Original subtitles

[man] Ladies and gentlemen, the man of the day, Dale Earnhardt!

[crowd cheers]

Dale has gone on to win numerous racing titles

and has set and broken many NASCAR records.

He has earned the adoration of millions across the United States

and around the world.

I, Governor of the state of North Carolina hereby proclaim

October the 5th as Dale Earnhardt day throughout the state of North Carolina.

[crowd cheers]

[orchestral music]

[hostess] My guest is Dale Earnhardt,

seven-time NASCAR champion.

[sportscaster] Two-time American driver of the year.

Three-time winner of the Winston All Star Race.

Dale is an American hero and is loved by millions.

Dale Earnhardt!

[David Letterman] Dale Earnhardt. Oh, Dale.

[orchestral music rises]

[newscaster] Dale has diligently followed in his father's footsteps

and has become an icon of motorsports history.

Here we are in New York.

[announcer] From Kannapolis, North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt!

[Dale Jr.] I was watching my dad live this dream that I wanted for myself.

And I walked around every second of the day

with a debilitating fear that I was not gonna be a race car driver.

[music rises]

[music stops]

[interviewer] I guess, to look at your career,

is winning the seven championships what you're most proud of?

Well, surely, yes. I mean,

being seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion is just tremendous.

[interviewer] Is there a disappointment?

I promised myself I wasn't gonna ask about Daytona.

Daytona what? [laughs]

[interviewer] But when I see that 1990 race…

In the 50 years of NASCAR,

what would you want to accomplish?

Well, if you was involved all that time.

Well, sure, you'd want to win a championship,

but you'd want to win the Daytona 500 too, wouldn't ya?

[orchestral music]

[reporter] This is racing's cathedral of speed.

It's the Super Bowl of stock car racing.

A place where champions convene and stars are born.

[interviewer] What did it mean to finally win the Great American race?

Oh, it's an easy race to win.

[orchestral music continues]

[Chocolate] We had so many years at Daytona

where we had an opportunity to win the race. Something happened, right.

[commentator] Something is amiss on Earnhardt's car.

-[commentator 2] Big cloud of smoke. -[commentator 3] He blowed her up.

[Chocolate] One year, Dale just ran out of gas.

[commentator 2] He just needs a couple of quarts.

This is gonna cost Dale Earnhardt the race.

We hit a seagull one year.

[commentator 2] Yeah, you can see right there.

A bird flew right into the left corner.

[commentator] It's not just that Dale Earnhardt hasn't won this race,

it's how close he's come, how many times.

When you're leading the thing going into turn three,

and have a flat tire, that's just bad luck, dude.

[commentator] One lap to go.

[pit crew] He blew! Tire, tire!

[Chocolate] '90, '91, two, three, four. It's a joke.

[commentator 2] Dale Earnhardt fails to win

the Daytona 500 again.

Most great drivers have at least one Daytona 500.

If you don't have any Daytona 500s,

I think that maybe you're not such a great driver.

["Ace of Spades" by Motorhead playing]

[commentator] Sixty laps remain at the 1995 Daytona 500.

♪If you like to gamble I tell you, I'm your man♪

[commentator] Earnhardt is saying I won this championship seven times,

but nothing bothers me more than to talk to Darrell Waltrip…

Thank, God!

…and have him say that I won the Daytona 500.

♪The pleasure is to play♪

[commentator] A pesky Sterling Marlin

holding on to Dale Earnhardt in the final laps.

Here comes Sterling Marlin to the inside.

-[commentator 2] He's gonna make the pass. -[commentator] Got him.

Earnhardt now relegated to third.

Does he have any more to give?

♪Playing for the high one♪

[Richard Childress] Nobody ever gave up on Dale Earnhardt.

'Cause he could do things in a car that they couldn't do.

And he could win when they couldn't.

[commentator] You gotta give Richard Childress and that team

all the credit in the world. They're not about to settle for third.

[commentator 2] They want to win it. They're throwing the dice.

♪Double up or quit♪

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt in 14th position.

Eleven laps to go on the back stretch.

This would be a good episode of Mission Impossible,

the way he's trying to get up to track.

♪You know I'm born to lose♪

♪And gambling's for fools♪

♪But that's the way I like it, baby, I don't want to live forever♪

[commentator] Down to the line. Earnhardt has picked off six of 'em.

[commentator 2] He's coming, folks.

[commentator] Nobody's taking their eye off this battle.

Earnhardt dives for the bottom of the back straightaway.

Earnhardt is second. Here they come back to the start/finish line.

Earnhardt has gotten close enough to make a move.

The winner of the 1995 Daytona 500 is, again,

Sterling Marlin.

What does Earnhardt have to do to win this race?

[interviewer] When we started talking about making Dad proud,

you seemed kind of like to be one that was a little more into it.

Yeah.

Do you find yourself really wanting to make him…

Yeah. I kinda, every once in a while,

I catch myself in a little obsession mode.

I don't know. I just look up to him so much.

That you know, it's all I think about and it's all I care about

is him and you know, being next to him, and…

You know, if he wasn't racing tomorrow,

I would hope that he would try to help me out as much as he could.

And you know, make sure that I was making the right decisions.

I wanted to race cars badly.

Just as badly, I think, as my dad.

I used to draw race cars all the time, at school, in art.

I took drafting class just to draw race cars.

And Dad and Teresa came home one day with a giant box of all these supplies.

And they said, "We thought maybe you'd want to go to art school.

We were lookin' at this college down the road."

I was like, are you freakin' out of your mind?

I'm not going to art school. What?

Like, I'm not an art student. I'm not into art.

I was so spun out.

And I was like, damn it, like, you're Dale Earnhardt

and I want to race. Help me race!

What should I do in this moment to be getting closer to racing?

Take all this art shit outta here.

I came over to the farm shop one day.

Kerry's there.

Dad walks over, points to the cover of the sports page,

and says, "You need to read this."

And it was an article about a new street stock series

that was being created at Concord Speedway.

[newscaster] Like other sports,

stock car racing has a form of minor leagues.

The training ground for tomorrow's stars.

Dad didn't give us money to go race.

He said, y'all gonna have to figure it out.

[Kerry] Dale Jr. had a go-cart he sold.

And we took that money and bought a Monte Carlo at the junkyard.

Brought it back to the shop.

My dad, Jack, jumped in and helped put roll cages in,

and teachin' us stuff about the car.

[gentle music]

[Kerry] I raced it the first two races.

And then, we started after that alternating.

One weekend Dale Jr.'d drive, the next weekend, I'd drive.

[Dale Jr.] You know, I'd destroy it,

and now we gotta fix it so Kerry can race it.

