tone or style may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (December 2007) Dale Earnhardt Date of birth April 29, 1951(1951-04-29) Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina Died February 18, 2001(2001-02-18) (aged 49) Daytona Beach, Florida Cause of death Basilar skull fracture from crash in Turn 4 on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Achievements Winston Cup Series Champion (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) 1998 Daytona 500 Champion Winston 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 Drivers NASCAR Most Popular Driver (2001) 2002 Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 2006 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee NASCAR Sprint Cup Series statistics 677 races run over 27 years Best finish 1: (1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) First race 1975 World 600 (Charlotte) Last race 2001 Daytona 500 (Daytona) First win 1979 Southeastern 500 (Bristol) Last win 2000 Winston 500 (Talladega) Wins Top tens Poles 76 428 22 Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (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..