Earnhardt Nation

Earnhardt Nation is a fearless portrait of the larger-than-life first family of NASCAR and the rise of the world’s fastest stock car racing organization.

“Jay Busbee steers us through the book like an Earnhardt racing in the draft.” —ESPN

More than sixty years ago, Ralph Earnhardt toiled in a cotton mill in his native North Carolina to support his growing family. Weekends he could be found going pedal to the metal at the dirt tracks, taking on the competition in the early days of box car racing and becoming one of the best short-track drivers in the state. His son, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., would become one of the greatest drivers of all time, and his grandson Dale Jr., would become NASCAR’s most popular driver of the 2000s. From a simple backyard garage, the Earnhardts reached the highest echelons of professional stock car racing and became the stuff of myth for fans.

Earnhardt Nation is the story of this car racing dynasty and the business that would make them rich and famous—and nearly tear them apart. Covering all the white-knuckle races, including the final lap at the Daytona 500 that claimed the life of the Intimidator, sports writer Jay Busbee goes deep into the fast-paced world of NASCAR, its royal family’s obsession with speed, and their struggle with celebrity. He looks deep inside the lives of these men and women who shaped NASCAR, delving into their personal and professional lives, from failed marriages to rivalries large and small to complex and competitive father-son relationships that have reverberated through generations, and explores the legacy the Earnhardts struggle to uphold.