Among the great drivers in racing history, the name Dale Earnhardt has become legendary. Both on and off the track, he redefined the modern-era NASCAR driver.

Fiercely competitive on the track and a gentleman off the track, Earnhardt was one of NASCAR's first true superstars, earned as a result of his record, one of the winningest drivers of his generation, and because of his driving style -- a unique, forceful, never-say-quit attitude that earned him the nickname The Intimidator.

Earnhardt endeared himself to the public by making himself accessible to his fans. He was not just another faceless, anonymous driver, characteristic of so many drivers in other forms of racing. Rather, he established and cultivated a driver-spectator relationship that is now considered to be a true hallmark of NASCAR racing.

As a young boy, Earnhardt would sit in the garage, watching his father build dirt track cars. He would also accompany his father to races, dreaming that one day he would do the same. When Ralph Earnhardt died of a heart attack in 1973, his son was crushed but determined to continue his family's racing legacy.

Earnhardt used that motivation to work his way to the top. Beginning in his late teens, he raced on local tracks around North Carolina, building, repairing and financing his campaigns by himself, often borrowing money to do so, and hoping to win in order to pay off his debts.

In 1979, team owner Rod Osterlund offered Earnhardt his first full-time ride in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. That year, he started 27 races, had 17 Top 10 finishes, 11 of those being Top 5 finishes, and was named rookie of the year.

The very next year, he won his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship, edging out veteran Cale Yarborough.

In the middle of the 1981 season, Osterland decided to sell his team, and Earnhardt, not pleased with the new situation, finished the season with team owner Richard Childress.

Childress recognized the incredible talent of Earnhardt and was also keenly aware that his cars at that time were not performing well enough to justify a driver of Earnhardt's ability. Making a very difficult decision, Childress urged Earnhardt to leave for a more competitive team, the well-established Bud Moore Racing team. For two years, Earnhardt drove the Bud Moore Fords, winning once at Darlington in 1982 and twice in 1983, at Nashville and Talladega.

During the two-year stint with the Bud Moore team, Childress was busy rebuilding his own team, investing in equipment and talent.

Earnhardt rejoined Richard Childress Racing in 1984, the start of a professional relationship and a personal friendship that is becoming increasingly rare in sports. Over the next 18 years, the Earnhardt/Childress combination captured six NASCAR Winston Cup championships.

Despite the incredible success, the one race Earnhardt could not win was the Daytona 500, considered the greatest crown in NASCAR, and one of the most coveted wins in all of racing. But in 1998, after 20 attempts, he finally won the elusive Daytona 500, the 71st win of his career. His career, though not over, was now complete.

In a horrible twist of fate, it was the Daytona 500 in 2001 that took Earnhardt's life, with one lap remaining.

In a career that may never again be equaled, Earnhardt tied Richard Petty's record (7) for most NASCAR Winston Cup championships. In 1998, NASCAR honored Earnhardt and his father Ralph by naming them two of the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history. They had won nearly every major event and title available to NASCAR drivers.

Earnhardt's signature black No. 3 Chevrolet, his identifiable get-to-the-front racing style and his larger-than-life persona have been forever cemented in racing history.