Coordinates	36°45′0″N144°16′0″N
Company name	LifeLock Inc.
Company logo
Type	Privately held
Foundation	2005
Location city	Tempe, Arizona
Location country	United States
Homepage	www.lifelock.com }}

LifeLock Inc. which was founded in 2005, is an American identity theft protection company.

According to the LifeLock website, for a minimum fee of $10 a month, the LifeLock Identity Alert system can identify fraudulent applications for some forms of credit and non-credit related services. These include some retail credit cards, mortgage loans, and auto loans, as well as non-credit related transactions such as wireless services, utilities, check orders and reorders, and non-credit related payday loans. LifeLock will also opt-out members from pre-approved credit card offers on their behalf in order to reduce unwanted mail. The service guarantee states that "if you become a victim of identity theft while you are a LifeLock member because of some failure or defect in our service... we will spend up to $1 million to hire lawyers, investigators, consultants and whatever else it takes to restore your name and help you recover the direct losses from the identity theft." The service guarantee does not cover any direct losses as a result of the theft.

In 2009 the company was found guilty of defrauding customers and Experian by keeping their credit information in a state of constant "fraud alert."

Former LifeLock CEO Todd Davis was the victim of identity theft 13 times during 2007 and 2008, after he "publicly posted his Social Security number on billboards and in TV commercials as part of a campaign to promote his company's credit monitoring services".

Robert J. Maynard, Jr., company co-founder, resigned in June 2007 amid allegations that he had stolen his father's identity and ran up $150,000 in American Express bills.

In March 2010 LifeLock was fined $12 million by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "to settle charges that the company used false claims to promote its identity theft protection services, which it widely advertised by displaying the CEO’s Social Security number on the side of a truck."

Corporate profile

LifeLock was founded in 2005 and claims to provide protection against identity theft.

In December 2008 LifeLock entered into an agreement with TransUnion, one of the three main credit bureaus, to automate the process of alerting customers of potential unauthorized access via their credit reports.

Marketing

LifeLock's Web site states: "Our Guarantee: If your Identity is misused while you are our client, we’ll spend up to $1,000,000 to make it right." The television ads feature a truck advertising CEO Todd Davis' Social Security Number, 457-55-5462. The ads also feature Carolyn Kepcher and give information on the company.

Celebrity spokespersons for LifeLock have included Howard Stern, Paul Harvey, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh. In June 2009, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and LifeLock entered into a multi-year marketing partnership to launch the first-ever branded jersey in WNBA or NBA history. A press conference was held at the NBA Store in New York City with Phoenix Mercury President and COO Jay Parry and LifeLock CEO Todd Davis to make the announcement.

The partnership runs through 2011, and the LifeLock name will be on the front of Phoenix Mercury’s player jerseys and on warm-up suits. The Mercury and LifeLock are the first to finalize such an agreement following the WNBA’s decision this off-season to make this opportunity available for its teams and sponsors. As part of the partnership, LifeLock will be offering a one-year complimentary membership to season ticket holders of all WNBA teams.

Awards & Recognitions

In September 2010, LifeLock is recognized as a 2010 Communitas Leadership Winner for Law Enforcement Training Program. The same month, the company was named One of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies by Arizona Business Magazine & BestCompaniesAZ

In August 2010, LifeLock receives Top Ten Ranking on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 List. The same month, LifeLock is named Finalist in Lead411's Hottest Southwest Companies list.

In July 2010, LifeLock wins International Stevie Award

In May 2010, LifeLock ranks #1 by TopTenREVIEWS

In 2009, LifeLock wins 2009 Arizona Corporate Excellence (ACE) Award

Controversy

Robert J. Maynard, Jr., one of the co-founders of the company resigned in June 2007 amid questions about his past. Maynard spent several days in a Maricopa County Jail in 2003 because of an alleged unpaid $16,000 casino marker from The Mirage. Under Nevada law, casino markers are considered the same as checks. Maynard came up with the plan for LifeLock while sitting in his jail cell. An investigation by the Phoenix New Times revealed that $16,000 casino marker actually was his. The Mirage had gotten a copy of his Arizona driver's license when it made him the loan, and charges were dropped after Maynard repaid the marker. The New Times also found that Maynard had been banned for life from the credit-repair industry after an agency he owned was shut down for numerous deceptive practices. It also found evidence that he ordered an American Express card in his father's name and ran up $150,000 in fraudulent charges.

In 2007, it was reported that the founder and CEO of LifeLock, Todd Davis, became the victim of fraud when someone used his published social security number to obtain a $500 loan. LifeLock apparently investigated the crime and found the alleged criminal. In an agreement with LifeLock, the alleged identity thief agreed on camera to perform community service to avoid prosecution. However, police then claimed that the alleged identity thief could not be prosecuted because LifeLock coerced the suspect into making a videotaped confession that isn't admissible in court.

In February 2008, the credit information company Experian sued LifeLock for fraud and false advertising. Experian alleged that LifeLock placed false fraud alerts on behalf of its clients, thus keeping LifeLock clients' files in a constant state of alert. It also charged that LifeLock used false and misleading advertising. As part of a 2009 settlement, LifeLock set up a new proprietary service that doesn't rely on setting fraud alerts.

A class action lawsuit alleges that as of 2008, there are at least 25 people using Todd Davis' social security number and that the advertising claims are misleading. The Company has responded demonstrating that the 25 alleged identity thieves are public records of failed attempts to use Todd Davis' identity.

Later in 2007, the New Times reported that the services LifeLock provides are actually available for free with a few phone calls. These findings were confirmed in 2008 by KGO-TV in San Francisco.

In March 2010 LifeLock was fined $12 million by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "to settle charges that the company used false claims to promote its identity theft protection services, which it widely advertised by displaying the CEO’s Social Security number on the side of a truck." FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, referring to the LifeLock TV ad showing the truck, said that "the protection they provided left such a large hole … that you could drive that truck through it.” LifeLock will pay $12 million to settle charges by the FTC and 35 states that the company's Identity Theft Prevention and Data Security claims were false.

In May 2010 the Phoenix New Times reported that LifeLock CEO Todd Davis has been a victim of identity theft at least 13 times since 2007, which is 12 more times than has previously been known.

References

Category:Companies based in Tempe, Arizona

Coordinates	36°45′0″N144°16′0″N
name	Dale Earnhardt
birth date	April 29, 1951
death date	February 18, 2001
birth place	Kannapolis, North Carolina
death place	Daytona Beach, Florida
death cause	Basilar skull fracture from crash in Turn 4 on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
total cup races	677
years in cup	27
best cup pos	1: (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994)
cup wins	76
cup top tens	428
cup poles	22
first cup race	1975 World 600 (Charlotte)
first cup win	1979 Southeastern 500 (Bristol)
last cup win	2000 Winston 500 (Talladega)
last cup race	2001 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
achievements	Winston Cup Series Champion (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994)1998 Daytona 500 ChampionWinston All-Star Race Winner (III, VI, IX)IROC Champion (1990, 1995, 1999, 2000)
awards	NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year (1979)Named as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR Most Popular Driver (2001)2002 Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee2006 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee }}

Ralph Dale Earnhardt (April 29, 1951 February 18, 2001) was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in NASCAR's top division.

Earnhardt is notable for his success in the Winston Cup Series (now the Sprint Cup Series), winning seventy-six races (including one Daytona 500 victory in 1998). Dale earned seven championships wich is tied for the most all time with Richard Petty. His aggressive driving style led to controversy and earned him the nickname "The Intimidator".

Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. He has been inducted in numerous halls of fame, including the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Early life and personal life

Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on April 29, 1951, to Martha Coleman and Ralph Earnhardt, who was then one of the best short-track drivers in North Carolina. Ralph won his one and only NASCAR Sportsman Championship in 1956 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina. Although Ralph did not want his son to follow in his footsteps, Earnhardt would not be persuaded to give up his dream of racing, dropping out of school to race. Ralph was a hard teacher for Earnhardt, and after Ralph died of a heart attack at his home in 1973, it took many years before Earnhardt felt as though he had finally "proven" himself to his father. Earnhardt had four siblings, Danny, Randy,Cathy, and Kaye.