There's a little bit of guilt there because, you know,

damn it, Kerry, I fuckin' wrecked your car.

[man] Dale. It's okay, man. Don't worry about it.

[Dale Jr.] Then Kerry would wreck it, and I'm like, shit,

I gotta drive this piece of shit next week,

it's tore all to hell. We destroyed this car.

[Kelley] When the boys started street stock racing,

I wanted to race, but I was in college.

[Dale Jr.] Kelley wasn't offered any opportunities to race,

but she was certainly interested in it and curious about it.

[Kelley] I was a tomboy. I always wanted to drive something,

or go hunting, or do something that Dad always said no to.

I was a girl. Couldn't do that.

Want you to go to college. Want you to go to school.

So, that's what I did. But then, when he decided

that I had been at college for three years and he never got to see me,

he's like, what would it take for you to come home?

And I said, well, I could come home and finish school at UNC Charlotte,

but I have a few prerequisites, you know.

I have a few demands that I need to negotiate here.

I wanted to live on my own, and I wanted to race.

I mean, I literally moved home that summer,

took my brother's street stock car and started racing right away.

Granted, I did it all by myself.

I put the car on the trailer, hauled it down to the racetrack.

[Dale Jr.] She was a hard racer.

She was the one immediately that you had to slow down.

Kelley, the reason why it won't turn is 'cause you're drivin' it too hard in.

[Kelley] You'd look around in the sport at that time

and we had a couple female racers.

I mean, I really looked up to Shawna Robinson

who was racing when I started racing.

[man 2] Have they ever said anything about her weight?

You know, she's so much lighter than the other drivers.

[man 3] We feed her a bowl of lead soup before…

[Kelley] You know, I didn't let anybody get to me.

I was gonna run right through 'em

or talk smack to 'em, or whatever.

[David Allen] Kelley is female Dale Earnhardt.

Her whole personality is her dad.

[interviewer] What advice do you give her when she says, "Dad,

I want 'em to respect me for me, and not for being Dale Earnhardt's daughter."

Well, she's payin' her dues right now, George.

If she goes out and do the things she has to,

people will learn to respect her as herself.

[Ty Norris] He thought she was the smartest and toughest Earnhardt.

No bullshit, don't take any shit. Like, that's just how it is.

[Kelley] I try to tell Kerry and Dale, he wants us to constantly strive for more.

So, he's not gonna say, you know, "Hey, you are just doin' really great."

'Cause he wants to push you.

[power tools whirring]

[interviewer] Everybody has this image of Dale Earnhardt

either in a blue and yellow suit or a black and silver suit.

But to see you here in a business suit, it really has changed a lot, hasn't it?

It sure has. A lot different than jeans.

But we had jeans on yesterday, we was workin' at the farm.

So, you know, that's still there. I enjoy what I do.

Our sport has grown, and I think we've broadened out in the nation,

uh, the world really. I'm just proud to be a part of it.

[Kyle] When we talk about Dale, I think we forget how smart he was.

As a businessman. How smart he was to understand his brand.

How smart he was to capitalize on that brand.

[Joe Mattes] The revenue he made being a racer was good,

but the revenue made from souvenirs was greater.

He literally was 50% of the sport.

[interviewer] Dale, because of your grassroots

and how close you have been to racing your entire life,

yes, the money is nice,

but would you have preferred it to stay the way it was?

No.

[Joe] Dale was interested at controlling his image and likeness and his brand.

The decision Teresa and him made

instead of licensing his image out to third-party companies,

owned a thirty-party company.

[interviewer 2] Have you ever stopped to think

that you're proud of what your dad has accomplished?

Yeah. You know, that's something I've heard just about all my life.

He's the best, I reckon, you know.

But I just kinda want to make my own name.

[interviewer 2] There's some financial stuff that goes into runnin' these cars.

It isn't just free. You can't just show up and get one.

But how supportive is he?

[Dale Jr.] He don't go to many of the races, he's only been to one race.

And, uh, he's just…

just a dad, you know. What else can I say?

[interviewer 2] Okay, good, thanks, Dale.

-I didn't mean to put you on the spot. -That's cool. No problem.

[Dale] I don't think it'd be good if I go out

and buy Dale Jr. everything he needed to go racin'.

I might not always be around.

And I want him to work for it and appreciate it.

Plus he's learnin' more about racing.

[Hank Parker] Dale said, if my kids want to race,

and he said, "I told 'em what my daddy told me.

My daddy said, get out there in the junkyard,

and get you a car, and you build it if you want to race."

I said, "Well, Dale, you've got 30 race cars.

You're flying around on a King Air.

These kids don't need to get out in the junkyard."

And he sat there, and he never said a word.

After about two minutes, he said, "Hm.

Hm. Hm."

The very next week he bought 'em all late-model Townsend cars,

a Featherlite hauler and a dually to pull 'em with.

And he said, "All right, this is yours.

If you tear it up, it's done. You're on your own."

["Call Me the Breeze" by J.J. Cale playing]

♪One, two, one, two♪

[cheering, whistling]

[Dale Jr.] We were racing at Myrtle Beach.

We'd go to Florence, South Carolina on Friday nights, Nashville…

And we're lovin' it.

Drivin' this dually up and down the road.

And we're working on the race car, learnin', just havin' a great time.

[Kerry] It's somethin' unusual, all three of us runnin'.

Actually, we're all three doin' pretty good.

[Wesley Sherrill] Did we have the best race cars money could buy?

No.

He taught each one of those kids that if you're gonna do this,

you know, there's gonna be struggles

and you're gonna have to learn all you need to know about it.

[interviewer] You know, obviously, you're not the typical family.

-I mean, you're following in some major… -Definitely.

-[interviewer] …major footprints. -[Kerry] Yeah.

Yeah, I think a lot of times, the question instead of when you goin' to Cup,

it's when are you gonna be the Winston Cup champion?

[interviewer] If you could pick one of the three of you,

who's the most likely one to succeed Mr. Earnhardt?

I haven't made the choice yet of whether I want to follow that.

Dale Jr. has made the choice. He wants to be a race car driver.

He's gonna do everything possible to do that.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to just work in racing,

or if I want to go and be a driver.

[Darrell] Do you left foot brake?

[Dale] I'm brakin', yeah, a lot, not when you're shiftin'.

But if I'm brake and gas, I'm like this.

[Darrell] Yeah, okay.

How old are you anyway?

I'm 48.

Well, I'm glad you and I don't have to put anything on our hair.

We haven't started turnin' gray yet.

Well, I tried that. Mine turned pretty red at one time.

Yeah, and you won the Daytona 500.

Maybe I'll show up to Daytona with red hair.

'Cause I've never won the Daytona 500, Darrell.

