked I'm he did back off or do this you you came in this thing like a freight train I mean I don't can't ever remember any driver having that kind of Rookie of the Year damn grand national champion two years in a row just bang and you had labeled as instant as instant superstar then almost it was if people expected that of you what was it in a way if he could look back on it was it would it have been easier for you maybe to have come a little bit slower to start him well I think I did come smile yeah it was a situation where I ran a few races from 1975 up until 1979 and Walter Ballard's car head in a greased car you know just different race cars and Johnny Ray's car in Atlanta I crashed real bad down there in 76 he was just and I thought I'd sort of paid my dues alone I was renting prior front door my biggest thing was to play my sportsman racing and you know I paid my dues in that deal and that I'd ran these other races you know the 600 and I ran Atlanta Rockingham different places and then when I got hooked up at Austin everybody all sudden I was like the new kid on the block well I'd been around you know I raced with Bobby Allison and these guys on short tracks and and the racetracks and so I really run the new kid you know I really wouldn't just all of a sudden I was there I'd paid my dues and things and I was I was fortunate we're very fortunate brach to get hooked up with a guy like rod Ostrom that had a good team right all he needed to get some combinations working right and what thing just took off you know we went out and won the rookie thing and won some races and it was just amazing to me you know came back the next year with Ivy that was the the biggest thing that it surprised me as we won the championship in each year I couldn't it took me down to the last couple of races to really realize I was running for the championship I had a real good shot at winning and then I was suddenly in the pressure was on you know all year long is just like relax and I was doing what I enjoyed and wanted to do you know and we will win some races and we were leading the points um you know just and then all of a sudden said BAM I could be the champion and more than the pressure go down the last three races Atlanta California Ontario is that it was tough let's talk a little bit about winning that championship I mean suddenly you're that grand national champion an elite I mean guys seek that championship all their lives did that add any extra pressure to you once you'd want it I mean when did it change your life at all once you become alive a lot gained a lot of respect from a lot of people and put you in the lead but bounced you know that and you know I just wish you know some people have been around to see it you know like my dad and some of these people but I I really didn't let it bother me or say well I'm the champion or you know what you know I sort of took it went right on and next year we start having bad luck and just couldn't do nothing right and everybody said all that was a hoax I was hoax but you know I still went out won a championship you know I'm sure they're the Aust one team went out and won and they did it in style - you sure del what did did you know he suddenly became a public figure I mean guys like me were courting to talk to you and then you became a media person and you had to make a more you had to present yourself in public but suddenly had been a champion and then you were having a bad season and what did it did it develop any kind of did you have any kind of problems with with the press and with people I mean would did they treat you pretty fairly in those situations I think so a couple of times you know you had little problems with different press guys but I think that was the biggest thing in my racing career I was hard the hardest part of my racing career was the PR part in the press and everything when I first came into with the rookie thing everybody was eager to talk to you and then the championship deal well then when we start having bad luck I wasn't too eager to talk to them you know I want you to say about blowing up 18 times or falling out of a race or crash and ever watch you know it yeah you want to talk about anything sure I think I just got not you know less responsive to the press in the press sometimes say well Earnhardt you know you don't want to talk to you know he's hard to get along with everyone it's a lot easier to talk when you're winning races or when you're doing good yeah when the guys that can accept the failures and and come back with the press and work with the press and I think I did that pretty well to be a rookie on the scene with a thing and I still got a pretty good rapport with the press is the ones that's gonna make the great race drivers like the Patti's the Allyson the guys that can take the defeat and come back and smile and say we do it again next weekend didn't even get them next week and that's what I did all year in 1981 1982 started out bad more we blew up some engines and things with them and it was pretty bad on us then you know pretty tough on us you just got to come back you know that's what makes a good race driver that's what you know that's my career at sport I'm gonna do I want to protect it and I want to do the best and you got to come back every time positive every time and do what you want to do you I think yours among all the the great drivers that yours here is devoted to the sport does anybody I mean you love racing I know that you love racing to do it before anything how many races would you run a year if you had your choice would you run once a week if you could yeah probably if I had my chosen had to get to race cars in the backing and everything to develop what I want to do now I've got not much interesting going to a racetrack and not having a good chance at winning if I don't think I got a good chance of winning I don't want to be there you know