When Earnhardt was 17, he married his first wife, Latane Brown, in 1968. Brown gave birth to Earnhardt's first son, Kerry Dale, in 1969. They were subsequently divorced in 1970. In 1971, Earnhardt married his second wife, Brenda Gee (the daughter of NASCAR car builder Robert Gee), who gave birth to a daughter, Kelley King, in 1972, and a son, Ralph Dale Jr., in 1974. Not long after his second son was born Dale and Brenda divorced. Dale then married his last wife, Teresa Houston in 1982, who gave birth to their daughter Taylor Nicole in 1988.

NASCAR career

Early Winston Cup career

Earnhardt began his Winston Cup career in 1975, making his first start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina in the longest race on the Cup circuit, the World 600. Earnhardt drove an Ed Negre Dodge Charger(#8) and finished 22nd in the race, one place ahead of his future car owner, Richard Childress. Earnhardt competed in 8 more races until 1979, when he joined car owner Rod Osterlund Racing, in a season that included a rookie class of future stars – Earnhardt, Harry Gant and Terry Labonte.

In his rookie season, Earnhardt won one race at Bristol, captured four poles, had 11 Top 5 finishes, 17 Top 10 finishes, and finished 7th in the points standings, in spite of missing four races because of a broken collarbone, winning Rookie of the Year honors.

In his sophomore season, Earnhardt, now with 20-year old Doug Richert as his crew chief, began the season winning the Busch Clash. With wins at Atlanta, Bristol, Nashville, Martinsville, and Charlotte, Earnhardt won his first Winston Cup championship. To this day, Earnhardt is the only driver in NASCAR Winston Cup history to follow a Rookie of the Year title with a NASCAR Winston Cup Championship the next season. He was the third driver in NASCAR history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cup Series championship in his career, joining David Pearson and Richard Petty. Only 5 drivers have joined this exclusive club since - Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Matt Kenseth.

In 1981, after Osterlund sold his team to J.D. Stacy, Earnhardt left for Richard Childress Racing, and finished the season 7th in the points standings but winless. The following year, at Childress' suggestion, Earnhardt joined car owner Bud Moore for the 1982 and 1983 seasons driving the #15 Wrangler Jeans Ford Thunderbird (Earnhardt's only full-time Ford ride in his career). During the 1982 season, Earnhardt struggled. Although he won at Darlington, he failed to finish 15 races, and completed the season 12th in points, the worst of his career. He also suffered a broken knee cap at Pocono Raceway when he flipped after contact with Tim Richmond. In 1983, Earnhardt rebounded and won his first of 12 Twin 125 Daytona 500 qualifying races. Earnhardt won at Nashville and at Talladega, finishing eighth in the points standings.

Return to Richard Childress Racing

After the 1983 season, Earnhardt returned to Richard Childress Racing, replacing Ricky Rudd in the #3. Rudd went to Bud Moore's #15, replacing Earnhardt. Wrangler sponsored both drivers at their respective teams. During the 1984 and 1985 seasons, Earnhardt visited victory lane six times, at Talladega, Atlanta, Richmond, Bristol (twice), and Martinsville, where he finished fourth and eighth in the season standings, respectively.

The 1986 season saw Earnhardt win his second career Winston Cup Championship and the first owner's championship for RCR. He won five races and had ten Top 5 and sixteen Top 10 finishes. Earnhardt successfully defended his championship the following year, visiting victory lane eleven times and winning the championship by 489 points over Bill Elliott. In the process, Earnhardt set a NASCAR modern era record of four consecutive wins and won five of the first seven races. In the 1987 season, Earnhardt earned his nickname "The Intimidator" after spinning out Elliott in the final segment of "The Winston", a non-points event now known as the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. During this race, Earnhardt was briefly forced into the infield grass, but kept control of his car and returned to the track without giving up his lead — a maneuver now referred to as the "Pass in the Grass" even though Earnhardt actually didn't pass and couldn't have passed anyone for position as he was in the lead at the time.

The 1988 season saw Earnhardt racing with a new sponsor, GM Goodwrench, which replaced Wrangler Jeans. During this season Earnhardt garnered a second nickname, "The Man in Black", owing to the black paint scheme in which the #3 car was painted. He was also called "Darth Vader" more than once because of the black uniform and car, adding to his notoriety as a driver who would wreck anyone he could not pass. He won three times in 1988, finishing third in the points standings behind Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace. The following year, Earnhardt won five times, but a late spin out at North Wilkesboro arguably cost him the 1989 championship, as Rusty Wallace edged out Earnhardt for the championship.

1990s

The 1990 season started for Earnhardt with victories in the Busch Clash and his heat of the Gatorade Twin 125s. Near the end of the Daytona 500, he had a four-second lead when the final caution flag came out with a handful of laps to go. When the green flag waved, Earnhardt was leading Derrike Cope. On the final lap, Earnhardt ran over a piece of metal in the final turn, cutting a tire. Cope, in an upset, won the race while Earnhardt finished fifth. The #3 Goodwrench Chevy team took the flat tire that cost them the win and hung it on the shop wall as a reminder of how close they'd come to winning the Daytona 500. Earnhardt went on to win nine races this season and won his fourth Winston Cup title, beating Mark Martin by 26 points. Earnhardt also became the first repeat winner of the annual all-star race, The Winston.

The 1991 season saw Earnhardt win his fifth Winston Cup championship. He scored just four wins, but won the championship by 195 points over Ricky Rudd. One of his wins that year came at North Wilkesboro, in a race where Harry Gant had a chance to set a single-season record by winning his fifth consecutive race, breaking a record held by Earnhardt. Late in the race Gant lost his brakes, which gave Earnhardt the chance he needed to make the pass for the win and maintain his record.

Earnhardt's only win in 1992 came at Charlotte, in the Coca-Cola 600, ending a 13-race win streak by Ford teams. Earnhardt finished a career-low 12th in the points for the second time in his career, and the only time he had finished that low since joining RCR. Earnhardt still made the trip to the annual Awards Banquet with Rusty Wallace but did not have the best seat in the house. Wallace states he and Earnhardt had to sit on the backs of their chairs to see and Earnhardt said "This sucks, I could have gone hunting". At the end of the year, longtime crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine left to become a driver. Andy Petree took over as crew chief.

Hiring Petree turned out to be beneficial, as the #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy returned to the front in 1993. Earnhardt once again came close to a win at the Daytona 500, and dominated Speedweeks before finishing second to Dale Jarrett on a last-lap pass. Earnhardt scored six wins en route to his sixth Winston Cup title, including wins in the Coca-Cola 600 and The Winston at Charlotte, and the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. Earnhardt beat Rusty Wallace for the championship by 80 points.

In 1994, Earnhardt achieved a feat that he himself had believed to be impossible – he scored his seventh Winston Cup championship, tying the legendary Richard Petty. Earnhardt was very consistent, scoring four wins, and after Ernie Irvan was sidelined due to a near-deadly crash at Michigan (the two were neck-and-neck at the top of the points up until the crash), won title by over 400 points over Mark Martin. Earnhardt sealed the deal at Rockingham by winning the race over Rick Mast. Although Earnhardt continued to dominate in the seasons ahead, this would be his final NASCAR championship.

Earnhardt started off the 1995 season by finishing second in the Daytona 500 to Sterling Marlin. He won 5 races in 1995, including his first road course victory at Sears Point. He also won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a win he called the biggest of his career. But in the end, Earnhardt lost the championship to Jeff Gordon by just 34 points.

Earnhardt began 1996 with a repeat of 1993 – he dominated Speedweeks only to finish second in the Daytona 500 to Dale Jarrett for a second time. Earnhardt won early in the year, scoring consecutive victories at Rockingham and Atlanta. In late July in the DieHard 500 at Talladega, he was in the points lead and looking for his eighth title despite the departure of crew chief Andy Petree. Late in the race, Ernie Irvan lost control of his #28 Havoline Ford Thunderbird, igniting a frightening crash that saw Earnhardt's #3 Chevrolet hit the tri-oval wall nearly head-on at almost 200 miles per hour. After hitting the wall, Earnhardt's car flipped and slid across the track, in front of race-traffic. His car was hit in the roof and windshield, and the accident led NASCAR to mandate the "Earnhardt Bar", a metal brace located in the center of the windshield that reinforces the roof in case of a similar crash.

