Dale vs Daytona: The Intimidator's Quest to Win the Great American Race

by Rick Houston

Dale Earnhardt and Daytona International Speedway remain two of the most iconic names in the history of NASCAR, and are inevitably connected when either name is mentioned. Earnhardt's failed attempts to win the race have become folklore; each year brought its own unique set of circumstances for why he hadn't yet raised the Harley J. Earl Trophy. Dale Earnhardt’s résumé heading into the 1998 Daytona 500 read as 7 NASCAR Championships, 70 Winston Cup wins, and 30 wins at Daytona International Speedway. So what was left for Dale to accomplish at Daytona? Win the Daytona 500! Author Rick Houston examines every Daytona 500 in which Dale competed from 1979 to 2001 with fresh interviews from crew chiefs Doug Richert, Kirk Shelmerdine, Andy Petree, Bobby Hutchens, Larry McReynolds, and Kevin Hamlin. Competitors, rivals, crewmembers, and friends (including Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Geoff Bodine, Darrell Waltrip, Danny "Chocolate" Myers, Greg Moore, Derrike Cope, and Junior Johnson) also offer their thoughts and recollections in this thrilling year-by-year recap of the Intimidator’s efforts to win the Great American Race. Never before have Dale's attempts to win the Daytona 500 been chronicled in one publication with this amount of detail and under such intense scrutiny. From the Dale and Dale show, to the seagull, to the last-lap heartaches, you ride shotgun with Rick Houston as he takes you around-and-around in Dale vs The Intimidator's Quest to Conquer the Great American Race .

Genres: Racing

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, gonna put it out there. I may be a bit biased, I grew up watching Dale Earnhardt race and loved to see him win. This is the only sport that ever graced our television, besides when my mom could sneak the Olympics on!

This book, goes through Dale's career from almost the very beginning to the tragic end with lots of details and commentary from fellow racers, crew chiefs and Dale's own words. It doesn't go into great in depth detail about each season but it gives the highlights and lowlights and you get the main point. I had forgotten so many of the details of those years and reading this book brought back all those memories. This book also has some great pictures from the early days to that one last day.

I won a copy of this book through Library Thing's Early Reviewer's program.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid NASCAR fan, I was devastated when I watched Dale's last race. My heart went out to his family and fellow fans. It was difficult to pick up the remote and watch the next race without Dale. I'm glad I did though, and I'm glad I won this book through LibraryThing. It wasn't easy reading the entire book but overall it left me feeling a touch healed. For those who weren't there for that last race, the book is informative and entertaining without going into too much depth and becoming boring.

[Will Riney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great look at how Dale Earnhardt fared each year in his quest to win the race that eventually took his life.

[Kaylyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewer's give-away.
A good read for those who grew up with NASCAR. Perfect timing with junior retiring this year.