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| 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story | |
|---|---|
 Television release poster | |
| Genre | Biographical drama |
| Written by | Robert Eisele |
| Directed by | Russell Mulcahy |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Louis Febre |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Orly Adelson |
| Producer | Lynn Raynor |
| Cinematography | James Chressanthis |
| Editor | William B. Stich |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | ESPN |
| Release | December 11, 2004 (2004-12-11) |
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 Americanbiographical dramatelevision film directed byRussell Mulcahy, written by Robert Eisele, and starringBarry Pepper asNASCAR driverDale Earnhardt. It chronicles Earnhardt's life from his humble upbringing inKannapolis, North Carolina, throughout his career racing automobiles to include his rise to dominance in NASCAR, culminating withhis death in the final lap of the2001 Daytona 500.[1] Its central theme focuses on the relationship between him and his father,Ralph Earnhardt, as well as the relationship between him and his youngest son,Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The film premiered onESPN on December 11, 2004. Pepper's performance earned him a nomination for aScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.[2]
Many of the film's race scenes were filmed atRockingham Speedway. The track had lost its races and at the time was used mostly as a test facility and driving school.Chad McCumbee, who portrayed Earnhardt Jr., later became a NASCAR driver in theCraftsman Truck Series.[3] He also raced alongside Dale Jr. himself at thePocono 500, drivingKyle Petty's 45 car, as Petty was in theTNT broadcast booth.
Actors playing the part of the Flying Aces were Ray Everett, Greg Davis, David Brooks, Robbie Hicks, and Don Gyr.
The film details the life of stock-car racing legend Dale Earnhardt. From an early age, Earnhardt learned about cars from his father Ralph, who worked at a mill to feed and clothe his family but also rebuilt jalopies in his garage and raced them at local events on weekends. Ralph, a minor legend in Southern stock-car racing, inspired Dale to follow his own passion for racing. After dropping out of high school to race, Dale started out in his father's shadow and struggled to establish himself for more than a decade, especially when tangling with legends in the sport such asDarrell Waltrip. Dale finally broke into NASCAR in the late '70s, and in time became the top prize money winner in NASCAR history. The lessons Dale learned from his father are revisited when Dale's own teenage son,Dale Jr., decides to take up racing at the age of 16.[4]
| Cast Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Barry Pepper | Dale Earnhardt |
| Elizabeth Mitchell | Teresa Earnhardt |
| Ernest Whitted | Pit Crowd |
| Andrea Powell | Martha Earnhardt |
| Sean Bridgers | Neil Bonnett |
| David Lewis Brooks | Earnhardt Pit Crew |
| Russell Brooks | Earnhardt Pit Crew (as Russell Dean Brooks Jr.) |
| Joe Chrest | Jake Elder |
| Russell Cook | Press Conference VIP |
| Teresa Delgado | Kelley Earnhardt |
| Tony Devon | Will |
| Thunderbird Dinwiddie | Connie (as Traci Dinwiddie) |
| Tricia Dyar | Daisy (as Tricia Quattlebaum) |
| Corri English | Kelley Earnhardt |
| Michael Flippo | Wayne Robertson |
| Daniel Freeze | Dale Pit Crew |
| Frank Glidden | Kerry Earnhardt |
| Craig S. Harper | Kenny Schrader |
| Andy Hillenburg | Deke |
| Kenneth M. Johnston | Darrell Waltrip Pit Crew Member |
| Jim Keisler | GM Executive |
| Andrea Kfoury | Marion |
| James G. Martin Jr. | Dwayne |
| Chad McCumbee | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| Marshal McGee | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| Ron Prather | Richard Childress |
| Brandi Ryans | Brenda Gee |
| David Sherrill | H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler |
| Lori Beth Sikes | Latane Brown (as Lori Beth Edgeman) |
| J. K. Simmons | Ralph Earnhardt |
| Zachary Dylan Smith | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| Kevin Stillwell | Rod Osterlund |
| Greg Thompson | Darrell Waltrip |
| Olivia Weston | Dale's Mistress |
| David Wilson | GM Executive |
| Meredith DiPaolo Stephens | Driver's Wife (uncredited) |
The script of this film was not approved by Earnhardt's widow,Teresa Earnhardt and the Earnhardt Family. The film, although capturing the essence of Earnhardt, is inaccurate in many of the events seen in it. Richard Childress, the former car owner and team owner of Earnhardt, sued ESPN for copyright infringement with its use of the "3" logo.[5] In December 2005, the lawsuit was settled out of court.[6]