Rain-delays had canceled the live telecast of the race and most fans first learned of the accident during the night's sports newscasts. Video of the crash showed what appeared to be a fatal incident, but once medical workers arrived at the car, Earnhardt climbed out and waved to the crowd, refusing to be loaded onto a stretcher despite a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade. Many thought the incident would end his season early, but Earnhardt refused to give up. The next week at Indianapolis, he started the race but exited the car on the first pit stop, allowing Mike Skinner to take the wheel. When asked, Earnhardt said that vacating the #3 car was the hardest thing he'd ever done. The following weekend at Watkins Glen, he drove the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet to the fastest time in qualifying, earning the "True Grit" pole. T-shirts emblazoned with Earnhardt's face were quickly printed up, brandishing the caption, "It Hurt So Good." Earnhardt led most of the race and looked to have victory in hand, but fatigue finally took its toll and Earnhardt ended up 6th, behind race winner Geoff Bodine. Earnhardt did not win again in 1996, but still finished 4th in the standings behind Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett. David Smith departed as crew chief of the #3 team and RCR at the end of the year for personal reasons, and was replaced by Larry McReynolds.

In 1997, Earnhardt went winless for only the second time in his career. The only (non-points) win came during Speedweeks at Daytona in the Twin 125-mile qualifying race, his record 8th straight win in the event. Once again in the hunt for the Daytona 500 with 10 laps to go, Earnhardt was taken out of contention by a late crash which sent his car upside down on the backstretch. Earnhardt hit the low point of his year when he blacked out early in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington in September, causing him to hit the wall. Afterward, he was disoriented and it took several laps before he could find his pit stall. When asked, Earnhardt complained of double vision which made it difficult to pit. Mike Dillon (Richard Childress's son-in-law) was brought in to relieve Earnhardt for the remainder of the race. Earnhardt was evaluated at a local hospital and cleared to race the very next week, but the cause of the blackout and double vision was never determined. Despite no wins, the RCR team finished the season 5th in the final standings.

1998 saw Earnhardt win the Daytona 500 after not winning in the previous 19 attempts. Earnhardt began the season by winning his Twin 125-mile qualifier race for the ninth straight year. On race day, Earnhardt showed himself to be a contender early. Halfway through the race, however, it seemed that Jeff Gordon had the upper hand. But by lap 138, Earnhardt had taken the lead, and thanks to a push by teammate Mike Skinner, he was able to maintain it. Earnhardt made it to the to the caution checkered flag before Bobby Labonte. Afterwards, there was a large show of respect for Earnhardt, in which every crew member of every team lined pit road to shake his hand as he made his way to victory lane. Earnhardt then drove his #3 into the infield grass, starting a trend of post-race celebrations. He spun the car twice, throwing grass and leaving tire tracks in the shape of a #3 in the grass. Earnhardt then spoke about the victory, saying "I have had a lot of great fans and people behind me all through the years and I just can't thank them enough. The Daytona 500 is ours. We won it! We won it! We won it!" Unfortunately, the rest of the season did not go as well, and The Great American Race was his only victory that year. He slipped to 12th in the standings halfway through the season, and Richard Childress decided to make a crew chief change, taking Mike Skinner's crew chief Kevin Hamlin and putting him with Earnhardt while giving Skinner Larry McReynolds. Earnhardt was able to climb back to 8th in the final standings.

Before the 1999 season, fans began discussing Earnhardt's age and speculating that with his son, Dale Jr. getting into racing, Earnhardt might be contemplating retirement. Earnhardt swept both races for the year at Talladega, leading most observers to conclude that Earnhardt's talent had become limited to the restrictor plate tracks, which require a unique skill set and an exceptionally powerful car to win. But halfway through the year, Earnhardt began to show some of the old spark. In the August race at Michigan International Speedway, Earnhardt led laps late in the race and nearly pulled off his first win on a non-restrictor plate track since 1996.

One week later, he provided the sport with one of its most controversial moments.

At the August Bristol race, Earnhardt found himself in contention to win his first short track race since Martinsville in 1995. When a caution came out with 15 laps to go, leader Terry Labonte got hit from behind by the lapped car of Darrell Waltrip. His spin put Earnhardt in the lead with 5 cars between him and Labonte with 5 laps to go. Labonte had four fresh tires and Earnhardt was driving on old tires, which made Earnhardt's car considerably slower. Labonte caught Earnhardt and passed him coming to the white flag, but Earnhardt drove hard into turn two, bumping Labonte and spinning him around. Dale went on to collect the win while spectators booed and made obscene gestures. "I didn't mean to turn him around, I just wanted to rattle his cage", Earnhardt said of the incident. Earnhardt finished 7th in the standings that year, and looked like a contender again.

In the 2000 season, Earnhardt had a resurgence, which some attributed to neck surgery he underwent to correct a lingering injury from his 1996 Talladega crash. He scored what many considered the 2 most exciting wins of the year – winning by .006 seconds over Bobby Labonte at Atlanta, then gaining seventeen positions in the final four laps to win at Talladega, claiming his only No Bull million dollar bonus. Earnhardt also enjoyed strong second-place runs at Richmond and Martinsville, tracks where he'd struggled through the late '90s. On the strength of these performances, Earnhardt took the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo to 2nd in the standings. However, poor performances at the road course of Watkins Glen, where he wrecked coming out of the chicane, a wreck with Chad Little while leading the spring race at Bristol, and mid-pack runs at intermediate tracks like Charlotte and Dover in a season dominated by the Ford Taurus in those tracks of Roush, Yates, and Penske, coupled with the extremely consistent Joe Gibb's #18 team with Bobby Labonte, denied Earnhardt the coveted eighth championship title.

Death

In the weeks before the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt elected not to attend the annual fan and media preview event, drawing vocal criticism from fellow driver Jimmy Spencer. On February 3 and 4, 2001, the first time in his career, Earnhardt participated in the Rolex 24 endurance race at Daytona, the event which kicks off Speedweeks at the track. His team, which also featured drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Andy Pilgrim, and Kelly Collins, finished 4th overall and 2nd in class.

Ultimately, however, 2001 Speedweeks would be the first in many years that Earnhardt failed to win at least one race. In the first NASCAR-sanctioned event of Speedweeks, the Budweiser Shootout, Earnhardt finished second to Tony Stewart. Earnhardt was also denied victory in the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying race in which he participated. Earnhardt had won every Twin 125 event he competed in during the 1990s, and was poised to win again in 2001 when Sterling Marlin pulled off a slingshot pass going down the backstretch, taking the victory away from Earnhardt.

On the morning of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt appeared confident and relaxed. When the race started, Earnhardt showed early promise, leading the race and maintaining a front-running position for most of the event.

A multi-car wreck late in the race eliminated several cars in spectacular fashion. Tony Stewart, who had beaten Earnhardt in the Budweiser Shootout, found his car tumbling wildly down the backstretch. The race was red flagged to facilitate cleanup of the track, and when the race resumed, it was Earnhardt and DEI drivers Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip who were running up front. As the laps wound down, Waltrip was leading Earnhardt Jr. and Earnhardt.

On the front stretch coming to 3 laps to go, Earnhardt made contact with Sterling Marlin's front right fender. Earnhardt's car wiggled but Earnhardt kept control and he remained in third position. Marlin was known for having a fast car throughout the race, and Earnhardt repeatedly blocked his attempts at passing during the last few laps. With less than two laps remaining, Darrell Waltrip commented that "Sterling has beat the front end off of that old Dodge (Marlin's car) trying to get around Dale (Earnhardt)".

Heading into Turn 3 on the last lap, Earnhardt was racing three wide with Marlin to his left and Schrader to his right. For reasons unknown, Earnhardt's car veered down. The left rear quarter of Earnhardt's car made slight contact with Marlin's front bumper.

Earnhardt’s car slid off the track's steep banking, onto the flat apron, and then turned sharply up the track toward the outside retaining wall. Although it briefly looked as though Earnhardt was going to avoid hitting the wall, the #3 car collided with the #36 Pontiac driven by Ken Schrader. Schrader's car hit Earnhardt's car just behind the passenger door, causing Earnhardt's car to snap, rapidly changing the angle of his car toward the wall. Earnhardt's car ran into the wall nose-first. Earnhardt's car hit at a critical angle at nearly 160 miles per hour. The right-rear wheel assembly broke off the car on impact. The passenger window broke out of the car. The hood pins severed and the hood opened, slamming back against the windshield. As Earnhardt was nose first on the wall, Schrader was pushing Earnhardt's car along the wall.

