A retrospetive of Earnhardt's career.

Farewell to a legend.

He was The Intimidator. A nightmare in the rear-view mirror. A unique winner in the boardroom. A seven-time Winston Cup champion. A driver whose personal success story and dedication inspired the adoration of millions of fans. Then on February 18, 2001, just seconds from the Daytona 500 finish line, the world of stock-car racing suffered a devastating loss as Dale Earnhardt fatally careened into a track wall. The tragic shock waves, and an unprecedented outpouring of respect and love, have not stopped since. At the Altar of Speed takes readers behind the scenes of Earnhardt's celebrated life, tracing his rags-to-riches journey to the top of America's fastest-growing sport. Beginning with Earnhardt's early days growing up in small-town North Carolina, veteran sports writer Leigh Montville examines how a ninth-grade dropout started on the dusty dirt tracks of the South, went through two marriages and a string of no-future jobs before turning twenty-five, then took about a million left turns to glory. Through the pitfalls and triumphs, Earnhardt would ultimately become a celebrated champion, whose lifetime earnings would top forty-one million dollars. The son of a legendary racer, the father of a NASCAR star, he lived a total auto-racing life filled with triumph and sadness, great joy and great pain. Transporting readers to the colorful, noisy world of stock-car racing, where powerful engines allow drivers to reach speeds of 200 m.p.h., At the Altar of Speed vividly captures the man who drove the black No. 3 car, a man whose determination and inner strength left behind a legacy of greatness that has redefined his sport. Illustrated with a section of full-color photographs, At the Altar of Speed is a tribute to both the man and his unbeatable spirit.

This book is a thorough, in-depth examination of the milestones that defined Earnhardt's career.

Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr. is filled with personal memories of the man known as "the Intimidator" in NASCAR circles. These stories all come from the people who knew him best. Earnhardt was far more complex than those who did not know him well might have expected. His life ended tragically in February 2001 when he was killed during the last lap of the Daytona 500. His untimely death at the age of forty-nine shocked the racing world and the world at large. In Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr., the Intimidator is remembered through hundreds of anecdotes, stories, and insights recounted by fellow drivers, team members, NASCAR officials, and friends and associates. Together they offer a unique and touching reminiscence of one of the greatest and most charismatic race-car drivers ever to climb behind the wheel. NASCAR's Rookie of the Year in 1979, Earnhardt forged a career that included seven NASCAR national championships, seventy-six career wins, and over $34 million in prize money, more than any other driver has ever won. Earnhardt was as tough as they come behind the wheel, also earning the name of "Ironhead" in part because of his reputation for never backing down on the track, where close calls at nearly 200 miles per hour are frequent and often deadly. Angel in Black also shows the generous, considerate side of him as a friend, colleague, and family man. An earlier, shorter version of this book was published in 2001 under the title I Remember Dale Earnhardt. About one-third of the material in Angel in Black comes from the first edition, and the rest is largely new material.

Beginning with the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt at age forty-nine in a race at Daytona International Speedway, New York Times sports correspondent Caldwell details the history, basics, technology, fans, and future of NASCAR.

From the former NASCAR champion and current Fox Sports announcer, an intimate account of one of the most dramatic and tragic days in the history of NASCAR: the 2001 Daytona 500—the day that racing legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died. In Sundays Will Never Be the Same, former NASCAR champion and current FOX Sports racing analyst Darrell Waltrip provides an intimate account of one of the most dramatic and tragic days in the history of NASCAR: the 2001 Daytona 500—the day that racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. died. The sudden death of Earnhardt on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 was a traumatic loss for the entire NASCAR family, and few were affected more deeply than Darrell Waltrip. During the course of their tumultuous thirty-year association, Dale and Darrell had been friends, then “frenemies,” and finally friends again. Darrell takes us through the fascinating history of racing in Daytona, offering glimpses of some of the sport’s most colorful characters. He recounts the highs and lows of his relationship with Earnhardt through the twin arcs of their overlapping careers, and concludes with a heart-wrenching insider account of that pivotal weekend in Daytona.