Black ties, gowns and some of the biggest names in the automotive business recently gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in Detroit for a very special reason. Seven people were inducted into this year’s Automotive Hall of Fame; and Dale Earnhardt was one of them.

Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, was honored for his contributions to the automotive business on and off the race track. With 76 Cup victories to his credit, Earnhardt was also recognized for the work he did for Chevrolet and Ford. In addition to garnering wins and notoriety behind the wheel of the #3 Chevrolet, he also contributed to the automotive business by owning a Chevrolet dealership in Newton, NC.

Also honored were Bill France, Jr., NASCAR, Wayne Huizenga, founder of AutoNation; Nuccio Bertone, Italian designer; Shojiro Ishibashi, founder of Bridgestone Corporation; Arjay Miller, Ford Motor Co. and Bruno Sacco, Mercedes-Benz designer.

Teresa Earnhardt, President and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., accepted the award on Dale’s behalf.

“Dale didn’t just race cars, he loved everything about cars - from their raw steel cage, to their performance,” Ms Earnhardt said. “His need for speed, and championship drive, was a winning combination with American manufacturers Chevrolet and Ford. He was so very proud to wear the Chevy Bowtie emblem for all seven of his NASCAR Cup championships. He was also proud of the relationships he built with many of the people in the automotive business. Dale’s legendary achievements continue to inspire the sport’s new competitors and fans alike. Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the company we founded, continues his championship drive.”

In 2002, Ms. Earnhardt announced the Dale Earnhardt Foundation to continue the ideals and beliefs Dale carried with him during his lifetime.

[DEI PR]

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