Despite heavy damage to the car, to outside observers, the crash looked relatively less serious and hard compared to other NASCAR related crashes, especially the multi-car wreck that had occurred earlier in the race that resulted in Tony Stewart's car being totalled.

While Michael Waltrip raced toward the checkered flag to claim his first victory, with Earnhardt Jr. close behind, the cars of Earnhardt and Schrader slid off the track's asphalt banking toward the infield grass just inside of turn four. Earnhardt finished 11th. After climbing from his car, Schrader peered into Earnhardt's car, only to immediately jump back and signal for EMTs while Earnhardt's son Earnhardt Jr. rushed to the crash scene. As medical crews converged upon the crash scene, NASCAR on Fox reporter Jeanne Zelasko asked Schrader about Earnhardt's condition. "I don't know. I'm not a doctor, but I got the heck out of the way as soon as they got there," Schrader said solemnly. Earnhardt was taken to Halifax Medical Center by ambulance after being removed from his car. Hours later, at a press conference, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced Earnhardt's death: "This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements I've personally had to make. But[] after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500, uh, we've lost Dale Earnhardt."

Aftermath

Earnhardt's death was the catalyst for a number of changes in NASCAR. Following his death, there was a police investigation, as well as a NASCAR-sanctioned investigation. Nearly every detail of the event was made public, from the finding of a torn seatbelt inside Earnhardt's car to graphic descriptions of the injuries the driver suffered at the moment of impact. There were rumors that he did not have his seat belt on properly, as he liked to wear it loose so he could move around and not feel too constrained. The allegations of seatbelt failure led Bill Simpson to resign from the company bearing his name, which manufactured the seatbelts used in Earnhardt's car and nearly every other NASCAR competitor's machine.

NASCAR also made the use of the HANS device mandatory in all cars following Earnhardt's death. Until that point, use of the HANS device was optional, at the discretion of the drivers or teams. Earnhardt had refused to wear the device, arguing it was uncomfortable and ineffective. He was not using a HANS device on the day he died of a Basilar skull fracture. The HANS device is designed to prevent such injuries.

Several press conferences were held in the days following Earnhardt's death. Some angry fans of Dale Earnhardt, wrote hate letters and death threats to Sterling Marlin, blaming him for causing the crash. Quickly thereafter, Michael Waltrip and Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., publicly and adamantly absolved Marlin of any responsibility.

Richard Childress made a public pledge that the number 3 would never again adorn the side of a black car sponsored by GM Goodwrench. Childress, who currently holds the rights from NASCAR to the #3, has placed a moratorium on using it. Earnhardt's team was re-christened as the #29 team, with the same sponsor but with a new look (a reversed color scheme with white with black numerals and a black stripe on the bottom) for the following races at Rockingham and Las Vegas. For Atlanta, a new GM Goodwrench scheme was introduced, with angled red stripes and a thin blue pinstripe, resembling the Childress AC Delco Chevrolets driven in the Busch Series.

Childress' second-year Busch Series driver Kevin Harvick was named as Earnhardt's replacement driver, beginning with the race following Earnhardt's death held at the North Carolina Speedway. Special hats bearing the #3 were distributed to everyone at the track to honor Earnhardt, and the Childress team wore blank uniforms out of respect, something which disappeared quickly and was replaced by the wearing of the GM Goodwrench Service Plus uniforms.

Fans took it upon themselves to begin honoring Earnhardt by holding three fingers aloft on the third lap of every NASCAR Cup race, and the television coverage of NASCAR on Fox and NASCAR on NBC went silent for each third lap from Rockingham through to the next Daytona 500 in honor of Earnhardt (and, after 9/11, in remembrance of those who perished that day). For the first three weeks after Earnhardt's death, on-track incidents brought out the caution flag on lap three. Three weeks after Earnhardt's death, Harvick scored his first career Cup win at Atlanta driving a car that had been prepared for Earnhardt. In the final lap of the 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500, Harvick beat Jeff Gordon by .006 seconds, the same margin that Earnhardt won over Bobby Labonte at the same race a year prior, and the images of Earnhardt's longtime gas man, Danny "Chocolate" Myers, crying after the victory, Harvick's tire-smoking burnout on the frontstretch with three fingers held aloft outside the driver's window, and the Fox television call by Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip, concluding with "Gordon got loose, it's Harvick! Harvick by inches!" are memorable to many NASCAR fans. The win was also considered cathartic for a sport whose epicenter had been ripped away.

He was buried on his farm in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Other notable events include:

Steve Park, driver of the #1 DEI Pennzoil Chevy Monte Carlo won the very next NASCAR Winston Cup race: The DuraLube 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC held on February 26, 2001.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in the next Cup race at Daytona: the Pepsi 400 on July 7, 2001. This led to an emotional celebration on the infield with driver Michael Waltrip, whose victory at the Daytona 500 was vastly overshadowed.

Las Vegas, the 3rd race of the 2001 season, was noted for the fact that Mike Skinner, Earnhardt's teammate at Richard Childress Racing, took over Earnhardt's slot in the No Bull 5 million dollar eligibility for this race since Earnhardt had qualified for the No Bull 5 prize after his final victory in the 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega. This is the only time that a switch of driver for the No Bull 5 has ever happened.

Earnhardt was credited with finishing 57th in the final point standings in 2001, despite running one race. He also won the 2001 Most Popular Driver award at the end of the year in the awards' ceremony banquet. Bill Elliott bowed out of the running and encouraged the same fans that had put him up for the prestigious award 16 times to vote for the Man in Black.

Earnhardt Jr. later went on to win the 2004 Daytona 500, three years after his father's death and six years to the day after his father won the 1998 Daytona 500. He also won the EA Sports 500 at Talladega that same year.

As of 2010, Earnhardt is interred in a concrete memorial on his farm in Mooresville, North Carolina.

In 2010, Dale Earnhardt was one of the five inductees in the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Two world class roller coasters have been named after Earnhardt; the most popular being Intimidator (roller coaster) at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, the other being Intimidator 305 located at Kings Dominion in Virginia.

#3 Car

Earnhardt drove the #3 car for most of his career, spanning the early 1980s until his death in 2001. Although he had other sponsors during his career, his #3 is associated in fans' minds with his last sponsor, GM Goodwrench, and his last color scheme — a predominantly black car with bold red and silver trim. The black and red #3 continues to be one of the most famous logos in North American motor racing.

A common misconception is that Richard Childress Racing "owns the rights" to the #3 (fueled by the fact that Kevin Harvick's car has a little #3 as an homage to Earnhardt), but in fact no team owns the rights to this or any other number: However, according to established NASCAR procedures, RCR would have priority over other teams if and when the time came to reuse the number. RCR and the Earnhardt estate do own the rights to various black and red #3 logos used during Earnhardt's lifetime; however these rights would not prevent a future racing team from using a different #3 design. (Also, a new #3 team would, in any case, need to create logos which fit with their sponsor's logos.)

In 2004, ESPN released a made-for-TV movie entitled 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story which used a new (but similarly colored) #3 logo. The movie was a sympathetic portrayal of Earnhardt's life, but the producers were sued for using the #3 logo. In December 2006, the ESPN lawsuit was settled, but details were not released to the public.

It is generally believed that current NASCAR owners have agreed never to use the #3 in Sprint Cup competition again, although this is not official NASCAR policy. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made two special appearances in 2002 in a #3 Busch Series car: these appearances were at the track where his father died (Daytona) and the track where his father made his first Winston Cup start (Charlotte). Earnhardt Jr. won the first of those two races, which was the season-opening event at Daytona. He also raced a #3 sponsored by Wrangler on July 2, 2010 for Richard Childress Racing at Daytona. In a green-white- checker finish he outran Joey Logano to win his second race in the 3.