I really wasn't gonna bring that up

because I know how sensitive you are about it.

And that's the race we're fixin' to go into here.

You know, I gotta tell ya, I think it's gonna be a tough year for you guys.

-Why? -With these young boys that's comin' on.

You know, you're not the champion this year.

-You're not gonna have the number one pin. -I've been that before.

[orchestra tuning instruments]

[commentator] It's been 13 races since Dale Earnhardt was in Victory Lane.

And to say he's hungry for a win is a gross understatement.

[reporter] Who do you want to win?

-Earnhardt. -[reporter] How 'bout you?

-Dale Earnhardt. Number three. -Earnhardt.

Jeff Gordon. We need some new blood in there.

[overlapping chatter]

[Kyle Petty] Jeff came here, and Jeff established himself

as the heir apparent pretty quick.

[commentator] Twenty-four-year-old Jeff Gordon

captured his first series championship defeating his rival, Dale Earnhardt.

[Jeff Gordon] He had everything I wanted. He was extremely talented,

popular and filthy rich.

I was like, yes!

Whoa. Wonder Boy is here.

I hear him talkin' about me.

You talk like a little girl.

Not as big a man as you.

[reporter] This is really kind of about the changing of the guard.

There's kind of a new breed of driver coming into this sport.

[engine revs]

[Darrell] Jeff Gordon was a little bit better than Dale.

And he resented that.

[reporter 2] Is there any talk in your camp

about this run the 24 car is on?

I'm racin' the racetracks and the other teams too.

Not just Jeff Gordon.

I got a lot of tricks left in my bag. I guarantee ya.

["In 'n' Out of Grace" by Mudhoney playing]

[commentator 2] Welcome to Talladega, all you guys. That's what it's all about.

This separates the guys from the runners.

[engines revving]

[commentator 2] Earnhardt goin' for it. Has to come to the line.

♪Jesus, take me to a higher place♪

[commentator] Jeff Gordon goes after his nemesis,

the guy that called him Wonder Boy.

[commentator 2] Wonder where he's at? Right on your tail.

♪Crushed bodies and blood I crave♪

And it's gonna be Jeff Gordon going back out in front.

Earnhardt to the inside on Gordon.

It's going to be Earnhardt.

Earnhardt takes the lead for the sixth time in this DieHard 500.

Sterling Marlin is after the lead from Dale Earnhardt.

He's locked up with Earnhardt's--

Earnhardt and Marlin, hard into the wall!

A tremendous hit on the Earnhardt car.

Sterling Marlin looking over number four, which is just down the track.

[commentator 2] Phew. Wow, that was frightening. Mm.

Just hoping and praying he'll get outta there on his own in a moment.

[commentator] And Dale Earnhardt is coming out of his car.

[announcer over PA] Right now, he's trying to walk.

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt attempting to walk to the ambulance

gives the thumbs up as he walks away

from one of the worst incidents in his racing career.

[crowd cheers]

The 15th career win for Jeff Gordon happens at Talladega.

-[truck beeping] -Not this way.

[reporter] This is probably the worst wreck you've ever seen Dale in, isn't it?

[Richard] Uh, he took a heck of a ride.

He's been in a couple of pretty tough ones.

But this was probably one of the scarier ones for us.

[reporter] Gonna go to Indianapolis?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, he'll be there.

[reporter] That's just one tough guy.

[reporter 2] Dale Earnhardt, just six days ago, he broke his collarbone.

He broke his sternum. The next day he was climbing back into a race car.

The plan here is for him to start the race so he can get the points.

[crowd cheering]

[reporter] Dale, incredible courage here.

How do you feel, and how do you plan to play it?

Just play it by ear, really. I'm gonna run as long as I can.

You know, I don't know how long I can stand it.

[commentator] And there it is, the third Brickyard 400

is under way from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The question remains, how long can Dale Earnhardt stay in the car?

Earnhardt falling back to 13th position.

Now, up to 12th position.

[tense orchestral music]

Dale Earnhardt may come in and get relief.

[pit commentator] They said he stayed up last night

and watched Clint Eastwood movies

thinkin' he might change his mind and try and stay in the car.

No, he's gonna come out and get healed for next week at Watkins Glen.

Earnhardt out of the car. He will come across the wall.

And listen to this crowd go wild as Earnhardt climbs out of the car.

And Mike Skinner is in the car.

As they're watching Mike get hustled in, Dale, the car pretty comfortable to you?

Car pretty comfortable to you, Dale?

[crew member] Not now, guys.

[Kyle] There is no pain greater

than to watch somebody else drive your car.

End of conversation.

Dang, it's hard to get out of there, Jerry.

I mean, you know, it's my life right here.

Boy, an emotional Dale Earnhardt. You will never see that.

This man loves and lives to race.

[Dale Jr.] I remember him gettin' out of the car,

and that was the very first time that he'd ever shown any emotion, ever.

Around anything, personal, professional.

And I was… so, I mean, I'm seein' that the first time in my life.

I was a bit surprised, 'cause he can mask emotion.

He can hide emotion.

He can keep it away from the camera.

And he had everything under control.

Even when he got hurt, he'd get out of the car and race hurt.

Race with a broken neck that none of us knew about.

Broke his neck at Michigan and didn't even tell anybody.

Raced the rest of the year with a broke neck.

Come on, come on.

[Dale Jr.] As a kid, you're like, oh, shit, you know, Dad's hurt.

And then he's up at five in the morning, goes to the shop.

Runs a bulldozer, you know. Does all the things.

Doesn't change, doesn't slow down.

I mean, it's just so insane.

[Dale] We got a new road race car, we're building this road race…

I've done my own ever since I started racin'.

J. Keller told me he used to do. You're gonna drive it,

you're gonna fix the seat.

I don't want to hear you grumbling about your seat not fittin'.

Don't want you to be caught…

So, I've been fixin' since 1978, '79 in Winston Cup cars

'cause I always fixed 'em in my own car.

[gentle ambient music]

[Dale Jr.] I could not connect or relate to the mentality he had.

Racing meant something else to him that I don't understand.

And I don't think a lot of us can.

[Hank] I was worried about Dale Jr.

He was green as grass, didn't know a whole lot about racin'.

Dale Sr. told me one time, he said,

"I don't think that boy will ever be a race car driver.

He just ain't got it."

[Dale Jr.] If Dad was sittin' right here, one thing I'd want to ask him,

did he ever see me race?

My late-model car. I ran 159 races.

[camera shutter clicking]

I never saw him.

He never said, "Hey, I'm comin' to your race this weekend."

He was never around the trailer, never around the car.

I don't know if he saw me.

[track announcer] Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, he finally won one.

How about let's hear from you.

