GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:

     WHEN I STARTED WATCHING NASCAR, RALPH EARNHARDT WAS MORE OR LESS JUST ANOTHER NAME THAT I HAD TO SORT OUT, AS TO IF HE WAS A RACER OR IF HE HAD BEEN A RACER, OR IF HE WAS JUST DALE'S DAD.  AFTER THE MOVIE "3" CAME OUT I GOT A LITTLE MORE INTERESTED IN RALPH EARNHARDT, NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE HE WAS AN EXCELLENT RACER, BUT BECAUSE HE REMINDED ME ALOT OF MY OWN FATHER, IN THAT HE BROOKED VERY LITTLE HORSEPLAY AND THAT IT APPEARED THAT HIS FAMILY WAS HIS MAIN PRIORITY.

     RALPH EARNHARDT WAS BORN ON FEB. 23, 1928, IN KANNAPOLIS, NORTH CAROLINA TO EFFIE MAE BARBER AND JOHN HENDERSON EARNHARDT.,OTHER THEN THAT HE WAS RAISED IN KANNAPOLIS AND WORKED LONG TIRING HOURS IN THE COTTON MILL NOT MUCH IS KNOWN OF RALPH'S EARLY LIFE.  RALPH MARRIED MARTHA COLEMAN ON AUG. 23, 1947, AND OVER THE NEXT 7 YEARS THEY HAD AND STARTED TO RAISE 5 CHILDREN, CATHY, KAYE, DALE, RANDY AND DANNY.  INORDER TO ESCAPE THE DRUGERY OF THE MILL AND TO PUT EXTRA FOOD ON THE TABLE RALPH STARTED TO BUILD RACECARS IN IS GARAGE AND RACE THEM ON THE TRACKS CLOSE TO HIS HOME.

     RALPH WAS KNOWN BY MANY NICKNAMES, THE MOST WELL KNOWN WERE IRON HEART AND MR. CONSISTENCY, BOTH OF THESE SPEAK TO HIS ATTITUDE BOTH ON AND OFF THE RACE TRACK.  NED JARRETT HAS SAID "RALPH EARNHARD WAS ABSOLUTELY THE TOUGHEST RACE DRIVER I EVER RACED AGAINST."  IT HAS ALSO BEEN SAID THAT RALPH NEVER HAD TO WORK ON HIS CARS AT A RACE, HE PULLED IT OFF THE TRAILER AND RAN THE WHEELS OFF OF IT AND BEAT EVERYONE AROUND.

     DURING HIS RACING CAREER RALPH WON 350 RACES AND HELD TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS AT 7 DIFFERENT RACING VENUES.  HE IS CREDITED AS BEING A MASTER CAR BUILDER AS WELL AS A DRIVER, HE WAS THE FIRST TO UNDERSTAND AND USE TIRE STAGGER TO ADJUST THE BITE IN THE CAR TIRES AND ONE OF THE FIRST IF NOT THE FIRST TO USE CRASH BARS ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR.

     THOUGH OUT HE YEARS RALPH EARNED OR RECEIVED MANY HONORS:

     1.  1956:  NASCAR SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP

     2.  1989:  NATIONAL MOTORSPORTS PRESS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

     3.  1997:  INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS PRESS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME

                       INDUCTEE

      4.  1998:  NAMED ONE OF NASCAR'S 50 GREATEST DRIVERS

     RALPH RAN 51 NASCAR CUP RACES IN HIS CAREER, HIS BEST FINISH WAS IN 1961 HE FINISHED 17TH, HIS FIRST CUP RACE WAS THE BUDDY SHUMAN 250 AT HICKORY RACEWAY IN 1956 AND HIS LAST RACE WAS IN 1964 IN CONCORD.

     WITH ALL OF HIS CONTRIBUTATIONS TO NASCAR THE GREATEST WAS HIS SON ,RALPH DALE EARNHARDT,  WHOM HE NEVER GOT TO SEE ACHIEVE THE GREATNESS THAT HE DID.  RALPH DIED ON SEPT. 26, 1973 IN HIS GARAGE IN KANNAPOLIS, DOING WHAT HE LOVED THE BEST AND DID THE BEST,  WORKING ON HIS RACECAR.

     I AM SURE THAT IF WE COULD ASK RALPH WHAT HIS GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS HE WOULD SAY THAT HE NEVER GOT TO SEE FIRST HAND HIS SON OR GRANDSONS BRING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FANS TO THEIR FEET WITH A SINGLE PASS, BUT THAT IS ALRIGHT , RALPH AND MARTHA GAVE US DALE AND THE BOYS AND WE GOT TO SEE THEM AND NOW SO HAS HE, LOOKING DOWN FROM THOSE TRACKS OF GOLD.

THAT'S MY OPINION  -  WHAT'S YOURS

GUNAQUAT