Background
He was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina as the son of Effie Mae Barber (August 30, 1895 - September 1979) and John Henderson Earnhardt (March 23, 1879 - November 5, 1953).
He was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina as the son of Effie Mae Barber (August 30, 1895 - September 1979) and John Henderson Earnhardt (March 23, 1879 - November 5, 1953).
Earnhardt helped get Bobby Isaac his start in racing. Earnhardt had German ancestry. John Henderson Earnhardt"s first wife was Florence Phillips (October 7, 1877 – November 18, 1922).
He and Florence had four daughters — Mary, Eula, Margie, and Octa Vayne.
He spent many years working in a cotton mill in North Carolina. One of the only ways out of this poor living was racing.
Ralph started his racing career on dirt tracks where he was famous for keeping his car in top condition throughout each race. Earnhardt began racing in 1949, and in 1953 it became his full-time occupation.
In 1961, Ralph had his highest finish by finishing 17th in the Grand National point standings.
1961 also saw Ralph fill in as a relief driver for Cotton Owens in the Daytona 500, running more than 300 miles and finishing 5th. Ralph Earnhardt was the first car builder/driver to understand and use tire stagger. Earnhardt died from a heart attack on September 26, 1973 at the age of 45.
In the film 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, Ralph Earnhardt was portrayed by J. K. Simmons.
The film portrayed Earnhardt"s death as the urban legend dictated, where Dale (Barry Pepper) found him dead of a heart attack in the garage.