TENNESSEE – Retired NASCAR driver and Kannapolis native Dale Earnhardt Jr., his wife, Amy Earnhardt, and their 1-year-old daughter, Isla, have been involved in a plane crash in Bristol, Tennessee, according to family.
A tweet from his sister says the family is safe. Two pilots were also onboard. They were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
The Federal Aviation Adminstration says the family was in a Cessna plane when it rolled of the runway and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport at around 3:40 p.m. Thursday afternoon. They have not released the pilots' names and the conditions of everyone involved.
We're told he plane is registered to Earnhardt Jr. According to NASCAR, the family was traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway for upcoming races.
The Charlotte Motor Speedway issued a statement on Twitter about the incident saying, "Thankful to hear this good news! Sending prayers and well wishes to the Earnhardt family and pilots."
Earnhardt tweeted a message of thanks to his fans and everyone who aided in his safety on August 19:
He won 26 races in his NASCAR Cup career, with four of those in 2014. He ranks in the top 40 in victories in NASCAR history.
He twice won NASCAR's "Super Bowl of Racing," the Daytona 500, in 2004 and 2014. In the second win, he represented Hendrick Motorsports. He retired from racing in 2017 and has worked in race broadcasting and color commentating since then.
His father, racing legend Dale Earnhardt, died in a crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.
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