Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s legacy looms as one of the most powerful in motorsports history, a relentless competitor known as “The Intimidator” who brought grit, charisma, and blue-collar identity to NASCAR’s national stage. With 7 Cup Series championships and a fiercely loyal fanbase, he symbolized the sport’s rise to mainstream popularity through the 1980s and 1990s. But his success wasn’t just restricted to the ovals.

Beyond the track, he transformed himself into a savvy businessman and cultural icon, building Dale Earnhardt Inc. into a NASCAR powerhouse. His tragic death at the 2001 Daytona 500 became a seismic moment in sports, triggering sweeping safety reforms that have since saved several lives. Now, after 24 years, Amazon Prime, partnering with NASCAR, has captured that legacy in riveting, emotional detail, chronicling both his triumphs and the complicated relationships he left behind in the “Earnhardt” documentary.

The documentary opens with a reverence for Earnhardt’s on-track legacy, the legend who bullied the draft, dominated the superspeedway, and made the black #3 Chevrolet symbol of blue-collar excellence. Yet, the series quickly also unpacks that behind the fireproof suit was a man hardened by early loss, driven by an unrelenting pursuit of victory, and often emotionally unavailable to those closest to him. It chronicles his evolution from a gritty, rough-edged short track racer shaped by his father Ralph Earnhardt’s stern upbringing, into a multimillionaire businessman with a huge marketing empire. That transformation, marked by his relationship with third wife Teresa Earnhardt and the construction of the opulent DEI “Garage Mahal,” reveals how much Earnhardt changed and how much he left unsaid to his children and even long-time friends.

One of the documentary’s most gripping achievements, which has led it to become the #1 Series on Prime Video in the month of May, is how it balances Earnhardt’s racing dominance with the quiet turmoil within his family. The legacy of stoicism from his father repeated itself in how Dale Sr. parented, especially with son Dale Jr., whom he refused to mentor early in his racing journey. Instead, Earnhardt let Junior scare and claw his way up through the late-model ranks without so much as attending a single race. The documentary masterfully details how this shaped Junior’s self-worth and how Earnhardt’s respect was the most elusive win of his son’s career.

While some stirring segments dive into the Earnhardt family’s fragmented dynamics, especially around Teresa Earnhardt and his children, Kerry and Kelley, the biggest emotional breakthrough in the documentary belongs to Dale Jr. The latter emerged as not only the soul of the story but its anchor, especially after his father’s death. “That’s the last funeral I’ve ever gone to. It took me a year or so to get over being mad. I felt like I was robbed. I felt hurt,” Junior said. “It was too tough to take. The memories. All the things I wanted to tell him.”

His vulnerability, discussing his childhood neglect, his struggles with confidence, and his eventual rise as a media-savvy fan favorite, becomes the beating heart of the later episodes. Viewers see a man who spent most of his life in his father’s shadow, only to forge his own path through perseverance, quiet resilience, and eventually, business acumen. His bond with sister Kelley is also highlighted as a pillar of strength; together, they turned JR Motorsports into a respected operation that now nurtures the next generation of drivers. “Earnhardt” also subtly positions Junior as the emotional opposite of his father, being open, thoughtful, and eager to build a legacy in contrast to Dale Sr.’s stoic and impenetrable nature.

All these taken together have contributed to the documentary receiving exceptional reviews and love from fans on social media. Whether you are a lifelong NASCAR fan or new to the track, “Earnhardt” is not just a sports doc, but an exploration of legacy, emotional estrangement, and the burden of greatness, told through intimate truths and the roar of engines fading into history. While the documentary helps Earnhardt’s legacy reach greater heights even after so many years of his prime, some fans on Reddit could not contain their excitement and appreciation for the execution of this project.

Emotions run high as fans applaud the “Earnhardt” docuseries

“Glad to see its success. I thought it was a really well put together documentary focusing not just on Dale’s on track achievements,” one fan commented on Reddit. While many believed it to be a documentary celebrating Earnhardt’s record and achievements on the field, Amazon Prime just did what it is best at doing — storytelling with behind-the-scenes references. It does not just narrate Earnhardt Sr.‘s on-track legacy, which many already know of, but also perspectives from family, friends, and those who were close and dear to him.

Another fan appreciated the never-before-seen footage and narratives that the docuseries brought into light, showing The Intimidator not just as a legend but as a human being, capable of creating history with just his relentless talent. “I can see why. Even if you’re not into NASCAR, it’s still a pretty powerful story about parents and children. I’ve been recommending it to everyone,” wrote the fan. Just like Junior once emphasized the appealing part of the documentary, saying, “It shows you the human side of Dad. It celebrates the man on the race track, for sure. But it also celebrates the person he was, for better or worse. And there’s some tough moments in there. Some honest moments in there,” promising a deeper, more intimate portrait than any previous tribute.

Owing to the popularity and the appeal that it generated, making it #1 on Prime Video, some fans opined that more such initiatives need to be taken up to portray the real side of NASCAR veterans and legends to generate knowledge and interest of people like other sports have been trying to do since a very long time. “Now that is season 1. Every summer & winter there should be a documentary on another family. It’s probably unreasonable to expect anything any faster. Earnhardt’s, Petty’s, Waltrip’s, Hendrick’s, Bodine’s, Green’s, Allison’s, Jarrett’s, Labtone’s, Nemecheck’s, Busch’s Then as the families racing now retire, get them in there. This is the kind of sh– the NFL does, and it is why they are the #1 sport,” one fan commented.

While there have been many documentaries made on NASCAR legends, including “Blink of an Eye” on Michael Waltrip’s emotional Daytona 500 win, “Chasing 43: The Richard Petty Story” on The King’s historic career, “Rowdy” on Kyle Busch‘s controversial and competitive life and “Race: Bubba Wallace” on Wallace’s rise and advocacy in modern NASCAR, none of them has had such a humongous appeal as the “Earnhardt” documentary, which might be because of only a few number of documentaries being out in several years. But now that the sport is rapidly growing, it is required for the newer audiences to be educated about its historic past, before delving into its present.

Some fans even shared the personal favorite moments from the series, but also with a certain complaints and recommendations, as one stated, “I’m 3 episodes in (getting to the last today) and my only complaint is that they really don’t cover Dale’s childhood or climb up the racing ladder at all. You would think he just showed up one day with his own car and entered it into the top series (maybe that’s how it was done, I don’t know much about racing before the 1990s). One thing I didn’t expect was to come away with a massive (respectful) crush on Kelley Earnhardt. What an absolute bad— to basically raise Dale Jr., race her own cars, then become an ace in motorsports business. The whole Earnhardt family seems like a sad but not uncommon family dynamic (single-minded career-focused Dad and stepmom who isn’t interested in having a real relationship with the kids), but magnified to an insane degree by Dale’s legendary status in the sport. It’s honestly a miracle all of Dale’s pre-Teresa kids came out successful and well-adjusted.” 

Indeed, it was the only way that the family tried to bind its roots together, despite several fragmentations and separations. While Kerry Earnhardt was far removed from mainstream racing like Kelley and Junior, the bond between the siblings remained as strong as ever. And even after their father’s death, the 3 continue to carry his legacy forward, be it through racing or business success. Which is exactly what Dale Sr. would’ve wanted to see.