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Dale Earnhardt Inc. is a competitive NASCAR Nextel Cup team. It fields two full-time and one part team. The team was owned originally by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, before he died suddenly in the closing laps of the 2001 Daytona 500. Now the team is co-owned by his wife Teresa and his son, Dale Jr.

Car #1 History

Dale Earnhardt Inc. debuted in Winston Cup in 1996 as the #14 Racing for Kids Chevrolet, driven by Robby Gordon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Green drove the car in two more races that year. The next year, Busch Series standout Steve Park drove the car in five races with the Burger King sponsorship. In 1998, the team switched numbers with car owner Richard Jackson,(who was running out of funding for his team), with the car changing from #14 to #1, and recieving sponsporship from Pennzoil and Park making a bid for NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors.(Ironically, Jackson field cars part-time for Jerry Nadeau in 1997, who would compete against Park for Rookie of the Year.) The team got off to a bumpy start after Park failed to qualify at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in just the third race of the year. The next week, Park broke his leg at a testing accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Two weeks later, the team hired three-time champion Darrell Waltrip to pilot the car whilst Park recovered from his injuries. Waltrip posted two top ten finished in the car until Park made his return at the Brickyard 400, where he finished 35th following a crash. He posted two eleventh-place finishes and finished 42nd in points that year. Park fared better the next year, posting 5 top 10 finished and finishing 14th in points. 2000 turned out to be his next season yet, as he won his first two Bud Pole awards, and won his first race at his home track at Watkins Glen International Raceway. He finished 11th year in points. The race after his boss' death in 2001, Park beat Bobby Labonte in a photo finish Rockingham Motor Speedway. But his career stalled when competing in a Busch Series race at Darlington International Speedway, he was T-Boned by Larry Foyt and almost died. He gradually recovered and returned, ironically, at the spring Darlington race in 2002. He has since struggled to maintain his career. Midway through 2003, he was released from the ride and was replaced by Jeff Green.(Park took over Green's old ride at Richard Childress Racing, who used to Dale Earnhardt's owner. Does Park live in a small world, or what?) Both Green and Pennzoil left following 2003, and the team moved to part-time status, occasionally popping up to field cars for two-time winner John Andretti. The team will return full-time in 2005 with Bass Pro Shops sponsoring the car, and will be driven by Martin Truex Jr., who will compete for Rookie of the Year honors.

Car #8 History

The 8 car started out in the NASCAR Busch Series as the #3 AC Delco Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1997. Junior won championships in both 1998 and 1999 in the Busch Series in this car. In 1999, Little E drove in 5 Winston Cup races in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, finishing in the top 10 once, leading one lap, and one DNF. In 2000, Junior made a full time jump to Winston Cup. Despite winning two poles and three races(including The Winston), Junior finished runner-up to Matt Kenseth for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. In 2001, Dale bounced back remarkably from his father's death and ended up winning the first race back to Daytona Beach since his death. Since then, Little E has been a consistent contender for the championship, although he has struggled this year.

Car #15 History

The #15 team orginiated from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as the #16 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday Jr.. The team won two championships and 23 races during this time(1995-1999.) In 2000, the team moved to the NASCAR Busch Series as car #3. Hornaday won twice, finished 8th in points, but finished second to Kevin Harvick for Rookie of the Year in what has turned out to be a relatively weak rookie class. In 2001, the team once agained moved to a different series, but this time, without Hornaday. The team was now #15 and sponsored still by NAPA. Michael Waltrip now handled the driving chores, and won his first race at the Daytona 500, but it was overshadowed by the death of his boss, Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip has won four times over the past three years. It was recently announced that Waltrip will not drive the car next year, and NAPA's status is still up in the air.

Car #81 History

The 81 car made occasional attempts at a Winston Cup race in 2003 with mostly Jason Keller driving. The team hasn't been seen since, and is unlikely to return.