Earnhardt’s grandson celebrates birthday with strong race

BY ALLEN GREGORY

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

RURAL RETREAT – Jeffrey Earnhardt has emerged as a rising star in the racing universe.

The son of Kerry Earnhardt and grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt has a developmental deal with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., a growing fan base and a diverse resume.

Just one day after celebrating his 18th birthday, Jeffrey returned to the Wythe Raceway dirt track where his career began to compete in a Young Guns shootout.

Earnhardt finished second to fellow teenager and defending track Late Model champion Chase McCormick of Dobson, N.C. late Saturday night. Meadowview resident and longtime Wythe Raceway competitor Duke Bare has followed Earnhardt’s maturation with pride. He actually built Jeffrey’s first race car in 2004 and served as a mentor.

“Jeffrey is a great kid and I believe he has the talent to make it in this sport,” said Bare, who entered the 2007 season with 98 wins and six track titles at Wythe. “He just has the right approach.”

The debut race for Earnhardt was anything but elaborate.

“I used to build the cars for the Hornet class here at Wythe,” Bare said. “Jeffrey would come to the races with his grandfather, then go into the pits to look at the cars. Jeffrey said he wanted to race, so I built him a Yugo.

“The car was gray with a No. 33 because that was the number that Kerry was running at the time in the [NASCAR] Craftsman Truck Series. Kerry looked at the car and gave his okay.

Earnhardt soon fell in love with the speed and nuances of racing on dirt. The fact that he was a driving a 4-cylinder, frontwheel driver car in an entry-level class mattered little.

“Jeffrey ran that Yugo most of the season before he totaled it in a flip,” Bare said “Then Jeffrey ended buying a little [Ford] Escort off Lindsey Holman of Abingdon, who was also running Hornets at the time.”

Bare, 33, developed a bond with the Earnhardt family. Ironically, the popular Wythe Raceway regular has also built a couple of Earnhardt family replica cars.

“Kerry came to watch Jeffrey about every race,” Bare said. “We rode 4-wheelers together, and Kerry even came to Antioch, Tenn. to watch us race. I believe in having fun when I race. Kerry and Jeffrey feel the same way.”

Earnhardt now divides his time between the UARA Late Model touring and the NASCAR Busch East division. Kerry also works at DEI in various roles, including test driver.

According to Bare, Jeffrey is paying his dues in much the same fashion as his famous grandfather, who also learned the fundamentals while racing on dirt.

“Jeffrey earned his own money to buy that Yugo, and he’s always worked on his cars,” Bare said. “There are a bunch of good drivers here at Wythe, and Jeffrey has been one of them.

“It’s just all about getting that big break. Now, Jeffrey is on his way.”

Daniel Baggerly (Rural Retreat) finished third in Saturday’s Young Guns Shoot, with John King (Kingsport) and Chilhowie’s Cody McMahan next in line.

McCormick seemed to enjoy the Earnhardt challenge. The teens chatted before Saturday’s hot laps session.

“It’s pretty cool that Jeffrey would come back and race on this dirt track,” McCormick said. “He’s been doing real good on the asphalt, and this is another good test.

“And this race is a good chance for me to get my name out there and show what I can do.”

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