Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley EarnhardtMiller's aunt Cathy joined them on The Dale Jr. Download. Cathy gives a personal look into details about Ralph Earnhardt's health and the heart attack that caused his untimely death in 1973. She explains how seeing the shop door closed behind the house was crushing. After Ralph's passing, Cathy talks about how her brother, Dale Earnhardt, used his ironclad work ethic to create opportunities to race. He was a selfmade racer that eventually made it to the pinnacle of the sport. That success on track came at the cost of his family life.