VALDOSTA — Dale Earnhardt fans will have the opportunity today to see the first authorized documentary on the life and career of the late NASCAR driver, and they can see it on the big screen.

At 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. today, Wednesday and Thursday and again March 13, 14, and 15, Valdosta Stadium Cinemas will show “Dale,” featuring narration by Paul Newman.

Judging from advanced footage, the movie is an exciting display of Earnhardt’s willful driving, his climb to being a NASCAR champion, and his tragic racing death. It is filled with interviews with competitors, friends and family. “Dale” also includes rare outtakes, race footage and home movies from Earnhardt’s life. The race scenes in particular should be exciting on the big screen.

“When NASCAR Images set out to create the definitive film about Dale Earnhardt’s life and racing history, we knew it was crucial to be the first to have the explicit approval of the Earnhardt family and Richard Childress racing,” says Jay Abraham, NASCAR Images president and CEO.

The documentary is also produced by CMT Films, which produced Toby Keith’s “Broken Bridges” last year. Like that movie, “Dale” will appear in theatres, then air on CMT cable TV and then be released on DVD in the months to come.

“This film provides an incredible opportunity to reach the very audience that Dale’s life and legacy mean so much to,” says Jeff Yapp, MTVN executive vice president. “We’ll create large event screenings in Nextel Cup Series markets preceding a race weekend, with the goal of creating an event atmosphere more like a live concert than a traditional movie screening.”

During his career, Earnhardt earned more than $41 million. He won seven NASCAR championships. He died in 2001 on the last lap of the Daytona 500.

Movie tickets for “Dale”: $10.