Editing Dale Earnhardt (section)

==NASCAR career==
{{see also|List of NASCAR race wins by Dale Earnhardt}}

===Early Winston Cup career (1975–1978)===
Earnhardt began his professional career in the NASCAR [[Winston Cup]] Series in 1975, making his points race debut at [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]] in North Carolina in the longest race on the Cup circuit—the [[1975 World 600]]. He had made his Grand National debut in 1974 in an unofficial invitational exhibition race at [[Metrolina Speedway]], where with eight laps to go he got under [[Richard Childress]] and spun out when battling for third.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical Motorsports Stories: Dale Earnhardt's "First" Cup Race and the Fall of Metrolina - Racing-Reference.info|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/showblog?id=3487|access-date=2020-07-18|website=www.racing-reference.info|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718202955/https://www.racing-reference.info/showblog?id=3487|url-status=live}}</ref> He drove the No. 8 [[Ed Negre]] [[Dodge Charger]] and finished 22nd in that race, just one spot ahead of his future car owner, [[Richard Childress]]. Earnhardt competed in eight more races until 1979.

===Rod Osterlund Racing (1979–1980)===
When he joined car owner [[Rod Osterlund|Rod Osterlund Racing]] in a season that included a rookie class of future stars including Earnhardt, [[Harry Gant]], and [[Terry Labonte]] in his rookie season, Earnhardt won one race at [[Bristol Motor Speedway|Bristol]], captured four poles, scored eleven Top 5s and seventeen Top 10s, and finished seventh in the points standings despite missing four races due to a broken collarbone, winning [[NASCAR Rookie of the Year|Rookie of the Year]] honors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/1/20/top-10-nascar-rookies-tony-stewart-jimmie-johnson-dale-earnhardt.html|title=TOP 10 ROOKIE CAMPAIGNS AT NASCAR'S HIGHEST LEVEL|last=Caraviello|first=David|date=January 20, 2014|publisher=[[NASCAR]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122082015/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/1/20/top-10-nascar-rookies-tony-stewart-jimmie-johnson-dale-earnhardt.html|archive-date=2014-01-22|access-date=January 20, 2014}}</ref>

During his sophomore season, Earnhardt, now with 20-year-old [[Doug Richert]] as his crew chief, began the season winning the [[Budweiser Shootout|Busch Clash]]. With wins at [[Atlanta Motor Speedway|Atlanta]], Bristol, [[Music City Motorplex|Nashville]], [[Martinsville Speedway|Martinsville]], and Charlotte, Earnhardt won his first [[Winston Cup]] points championship. He is the only driver in NASCAR Cup history to follow a Rookie of the Year title with a NASCAR Winston Cup Championship the next season. He was also the third driver in NASCAR history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Winston Cup Series championship, following [[David Pearson (NASCAR driver)|David Pearson]] (1960, 1966) and Richard Petty (1959, 1964). Ten drivers have since joined this exclusive club: [[Rusty Wallace]] (1984, 1989), [[Alan Kulwicki]] (1986, 1992), [[Jeff Gordon]] (1993, 1995), [[Tony Stewart]] (1999, 2002), [[Matt Kenseth]] (2000, 2003), [[Kevin Harvick]] (2001, 2014), [[Kyle Busch]] (2005, 2015), [[Joey Logano]] (2009, 2018, 2022, 2024), [[Chase Elliott]] (2016, 2020), and [[Kyle Larson]] (2014, 2021).

===Rod Osterlund Racing, Stacy Racing, and Richard Childress Racing (1981)===
1981 would prove to be tumultuous for the defending Winston Cup champion. Sixteen races into the season, [[Rod Osterlund]] suddenly sold his team to [[Jim Stacy]], an entrepreneur from [[Kentucky]] who entered [[NASCAR]] in 1977. After just four races, Earnhardt fell out with Stacy and left the team. Earnhardt finished out the year driving [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiacs]] for [[Richard Childress Racing]] and managed to place seventh in the final points standings. Earnhardt departed RCR at the end of the season, citing a lack of chemistry.

Earnhardt was also a color commentator for the [[Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum|Busch Clash]], while he also drove on that same day.

