Martha Earnhardt, the mother of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt and the matriarch of the Earnhardt racing family, died Christmas evening according to a statement released by the family. She was 91.
Known affectionately as "Mamaw", Martha Earnhardt married legendary Kannapolis, North Carolina racer Ralph Earnhardt in 1947 and had a family of five children -- sons Dale, Ralph, and Danny, and daughters Kaye and Cathy. The couple remained married until Ralph Earnhardt's death from a heart attack in 1973.
According to Zack Albert of NASCAR.com, Martha Earnhardt lived her life out of the modest Earnhardt family home in Kannapolis despite the fame and fortune that his son, and later her grandson Dale Earnhardt Jr., would bestow upon the family name. Despite questions from Dale Sr. about moving into a larger house, Martha maintained her preference to live in the house that she and Ralph had built.
Earnhardt worked as a waitress and as a clerk at a children's store, and was a fixture in the Kannapolis community both as a local and as someone who welcomed traveling race fans touring the "Dale Trail" of racing landmarks around Cabarrus County.
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) December 26, 2021
"On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Martha Earnhardt," read a NASCAR statement attributed to Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy. "Martha was not only the matriarch of a legendary NASCAR family, but a beloved and respected figure within our industry and throughout the fanbase. We will dearly miss her grace, compassion and welcoming demeanor.
"To her grandchildren, she was 'Mamaw.' To millions of NASCAR fans, she was a treasure."
In addition to her husband Ralph and son Dale, Martha Earnhardt was also preceded in death by sons Randy and Danny. Danny, who had a long career as a NASCAR crewmember and mechanic, died earlier this month at the age of 66.
