A colorful, fearless portrait of the larger-than-life first family of NASCAR, the Earnhardts, and the rise of the world's fastest stock car racing organization. More than sixty years ago, Ralph Earnhardt toiled in a cotton mill in his native North Carolina to support his growing family. Weekends he could be found going pedal to the metal at the dirt tracks, taking on the competition in the early days of box car racing and becoming one of the best short-track drivers in the state. His son, Dale Earnhardt Sr., would become one of the greatest drivers of all time, and his grandson Dale Jr, would become NASCAR's most popular driver of the 2000s. From a simple backyard garage, the Earnhardts reached the highest echelons of professional stock car racing and became the stuff of myth for fans. Earnhardt Nation is the story of this car racing dynasty and the business that would make them rich and famous-and nearly tear them apart. Covering all the white-knuckle races, including the final lap at the Daytona 500 that claimed the life of the Intimidator, Earnhardt Nation goes deep into the fast-paced world of NASCAR, its royal family's obsession with speed, and their struggle with celebrity.
Jay Busbee takes us deep inside the lives of these men and women who shaped NASCAR. He delves into their personal and professional lives, from failed marriages to rivalries large and small to complex and competitive father-son relationships that have reverberated through generations, and explores the legacy the Earnhardts struggle to uphold.
- ISBN10 0062367722
- ISBN13 9780062367723
- Publish Date 14 February 2017 (first published 16 February 2016)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 28 January 2021
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperPaperbacks
- Format Paperback
- Pages 352
- Language English