===Bud Moore Engineering (1982–1983)===
[[File:DaleEarnhardt15racecar1983.jpg|right|thumb|Earnhardt's 1983 Ford Thunderbird]] 
The following year, at [[Richard Childress|Childress's]] suggestion, Earnhardt joined car owner [[Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)|Bud Moore]] for the 1982 and 1983 seasons driving the No. 15 [[Wrangler Jeans]]-sponsored [[Ford Thunderbird]] (the only full-time Ford ride in his career). During the 1982 season, Earnhardt struggled. Although he won at [[Darlington Raceway|Darlington]], he failed to finish 18 of the 30 races and ended the season 12th in points, the worst of his career. He also suffered a broken kneecap at [[Pocono Raceway]] when he flipped after contact with [[Tim Richmond]]. In 1983, Earnhardt rebounded and won his first of 12 [[Daytona 500#Qualifying procedure|Twin 125]] [[Daytona 500]] qualifying races. He won at Nashville and at [[Talladega Superspeedway|Talladega]], finishing eighth in the points standings, despite failing to finish 13 of the 30 races.

===Return to Richard Childress Racing (1984–2001)===

====1984–1985====
After the 1983 season, Earnhardt returned to [[Richard Childress Racing]], replacing [[Ricky Rudd]] in the No. 3. Rudd went to Bud Moore's No. 15, replacing Earnhardt. Wrangler sponsored both drivers at their respective teams. During the 1984 and 1985 seasons, Earnhardt went to victory lane six times, at Talladega, Atlanta, [[Richmond International Raceway|Richmond]], Bristol (twice), and Martinsville, where he finished fourth and eighth in the season standings respectively.

====1986–1987====
The 1986 season saw Earnhardt win his second career Winston Cup Championship and the first owner's championship for Richard Childress Racing. He won five races and had 16 top-fives and 23 top-10s. Earnhardt successfully defended his championship the following year, going to victory lane 11 times and winning the championship by 489 points over [[Bill Elliott]]. In the process, Earnhardt set a NASCAR modern-era record of four consecutive wins and won five of the first seven races. In the 1987 season, he earned the nickname "the Intimidator", due in part to the [[1987 The Winston|1987 Winston All-Star Race]]. During this race, Earnhardt was briefly forced into the infield grass but kept control of his car and returned to the track without giving up his lead. The maneuver is now referred to as the "'''Pass in the Grass'''", even though Earnhardt did not pass anyone while he was off the track. After The Winston, an angry fan sent [[Bill France Jr.]] a letter threatening to kill Earnhardt at [[Pocono Raceway|Pocono]], [[Watkins Glen International|Watkins Glen]], or [[Dover International Speedway|Dover]], prompting the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] to provide security for Earnhardt on the three tracks. The investigation was closed after the races at the three tracks finished without incident.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadspin.com/5936579/when-i-get-a-clear-shot-25-years-ago-dale-earnhardt-received-this-death-threat-for-his-pass-in-the-grass |title="When I Get A Clear Shot...": 25 Years Ago, Dale Earnhardt Received This Death Threat For His Ornery Driving |first=Barry |last=Petchesky |website=Deadspin |publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]] |date=August 21, 2012 |access-date=November 30, 2018 |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130113001/https://deadspin.com/5936579/when-i-get-a-clear-shot-25-years-ago-dale-earnhardt-received-this-death-threat-for-his-pass-in-the-grass |url-status=live }}</ref> Many of Earnhardt's competitors on the racetrack disliked his personal driving style. Earnhardt's relentless pursuit of victory on the racetrack combined with his uniquely offensive driving ability led to many rivalries with fellow drivers and fines levied by [[NASCAR Cup Series|NASCAR]]. In 1987, [[NASCAR Cup Series|NASCAR]] began to implement a measure that was designed to incentivize less aggressive driving styles by forcing drivers who cause these undesired hazardous racing conditions to be subjected to time at the garage region during the race.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beekman |first=Scott |title=NASCAR Nation: a History of Stock Car Racing in the United States : A History of Stock Car Racing in the United States |publisher=ABC-CLIO, LLC |date=2010-04-09 |isbn=9781567206616 |pages=108–109}}</ref>

