Tommy Earnhardt

Tommy Lee “Sy” Earnhardt, 63, of Concord, passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2012, at home. The family will receive friends at Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The funeral service, officiated by Rev. Richard Payne, will follow in the Hartsell Funeral Home chapel at 7:00 p.m. Burial will be Oakwood Cemetery on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Tommy Lee “Sy” Earnhardt was born on October 22, 1948, in Cabarrus County, to the late Martin Luther Earnhardt and Vernice Blackwelder Earnhardt. He was employed as an engine assembler for (ECR) Earnhardt Childress Racing and owner of Firehouse Racing Engines. “Sy” was very proud of his late model stock car engines. As a young boy, he began working on cars with his grandfather and two uncles. Little did he know that he would someday be one of the best engine builders in this area. After graduating from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1967, he went on to Diesel Mechanic School in Nashville, TN and earned his degree. He worked many years at Cummins Diesel in Charlotte. After that, he got involved with Nascar racing, working for different teams. He also did body work. His love was engines and he sometimes assembled them in motel rooms for well known drivers. At that time everyone helped each other out! “Sy” was also employed with Benfield Racing, Mike Curb Racing, Stavola Bros/Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough Motorsports, Panther Racing/Derrick Close and Vasenook, among others before being employed at ECR. He was a giving and compassionate person who always took care of others and not himself. He is survived by a sister, Marsha E. Johnson; nephew, R. Martin Moss; step-son, Ryan Earnhardt; and his companion and high school sweetheart, Linda B. Preston. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord, c/o Tommy L. Earnhardt, P.O. Box 367, Concord, NC 28026; Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081; or the Childress Institute at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the Earnhardt family.