[crowd cheering]

You can tell everybody, "Hey, I was there

when Dale Jr. won his first race."

If he's not watched me run, how can he know that I'm not good enough?

[camera shutter clicks]

[Kelley] I was just wantin' to get together with you to go over,

to make sure we've got things ready,

'cause we're gonna be rollin' off with the kits here in about February.

Um, I did tell you that actions can be taken out of the fan club.

And they sent this card. This is, it's really cool.

The new membership card. It's a hard plastic card.

We did get approved on that from Dale and Teresa.

You know, I worked while I was in college for one of the businesses

that supported my dad's career, in terms of the marketing company.

I felt like I needed to work. I felt like I needed to finish school.

I felt like it was a privilege to race.

And I didn't want that privilege taken away.

[quiet ambient music]

-Debbie? -[Debbie] Yes?

Okay. These are new members.

Is Kelley gonna be here?

Yeah. She's gonna be a little late.

Sometimes, he's like Kelley, you need to come up here and work on your car.

I said, Dad, you don't understand. I got two tests tomorrow,

a paper due next week, and you know, he doesn't know all about that.

My two brothers got to work in the shop, they got to work on their race cars.

But coming there in the evenings,

was more of the time that the guys hung out.

Girls weren't allowed in there.

It was hard to find help.

It was hard to get people to believe you when you're talkin' about the race car.

[Dale Jr.] There were some really hard moments for her emotionally.

I remember a couple of those nights

that she had some run-ins with some people, and she would tell me,

this guy's an asshole. Keep your eye on him.

"You freakin' asshole, you wrecked Kelley."

"You don't like gettin' passed by a girl, asshole?"

You know, we got the jack handles, and we're gonna beat somebody's ass.

The harder ones for me were when she would come with me down to the beach to race.

She goes out and runs some laps and they're frustratingly slow.

And she's gettin' madder and madder. And she comes down pit road

and hit pit wall with the right rear tire and bent the rear-end housing.

And she got out of the car and cried.

And was like, "This is too hard."

I felt for her. But I was 20 years old.

And I probably didn't put my arm around her like I should have.

I don't really remember in the moment,

but I honestly did not do what she would've done for me

in that moment, which I guess I regret.

[Kelley] We were basically told that they weren't gonna re-up the funding

for the three of us to race.

At the time, I had a great job.

Just hittin' the mark in licensing and souvenirs.

And we were just sellin' stuff left and right.

And I was getting promoted.

So, I decided to focus on my business career.

Did you graduate officially?

-May 13th is the ceremony. -[man] May 13th.

But I'm done.

What have you got now, Bachelor's?

I have a Bachelor's of Science, a B.S. in Business Administration.

[man laughs] You got a bullshit degree.

Well…

[Dale Jr.] Dad came to me one day and said,

sponsor's over, we're not gonna race this year.

What are you gonna do with your life?

Right? Kelley decided that she had this new avenue in business.

Kerry was a service writer at the dealership.

I didn't really have like a job.

I had put all my eggs in the race car driver basket.

I'd ran late-models for four, four and a half years.

You know, it was time for me to take the next step,

and the next step is racin' in the Busch Series.

The Busch Series is the Saturday support race to the Cup Series.

It's like AAA baseball to Major League baseball.

At the time, there was a pretty big difference in horse power,

the type of cars.

You have younger guys who are coming up through the system.

You get experience on the big tracks to prove themselves

and to learn more about how to go up to race a Cup.

[Dale Jr.] I was calling owners of other cars

and askin' 'em if they would let me drive.

My damn last name is Earnhardt. Like, come on, put me in your car.

That's what I was thinkin' in my head. I'm not talkin' to the man this way.

And all those guys told me no.

And I thought shit, you know?

Dad was putting deals together behind the curtain,

like Mr. Oz, you know.

And you know, I'm not hearin' a lot of things from Dad

about what all he's doin' behind the scenes.

And really why? You know, we didn't talk.

They just show up one day and Dad goes,

I got a sponsor for you to race this Busch race at the big track.

[Wesley] That was the coolest thing in the world in my book.

Send y'all down there and let y'all run a Busch car.

We're not just late-model racin' no more, we're steppin' up

in the world, and we'll do things.

[Dale Jr.] Dad wasn't gonna let me be this fledgling son

with no business on the racetrack.

He wasn't gonna let that happen to his own reputation.

You know, and he was like, convince me in the opportunities to come

that you're not gonna embarrass me.

[Josh Snider] I was there 'cause he'd asked me to come.

It was a big deal.

[announcer chatting over PA]

[Dale Jr.] We get to the racetrack; very timid, right.

I have no clue how to get around this track, it's huge.

It was hot, and turn four, it gets slick.

[Dale Jr.] We didn't know any better, and I spun out and wrecked the car.

[commentator] There's Earnhardt spinning around there.

And three more cars…

He's sittin' on the edge of the racetrack, and he's rockin' back and forth,

and he goes, "My daddy's gonna kill me."

He was tore up.

I drove him back home and, I think in his mind,

he thought it was over. He had really disappointed his dad.

[man] Him and his buddies, they go over to the trailer, and they just start,

you know, drinkin' their sorrows away.

[Dale Jr.] All of a sudden, the door flies open

on this double wide trailer I lived in. Boom, boom.

I know immediately those are Dad's footsteps.

He looks at my buddies who are sittin' there and he goes,

"Get the fuck off my property."

Them motherfuckers ran out of the house and jumped in the cars

and they drove out the driveway,

their shoes are still sittin' on the floor.

And, uh, he said, come here.

And we walked out. I thought he was gonna whoop my ass.

And he goes, man, what are you doin'?

I was like, I thought my racing career was over.

He's like, no, they're gonna fix that car.

That's where you should be. You should be wanting to fix your car.

Where's that? Where's that inside of you?

What's missing in you that you thought to come over here

and sit on your ass and feel sorry for yourself?

That was the one father-son talk that we had that sunk in.

[Josh] He woke up early that morning, and Junior never woke up early.

Took the car and started fixin' it.

I saw a different Dale Jr. a little bit after that.

He started becoming more and more focused on his career.

And I think it gave him a certain confidence, in a way.

Hey, man, my dad's pissed at me because he believes it.

[reporter] How dedicated are you?

[Dale Jr.] One hundred and twenty percent. Every day, I mean…

I've cut off all ties to everything else. So, it's totally racing, day and night.

No other hobbies or interests, or anything like that.

[gentle orchestral music]

He was dedicated. You know, he wanted to impress his father.

[Darrell] Dale was sellin' souvenirs left and right.

We're making $100,000. He's makin' millions of dollars.

But he was never satisfied.

Dale Earnhardt just wanted to be the best at everything.