and every time I go to the racetrack I feel like I got a shot at winning a race so you know I got a shot at winning a race I'm gonna you know do my best but you know I ride race all the time if if I felt like I could win a race or if I had a good shot at doing it are you running any short crack crysis other nowadays irresolute instead of ran for grand national cars I'm reading a few asphalt lane miles for four races this year and I've got a dirt car I run some that my dirt cars owned by myself and Donna's reasons a real close friend of mine is well I think these are the best friends I've got and we just go run the carpool want to when we feel relaxed but doing it you know we don't tell anybody would coming so we're not paid to come and and the other competitors thing you know they hold a grudge against you because you're paid more money than they are to even win the race we just come in and race we're just all of a sudden we're there and we're racing and that you get along with them real fun sure I enjoy it I enjoy that kind of race tell me about your daughter Kelly and Dale jr. as I know they're their big parts your life I'm the same of me I know I won't tell you they're the biggest part of my life right you know them and my wife Theresa they made a big difference in my life when they came and started in with me you know that my ex-wife had him but when I got custody of them they came and starting with me it just really changed good did ya what what just I reckon it matured me you know I stopped just not worried about what I was doing where I was going and started worrying about it it started realizing you know I've got a it just it's hard to really explain it it gives you a meaning in life other than what you like to do sure sure reason in life and they and they're great kids they've you know I've done so well with them and Theresa more my wife is really done a good job with him they all get along good it's just you know ideal situation can you see Dale Junior's being a restaurateur sometimes is he already last cars you know he's crazy about cars right now but I'm gonna let him sort of fill it out and do what he wants I my dad never did promote racing to me and a matter of fact he really just sort of played it down and he never did say you know we'll be on a race car that when you want to or anything like that when he's seen I went out and talked to David about driving his racecar and talked him into letting me drive it and once I got started doing my dance and he started helping me there I then went to this some other guys when David started driving his car again I went to another guy and started driving isn't they dad helped with the car you know it said help us presents the car out and things like that once he seen I was gonna do it then he helped I think that's what I do with Dale in it if he wants to race bad enough he'll he'll show the interest and do it I'm not gonna push him into it and then try to make him interested in and that's I think that's what would make the difference in a good register on a bed rest driver sir a driver wants to get out there and drives where was heading crashes ever left you talk to him a little like a good driver out of him but if one you have to push the good I turn drive he's not gonna make a good driver so you have to do it itself every what he does yeah I'll be behind him at ER what he wants to do [Music] you know some good things that happen financially I mean you're doing well now did you ever think that racing would be this lucrative for you when you started I never thought about it when out of racing sportsmen I always had enough money to run the car and I turn my money over I didn't to hit probably a good bit but Long's like a ton of money over I really never worried about it I've got any grand answer racing and when I first got into it I didn't even think about the money we will win it even when won the championship was like five hundred eighty thousand a year you know it never did don't owe me what I was doing and now I reckon when I got my the kids and my family going down like I have I start thinking about the future now I'm starting thinking about the financially another trying to invest right and do the right things with you money you do look at the dollar now more than you did and negotiating you deal with the Colin or the sponsor ever what you've got to capitalize on I reckon I've realized but have you've got to capitalize on what you've got now for the future and that's the biggest thing with it it must be encouraging for you know that grand national racing this is at a state now where a man can go on till late 40s early 50s maybe three little long hallways mean that way yeah a good driver if he keeps his health up and keep in mind in the right place you know can go forty five fifty years old probably uh if he's healthy I want to drive a race car long as I want to do it and I can do it fiscally I think when when I thought no no wanting to go to the racetrack or you know start crawling the racecar boy I dream you that's 100 probably cleaner I'm thinking about broken plows on yeah funny to me on race day there's nothing else on my mind I'm just pumped up doing that race and all through the week practicing I really can't get anything I go out and practice I'm into it but or just the week drags on these practices and why you're the race track it just like burning up town you know the time it's the only good time is when you in that race car the old green flag drops and it's all different all over hey thank you for sitting down and talking with it we really appreciate it I really enjoy I'm gonna come back to the old broken platform a week ago allow me your identity thanks a lot thank you thanks for joining us on the great drivers [Music] you

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Length: 21min 41sec (1301 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 30 2020