====1988–1989====
The 1988 season saw Earnhardt racing with a new sponsor, [[GM Certified Service|GM Goodwrench]], after [[Wrangler Jeans]] dropped its sponsorship in 1987. During this season, he changed the color of his paint scheme from [[blue]] and [[yellow]] to the signature [[black]] in which the No. 3 car was painted for the rest of his life. He won three races in 1988, finishing third in the points standings behind Bill Elliott in first and Rusty Wallace in second. The following year, Earnhardt won five races, but a late spin out at [[North Wilkesboro Speedway|North Wilkesboro]] arguably cost him the 1989 championship, as [[Rusty Wallace]] edged him out for it by 12 points (Earnhardt won the [[1989 Atlanta Journal 500|final race]], but Wallace finished 15th when needing to finish at least 18th to win). It was his first season for the [[GM Certified Service|GM Goodwrench]] [[Chevrolet Lumina]].

====1990–1995====
The 1990 season started for Earnhardt with victories in the [[Budweiser Shootout|Busch Clash]] and his heat of the [[Gatorade Duel|Gatorade Twin 125's]]. Near the end of the [[Daytona 500]], he had a dominant forty-second lead when the final caution flag came out with a handful of laps to go. When the green flag waved, Earnhardt was leading [[Derrike Cope]]. On the final lap, Earnhardt ran over a piece of metal, which was later revealed as a [[bell housing]], in turn 3, cutting down a tire. Cope, in an upset, won the race while Earnhardt finished fifth after leading 155 of the 200 laps. The No. 3 Goodwrench-sponsored Chevy team took the flat tire that cost them the win and hung it on the shop wall as a reminder of how close they had come to winning the Daytona 500.<ref>{{cite web|last=Caraviello|first=David|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/3/6/top-10-bad-luck-moments-las-vegas.html|title=TOP 10 BAD LUCK MOMENTS IN NASCAR|publisher=[[NASCAR]]|date=March 6, 2014|access-date=March 6, 2014|archive-date=March 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307083014/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/3/6/top-10-bad-luck-moments-las-vegas.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Earnhardt won nine races that season and won his fourth Winston Cup title, beating [[Mark Martin]] by 26 points. He also became the first multiple winner of the annual all-star race, [[1990 The Winston|The Winston]]. The 1991 season saw Earnhardt win his fifth Winston Cup championship. This season, he scored four wins and won the championship by 195 points over [[Ricky Rudd]]. One of his wins came at [[North Wilkesboro Speedway|North Wilkesboro]], in a race where [[Harry Gant]] had a chance to set a single-season record by winning his fifth consecutive race, breaking a record held by Earnhardt. Late in the race, Gant lost his brakes, which gave Earnhardt the chance he needed to make the pass for the win and maintain his record.

Earnhardt's only win of the 1992 season came at Charlotte, in the [[Coca-Cola 600]], ending a 13-race win streak by Ford teams. Earnhardt finished a career-low 12th in the points for the second time in his career, with three last place finishes (Daytona and Talladega in July and Martinsville in September),<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/earnhda01/1992/W/| title = Driver Season Stats - Racing-Reference}}</ref> and the only time he had finished that low since joining Richard Childress Racing. He still made the trip to the annual Awards Banquet with Rusty Wallace but did not have the best seat in the house. Wallace stated he and Earnhardt had to sit on the backs of their chairs to see, and Earnhardt said, "This sucks, I should have gone hunting."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=mcgee_ryan&id=3736700 |title=Ryan McGee: Best and worst of NASCAR Sprint Cup banquet nights past&nbsp;— ESPN |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=January 12, 2009 |access-date=December 17, 2010 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629004108/http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=mcgee_ryan&id=3736700 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the end of the year, longtime crew chief [[Kirk Shelmerdine]] left to become a driver. [[Andy Petree]] took over as crew chief. Hiring Petree turned out to be beneficial, as Earnhardt returned to the front in 1993. He once again came close to a win at the Daytona 500 and dominated [[Speedweeks]] before finishing second to [[Dale Jarrett]] on a last-lap pass. Earnhardt scored six wins en route to his sixth Winston Cup title, including wins in the first prime-time Coca-Cola 600 and [[1993 The Winston|The Winston]], both at Charlotte, and the [[Coke Zero 400|Pepsi 400]] at Daytona. He beat Rusty Wallace for the championship by 80 points. On November 14, 1993, after the season-ending Hooters 500 at Atlanta, the race winner Wallace and 1993 series champion Earnhardt ran a dual [[Polish Victory Lap]] together while carrying #28 and #7 flags commemorating [[1992 Daytona 500]] winner [[Davey Allison]] and [[1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series]] champion [[Alan Kulwicki]] respectively, who both had died in separate plane accidents during the season.

