In the aftermath of the 1979 Daytona 500, NASCAR found itself on an unimaginable trajectory to becoming the biggest form of motorsport in the country. Some 16-million viewers tuned in to watch the flag to flag coverage on CBS, and having witnessed the fight, the King and the rest of the action, they were hungry for more. The result was speedway box offices being flooded with ticket requests, and the largest crowds that had ever assembled to take in stock car racing. Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro and Bristol were next on the schedule to take a turn at entertaining the masses. And luckily, NASCAR had plenty of talent in the garage ready to seize the spotlight.

One of these talents is the 28-year-old from Kannapolis, Dale Earnhardt. Dale established himself as the rising star to watch during his daring, yet calculated performance on the Daytona highbanks. With the press, fans and racing veterans all singing his praises, he seemed destined to find victory lane. But when would that happen? On this episode of Becoming Earnhardt, we tell the tale of the next five races of the 1979 season and explain how a 500-lap showdown at a bullring nestled in Thunder Valley would propel Dale towards super stardom.

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