Earnhardt Bios: Following the tragic death of Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt on February 18, the Earnhardt organization has found itself quite busy, trying to keep facts straight on the life of the legendary driver. The most recent controversy stems from a number of unauthorized biographies, most of which contain erroneous or false information. While Earnhardt’s family and friends feel that no malicious attack was intended, the false information is misleading and contradictory to many of the facts surrounding Earnhardt’s life and colorful career. Financial gain has prompted several writers to exploit this American hero. Some have even resorted to creating fictional events to enhance their book’s appeal. Dale Earnhardt Inc. commented on the unauthorized biographies and the potential damage they could do to the Earnhardt legend. The majority of the unauthorized works contain ludicrous content. The primary concern with that is the fact that the fans, who purchase these books looking to learn more about Dale, are not getting accurate information. There is a lot of second, third and even fourth-hand information that has been manipulated and dramatized for the sake of generating more sales. DEI management has talked about the issue of these books and the way a great deal of the information is presented. While the number of mistakes in some of these stories is unbelievable, the fact remains that they are just plain wrong. People who were close to him are being upset by some of these tales. The majority of Earnhardt’s family and close friends have yet to reflect publicly on the man who influenced the lives of those around him. Dale’s fans are handing over their hard-earned money and being taken advantage of. We all want to remember Dale and share our thoughts on him, and we will when the time comes. In the meantime, we want to make sure the stories surrounding him are correct. So far, there’s only a handful of people who have their facts straight and are interested in telling the truth. Our hopes are that the fans remember Dale’s commitment to personal integrity and DEI’s commitment to accurate and authorized materials and consider that as part of their purchasing practices.(Falgren PR)(11-22-2001) (11-21-2001)
