Dale Earnhardt grew up racing. Since he was a child, this is what his family has done, and now his family is carrying on that legacy. Dale Earnhardt grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a textile mill town. His father, Ralph Earnhardt, was known as "Heart of Iron" on the short track racing circuit, and he taught Dale how to drive stock cars and work with engines. His father had converted a barn behind the family home into a garage and was well known for his skill with engines. Earnhardt's first memory is watching his father race. Dale dropped out of high school after eighth grade because he tried for ninth grade twice and just didn't make it. After dropping out of school, Dale worked odd jobs, drove dirt roads, and also argued with his father, who wanted him to finish high school. Dale became famous with his black Monte Carlo with a white number 3 on it, but his first track car was a hot pink 1956 Ford Sedan, given to him by his neighbors, David and Ray Oliver. His father Ralph had built the engine and a few other friends, Frank and Wayne Dayvault and their cousin Gregg, had tuned it. They intended to paint the car avocado green, but a paint accident turned the car pink. They couldn't afford to repaint it, and Dale raced the pink car on dirt roads around Charlotte, North Carolina. Dale first married at age 17 and had a son, Kerry, at age 18. Dale divorced his first wife at age 19 and married a second time, to Brenda. This marriage would last five years before he divorced again. Dale had two children with his second wife, a daughter, Kelley, and a son, Dale Jr., both of whom would follow him into racing. When Dale was twenty-two, his father died of a heart attack. Win...... middle of paper ......in the steering column of the car. Dale's legions of fans deeply mourned his loss, creating shrines and memorials across the country, especially in his hometown of Mooresville. Bechtel quoted longtime friend HA Wheeler as saying, "Here's a kid who came from the bottom, who worked hard for everything he got and had no airs about him... Drivers truck drivers, dockers, welders and shrimpers. boat captains loved it. He was everything they dreamed of being. "I believe Dale Earnhardt was the greatest stock car driver who ever lived or ever will be. He was down to earth and didn't let money or fame get in the way of connecting with his fans. Dale did many great things in his life, as well as great things with the community and people who followed him in his racing career Dale was a role model to many and other drivers admired and respected him..