Can Dale Earnhardt Sr. be considered a hero?

Answer 1

Yes, considered by some to be the best ever, although he didn't win the most races. The competition had gotten tougher than in the days when Richard Petty and David Pearson were racing, and Earnhardt showed a toughness and an uncanny ability to use air flow to make passes in tough turns. Jeff Gordon once said Dale could "See the air". Earnhardt's aggressive style earned him two nicknames, "Ironhead", and "The Intimidator".

Answer 2

No. He achieved vast success with over 70 wins. However, he did not reach 90 wins in his career, and the bulk of his career success came in the sport's modern technology arms race era (basically 1985 onward) when the car's quality overtook the driver's ability in terms of importance - it became impossible for a driver like Earnhardt to take a weaker racecar and win with it. In contrast, the bulk of the careers of the likes of Petty, Pearson, Baker, Isaac, the Allisons, etc. came when the driver did not have a technology edge to work with - the driver had to make the car do better than it otherwise might. Plus Earnhardt was far too much the bully to warrant respect as a racer.

Answer 3

No, he did not. Dale Sr. won a race in each of his championship winning seasons.

• 1980 - (5 wins)
• 1986 - (5 wins)
• 1987 - (11 wins)
• 1990 - (9 wins)
• 1991 - (4 wins)
• 1993 - (6 wins)
• 1994 - (4 wins)

Answer 4

Yes, he could be considered a hero by some.

Answer 5

Dale Sr. is a 7 time champion and has 76 wins. He is one of the greatest Nascar drivers ever.

Answer 6

Dale Earnhardt was famous because he tied Richard Petty's record of 7 Winston Cup championships, had a win at all costs driving style, and won 76 Winston Cup races.