Otherwise, the #3 was missing from the national touring series until September 5, 2009, when Austin Dillon, the 19-year-old grandson of Richard Childress debuted an RCR-owned #3 truck in the Camping World Truck Series. Austin Dillon and his younger brother Ty Dillon have been driving #3's in various lower level competitions for several years, including the Camping World East Series.

Richard Childress Racing entered the number 3 in the Daytona Truck race on 13 February 2010 painted identically to when Earnhardt drove it, but with Bass Pro Shops as a sponsor. It was driven by Austin Dillon. Oddly, the number 3 was involved in a wreck almost identical to that which took the life of Earnhardt: being spun out, colliding with another vehicle and being turned into the outside wall in turn number four.

Only the former International Race of Champions actually retired the #3, which they did in a rule change effective in 2004. Until the series folded in 2007, Anyone wishing to use the #3 again had to use #03 instead.

In 2009, Tim McGraw released the song "Southern Voice", the song makes a reference to Earnhardt and the number 3 in the line "Number Three Drove it."

In the movie Zombieland, Woody Harrelson's character Tallahasee draws a 3 on his car doors. He does this to pay homage to Earnhardt.

The Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada have a song titled "Number Three, Never Forget" in honor of Dale Earnhardt.

Legacy

Earnhardt was a very polarizing figure in NASCAR. He was both loved and hated in the sport, yet despite his numerous detractors, Earnhardt remained one of the sport's most popular drivers. His death drew a considerable amount of reaction from the nation, NASCAR, and his fans.

Earnhardt kept his personal life relatively private. He enjoyed the company of his family, being outdoors, hunting and fishing, and actively working on his farm in Mooresville. In contrast with his image as a hardnosed competitor on the track, off the track he was known to his friends as someone who was charitable and generous, but usually kept that side of himself hidden from the rest of the world.

Earnhardt has a street in his hometown of Kannapolis named after him. Dale Earnhardt Boulevard (originally Earnhardt Road) is marked as Exit 60 off Interstate 85, northeast of Charlotte. Dale Earnhardt Drive is also the start of The Dale Journey Trail, a self-guided driving tour of landmarks in the lives of Dale and his family. A road between Kannapolis and Mooresville, near the headquarters of DEI, formerly NC 136, was switched with State Highway 3 which was in Currituck County by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In addition, Exit 73 off Interstate 35W, one of the entrances to Texas Motor Speedway, is named "Dale Earnhardt Way".

In 2000, shortly before his death, Earnhardt became a part-owner of the minor league baseball team in Kannapolis, and the team was renamed the Kannapolis Intimidators shortly thereafter. After his death, the team retired the jersey number 3 in Earnhardt's honor, and a "3" flag flies beyond the left field wall during every game.

Recording artist Jason Swain's song "Victory Lane" was among many songs released in tribute to Earnhardt posthumously.

Atlanta Braves assistant coach Ned Yost was a friend of Earnhardt, and Richard Childress. When Yost was named Milwaukee Brewers manager, he changed jersey numbers, from #5 to #3 in Earnhardt's honor. (#3 is retired by the Braves in honor of outfielder Dale Murphy, so Yost could not make the change while in Atlanta.) When Yost was named Kansas City Royals assistant coach, he wore #2 for the 2010 season, even when he was named manager in May 2010, but for the 2011 season, he switched back to #3.

Between the 2004 and 2005 JGTC (subsequently renamed Super GT from 2005) season, Hasemi Sport competed in the series with a sole black G'Zox sponsored Nissan 350Z with the same number and letterset as Earnhardt on the roof.

A 2005 novel, St. Dale by Sharyn McCrumb explores the world of NASCAR as it follows several racing fans on a tribute tour of tracks in memory of Earnhardt.

During the April 29, 2006 – May 1, 2006 NASCAR weekend races at Talladega Superspeedway, the Dale Earnhardt Inc cars competed in identical special black paint schemes on Dale Earnhardt Day, held annually on his birthday, April 29. Martin Truex Jr won the Aaron's 312 in the black car, painted to reflect Earnhardt's Intimidating Black #3 NASCAR Busch Grand National series car. In the Nextel Cup race on May 1, #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr., #1 Martin Truex Jr., and #15 Paul Menard competed in cars with the same type of paint scheme.

On June 18, 2006 at Michigan for the 3M Performance 400 Dale Earnhardt Jr ran a special vintage Budweiser car to honor his father and his grandfather Ralph Earnhardt. He finished 3rd after rain caused the race to be cut short. The car was painted to resemble Ralph's 1956 dirt cars, and carried 1956-era Budweiser logos to complete the throwback look.

In the summer of 2007, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) with the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, announced it will fund an annual undergraduate scholarship at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina for students interested in motorsports and automotive engineering. Scholarship winners are also eligible to work at DEI in internships. The first winner was William Bostic, a senior at Clemson majoring in mechanical engineering.

"Earnhardt Tower", a seating section at Daytona International Speedway, the track where Earnhardt was killed, was named in his honor.

In 2008, on the 50th anniversary of the first Daytona 500 race, DEI and RCR teamed up to make a special COT sporting Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500 paint scheme to honor the tenth anniversary of his Daytona 500 victory. In a tribute to all previous Daytona 500 winners, the winning drivers appeared in a lineup on stage, in chronological order. The redesigned #3 car stood in the infield, in the approximate position Earnhardt would have taken in the processional. The throwback car featured the authentic 1998-era design on a current-era car, a concept similar to modern throwback jerseys in other sports. The car was later sold in 1:64 and 1:24 scale models.

The Intimidator 305 roller coaster has been up and running since April 2010 at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Named after Earnhardt, the ride's trains will be modeled after Dale Earnhardt's black-and-red Chevrolet. Another Intimidator was built at Carowinds, in Charlotte, NC.

During the third lap of the 2011 Daytona 500, the commentators on FOX fell silent while fans each raised three fingers in a similar fashion to the tributes throughout 2001.

Awards

Inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1994

Earnhardt was named among NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998

Earnhardt was posthumously named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver in 2001, the only time he received the award.

He was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002.

He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Earnhardt was named Number 1 among ESPN's NASCAR's 20 Greatest Drivers in 2007 in front of Richard Petty.

Inducted in the Inaugural Induction Class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2010.

TV / Film appearances

On November 9, 1995 Dale Earnhardt appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno(ep.764) He was Racing tractors with Jay Leno, Leno won, but only by few inches. Earnhardt also appeared on Late Show With David Letterman after winning the 1998 Daytona 500, giving the show's "Top Ten" list for that night ("Top Ten Reasons Why It Took Me 20 Years To Win The Daytona 500".

In 2003, the episode "The Checkered Flag" (3rd season, episode 19) of the TV series Doc was dedicated to the memory of Dale Earnhardt, as well as his fans. It included several video clips of Earnhardt's racing, and he was spoken of multiple times. The song "The man" by Billy Ray Cyrus is featured in the end of the episode.

2004, Earnhardt's life story was made into a television movie by ESPN titled, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, starring Barry Pepper as Earnhardt.

2007, a documentary-style movie, entitled Dale, was released in theatres and, according to the movie website, includes original, never-before-seen footage of Earnhardt's racing career and personal life, as well as family photos and historical interviews with him. The narrator for the movie was veteran actor Paul Newman. Dale The Movie was released in early 2007 showing only in major NASCAR markets. The film is a collaboration between NASCAR Media and CMT, and was released on DVD in December 2007.

2011, Great American Country and NASCAR Media Group released a 1 hour special, The Definitive Earnhardt hosted by Country artist Trace Adkins featuring interviews with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Richard Childress and many others.

2011 documentary program, The Day, was created by SPEED Channel, documenting the events of the day of Earnhardt's death.

Cameos

Earnhardt had a cameo in the Trey Parker film BASEketball. He played himself as a cab driver, with the famous #3 on the side.

He also played a small cameo in the film Stroker Ace.

He appeared in an episode of King of the hill entitled "Life in the Fast Lane – Bobby's Saga"

Connections with music

Earnhardt has had several connections with various genres of music, especially Country, both before and after his death.

In 1980, record executive Mike Curb sponsored Dale's winning Winston Cup car. The Curb Motosports Museum in Kannapolis, NC, has the #2 car Earnhardt drove in his first Winston Cup Championship alongside Curb's music memorabilia.

