‘Like Elvis’: Dale Earnhardt Jr., sister mirror on dad’s legacy, documentary on his lifestyles

Perhaps no NASCAR determine is extra respected than Dale Earnhardt Sr., who went from a child caught within the mill the city of Kannapolis, North Carolina to auto racing’s largest level. 

Nearly 25 years after his tragic dying at 49, Earnhardt — topic of a soon-to-be-released documentary on Amazon Prime Video — stays a well-liked determine, even amongst enthusiasts who by no means noticed him race. 

On South Main Street in Kannapolis stands a 9-foot statue of Earnhardt. It’s a becoming tribute to a person who was once higher than lifestyles to such a lot of. 

According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the which means of that statue is not misplaced on the more youthful era. 

“A friend of mine, his son and his friends were getting ready for prom,” Earnhardt Jr. mentioned right through a digital information convention Wednesday. “One of the things they wanted to do before they went to their event was go to the statue and have their photo made at the statue.

“Those moments the place any person who clearly by no means noticed this particular person compete however nonetheless has this appreciate and fascination for him someway, this is so interesting to me and one thing I did not be expecting to occur.”

Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, hope to coach enthusiasts about their father within the new documentary collection, Earnhardt, which premieres on Prime Video on May 22. 

“We’re so far down the line from his passing and his impact on the sport that a large portion of our fan base in NASCAR has never seen him race,” mentioned Earnhardt Jr., who retired from full-time racing in 2017. “I feel like it was a great opportunity to introduce him to people that don’t know him that well. There’s even drivers in [the Cup Series] field on Sunday that don’t know what this person was all about.” 

Miller referred to as the making the documentary healing.

“My kids didn’t really understand the relationship I had with my dad,” she mentioned. “You can talk about people all day long and share stories, but when I see my dad’s mannerisms, and when I see my dad speak, so much more comes back to me.” 

Earnhardt’s rough-and-tumble get started in racing was once a long way from the optimum trail to a occupation on the absolute best stage of inventory automobile racing. But Earnhardt Jr. mentioned the resilience his father confirmed on his adventure to the highest was once what remodeled him from a race automobile motive force to an American icon. 

“He became superhero-like,” Earnhardt Jr. mentioned of his father, who was once famend for his uber-aggressive racing taste. “He was like Elvis, he was beyond this world to a lot of people. He transcended the man and the person that we knew for a lot of fans. They thought he was indestructible and bulletproof and was this larger-than-life, otherworldly thing.” 

Earnhardt, who gained seven titles and 76 races, become NASCAR’s largest famous person in lifestyles. But it wasn’t till after his dying that his superstardom was once really discovered. 

“I didn’t realize how big of a deal he was until he passed away,” Earnhardt Jr. mentioned of his father, who died after a last-lap crash right through the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. “I think that’s why today, I’m a little bit taken aback. That was the challenge for me and Kelley. We knew him as a good dad, a tough dad, a not-so-good dad sometimes. But there was this large group of people that thought he was god-like. I think that contrast will come through in the show.” 

The first two episodes of Earnhardt will premiere May 22 on Prime Video, with the final two premiering May 29.

All quotes got firsthand except differently famous.