Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

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Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Owner(s)	Teresa Earnhardt
Base	Mooresville, North Carolina
Series	Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
Race drivers	Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Darrell Waltrip, Robby Gordon, Mark Martin, Kenny Wallace, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith, Aric Almirola, Kerry Earnhardt
Sponsors	Budweiser, NAPA Auto Parts, Pennzoil, Bass Pro Shops, Menards, U.S. Army, Burger King, Quaker State, Nilla Wafers, Oreo, Peak, Papa John's Pizza, Smith & Wesson, Taco Bell, KFC, Goodwrench, Coca-Cola, Ritz, Wrangler, ACDelco
Manufacturer	Chevrolet
Opened	1980
Closed	2009
Career
Drivers' Championships	Total: 4 Cup Series: 0 Xfinity Series: 2 (1998, 1999) Truck Series: 2 (1996, 1998) ARCA Racing Series: 0
Race victories	Total: 95 Cup Series: 24 Xfinity Series: 41 Truck Series: 25 ARCA Racing Series: 5

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) is a museum in Mooresville, North Carolina. Formerly a race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, it competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States, from 1998 to 2009. Earnhardt was a seven-time Winston Cup champion who died in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Despite his ownership of the DEI racing team, Earnhardt never drove for his team in the Winston Cup; instead, he raced for his long-time mentor and backer Richard Childress at RCR. In the late-2000s, DEI suffered critical financial difficulties after drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, and sponsors Anheuser-Busch, National Automotive Parts Association and United States Army left the team; DEI consequently merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, moving their equipment into the latter's shop, while the former's closed down.^[1] Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations was subsequently purchased by Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.^[2]

DEI celebrated the life and legacy of Earnhardt through an annual celebration of his birthday on April 29, also known as Dale Earnhardt Day. DEI maintains a showroom at the former race shop in Mooresville where fans can purchase memorabilia and other goods. The organization also pursues partnerships which bring tribute to Earnhardt's memory. Notable drivers for DEI included Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, John Andretti, Kenny Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, and Aric Almirola.