[Ty Norris] So, we're at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He came up to me and said, it's time.

My company's a runaway train right now and I need you to get on.

He said, are you ready? And I said, damn right I'm ready.

[Joe] That souvenir company was generating so much revenue.

And that was the source of his money to build his race team.

[newscaster] A tiny brick headquarters is becoming overshadowed

by a new 120,000 square foot combination work place and showroom.

[Jeff] You know when you've made it

when you're a driver that can build a race team.

But I never wanted that. I can tell you. That was risky.

[Hank] DEI just started growin'

a little bit faster

and a little bit more out of control than he was comfortable with.

[interviewer] When did you go from Dale Earnhardt race driver

to Dale Earnhardt businessman?

[Dale] It's not happened yet.

I'm still a race driver.

[Hank] He had too much goin' on, and I think he started to realize that.

I think he got too much money,

he got too much responsibility,

he had too much pressure.

[upbeat piano music]

[Jeff] After '95, it was pretty evident that the competitiveness was not there.

Is it the car, the team?

Is it him losing his edge?

[commentator] Who will win the 1997 Daytona 500?

[Jeff] I never saw his cars handling great.

Every time I was around him, his cars were like on the edge.

[commentator] Earnhardt, trying to muscle each other a little…

[commentator 2] Yeah, well, he gives him a push!

[commentator 3] You see Earnhardt droppin' back just a little bit.

Maybe his car's a little bit loose.

Losin' a lot of positions, that's for sure.

[Jeff] His car just wasn't handling as good as mine.

And he couldn't hold the line. As soon as I put enough pressure on him,

his car just slid up the racetrack.

[commentator 3] There goes the pass. Makin' a move on the inside of Earnhardt.

[commentator] Trouble on the back straightaway!

Dale Earnhardt is into the wall!

Down the back straightaway, big trouble.

Earnhardt out.

Up and over, number three.

And for the 19th time,

lady luck deals a bad hand.

He's in the ambulance and he says, "Hey, will it crank?"

And the guy cranked it up,

and Dale gets out of the ambulance and gets back in the car.

[commentator] After clipping his car on the back straightaway,

climbing from the machine, getting in the ambulance,

Dale Earnhardt decided what he saw was finishable.

So, he got back in the racecar…

[pit commentator] Jeff Gordon, winner of the Daytona 500.

Youngest driver to do it.

-[cheering and whooping] -[orchestral music]

[Ty] He started worrying more about, do we have the right horsepower?

Do we have the right engine package?

When you watch Jeff Gordon win ten races in a year,

when that used to be you,

yeah, there's probably some question about whether or not he can still do it or not.

[Darrell] Dale still drove the same way.

Still acted the same way.

But he didn't get the same results.

I remember Darlington.

We started side-by-side.

And we're goin' down the back straightaway,

and all of a sudden he just veers off and hits the wall.

You see Earnhardt up against the wall. He hit the wall in the very first lap.

I said, "What the hell? What happened to him?"

[commentator] Looks like Dale Earnhardt may be heading,

well, we thought he was going in the pits, now he comes on around the racetrack.

He's on the apron of the racetrack.

This will be the second time around, Allen.

Don't know what's going on at all there.

[Ty] Everybody, we had no idea what was happening.

They're calling and calling him. He's not answering.

And he comes down pit road and he stops in the stall and he's out.

He's asleep.

[music swells]

[commentator] He looks really shaken up.

[commentator 2] Earnhardt, they're carryin' him.

To the truck or someplace. We'll have to check this out.

[commentator] He appears to have an oxygen mask.

[siren blaring]

Right now, Dale Earnhardt is in the infield care center being checked out.

[music swells]

[heartbeat]

[Ty] The pain that he suffered after races.

He used to always complain about his neck.

[cracks]

The doctor went in there to look and see,

and there's a video of these shards of bone

that had broken loose, and they were poking into basically his spine.

[aggressive orchestral music]

[interviewer] Age 46, most people have been through

some sort of change by that point in their life.

What do you say to the people who say Earnhardt's done?

Aren't you gettin' too old for this?

[interviewer 2] How is it that a guy can race as late as you are?

[interviewer 3] Do you feel like time is startin' to run out on Dale Earnhardt?

[Darrell] This is an observation. You take it from somebody that knows.

Your best years are behind you.

[heartbeat]

Test, one, two. Test, one, two.

I'd like to introduce Dr. Charles Branch Jr.

Over the last week,

a lot of attention has been focused on Mr. Earnhardt's health.

Last Sunday afternoon he had an episode that was,

and probably still remains, somewhat unexplained.

He underwent a battery of tests at the McCloud Regional Medical Center.

After collecting all of this information together,

we could not find something that we could treat,

or that we thought was in any way abnormal.

And therefore, we basically issued a generic release

for him to return to his occupation without any restrictions.

Probably every driver out here on the track

has had enough of a head injury at some point in his career

to be the possible source

of a mild temporary brain dysfunction.

[reporter] With this looking like one of the great mysteries

of the modern world,

how do you confidently tell Mr. Earnhardt that it won't happen again?

I don't.

[engines zoom]

[commentator] We're back at Gateway International Raceway

and you're looking at Dale Earnhardt Jr. about to go in, in a reserve role.

Dale Jr. was doing everything he could to get his dad's attention.

[pit commentator] Earnhardt is in good shape.

He's jumpin' right in here.

[Tony Jr.] He had won like five races, and he had done pretty good.

And that's kind of what got my dad's attention.

[Tony Jr.] Like, hey, we can make a race car driver outta him.

But his dad was unsure. He's like, "I don't think he's ready for a car."

My dad is like, "Well, ain't no sense in you goin' out and hiring a new driver

and then paying him all that money.

And then, you send your kid to let them drive for somebody else."

He said, "Just let him drive for you."

And he looked back at him and says, "You think you can handle him?"

And Pops is like, "I'll straighten him out."

[indistinct chatter]

[Dale Jr.] I went down to that shop one day,

Tony Sr. and Tony Jr. are just standin' there next to a car.

And they're like, look on the roof of that car.

And I look over at this race car and my name's on it.

[light music]

And I'm like, what the fuck is my name doin' on that car?

[Tony Jr.] He looked at it, and he goes, is this some kind of joke?

I said, no, it ain't a joke.

I said, why, you don't want to drive it?

Yeah, I'll drive it! You know, he was all pumped up.

But it shocked him that we would even consider puttin' him in it.

I felt like, well, I can do my job, I can help him achieve his goal.

[Dale Jr.] I couldn't believe it.

This is Dad's Busch car that he raced out of that garage next to Mamaw's house.

You grew up with that.

It was very, very personal.

[commentator] A record crowd is here today.