In 1997, Earnhardt appeared as a special guest with his close friends, the country duo Brooks and Dunn, in the video for Brooks and Dunn's hit song, "Honky Tonk Truth". The video was a play on Earnhardt's resemblance to Kix Brooks, with the two switching roles throughout the video.

In 2004, Keith Bryant released the album Ridin' with the Legend, with the title track being a tribute to Earnhardt called "The Last Ride", based on David Allan Coe's "The Ride (The Ghost of Hank Williams)"

Charlie Daniels wrote and performed a song called "The Intimidator" about Earnhardt.

John Boy and Billy presented a song set to the music of "Uneasy Rider" by the Charlie Daniels Band called "The Bristol Song", which recounts the interactions between Rusty Wallace and Earnhardt at the August 1995 race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Country singer Travis Tritt plays a guitar with Earnhardt's image airbrushed onto the front during concerts.

Troy Gentry, of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, also had a guitar with the #3 and a picture of Earnhardt on its face, which was played during their Crossroads television special with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Similarly, Gentry's bandmate Eddie Montgomery can be seen with Earnhardt's #3 embroidered onto both sleeves of his trademark black trenchcoat in the video for the song "Speed".

The Bled's first album, Pass the Flask, includes a song called "You Know Who's Seatbelt", which is loosely based on Earnhardt's story. The song was originally titled "Dale Earnhardt's Seatbelt", but was subsequently changed for legal reasons. It is still labeled as such in the liner notes.

On a VH1 special, C.C. DeVille of Poison played a guitar with a Earnhardt number 3 sticker on it during the song "Fallen Angel".

In the Brad Paisley video "When I Get Where I'm Goin" Teresa Earnhardt appears in front of a picture of the legend.

Billy Ray Cyrus's song "The Man" is a tribute to Earnhardt. He also mentions Earnhardt in the song "As Country As Country Can Be" near the start of the track, saying "NASCAR and Earnhardt, Still miss number three".

The Bowling For Soup song "99 Biker Friends" has the lyrics "your tiny pickup truck in the driveway, with the sticker on the window, 'rest in peace #3'" near the start of the track.

Cledus T. Judd's comedy spoof song, "I Love NASCAR", styled after Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar", features a verse by Toby Keith singing, "I love NASCAR, it's my kind of race. Just to see Big E back on the track, Would put a smile on every face. No-one drove a car quite like Earnhardt..."

There was a special single of Tim McGraw's "Please Remember Me" with sound bytes from the day of the race and later interviews called the "Dale Earnhardt Tribute"

Similarly, there was a special single of Garth Brook's "The Dance," with sound bytes from the day of the race and later interviews, also called the "Dale Earnhardt Tribute"

John Hiatt devotes a verse to Earnhardt in "The Tiki Bar is Open", singing "Well his name was Mr. Dale Earnhardt / And he drove the black number 3 / The king is gone, but he'll not be forgotten / Nor his like will we ever see"

Christian Metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada's song "Number Three, Never Forget" is a reference to Earnhardt although the lyrics have nothing to do whatsoever with Dale.

Rapper Canibus references Earnhardt in a track called "2fast2real" in which he says "Blink quickly, still missed me/ Leave burn marks like Earnhardt then sip real whisky"

Country singer Chris Cagle mentions Earnhardt in his hit song "Chicks Dig It" (2nd Verse)

Country singer Trace Adkins speaks of Earnhardt in his song "Rough and Ready" on the Comin' on Strong album.

Southern metal band Weedeater also paid a tribute to Earnhardt with the song "#3" from the album Sixteen Tons which features the band playing over television broadcasts of Earnhardt's races.

Diamond Rio's song "One More Day" was remade with tidbits of the announcement of his death

Jimmy Buffett dedicated the song "Take Another Road" to Earnhardt during a concert at the Charlotte Coliseum, two days after his death.

Dave Grohl owns a Gibson Les Paul-style guitar made from NASCAR car parts which Earnhardt gave him.

In Tim McGraw's song "Southern Voice", Tim sings "Number 3 Drove It."

In the song "New 88" by Ray Steele he mentioned Dale Earnhardt at the beginning of the song and then goes into talk about Jr.

In the Song "Pontoon Boat" sung by Sunny Ledfurd, Earnhardt is mentioned in the line "Hell no I don't watch racin no more, it aint the same since we lost Sr." at this point everyone in the crowd is holding up three fingers.

Country music singer Blake Shelton references Dale Earnhardt in the song "Kiss my Country Ass" with the line "Earnhardt sticker behind my head and my woman by my side"

Singer/Songwriter, Kacey Jones released her CD "Til Earnhardt Wins Cup #8" in September 2000.

Country music singer Jake Owen mentions Earnhardt in his song "You Can Thank Dixie" with the line "or just like me your a diehard Earnhardt fan"

Country music singer Jason Aldean refers to Earnhardt in the song "Texas Was You" in the line "Carolina was a black car a big white number three"

NBA player Ron Artest said in his song "Champion, "I'm Dale Earnhardt"

Meek Millz mentions Dale Earnhardt in a song called Gasoline ft. Jim Jones in which he says "I whip whip whip it real hard like Dale Earnhardt on a race track."

Jay-Z mentions Dale Earnhardt in a song called Addicted to the Game saying "But like Dale Earnhardt the game is racing through my veins And I crash every time, but like I never hit the wall."

Cam'ron mentions Dale Earnhardt in a song called Halftime show. He says "I call my car Jamal, it get "Mashburn" Crashburn, rest in peace, Dale Earnhardt. My cousin died the same way, hit that turn hard."

See also

Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Teresa Earnhardt, wife

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., son

Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson

Kerry Earnhardt, son

Kelley Earnhardt, daughter

Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, daughter

Richard Childress Racing

Footnotes

External links

Dale Earnhardt Inc.

The Dale Trail, official tour of Earnhardt's Hometown of Kannapolis, NC

Career statistics at racing-reference.info

Orlando Sentinel article on the inquiries into the cause of death

Sports Illustrated article on the controversy over Earnhardt's seat belt

Earnhardt at The Crittenden Automotive Library includes full Win List, Statistics

Category:1951 births Category:2001 deaths Category:American Lutherans Category:American Speed Association drivers Category:Brickyard 400 winners Category:Daytona 500 winners Category:International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:NASCAR Cup Series champions Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR owners Category:NASCAR Rookies of the Year Category:Racecar drivers killed while racing Category:Richard Childress Racing drivers Category:Sports deaths in Florida Category:People from Kannapolis, North Carolina

de:Dale Earnhardt es:Dale Earnhardt fr:Dale Earnhardt id:Dale Earnhardt it:Dale Earnhardt hu:Dale Earnhardt nl:Dale Earnhardt ja:デイル・アーンハート no:Dale Earnhardt pt:Dale Earnhardt ro:Dale Earnhardt sco:Dale Earnhardt simple:Dale Earnhardt fi:Dale Earnhardt sv:Dale Earnhardt tl:Dale Earnhardt

Pablo Montoya (also known as Jose Pablo Montoya) (Jan 7, 1816 - April 6, 1847) was a New Mexican politician who was active both in the 1837 revolt against the Mexican government, and in the Taos Revolt of 1847 against the United States, during the Mexican-American War.

Early life and education

Jose Pablo Montoya was born January 7, 1816, the son of Andres Montoya and Victoria Velarde.

Marriage and family

He married Maria Teresa Esquevel and they had established a family in present-day Taos, New Mexico. He was likely a landowner and rancher.

Career

At some point, Montoya was the mayor of Taos. In 1837 he was part of the New Mexican revolt against the Mexican government. In September of that year he led an army of 3000 rebels to within a league and a half of Santa Fe, where he arranged a truce with General Armijo. He secured his personal immunity by turning over the planners of the rebellion, who were jailed in Santa Fe and later executed by Armijo's forces. Montoya was allowed to return to his home.

In January 1847 Montoya participated in the insurrection against United States rule in New Mexico, started among those who did not accept the Mexican governor's surrender. The historian David Lavender said that Montoya "style[d] himself as the Santa Anna of the North."

Montoya was captured during the 1847 revolt. After the US had re-established control, a US military court charged and convicted him of treason. The judges sentenced him and 14 other men to death for their roles in the revolt. Montoya and the others were hanged in the central plaza of Taos on April 6, 1847.

