There wasn't much of a clue of Earnhardt's future racing prowess when he made his NASCAR debut in May 1975 in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He started in 33rd position and finished 22nd, some 45 laps behind he winner Richard Petty.

In April 1979 at Bristol, Tennessee, Earnhardt's cavalcade of career victories began. And so did his legacy as a tough-as-nails competitor.

Earnhardt's image was enchanced by his trademark black attire and strong opinions. In additon to "The Intimidator," others called him "Ironhead" or "The Man in Black."

Regardless of what he was called, Earnhardt was a mand of hard-to-break traditions. He proudly wore his black jeans, black shirt and trademark thick mustache. He also preferred to wear an open-face helmet while driving. Many of his colleagues had switched to the more safety-conscious had switched to the more safety-conscious, full-face helmets, but Earnhardt said he could see better in the traditional helmet.

Even during the final two races of his life, Earnhardt demonstrated his unique racing style. In the IROC race and Daytona 500 preambe, Eddie Cheever and Earnhardt bumped, with Earnhardt falling out of contention. But when the race was over, Earnhardt drove up behind Cheever, spun him out of contorl and the two drivers exchanged words.

Cheever was apologetic after the race, commenting, "The last thing I need is a feud with Dale Earnhardt."

In his fatal Daytona 500 finale, Earnhardt bumped Sterling Marlin to go into the lead on the 40th lap. He and friend Jeff Gordon "traded paint" at one point during the race. And then there were several instances when The Intimidator nudges rookies Ron Hornaday and Kurt Busch. In Busch's instance, Earnhardt, frustrated by his inability to pass the young and slow driver, finally made his move. While he sped away, Earnhardt made an obscence gesture out the window.

Final Turn

The King of the Road

The Intimidator

Bittersweet

Legacy

Legends

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