[[File:Dale Sr 1994.jpg|thumb|Earnhardt's [[1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1994]] racecar]]
In 1994, Earnhardt achieved a feat that he himself had believed to be impossible—he scored his seventh Winston Cup championship, tying [[Richard Petty]]. He was very consistent, scoring four wins, and after [[Ernie Irvan]] was sidelined due to a near-deadly crash at Michigan (the two were neck-and-neck at the top of the points up until the crash), won the title by over 400 points over Mark Martin. Earnhardt sealed the deal at Rockingham by winning the race over [[Rick Mast]]. It was his final NASCAR championship and his final season for the [[GM Certified Service|GM Goodwrench]] [[Chevrolet Lumina]]. Earnhardt started off the 1995 season by finishing second in the Daytona 500 to [[Sterling Marlin]]. He won five races in 1995, including his first [[road course]] victory at [[Infineon Raceway|Sears Point]]. He also won the [[Allstate 400 at The Brickyard|Brickyard 400]] at [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]], a win he called the biggest of his career. But in the end, Earnhardt lost the championship to [[Jeff Gordon]] by 34 points. The [[GM Certified Service|GM Goodwrench]] racing team changed to [[Chevrolet Monte Carlo]]s.

Earnhardt almost was ready to leave the #3 at the end of the 1995 season, according to his former crew chief [[Larry McReynolds]]. At the time, McReynolds was the crew chief for the #28 [[Havoline]] [[Ford Thunderbird]] at [[Yates Racing|Robert Yates Racing]].<ref>''The Scene Vault Podcast'' episode 140, July 2020</ref> Earnhardt had actually been approached by Yates to drive the #28 for the 1995 season in place of [[Ernie Irvan]], who was injured in a crash during the 1994 season. Instead, Robert Yates signed [[Dale Jarrett]] to a one-year deal to drive the #28. During the 1995 season, Yates was being pressed by his manufacturer to start a second team and sent a contract to Earnhardt to drive it.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nascarhall.com/blog/different-dale-and-dale-show | title=A Different Dale & Dale Show &#124; NASCAR Hall of Fame &#124; Curators' Corner }}</ref> Earnhardt never returned the contract, and according to McReynolds the reason he did not sign was because he only wanted to drive the #28 for Yates; the team fully intended to put Irvan back behind the wheel of his old car once he was able to resume driving. Instead, Earnhardt stayed with RCR and the #3, while Jarrett was signed to drive Yates' new car, numbered 88.

====1996–1999====
[[File:Dale Earnhardt - NASCAR Photography By Darryl Moran.jpg|thumb|right|Earnhardt at [[Phoenix International Raceway]].]]
1996 for Earnhardt started just like it had done in 1993—he dominated Speedweeks, only to finish second in the [[1996 Daytona 500|Daytona 500]] to [[Dale Jarrett]] for the second time. He won early in the year, scoring consecutive victories at [[Rockingham Speedway|Rockingham]] and Atlanta. On July 28 in the [[AMP Energy 500|DieHard 500]] at Talladega, he was second in points and looking for his eighth season title, despite the departure of crew chief Andy Petree. Late in the race, [[Ernie Irvan]] lost control of his No. 28 [[Havoline]]-sponsored Ford Thunderbird, made contact with the No. 4 Kodak-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo of [[Sterling Marlin]], and ignited a crash that saw Earnhardt's No. 3 Chevrolet hit the tri-oval wall nearly head-on at almost 200&nbsp;mph. After hitting the wall, Earnhardt's car flipped and slid across the track, in front of race traffic. His car was hit in the roof and windshield. This accident, as well as a similar accident that led to the death of [[Russell Phillips]] at Charlotte, led NASCAR to mandate the "Earnhardt Bar", a metal brace located in the center of the windshield that reinforces the roof in case of a similar crash. This bar is also required in NASCAR-owned [[United SportsCar Racing]] and its predecessors for road racing.

