3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 American biographical drama television film directed by Russell Mulcahy, written by Robert Eisele, and starring Barry Pepper as NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt. It chronicles Earnhardt's life from his humble upbringing in Kannapolis, North Carolina, throughout his career racing automobiles to include his rise to dominance in NASCAR, culminating with his death in the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Its central theme focuses on the relationship between him and his father, Ralph Earnhardt, as well as the relationship between him and his youngest son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.