Racing Career
Kerry had driven race cars in the early 1990s, he entered the racing world as a competitor in 1992 racing street stocks. That same season Kerry raced in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series Kerry raced various tracks in 1993 including the East Carolina Motor Speedway near Robersonville, North Carolina and Langley Speedway in Hampton, VA. He has scored 2 top 5s and 8 top 10s in 11 races, also was the 1992 Rookie of the Year.
He won a pole and recorded 8 top 5s and 40 top 10s as well as 1994 Rookie of the Year Honors at his local track, Hickory Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series.
Kerry's First NASCAR start came in the Busch Series at Myrtle Beach in 1998.
After select Busch Racing in 1998 and 1999. Kerry Raced in The ARCA series in 2000, and 2001. During this stint he won 4 of his 11 starts, with 7 top 5s and 8 top 10s. In 2001, the same year his father was killed at Daytona, Earnhardt was involved in a crash in an ARCA race at Charlotte which killed his good friend Blaise Alexander.
In 2000 Kerry made his Winston Cup debut at Michigan, racing against his father Dale Earnhardt, and half-brother Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It was the first of his seven Cup series starts.
His 2002 run for FitzBradshaw Racing in the Busch Series was one of only two full season in any of NASCAR's Big 3 series (Cup, Busch/Nationwide, and Truck), and he finished 22nd in the points. He scored 3 top 5s and 6 top 10s. In the 2003 Winston Cup season, Kerry Earnhardt drove the #83 Hot Tamales Chevrolet for FitzBradshaw, but failed to qualify for every race he attempted.
2004 Kerry made 8 starts in the West Series, scoring 2 Top-5's, and 5 Top-10's.
In 2004 and 2005, he raced in six NEXTEL Cup races, for Richard Childress Racing in the #33 car. All six starts were restrictor plate races (Daytona and Talladega). His highest finish was a 17th place run at Talladega in the 2005 Aaron's 499.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he won the pole for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 in 2005, but he lost his ride after 2 races was released due to lack of sponsorship. For the 2006 season, Earnhardt signed with ThorSport Racing and drove the #13 Chevrolet the full season with occasional sponsorship from the National Pork Board. His best finish of the season was an 11th at Nashville and Las Vegas. At the conclusion of the season, Kerry and ThorSport Racing went their separate ways.
In December 2007, he announced, in a year-end letter to his fans on his website, kerryearnhardtonline.com, that he had retired as a competitive driver. He is still an active test driver for DEI, and occasionally drives in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS).
His last appearance in a national touring series was the NASCAR Nationwide Series|Nationwide Series' Subway Jalapeño 250 on July 3, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway driving, the #31 car for Rick Ware Racing.
In 2010, Richard Childress announced that Kerry Earnhardt will drive the #3 car originally driven by his father when he won the Brickyard 400 at a festival.
Read more about this topic: Kerry Earnhardt
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