Rain delays had canceled the live telecast of the race, and most fans first learned of the accident during the night's sports newscasts. Video of the crash showed what appeared to be a fatal incident, but once medical workers arrived at the car, Earnhardt climbed out and waved to the crowd, refusing to be loaded onto a stretcher despite a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade. Although the incident looked like it would end his season early, Earnhardt refused to stay out of the car. The next week at Indianapolis, he started the race but exited the car on the first pit stop, allowing [[Mike Skinner (racing driver)|Mike Skinner]] to take the wheel. When asked, Earnhardt said that vacating the No. 3 car was the hardest thing he had ever done. The following weekend at [[Watkins Glen International|Watkins Glen]], he drove the No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet to the fastest time in qualifying, earning the "True Grit" pole. T-shirts emblazoned with Earnhardt's face were quickly printed up, brandishing the caption, "It Hurt So Good". Earnhardt led for most of the race and looked to have victory in hand, but fatigue took its toll and he ended up sixth behind race winner [[Geoff Bodine]]. Earnhardt did not win again in 1996 but still finished fourth in the standings behind [[Terry Labonte]], [[Jeff Gordon]], and [[Dale Jarrett]], with 2 wins, 13 top fives, 17 top tens, and his last 2 career poles, with an average finish of 10.6. David Smith departed as crew chief of the No. 3 team and RCR at the end of the year for personal reasons, and he was replaced by [[Larry McReynolds]].

In 1997, Earnhardt went winless for only the second time in his career. The only (non-points) win came during Speedweeks at Daytona in the Twin 125-mile qualifying race, his record eighth-straight win in the event. Once again in the hunt for the Daytona 500 with 10 laps to go, Earnhardt was taken out of contention by a late crash which sent his car upside down on the backstretch. He hit the low point of his year when he blacked out early in the [[1997 Mountain Dew Southern 500|Mountain Dew Southern 500]] at [[Darlington Raceway|Darlington]] in September, causing him to hit the wall. Afterward, he was disoriented, and it took several laps before he could find his pit stall. When asked, Earnhardt complained of double vision which made it difficult to pit. [[Mike Dillon (racing driver)|Mike Dillon]] (Richard Childress's son-in-law) was brought in to relieve Earnhardt for the remainder of the race. Earnhardt was evaluated at a local hospital and cleared to race the next week, but the cause of the blackout and double vision was never determined. Despite no wins, Earnhardt finished the season fifth in the final standings with 7 top fives and 16 top tens, with an average finish of 12.1.

[[File:Dale Earnhardt 1998 Daytona 500 Car.jpg|thumb|Earnhardt's [[1998 Daytona 500]]-winning No. 3 Goodwrench [[Chevrolet Monte Carlo]]]]
On February 15, 1998, Earnhardt finally won the [[1998 Daytona 500|Daytona 500]] in his 20th attempt after failing to win in his previous 19 attempts.<ref>Persinger, p. 12 & 13.</ref> He began the season by winning his Twin 125-mile qualifier race for the ninth straight year, and the week before was the first to drive around the track under the newly installed lights, for coincidentally 20 laps. On race day, he showed himself to be a contender early. Halfway through the race, however, it seemed that [[Jeff Gordon]] had the upper hand. But by lap 138, Earnhardt had taken the lead and thanks to a push by teammate [[Mike Skinner (racing driver)|Mike Skinner]], he maintained it. Earnhardt made it to the caution-checkered flag before [[Bobby Labonte]]. Afterwards, there was a large show of respect for Earnhardt, in which every crew member of every team lined [[pit road]] to shake his hand as he made his way to [[List of motorsport terminology#V|victory lane]]. Earnhardt then drove his No. 3 into the infield grass, starting a trend of post-race celebrations. He spun the car twice, throwing grass and leaving tire tracks in the shape of a No. 3 in the grass. He then spoke about the victory, saying, "I have had a lot of great fans and people behind me all through the years and I just can't thank them enough. The Daytona 500 is ours. We won it, we won it, we won it!" The rest of the season did not go as well, and the Daytona 500 was his only victory that year. Despite that, he did almost pull off a Daytona sweep, where he was one of the contenders for the win in the first nighttime Pepsi 400, but a pit stop late in the race in which a rogue tire cost him the race win. He slipped to 12th in the point standings halfway through the season, and Richard Childress decided to make a crew chief change, taking [[Mike Skinner (racing driver)|Mike Skinner]]'s crew chief [[Kevin Hamlin]] and putting him with Earnhardt while giving Skinner [[Larry McReynolds]] (Earnhardt's crew chief). Earnhardt finished the 1998 season eighth in the final points standings, with 1 win, 5 top fives, and 13 top tens, with an average finish of 16.2.