Cultural references

Pablo Montoya is featured as one of the protagonists in Maxwell Anderson's 1932 play Night Over Taos.

References

Category:1816 births Category:1847 deaths Montoya, Pablo Category:People of the Mexican–American War

Coordinates	36°45′0″N144°16′0″N
Name	Mark Martin |
Birth date	January 09, 1959
Birth place	Batesville, Arkansas |
Awards	1977 ASA Rookie of the Year4-Time ASA Champion (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986)5-Time IROC Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005)Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) | Won NASCAR Sprint All Star Race XIV|
Cup car team	5 – Hendrick Motorsports |
Previous year	2010 |
Prev cup pos	13th |
Best cup pos	2nd – 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2009 |
Cup wins	40|
Cup top tens	431 |
Cup poles	50 |
First cup race	1981 Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro) |
First cup win	1989 AC Delco 500 (Rockingham) |
Last cup win	2009 Sylvania 300 (New Hampshire) |
Busch car team	#32 – Turner Motorsports
Busch wins	49 |
Busch top tens	148 |
Busch poles	30 |
Best busch pos	8th – 1987 |
First busch race	1982 Kroger 200 (IRP) |
First busch win	1987 Budweiser 200 (Dover) |
Last busch win	2011 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas) |
Truck car team	#32 – Turner Motorsports
Best truck pos	19th – 2006 |
Truck wins	7 |
Truck top tens	19 |
Truck poles	3 |
First truck race	1996 Fas Mart Shootout (Richmond) |
First truck win	1996 Lowe's 250 (North Wilkesboro) |
Last truck win	2006 Ford 200 (Homestead)|
Updated	January 10, 2011 }}

Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is an American stock car driver currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the No. 5 GoDaddy.com/Delphi/Carquest/Farmers Insurance/Quaker State Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports. Mark Martin has the second most wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with 49. He has also finished second in the Sprint Cup Series standings five times and has been described by ESPN as "The best driver to never win a championship."

Career

Early racing career

Mark began his racing career as a young man on the dirt tracks of Arkansas. With great failure, he moved on to asphalt racing and joined the ASA racing series. During his ASA career, Mark raced against Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Joe Shear and Bobby Allison. Mark went on to earn Rookie of the Year in 1977. Mark rounded out his ASA career winning twenty-two races and four championships (1978, 1979, 1980, and 1986).

Early NASCAR career

Mark Martin ran for various owners from 1981 to 1986. In 1981, he qualified for 5 races while driving for Bud Reindeer including pole positions at Nashville Speedway USA and Richmond. He had his first top ten finish with a seventh place finish at Richmond; his first top five finish happened when he finished third at Martinsville Speedway. Martin continued racing for Reeder for all 30 races in 1982. He finished 14th in season points with eight top ten finishes, highlighted by fifth place results at Dover and Riverside International Raceway.

Roush Racing

In 1987, he gave NASCAR racing another shot by running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. After a win at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, he was spotted by car owner Jack Roush. In 1988, Martin began a long relationship with Roush that continued for 19 years, driving the #6 car which was most notably sponsored by Valvoline and Viagra.

Overall, Martin has 40 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins and has finished second in the Sprint Cup Series point standings five times (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2009). While racing for Roush in 1990, Mark Martin came his closest to winning a championship. A 46-point penalty at Richmond for using an illegal (but non-performance enhancing) carburetor spacer caused him to lose to Dale Earnhardt by 26 points in the final standings.

Martin has also won five IROC titles (1994, 1996, 1997 1998 and 2005) in addition to 13 races, both records for that series.

Martin announced he would cut back from Sprint Cup Series racing after the 2005 season, dubbing the season the "Salute to You" tour as a thank you to his fans. In June 2005, it was announced that Jamie McMurray would replace Martin in the #6 car in 2007. This, however, left Roush without a driver for the #6 car in 2006. Martin later agreed to come back and drive for the 2006 season. Ultimately, it was announced that McMurray would be released from his contract at Chip Ganassi Racing one year early and would take over for Kurt Busch, who was dismissed from the Roush organization prior to the end of the 2005 season. David Ragan was announced as Martin's replacement in the #6 for 2007.

Ginn Racing / DEI

On October 6, 2006, it was announced that Martin would instead split time with current Busch Series driver Regan Smith in the Ginn Racing #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet in 2007. Roush Racing announced that due to team limits imposed by NASCAR, they could not field a team for Martin for all 20 races he wanted to run in 2007, forcing Martin to move on, at least in the Nextel Cup Series. However, Martin drove two races for Roush Fenway Racing in the Busch Series, and also drove in three races for Hendrick Motorsports, sharing the #5 with Kyle Busch.

Martin finished second in the 2007 Daytona 500, only 0.020 seconds behind Kevin Harvick. Martin led going into the final lap before Harvick stormed from seventh to win on the outside. There has been much controversy over whether or not the caution flag should have come out as a result of a large multi-car crash behind them, which could have affected the outcome of the race. Normally, the caution flag is shown as soon as a car or more make contact with the wall.

2007 was Martin's first season to start with three consecutive top-five finishes. Martin is the only part-time driver in NASCAR history to not win the opening race but still be leading the points standings. It is also the first time he has had three consecutive top-five finishes since 2002. Martin is also the oldest driver in the modern era to lead the Nextel Cup points for more than one week. Martin led the Nextel Cup points from the second race of the season, the Auto Club 500, through the fourth race of the season, the Kobalt Tools 500. Martin sat out the Food City 500, becoming the first driver since Cale Yarborough to sit out a race as the points leader.

On July 25, 2007, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. announced it had acquired Ginn Racing. Mark Martin would join Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard as a driver for DEI starting at the 2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. He would share the #01 car with Regan Smith for the rest of the season.

On September 8, 2007, it was announced that Martin would share the #8 car with Aric Almirola in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series with sponsorship from the U.S. Army.

Martin made his 700th career start at the 2008 Auto Club 500.

On March 1, 2008, Mark Martin won the 2008 Sam's Town 300 driving the #5 Delphi Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. It was Martin's 48th career Nationwide Series victory and JR Motorsports' 1st win.

Martin finished out 2008 with 11 top-10's in 21 starts.

During the weekend of the 2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350, ESPN reported that Mark Martin was leaving Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the 2008 season. It was announced that Aric Almirola who shared the #8 car with Mark Martin would drive the car full-time in 2009.

Hendrick Motorsports

On July 4, 2008, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and Martin announced that he would replace Casey Mears in the #5 car for the 2009 season, running a full-time schedule for the first time since 2006. Martin signed a two-year contract with Hendrick, with a full-time schedule for 2009 and 2010. Martin grabbed his first pole since 2001 at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta, and followed up with back-to-back poles in the following week at Bristol.

On April 18, 2009, Martin became the fourth driver to win a Cup race in NASCAR after turning 50, winning the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 from the pole position. The other three were Bobby Allison, Morgan Shepherd (twice), and Harry Gant (8 times, last in 1992). His win snapped a 97-race winless streak going back to 2005. After the victory, he did a Polish Victory Lap as a tribute to his late friend Alan Kulwicki at the place where Kulwicki did his first Polish Victory Lap. At Darlington, it was announced after the Richmond race that Martin would drive full time again in 2010; Martin would go on to win the Southern 500. It was his first multiple-win season since 1999. In the 2009 LifeLock 400, Martin won his third race of the season when Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran out of fuel in the last two laps. Martin added a series-leading fourth win at the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland in July, holding off a charging Jeff Gordon. Because he and teammate Gordon also finished 1–2 at the LifeLock 400 at Michigan in June, LifeLock will pay a $1 million bonus to a family in Colorado. Despite his series-leading four wins, due to some early season troubles, including two engine failures, a blown tire, and getting caught up in multi-car wrecks at Talladega and Daytona, Martin had struggled to get into the top 12, moving up two spots to 11th place with the win at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin also got his fifth pole of the 2009 season at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Sharpie 500.

After being on the Chase bubble for most of the season, Martin qualified for the 2009 Chase as he was in sixth place in the standings following the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Because he led the Chase drivers in wins with four, the Chase reseeding process moved him up five places and made him the points leader.

