KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Martha Earnhardt, the matriarch of the Earnhardt family and mother of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, passed away on Saturday evening.
She was 91 years old.
The Earnhardt family confirmed her passing in a statement Sunday morning.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Martha Earnhardt passed away Christmas evening,” the statement read. “As we grieve her loss and begin to imagine life without our beloved “Mamaw”, we find solace in knowing she is at peace in eternal glory and in joyous reunion with her husband Ralph and sons Dale, Randy and Danny. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you so much for loving our Mamaw as if she were your own. She was not just the matriarch to our family, but she was the matriarch to multiple generations of race fans.”
Martha Earnhardt was married to Ralph Earnhardt in 1947. The two remained married until 1973, when Ralph Earnhardt died when he was 45 years old.
The pair had five children, daughters Kaye and Kathy and sons Dale, Randy and Danny. Dale Earnhardt followed in his father’s footsteps by winning seven NASCAR Cup Series championships before his passing following a crash at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Feb. 18, 2001.
Danny Earnhardt, the youngest son of Martha and Ralph Earnhardt, died on Dec. 11 of this year at the age of 66.
The Earnhardt racing tradition was continued by several of Martha and Ralph Earnhardt’s grandchildren, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kerry Earnhardt and Kelley Earnhardt Miller.
“On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Martha Earnhardt,” read a statement from NASCAR’s 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.”