It's always been a race for those aspiring to be at the very top of the sport.

These are names that come off those regional tracks,

gathering together to show their stuff in front of all those top car owners.

In front of the people that make decisions.

[announcer over PA] Dale Earnhardt Jr.

[man] When we went to Daytona, it was a big step up.

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt Jr., third generation driver.

There he is, number three.

[Kelley] There's no better place to win races

and be successful than there was at Daytona.

[commentator 3] Can you imagine the first time

you ever competed at Daytona,

bein' out there where the world's lookin' atcha?

Immediately, it shifted to fun was over. Now, I'm scared to death.

[music swells]

[commentator] This is anybody's race with 15 to go.

[commentator 3] Dick Trickle, they are side-by-side

with Dale Earnhardt Jr. losing ground.

[commentator] Trickle was on the low side…

[commentator 3] Oh, trouble!

[commentator] And around goes Earnhardt, up in the air and over.

Both cars land on their wheels,

as young Earnhardt gets an unwelcome debut at Daytona.

[Kelley] I know how bad he wanted to drive race cars

and what it meant for him to get my dad's approval.

And definitely, being upside down

and being crashed out of your first race

wasn't the way to do that, right.

You know, I just felt more concerned about his emotions.

[pit commentator] How you feelin'?

[Dale Jr.] Just a little bit woozy.

Can't really tell what's goin' on from inside the race car.

All you see is grass, sky, grass, sky.

But got banged around in there just a little bit.

That's just the way it goes.

[reporter] Comes from a pretty good bloodline, guys, he'll be back.

[commentator] He's got talent and had a fast car today.

And you'll hear more from Dale Earnhardt Jr.

[serene orchestral music]

[commentator] Welcome to the 40th Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt, in his 20th try.

We have seen this movie before.

[commentator 2] You have to wonder what's going through Dale Earnhardt's mind.

[reporter] Do you think you were jinxed in this race?

[reporter 2] Luck's just not been there, has it?

[crowd cheering]

[reporter 3] Are you to the point where you're starting to feel

as if you're running out of time here at Daytona?

[commentator] The 40th Daytona 500 is under way.

There's the man they're all talking about as they did a year ago.

Jeff Gordon moves on past Dale Earnhardt.

Gordon, the leader and defending champion of the Daytona 500.

[orchestral music]

Dale Earnhardt, 59 races since he's been to Victory Lane.

Did not have a quick pit stop.

There at ninth place.

Can he get to Victory Lane from here?

[interviewer] You talk to people, they're saying,

boy, Dale Earnhardt was a great seven-time champion.

He was just so aggressive.

They're sayin' "was" and "has."

They're acting as if the Dale Earnhardt era is over.

[Dale] They are, I'm not.

[intense orchestral music]

You're listening to the wrong people.

[commentator] Earnhardt to the outside, wants the lead.

He's got the lead.

Gordon, though, is not going to be denied.

And Jeff Gordon moves on past Dale Earnhardt

Here comes Earnhardt again,

driving hard on the inside of the racetrack.

What you would expect. And Earnhardt goes back to the lead.

Gordon's dropping back.

[commentator 2] That looks like a problem.

He's completely out of contention here.

[Richard] There was a few laps to go.

Larry McReynolds was the crew chief.

Said, "So what do you think?"

I said, "Been here, done that, it's not over."

[intense orchestral music]

[commentator] Ten laps to go.

Earnhardt has lost this race usually in the closing laps.

[commentator 2] Look at this dog fight off turn two

as they go down this long back straightaway.

[commentator] Three laps to go.

[Hank] You could actually even hear it on the television.

The whole grand stand was pulling for him.

-[music swells] -[commentator] Two laps to go.

The most anticipated moment in racing.

Twenty years of trying, 20 years of frustration.

Dale Earnhardt will cover the checkered flag

to win the Daytona 500.

-Finally! -[music swells]

[raucous cheering]

If 270,000 people can sigh a collective sigh of relief,

you almost, from Daytona, you heard… [sighs]

[commentator] Look out on pit road.

Every man on every crew

has come out to the edge on pit lane

to congratulate the man who has dominated everything there is to win in this sport.

I think everybody was happy for Dale Earnhardt the person.

Maybe not for Dale Earnhardt the race car driver.

[Dale Jr.] He ran over people, he was rough. He was mean.

But damn, this is something he's been working for his whole life.

And he's one of the greatest.

What a incredible sign of respect.

I loved it for him.

[man] His trip down pit road will remain one of the greatest ones in the sport.

[music swells]

[cheering]

[Dale] Man, can you, can you believe it?

This is for all them race fans and all them people that been sayin',

Dale, this is your year.

Dale, this is your year.

You the man! You a bad man!

-[commentator] And Richard Childress. -What a year!

[Dale] Thank you, Mom.

Dale Jr., Kerry and Kelley, I love y'all.

-[big band music] -[cheering]

[cheering]

[interviewer] When you woke up after winning the 500,

what was it like to say Dale Earnhardt, Daytona 500 champion?

Pretty awesome. I haven't stopped reelin' yet.

[David Letterman] The category tonight,

"Reasons it took me 20 years to win the Daytona 500."

It took me 19 years to realize I had the emergency brake on.

-[David] Yeah! -[audience laughs]

[big band music]

Would you sign the back of my jacket?

[people cheer]

[reporter] There's a lot goin' on with Dale Earnhardt.

[Dale] There is. There's a lot going on with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

We're buildin' and growin' leaps and bounds.

I just keep lookin' toward the future.

This is our official grand opening.

[cheering]

[man] I think every driver uses Dale Earnhardt as the example

of where they'd like to be.

[reporter] His racing nature and his business nature are in fact the same.

He competes, he controlled and wins.

[cheers]

[Teresa] These guys have been sittin' by the pool…

No, no, I've been workin'. I've been workin'.

[Teresa] Dale has been workin'.

He's been drinkin' Absolut vodka all day.

Not all day. Just since whenever.

That's a long time ago.

[man] We went on a ton of fishing trips.

And Michael Waltrip used to go.

[Dale] Yep, there is Michael fishing…

…fishing for a tan!

[man 2] I knew Michael just in passing.

Darrell Waltrip was the established statesman of the sport.

Whereas Michael was just a little more like the fraternity brother.

[Dale] This is the new and improved Michael Waltrip.

Let's see what he just did. He just got 'em from the beach.

His daughter Taylor would be there. It would just be a family fun time.

[Dale] Whoa, we caught a fish bigger than Taylor.

[Michael] We would go fishin' sometimes from daylight to dark.

And you know, the conversations on the back of the boat

would turn to, you know, if you had a car like mine,

if you drove for me, you'd win.

