Earnhardt

A beautifully made 4 part series, the footage included is excellent. It does a great job of discussing who Dale was to more casual and/or recent fans of NASCAR, and I'm sure still makes excellent viewing to Earnhardt ultras.

Some of the editing is pure cinema - footage of Dale's charge through the pack at Daytona set to Ace of Spades, or his mid to late 90s battles with Gordon are honestly some of the best segments of television I've ever seen.

Dale Jr provides emotional insight, discussing the at times cold and distant relationship with his father, and his struggles to meet his approval.

Overall, NASCAR fan or not, I would absolutely recommend anyone to watch this.

I grew up watching a little NASCAR in the 90s/2000s, but never really got into it. Yet even as a non-fan I was hooked on this series. They do an incredible job weaving unexpectedly emotional and dramatic storylines through only four episodes. You know how it ends, but the story to get there, and even after, is amazing.

Theres no politics. No unnecessary drama. It's all just primary source interviews and archival footage, of which there is a lot!

Even as a non-fan this documentary will help you appreciate the teamwork, effort, and passion that goes into racing. It will also show you insights into someone going from a non-existent father to a more active and involved one.

As Episode 1 of "Earnhardt" (2025 release; 4 episodes ranging from 59 to 72 min) opens, it is "1979" and Dale Earnhardt, then 28 yo, competes in his first season of NASCAR, and promptly wins Rookie of the Year honors. NASCAR was wildly popular in the Southeast, where there were very few professional sports in the 60's and 70's. We learn that Dale's dad Ralph was himself quite good on the off-road car races. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: it is true that Dale Earnhardt is the central figure of this documentary series. It shows that Earnhardt was very driven and ambitious, and would do anything for his sport and for winning. If that means that the family, in particular the kids, suffer from Dal's absence, that was the price he was willing to pay. Dale Jr. And Kelly are quite forthcoming about it all, and do not hold back. But this documentary mini-series is about more than just Dale. It's in fact a mini-capsule of how NASCAR developed from a regional sport into the juggernaut it eventually became in the late 90's and early 00's (which is when I was a huge NASCAR fan, going to races all over the country). Absolutely fascinating stuff. The mini-series benefits from a ton of home footage that was unearthed, including of course from the Earnhardt family.

"Earnhardt" started streaming recently on Amazon Prime, where I watched this just the other night. If you are an Earnhardt fan, but also even if you are not even a fan of NASCAR all that much, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

This is a great documentary. There aren't too many talking head interviews... and they cut back and forth to the family members, friends and competitors of the famous, or rather infamously strategically wreckless NASCAR driver, so you get a life story alongside a study to how important everything is in all aspects covered concerning race car driving...

Movies should be done this well about racing... You never really understand what the strategy of going around in circles but you do here, so it's a riveting study and not too much of a propaganda piece, like so many docs are nowadays...

The only big critique is why Amazon would drop the first 2 of 4 episodes and then wait a week for the next...

But that's over with and the last two episodes are very moving... Tragic and yet with an optimistic ending, about family... They could have centered a bit on the controversy surrounding the crash, but... overall an incredible doc.

First, this is a very well done documentary. The editing, music, and sound is absolutely fantastic. Its not pulling for one side, though, Theresa might feel different. Its a true representation of Dale Earnhardt, from his son, who produced the film. If my father was a great man, an icon, and I did well enough to put a Documentary out there, I would hope it was half as good as this.

If you aren't into racing?... Move along, this Documentary is likely not for you. But, it is incredibly well done.

Its pretty incredible, as a kid from WNC, that grew up when NASCAR was a bit of a joke, that Dale Earnhardt is as revered is always funny. Hes like a WCW/WWF star to me, like, as Jr. Said, a super hero. Not unlike wrestling stars, he put his aura, into NASCAR. He was a heel, and the face of NASCAR, and nobody's done it better.

I wore my Dale Earnhardt T Shirt, that I got from Daytona, in 94, till it was threadbare. I am biased, and a fan. Still, this is a great documentary, and im glad his children showed that side.