Teresa Houston and Dale Earnhardt Sr

After two failed marriages, Dale Earnhardt found marital and business success with his third wife, Teresa Houston. Here's more information about their marriage.

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr: April 29, 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

Teresa Houston: Hickory, North Carolina.

Dale: On February 18, 2001, a car accident during the last lap of the Daytona 500, killed Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Dale's death was due to blunt-force injuries to his neck and head.

Teresa and Dale met at a race in the late 1970s.

Teresa and Dale were married on November 14, 1982. Dale had their wedding date etched into his wedding ring.

Residence:

Dale and Teresa lived on a 300-plus acre farm in Mooresville, in the Coddle Creek section of Iredell County in North Carolina.

Dave had four children.

• Kerry Dale Earnhardt: Born in 1969 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Kerry's mother is Latane Brown. Kerry is a race car driver.
• Kelley King Earnhardt Elledge: Born in 1972. Kelley's mother is Brenda Lorraine Gee.
• Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr: Born in 1974 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Dale's mother is Brenda Lorraine Gee. Dale Jr is a stock car driver, businessman, and radio show host.
• Taylor Nicole Earnhardt: Born in 1988. Taylor's mother is Teresa Earnhardt.

Dale: Race car driver, philanthropist. During his racing career, Dale won seventy-six races including the NASCAR Winston Cup seven times and the Daytona 500 once. His nicknames on the racing circuit were "The Man in Black", "Darth Vader", "Ironhead" and "The Intimidator."

Teresa: President and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Dale had two previous marriages prior to his marriage to Teresa Houston.

• Latane Brown: Dale married Latane in 1968 when he was seventeen years old. They had one son together. Dale and Latane divorced in 1970. Latane later married Jack Key.
• Brenda Lorraine Gee: Dale and Brenda were married in 1971 and had two children together. They divorced in mid 1970s. Brenda later married Willie Jackson.

Dale about marriage: "I would rather have been married one time and lived happy ever after, but it didn't happen that way. I was fortunate to have found Teresa."
Source: Larry Cothren. Earnhardt: A Racing Family Legacy. page 48. 1985.

Teresa about first meeting Dale: "... he was very magnetic. He was always exciting to watch."
Source: Alex Tresniowski. People.com. "Life After Dale." January 30, 2003.

Alex Tresniowski: "Friends say they survived some rough spots as Teresa reined in Dale's wild side and helped him focus on racing."
Source: Alex Tresniowski. People.com. "Life After Dale." January 30, 2003.

Mark Bechtel: "He later acknowledged that his second marriage broke up because of his racing; all his money and attention went to his racing cars. According to Bechtel, he said that his family "probably should have been on welfare" because he was not providing properly for them."
Source: Mark Bechtel. FindArticles.com.