Earnhardt: An Unfiltered Glimpse Under the Shades of a NASCAR Legend

EARNHARDT: It's more than just a name; it's a family legacy.

It all began in the 1950s with a hard-nosed grassroots racer by the name of Ralph Earnhardt. Unbeknownst to him, Ralph would kickstart a multi-generational NASCAR dynasty, which would produce one of the most successful drivers, one of the most popular drivers, and one of the savviest businesspeople in the sport.

Yes, I'm talking about Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, but there's a reason why Dale Earnhardt has been the focus of so many incredible stories: He was all of those things, a true triple threat.

Earnhardt, a four-part docuseries from Prime Video, discusses the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion's larger-than-life persona and offers incredible insight into his personal and professional intricacies, including all of his accomplishments both on and off the racetrack.

The series is produced by Imagine Documentaries, NASCAR Studios, and Everyone Else, in association with Dale Earnhardt Jr's Dirty Mo Media.

There are MILLIONS of people around the world, whether they are NASCAR fans or not, that know exactly who Dale Eaarnhardt is. Of course, not everybody's knowledge of the sports icon is comprehensive, but there are certainly pieces of his identity that have remained implanted in the minds of people since his tragic passing on February 18, 2001.

My personal recollection of the day in question is non-existent (I was much too young to understand what was happening), but as I got older and became a NASCAR fan, my grandmother told me the story of how she and her brother were watching the DAYTONA 500 on that day, and how they heard the official confirmation of Earnhardt's passing.

Like thousands of Dale Earnhardt's supporters did, my grandmother took her grief and sorrow from that afternoon in February 2001 and flocked to his namesake, the up-and-coming Dale Earnhardt, Jr., of whom she remained a loyal fan until his retirement in 2017.

The story, the one of Earnhardt's final moments, has been widely discussed and documented over the last 25 years through several differents perspectives, methods, and mediums, like in Blink of An Eye (2019), I Am Dale Earnhardt (2015), and The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt (2011).

However, Earnhardt stands out for several different reasons. Most importantly, the docuseries sticks out because it shows that this one singular moment (although one of the biggest tragedies in American sports history) doesn't engulf the entire legacy of Dale Earnhardt.

While Earnhardt’s death is talked about significantly, the 2001 DAYTONA 500 and its aftermath only make up the final of four one-hour episodes in the series, which spends the remainder of the time highlighting the life and legacy of Earnhardt. That’s approximately three hours to talk about what made Earnhardt the icon that he became in the years leading up to that one tragic moment.

There is so much covered in the 20-plus years of Earnhardt’s NASCAR Cup Series career and it’s unfortunate ending, but aside from Dale Earnhardt kicking back with a drink and telling you the stories himself, viewers are given the next best thing.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller do a wonderful job of laying the foundation of Dale Earnhardt, not just as a racer, but also as a father and a human being. That, coupled with the insight from friends, competitors, team owners, pit crew members, sponsorship executives, and many, many other people, provides an extremely well-rounded narrative.

From the hot start to his NASCAR career, his rivalry with NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip, his tight-knit friendship with Neil Bonnett, the earning of his ‘The Intimidator’ nickname, all the way down the shepherding of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the start of his career in NASCAR, there are so many different stories to be told in incredible detail.

While this docuseries uses Dale Earnhardt as its main focal point (and understandably so), the story isn’t just about the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and his legacy, but also dives into the family legacy that played a major role in NASCAR’s rise to prominence throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and into the eyes of the mainstream media.

The Earnhardt’s were never the picture-perfect family, and there were certainly times when things weren’t pretty. Along with the skyrocketing popularity of Dale Earnhardt came some family dysfunction, but unlike prior iterations of the same story, that wasn’t shied away from.

…and THAT is what makes this docuseries an authentic telling of the EARNHARDT story.

The first two episodes of 'Earnhardt' will be available within the Prime Video platform on Thursday, May 22, just days before the start of the streaming service's exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series. The final two episodes will be released one week later, on Thursday, May 29.

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