BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY TO CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF DALE EARNHARDT’S FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES VICTORY IN APRIL 1979

As the father and son walked back to the parking lot after an amazing experience at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon, April 1, 1979, the nine-year-old first-time NASCAR fan, still trying to process all the action that had unfolded to him in a whirlwind of colorful sights and loud sounds, quizzed his father.

“Did your favorite driver win today?” the son asked his dad, who was proudly covered from head to toe in green and white No. 88 Darrell Waltrip gear.

“Naw, he didn’t. He had a chance, but finished third,” the father said, dejectedly.

“Well, who was the winner of the race?” the youngster shot back, still trying to piece it all together.

“Ahhh, it was some rookie named Earnhardt,” the dad said in frustration.

Little did the pair know – or really anyone who attended the Southeastern 500 that day – that the race was actually the official launching pad for a driver who would become one of the most dominant, revered and greatest champions in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history.

The rookie winner that day at Bristol, 28-year-old Dale Earnhardt from Kannapolis, N.C., was a second-generation driver who was able to build his own cars, had cut his teeth on Carolina dirt tracks and was following in the tire tracks of his famous racing father Ralph Earnhardt. That maiden victory led to a championship title the very next season and a hall of fame career that produced 76 wins, including a total of nine BMS trophies, and seven Cup Series championships.

Bristol Motor Speedway officials will celebrate that monumental moment in NASCAR history during the upcoming Food City 500 weekend, April 5-7, the 40th anniversary of Earnhardt’s first Cup Series victory.

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