Producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher have made a deal to tell the life story of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt who was killed in a crash in the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 says Variety.

Earnhardt, who drove the famous No. 3 black Chevy, won seven NASCAR Winston Cup titles, 76 career races and more than $40 million in purses, finally winning Daytona in 1998 after losing the prestigious race 20 times.

The deal comes just as Dale Earnhardt Jr. rolls into Sunday's Daytona 500 for the first time since leaving DEI, the racing empire built by his dad.

Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, and son Dale Jr. have both pledged their cooperation on the biopic even though their relationship is strained - he left DEI after his stepmother refused his request for majority control.

Sony-based Red Wagon will first shop the project at the studio, though the producers may wait to attach a director and star. They said the picture will be put on a fast track.