It's weird to call him a mentor because you know, it was Dale Earnhardt.

But I think he really thought that I deserved a chance to go win races.

[Dale Jr.] I was happy for Dad and Michael

and how much they enjoyed each other's friendship.

And I loved Michael.

But in the moment, yeah, I mean,

I was jealous of anyone that got to hang out with Dad.

[Kelley] It was difficult not to feel like you were

as close to your dad as a lot of people.

You know, who got unlimited amount of experiences with my dad

that I would, you know, only dream of having.

There was not time made for us.

Everything was, "What do you need?"

You know, or you were told what you needed and what to do.

[Dale Jr.] Her and Dad were so similar.

Hard-headed and they got frustrated with each other

over, I don't know, boys she was dating or something

and weren't speaking.

And I worried how it was escalating.

[Kelley] I never felt worthy, you know, of my dad's love.

Um, I never feel like I did what he wanted us to do

to like…

get his love. His love was very conditional.

[interviewer] Do you ever just… maybe you don't feel the pressure.

You want to go out there and you want to do your own thing.

But to make him proud…

[Dale Jr.] I think half of it, it's I want to make my father proud,

and the other half is he's a race car driver, as far as I'm concerned,

and to hear a compliment from him would be,

you know, boost ya, confidence yourself.

[Kelley] It may look like everything's great and wonderful

and whatever, but you know, there's a lot of hurt.

You just didn't talk about it because you were Dale Earnhardt's daughter,

and you knew that people don't want to hear negative things about their heroes.

You know?

And so, you know, you just didn't talk about it.

[interviewer] Dale, do you feel success is in your blood?

Not only because of what your father has accomplished,

but also what you've done for the late-model ranks?

Um, I don't think that success can be, you know, passed on through genes.

Uh, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well for my father

because he's given me such an opportunity.

You know, I feel I've got to prove myself to him and not let him down.

[announcer over PA] Gentlemen, start your engines.

[engine revs]

[grandiose music]

[Dale Jr.] I mean, we start the year, and it was rough.

Uh, super nervous, super scared.

I wrecked at Daytona.

[commentator] And around Earnhardt, up…

Which was like a "look at me" moment in all the wrong ways.

[commentator] So, we are set to go. Glad you're with us.

I had no race craft. I could go fast.

I could run great in the start of the race,

but I wasn't sure how to get to the finish.

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had just gone a second lap down

has problems while running in 24th spot.

[Dale Jr.] I don't know what I'm supposed to be doin'.

What I'm supposed to be seeing, thinking, feeling.

And I mean, I made so many mistakes.

[commentator] Here is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

[commentator 3] See him come in a little hot there.

Jackman jumps up in the air. Gets tagged a little bit.

[commentator] Young Dale having a tough time of it today.

[Dale Jr.] Things just aren't going really good.

[commentator] It's a pretty beat up race car

that they're takin' back to the garage area, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s.

[Dale Jr.] I haven't shown any promise.

There's not even a glimmer of what could be.

I'm sittin' there thinkin', boy, they're regrettin' this shit.

[Wesley] Dale Sr. was going to Tony Sr. and saying,

"Did I make the right decision by helpin' this kid?"

[commentator] Beautiful day for racing here in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The field of focus, which car is set to roll.

[Dale Jr.] And like, the third or fourth race of the season, we go to Vegas.

It's like something clicked.

[commentator] This is where Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s the strongest.

And look as he closes in.

[Dale Jr.] And we run second.

[pit commentator] It's not a win, but certainly it shows the progress

you're making just to how much confidence has this race given you.

We just got out there, practiced drafting and learning about the super speedways.

Really it was more of going to school than anything.

[pit commentator] Has Dale said anything to you?

Nah, he's got to go out and practice, so I probably won't talk to him.

[pit commentator] Congratulations.

[Dale Jr.] And then we got second at Crystal's.

Oh, some contact. Whoa, he did.

How did he do that?

[commentator 2] How did he do that?

[Dale Jr.] I loved Tony Sr. like a father. Tony Jr.'s like a brother to me.

And they complimented me.

When we do win.

Yeah, that kid's great, huh? You just gotta keep him calm.

He just wants to win so bad.

I saw them happy. I wanted to make them happy.

And that was the moment. I was like, I can do this.

I can figure this out.

[engine roaring]

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt Jr. into turn one with the lead.

[commentator 2] What a day in history.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will win the Coca-Cola 300.

First win and points leader right now.

[Dale Jr.] You know, we go on through that year, win some races.

Just gettin' more and more confident.

[commentator] Gotta think Dad is lovin' it. Four.

[Dale Jr.] You know, we'd won some races, then he'd come in Victory Lane

put you in a headlock, you know,

and say somethin', he'd talk to the cameras.

He wouldn't say nothin' to you.

They'd interview him and he'd go, "Yeah, this kid,

he's doin' pretty good, I guess." You know.

And you're like, all right.

[commentator] Twenty-four-year-old Dale Earnhardt Jr.,

just a few laps from now, a new champion.

[chuckles] There's the champion, saluting the crowd.

This crowd here at Homestead lovin' him.

Well, history being made. Dale Earnhardt Jr.,

the first third-generation driver in NASCAR history

to be crowned as a series champion.

There's Tony Eury Jr. Couple of youngsters.

[all laughing]

Oh! Well!

Now, is that your dad or is that your car owner?

That's the car owner.

Is that your son or is that your driver?

That's my son. He's an awesome driver too.

[crowd cheering]

[interviewer] How much has it meant to see the pride

that your dad has been going around just beaming for weeks now?

[Dale Jr. chuckles] I ain't seen too much a difference.

I guess, he'll tell everybody else how proud he is,

but he won't really do it much in front of me.

I guess just to keep my head screwed on straight,

and not let me get too big for my britches.

[Hank] Dale Jr., one time he said, you know,

the only time I think my dad really loves me is when I win a race.

Dale felt the same exact way as Dale Jr.

Dale wanted his dad's approval more than anything in the world.

Yet, he never showed that to his own children.

He loved 'em, and they meant the world to him.

He was so proud of 'em. But he just, for whatever reason,

he could not tell 'em that.

He couldn't express that. Nor could Ralph.

[crowd cheering]

[man 4] Dale Earnhardt Jr., Busch Series leader.

We have another Earnhardt dressed in black.

Who could've figured that one?

What do you think of the--

-Wait a minute. -[engine revving]

[crowd cheering]

You just can't let your son upstage you on the entrance, can you?

[Dale] Nah, can't do that.

Wow.

[Kelley] Dale's definitely a different personality

in terms of goin' with the flow and doesn't like conflict.

And he's just gonna keep, you know, bein' right there,

no matter how many times his feelings got hurt.