On September 18 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Hendrick Motorsports announced that Go Daddy would sponsor Martin's No. 5 Chevrolet for 20 races in 2010 and 2011, and that Martin had signed to drive full-time for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series through 2011.

Two days later, he won his fifth race of the year by taking the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire in the first race of the Chase. The win broke Martin's tie with Kyle Busch for the series wins lead and marked the third time in his career that he had won at least five times in a season (1993 and 1998). Martin extended his lead to 35 points over Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, who were tied for second in the standings.

At the end of the 2009 AMP Energy 500, Martin's Chevrolet turned after contact with another car and flipped over one and a half times. It was the second time Martin had ever been upside down in his racing career. Once righted, Martin managed to drive the Chevy across the finish line.

Entering the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martin and Johnson were the only drivers still able to win the 2009 Sprint Cup championship. Martin finished 12th in the race, which was not enough to overcome Johnson's lead. Martin again finished second in the standings, for the fifth time in his career.

In 2010, Mark started the year off strong with his new sponsor Go Daddy and won the pole for the 52nd Daytona 500.

In the Bud Shootout, he was running well. However, he was caught up in the "big one" during a green-white-checker finish and finished 21st.

Mark started the Daytona 500 well leading the majority of the first 30 Laps, but after being stuck in the "Sucker hole" he dropped down as low as 33rd and had to pick his way through the rest of the day. By the finish of the race Martin ended the day a solid 12th and a good start to the year going to California.

Mark would run well at California and Las Vegas, scoring back-to-back 4th place finishes and advancing as high as 3rd in the points standings, only 49 points out of the lead. However, "Lady Luck" would turn her back to Martin the next 3 races.

Mark would get caught up in a wreck at Atlanta and Bristol, finishing 33rd and 35th respectively. Mark was leading the field and running top 5 most of the day until a flat tire at Martinsville would relegate him to a 21st place run. During the stretch of bad luck, Mark fell from 3rd to 17th in the points standings, 214 points behind the leader.

The next three races of the 2010 season would see Martin rally back. With a 4th place finish at Phoenix, 6th place finish at Texas, and a 5th place finish at Talladega, Mark jumped from 17th in the points standings to 6th, 169 points behind the leader.

Mark's bad luck struck again the following 3 races as he struggled to get a handle on his race cars. A 25th place finish at Richmond, 16th place finish at Darlington, and 15th place finish at Dover would cause Mark to fall to 11th in the points standings, 293 points behind the leader.

In the Sprint All-Star race, qualifying was rained out. The field was set in the order the drivers drew. Martin started 15th. He finished the first 50-lap segment in 15th. He would use a two-tire pit stop to gain position and would finish the second 20-lap segment in 3rd. He would hold his position in the third 20-lap segment and finish 3rd. Mark would lose a spot during the mandatory 4-tire pit stop before the start of the final 10-lap shootout for the $1 million. However, as the field took the green, Mark would be hit by another car and crash, finishing 17th.

A week later, Mark returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. Mark qualified 11th and struggled much of the race with handling issues. However, during a caution with 20 laps to go, most of the field pitted and Mark opted to stay out. He restarted 2nd and finished the race in 4th.

Mark Martin had a season best finish of second at the 2010 TUMS Fast Relief 500. Martin crashed with 275 laps to go, but managed to work his way up 15 spots with bent fenders and no rear end. Martin will not ride for Hendrick Motorsports in the 2012, because driver Kasey Kahne will take his ride in the 2012 season.

In 2011, he began the season with an accident in the Budweiser Shootout. During the following race, he was involved in a multiple car accident. In the Subway Fresh Fit 500, he managed to finish in the 13th position. One week later, Martin participated in the Nationwide Series Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he was able to win his 49th race in the series. The victory was also the first for his team, Turner Motorsports.

NASCAR Career Statistics

Races 5/31 30/30 16/30 5/29 1/29 29/29 29/29 29/29 29/29 29/29 30/30 31/31 31/31 31/31 32/32 33/33 34/34 34/34 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 24/36 24/36 36/36 36/36 16/36 762

Year	|	Wins	Poles	Top 5	Top 10	DNF	Finish	Start	Winnings	Season Rank	Team(s)
1981	|	0	2	1	2	2	15.0	3.6	$13,950	42	Owner/Driver
1982	|	0	0	2	8	12	19.5	15.1	$115,600	16	Owner/Driver and Bob Rodgers
1983	|	0	0	1	3	8	21.0	15.6	$99,655	30	J.D. Stacy (seven races), Morgan-McClure (six), D.K. Ulrich (two), Owner/Driver (one)
1986	|	0	0	0	0	2	21.8	15.2	$20,515	48	Gunderman Racing
1987	|	0	0	0	0	1	39.0	41.0	$3,550	103	Roger Hamby
1988	|	0	1	3	10	10	19.5	11.5	$189,400	15	Jack Roush
1989	|	1	6	14	18	4	10.7	5.3	$621,788	3	Jack Roush
1990	|	3	4	16	23	1	6.6	5.4	$803,095	2	Jack Roush
1991	|	1	5	14	17	5	12.0	7.9	$805,105	6	Jack Roush
1992	|	2	5	10	17	5	12.4	8.1	$809,505	6	Jack Roush
1993	|	5	5	12	19	3	11.6	8.8	$1,151,890	3	Jack Roush
1994	|	2	1	15	20	5	11.7	8.1	$1,054,237	2	Jack Roush
1995	|	4	4	13	22	8	10.7	8.4	$1,499,466	4	Jack Roush
1996	|	0	4	14	23	4	11.3	8.8	$1,532,555	5	Jack Roush
1997	|	4	3	16	24	3	9.0	11.0	$1,829,550	3	Jack Roush
1998	|	7	3	22	26	1	8.6	8.9	$3,255,470	2	Jack Roush
1999	|	2	1	19	26	3	9.4	8.2	$2,802,227	3	Jack Roush
2000	|	1	0	13	20	6	13.6	11.0	$2,743,615	8	Jack Roush
2001	|	0	2	3	15	4	17.9	15.6	$3,487,719	12	Jack Roush
2002	|	1	0	12	22	3	12.2	16.0	$5,279,405	2	Jack Roush
2003	|	0	0	5	10	7	20.2	20.7	$4,048,847	17	Jack Roush
2004	|	1	0	10	15	2	13.8	15.2	$3,948,497	4	Jack Roush
2005	|	1	0	12	19	2	13.2	15.5	$5,994,353	4	Jack Roush
2006	|	0	0	7	15	2	14.2	16.1	$4,097,203	9	Jack Roush
2007	|	0	0	5	11	2	14.5	16.2	$4,097,203	27	Ginn Racing
2008	|	0	0	4	11	2	13.3	11.5	$3,553,705	28	Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
2009	|	5	7	14	21	1	15.6	11.0	$3,839,482	2	Hendrick Motorsports
2010	|	0	1	9	14	0	16.8	12.6	$3,321,410	13	Hendrick Motorsports
2011	|	0	1	1	5	2	16.4	14.9	$1,920,110	14	Hendrick Motorsports
colspan=11 bgcolor=#808080 height="5px"
Totals	|	40	50	259	419	108			$82,430,958

Data as of July 1, 2011

Personal life

Martin currently resides in Daytona Beach, Florida, with his wife Arlene and five children (four of whom are from his wife's first marriage). His son Matt raced for a time in lower series. Martin's father, stepmother and half-sister died in a plane crash on August 8, 1998 in Nevada near Great Basin National Park. Martin enjoys listening to rap music. Martin is also an avid pilot and flies his personal jet to and from races. He also currently owns three car dealerships. Mark Martin Chevrolet located in Melbourne, Arkansas and another, Mark Martin Ford-Mercury, in Batesville, Arkansas.

References

External links

Mark Martin's Official Website

Mark Martin's statistics at Racing-Reference.info

Mark Martin on FoxSports

Mark Martin Chevrolet Dealership

Mark Martin's Driver page at NASCAR.com

Mark Martin on FoxSports Video Archive

Category:1959 births Category:American racecar drivers Category:American Speed Association drivers Category:Hendrick Motorsports drivers Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:Living people Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR Rookies of the Year Category:People from Independence County, Arkansas Category:Roush Racing drivers

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