Before the 1999 season, fans began discussing Earnhardt's age and speculating that with his son, [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.|Dale Jr.]], making his Winston Cup debut, Earnhardt might be contemplating retirement. Earnhardt swept both races for the year at Talladega, leading some to conclude that his talent had become limited to the restrictor plate tracks, which require a unique skill set and an exceptionally powerful racecar to win. But halfway through the year, Earnhardt began to show some of the old spark. In the August race at [[Michigan International Speedway|Michigan]], he led laps late in the race and nearly pulled off his first win on a non-restrictor-plate track since 1996. One week later, he provided NASCAR with one of its most controversial moments. At the [[1999 Goody's Headache Powder 500|Bristol night race]], Earnhardt found himself in contention to win his first short track race since Martinsville in 1995. When a caution came out with 15 laps to go, leader Terry Labonte got hit from behind by the lapped car of [[Darrell Waltrip]]. His spin put Earnhardt in the lead with five cars between him and Labonte with five laps to go. Labonte had four fresh tires, and Earnhardt was driving on old tires, which made Earnhardt's car considerably slower. Labonte caught Earnhardt and passed him coming to the [[white flag]], but Earnhardt drove hard into turn two, bumping Labonte and spinning him around. Earnhardt collected the win while spectators booed and made obscene gestures. "I didn't mean to turn him around, I just wanted to rattle his cage," Earnhardt said of the incident. He finished seventh in the standings that year, with 3 wins, 7 top fives, and 21 top tens, with an average finish of 12.0.

====2000====
[[File:Dale Earnhardt drives a Bomb Lift Truck.jpg|thumb|As part of a Winston No Bull 5 fan contest, Earnhardt drove a Bomb Lift Truck and attempts to load an [[AIM-120 AMRAAM|AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM)]] missile as he competes in a load crew competition at [[Langley Air Force Base]], Virginia, September 2000. Coincidentally, this position on a load crew is known unofficially as "Jammer Driver" or officially as Number ''3'' man.]]
In the 2000 season, Earnhardt had a resurgence, which was commonly attributed to neck surgery he underwent to correct a lingering injury from his 1996 Talladega crash. He scored what were considered the two most exciting wins of the year—winning by 0.010 seconds over [[Bobby Labonte]] at Atlanta, then gaining seventeen positions in the final four laps to win at Talladega, claiming his only [[Winston Million|No Bull]] million-dollar bonus along with his record 10th win at the track. Earnhardt also had second-place runs at Richmond and Martinsville, tracks where he had struggled through the late 1990s. On the strength of those performances, Earnhardt got to second in the standings. However, poor performances at the road course of Watkins Glen, where he wrecked coming out of the [[chicane]], a wreck with [[Kenny Irwin Jr.]] while leading the spring race at Bristol, and mid-pack runs at intermediate tracks like Charlotte and Dover in a season dominated by the [[Ford Taurus]] in those tracks from [[Roush Fenway Racing|Roush]], [[Yates Racing|Yates]], and [[Team Penske|Penske]], coupled with Bobby Labonte's extreme consistency, denied Earnhardt an eighth championship title. Earnhardt finished 2000 with two wins, 13 top fives, 24 top tens, an average finish of 9.4, and was the only driver besides Labonte to finish the season with zero DNF's.