Dale Earnhardt grew up racing. Since he was a child this is what his family has done, and now his family carries on that legacy. Dale Earnhardt grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a textile town. His father, Ralph Earnhardt, was known as "Iron Heart" on the short track circuit and taught Dale how to drive stock cars and work with engines. His father had converted a barn behind the family home into a garage and was known for his skill with engines. Earnhardt's earliest memory is watching his father race. Dale dropped out of high school after eighth grade because he tried to go to ninth grade twice and simply couldn't. After dropping out, Dale worked odd jobs, drove on dirt roads, and even argued with his father, who wanted him to complete high school. Dale became most famous with his black Monte Carlo with a white-dominated number 3, but his first dirt car was a bright pink 1956 Ford Sedan, which his neighbors, David and Ray Oliver, gave him. His father Ralph had built the engine and some other friends, Frank and Wayne Dayvault and their cousin Gregg, had tuned it. They wanted to paint the car avocado green, but a paint mishap caused the car to turn pink. They couldn't afford to repaint it, and Dale raced the pink car on dirt tracks around Charlotte, North Carolina. Dale married for the first time at 17 and had a son, Kerry, at age 18. Dale divorced his first wife at 19 and married a second time to Brenda. This marriage would last five years before he divorced again. Dale had two children with his second wife, a daughter, Kelley, and a son, Dale Jr., both of whom would follow him into racing. While Dale was twenty-two, his father died of a heart attack. Earn... half the paper... on the steering column of the car. Dale's legions of fans deeply mourned his loss, creating shrines and memorials across the country, particularly in his hometown of Mooresville. Bechtel quoted longtime friend H. A. Wheeler, who said, "Here's a guy who came from the bottom, worked hard for everything he got, and didn't put on airs...Truck drivers, dock workers, welders and shrimp…boat captains loved him everything they dreamed of being “I believe Dale Earnhardt was the greatest stock car driver there ever was and will ever be. He was down to earth and didn't let money or fame stop him from connecting with his fans. Dale did many great things in his life, and also great things with the community and people who followed him throughout his racing career. Dale was a role model to many and other drivers looked up to him and respected him.