1975 Made stock-car racing debut May 25, finishing 22nd in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
1979 Earned first victory on April 1 at Bristol, Tenn; Won Rookie of the Year Award.
1980 Won first Winston Cup Championship, becoming only driver to win Rookie of the Year and season championship back-to-back.
1986 Won five races to take second Winston Cup Championship.
1987 Won 11 races for third Winston Cup Championship, finishing in top five 21 times in 29 races.
1990 Won nine times to take fourth Winston Cup Championship, earning a then-record $3,083,056.
1991 Won four races for fifth Winston Cup Championship.
1993 Won six races to earn sixth Winston Cup Championship.
1994 Won seventh Winston Cup Championship, tying Richard Petty for most career titles. Topped $3-million mark in earnings for third time in five years.
1996 Became third driver to start 500 consecutive Winston Cup races.
1997 Became first driver to reach $30 million in American Motor Sports winnings and first race car driver to appear on box of Wheaties Cereal.
1998 Won first Daytona 500 in 20th career start, breaking a 59-race winless streak overall. Finished eighth in season standings, his 18th top 10 finish in 20 years.
1999 Won 10th consecutive Twin 125 qualifying race at Daytona.
2000 Won Winston 500 on Oct. 15 at Talladega Superspeedway for final career victory.
Career Pole Positions: 22.
Career top 5 finishes: 268.
Career top 10 finishes: 404.
Seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships ('80, '86, '87, '90, '91, '93, '94)
The only Winston driver to win Rookie of the Year and the Championship in successive years (1979, 1980).
Career winnings in excess of $30 million.
Five-time NMPA Driver of the Year ('80, '86, '87, '90, '94)
Only three-time winner of "The Winston"; ('87, '90, '93)
Only six-time Busch Clash winner ('80, '86, '88, '91, '93, '95)
Three-time IROC champion ('90, '95, '99)
American Driver of the Year: 2 (1987, 1994).
Won record nine races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Owns record 34 victories in all forms of racing at Daytona Speedway.
Earnhardt has won nearly every major event and title available to NASCAR Winston Cup drivers, including the Daytona 500.
Career Statistics
| Year |
Races |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Bud Poles |
Winnings |
Point Standings |
2001 |
1
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$194,111 |
-- |
2000 |
34
|
2 |
13 |
24 |
0 |
$4,918,886 |
2nd |
1999 |
34
|
3 |
7 |
21 |
0 |
$3,048,236 |
7th |
1998 |
33
|
1 |
5 |
13 |
0 |
$2,990,749 |
8th |
1997 |
32
|
0 |
7 |
16 |
0 |
$2,151,909 |
5th |
1996 |
31
|
2 |
13 |
17 |
2 |
$2,285,926 |
4th |
1995 |
31
|
5 |
19 |
23 |
3 |
$3,154,241 |
2nd |
1994 |
31
|
4 |
20 |
25 |
2 |
$3,300,733 |
1st |
1993 |
30
|
6 |
17 |
21 |
2 |
$3,353,789 |
1st |
1992 |
29
|
1 |
6 |
15 |
1 |
$$915,463 |
12th |
1991 |
29
|
4 |
14 |
21 |
0 |
$2,396,685 |
1st |
1990 |
29
|
9 |
18 |
23 |
4 |
$3,083,056 |
1st |
1989 |
29
|
5 |
14 |
19 |
0 |
$1,435,730 |
2nd |
1988 |
29
|
3 |
13 |
19 |
0 |
$1,214,089 |
3rd |
1987 |
29
|
11 |
21 |
24 |
1 |
$2,099,243 |
1st |
1986 |
29
|
5 |
16 |
23 |
1 |
$1,783,880 |
1st |
1985 |
28
|
4 |
10 |
16 |
1 |
$546,596 |
8th |
1984 |
30
|
2 |
12 |
22 |
0 |
$616,788 |
4th |
1983 |
30
|
2 |
9 |
14 |
1 |
$446,272 |
8th |
1982 |
30
|
1 |
7 |
12 |
1 |
$375,325 |
12th |
1981 |
31
|
0 |
9 |
17 |
0 |
$347,113 |
7th |
1980 |
31
|
5 |
19 |
24 |
0 |
$588,926 |
1st |
1979 |
27
|
1 |
11 |
17 |
4 |
$264,086 |
7th |
1978 |
5
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
$20,145 |
43rd |
1977 |
1
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$1,375 |
-- |
1976 |
2
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$3,085 |
-- |
1975 |
1
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
$1,925 |
-- |
Back
|
|