[photographer] Put your arms around each other.

[Kelley] Whatever it was, he was gonna try again, you know.

And hopefully, at some point, you know, get somethin' positive out of it.

[Ty] Junior was superfast and constantly winning races,

and so, yeah, you're not gonna keep people like that down

in that Busch Series.

You're not making any money in the Busch Series,

you might as well get to the Cup Series where there's more money,

there's more purse, there's more sponsorship level.

[Dale] Things just keep growin' here at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

And it's time to grow some more.

It's Teresa's and my privilege to introduce our next addition

to the NASCAR family and our future in NASCAR.

Take it away, guys.

[crowd applauds]

[Jade Gurss] When they signed the deal with Budweiser,

it was a big deal through the whole motorsports industry.

And I think Dale Jr. put more pressure upon himself than anything else.

This says a lot about this company's commitment

to make that kind of six-year deal.

It's almost unheard of these days in Winston Cup.

[Dale Jr.] Everybody is taking a risk here.

Mostly everyone taking a risk on me,

but I feel very confident in my ability to do the job

and to be able to perform well. And we got Budweiser.

You know, words can't describe how huge they are on the market,

and a relatively young but strong company, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

I had somehow instantly became this asset to my dad, this value to him.

He would look at me like he'd never looked at me before.

[Ty] That was a poignant moment

because now, racer to racer elevated father to son.

[Dale Jr.] He started to give me direction, give me instruction.

And we started havin' conversations that we'd never had before.

He was starting to lead me, and shepherd, and do all those things.

[Jade] The team that won the Busch Series, they moved up all together.

This was a rookie team, rookie driver, everything.

I think they had a sense of confidence

that might've been a little inflated early on,

but suddenly they start winning.

[commentator] Earnhardt Jr. back to the lead.

[commentator 2] You know somethin' special's happening right now.

[commentator] Like father, like son.

Checkered flag, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

First time Winston Cup winner.

[Tony Jr.] You know, in that first year, like, we won Richmond…

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins…

[Tony Jr.] …Texas.

In that first half of the year, we done won three big major races.

[Jade] And suddenly, everybody's realizing this is a serious team.

This is somebody we're gonna have to deal with.

That internal confidence they all had just strengthened.

[Ty] He would never say this, but for the first time,

there was like a handing of the torch kind of thing.

Like, I know when I'm done, there's an Earnhardt that's gonna carry on.

[Dale Jr.] When we won our first race, I remember, and I even said audibly,

we're in the All-Star Race.

Back then, the All-Star Race was amazing because only the winners ran in it.

You wanted to get into that elite select group

of special drivers.

And so, we went to Texas, and I was like,

I'm in that damn All-Star Race. Dad's in it. I'm in it.

[music swells]

[commentator] Well, time for 20 drivers

who have qualified for the Winston, will now be introduced to the fans.

And we're so happy you're part of it with us.

[Dale Jr.] I'm like, holy shit, these are my heroes.

These are my dad's competitors and peers.

I'm a rookie, and rookies don't run in the All-Star Race.

[commentator] Jeff Gordon, virtually unbeatable.

[Dale Jr.] I was just like havin' a wake-up call.

Damn, this is really happening.

It's really happening to me.

Everything that I dreamed.

[music swells]

[announcer over PA] Get ready…

[indistinct calls]

[engines roaring]

[Dale Jr.] We start the race, and I'm runnin' my ass off.

[commentator 2] Dale Earnhardt Jr. in that eight car there,

now in fourth. He's really knifing through this traffic.

[Dale Jr.] I'm knifing up through there, trying to pass as many cars as I can,

and I get to Dad, and he's like… [makes engine noises] He's goin'.

He don't give a shit.

I'm like shit, tryin' to keep up with him.

And I slapped the wall comin' off turn four.

[commentator 2] Whoa! How close to the wall can you come?

That was a little too close there, you gotta watch that or…

[Dale Jr.] I thought shit,

I probably nerfed the car a little bit, probably hurt it.

And I realized right then, I don't think we got the car to beat.

[commentator] Earnhardt Jr. comes off the racetrack.

He will make an unscheduled stop.

[Dale Jr.] So, let's go down pit road, put tires on. What have we got to lose?

[power tools whirring]

[commentator] Some new tires on, and he is under way.

I've got a little tiny tire advantage, got to start running some laps,

man, my car just kind of drove by everybody.

The car was amazing. Fuckin' hauled ass!

[commentator 2] Keep your eye on Dale Earnhardt Jr.

He has come from the back of this pack.

[Dale Jr.] I remember goin' by Dad. I went by him, and he watched me drive.

I really want to know, what he was thinkin'.

[commentator 2] I've seen a lot of things in my life,

but I don't think I've ever seen determination this young man has.

[commentator] It is again the Dale Show,

but a different generation of Earnhardt now in the mix.

[commentator 2] He's pullin' even as they head down the back straightaway.

He didn't just take the lead, he is drivin' away.

And look at this.

[commentator] Dale Earnhardt Jr., in his rookie season.

[music swells]

[crowd cheering]

What a great run you made in those final laps, Dale, tell us about it.

Well, we was, uh…

[music plays over dialogue]

[music softens]

[Dale Jr.] He's standin' on the other side of the trophy,

and he just looks over and he goes, man, this is cool, ain't it?

And I was like, that was the moment.

Like, that was Dad.

You know, that was Dale bein' Dad.

[announcer] Another Earnhardt on the stage now. Join us, proud dad.

[Dale Jr.] You just have to realize that

that side of him was so rare.

And to see him just sit back and let it sink in.

[gentle music]

I was above and beyond, exceeding all expectations

that my dad ever had for me.

I'd blown them out of the water.

This is the guy that almost sent me to art school,

to be an artist.

I would stand on those stages with Dad, lookin' at him, goin',

"You see me now?" You know, like, "Look at us, look at me."

You know, just over the moon happy

with how he allowed himself to be embraced.

[music swells]

[Kelley] Most of my grown-up life, Dad and I struggled

over who I was in a relationship with,

and him believing he knew what was best.

Um, and he had these mistakes in his own life.

Instead of living to kind of please him, I just

made the choice of like, basically just to live my own way.

I mean, enough is enough.

I mean, do I want to make myself happy or do I want to make him happy?

And what I didn't know then that I do know now is

that, you know, our time was gonna get cut short.

So…

[Dale] Don't let it slip away. Don't let it go by you.

And then, one day you're gone, or somebody's gone that you loved.

I mean, it's like my dad. I wish I'd have told him I loved him,

you know, the day, I'd seen him the day before he died.

I mean, I didn't.

It was too late the next day.

[gentle music continues]