Dale Earnhardt’s Grandson, Bobbie, Busted for Drunk Driving

Charleston, WV- Driving is in the blood of the Earnhardts, but that compulsion to drive has gotten one member of the infamous racing family in trouble with the law. On Monday, Bobbie Earnhardt, Dale’s grandson and aspiring NASCAR driver, was arrested for intoxicated driving in Charleston, West Virginia.

Bobbie was pulled over by Charleston police Monday night when an officer observed him making a wide right turns at a high rate of speed with the tires squealing.

Cpl. R.C. Basford noted in the police report that Earnhardt had glassy eyes, slurred speech and he smelled of alcohol, according to ABC News.

Earnhardt reportedly told police he had a couple of shots of liquor at a local  bar. He failed several  field sobriety tests. A breathalyzer showed his blood alcohol level was 0.193., over twice the legal limit for West Virginia.

Earnhardt was placed under arrest and charged with aggravated DUI which carries a minimum penalty of six months in jail. The aggravated charge is added to DUIs when a driver’s blood alcohol limit is over .015.

Bobbie Earnhardt is the son of Kerry Earnhardt, NASCAR legend, Dale’s, eldest son. He began working for as a mechanic for his uncle Dale Jr. when he was 18. He recently relocated to Charleston, West Virginia from Rockingham, North Carolina in hopes of becoming a NASCAR contender.

After spending the night in jail, Bobbie was remorseful about his actions from the previous night.

“I wanted to let you all know I made a terrible mistake last night drinking and driving and I am thankful nothing bad happened from my stupidity and I know It could have,” Earnhardt wrote in a post on his Facebook page, according to ESPN.

“I’m sorry for letting all my fans friends and family down,” adding that he hopes to “make it up to each and everyone (sic) of you and in the future be a good role model.”

Earnhardt also said on his Facebook page that he plans to proceed with his racing career, and will continue his rookie season for the ARCA truck racing series.

Earnhardt isn’t the only offspring of a notorious daredevil to get arrested for DUI. Last week, the son of Evel Knievel, Robbie was arrested for intoxicated driving at the Sturgis Bike Rally after crashing his recreational vehicle into other RVs parked in a popular camp ground.

While Earnhardt was apologetic for his reckless behavior, Knievel was not, telling TMZ that he had a drinking problem and that he would probably drive drunk again.

With the assistance of a DUI attorney, Earnhardt will likely be able to dodge a jail sentence and his DUI arrest won’t affect his future in NASCAR.

Anyone regardless of their notoriety needs to have legal assistance when they are charged with intoxicated driving. This is by no means a minor offense and if the offender manages to avoid jail time they still face losing their driver’s license for a limited time and will have a conviction appear on their permanent record.