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“I Was Such a Bad Kid”- Dale Earnhardt Jr Reminisces What Makes His Father Hated Him
“I Was Such a Bad Kid”- Dale Earnhardt Jr Reminisces What Makes His Father Hated Him
Dale Earnhardt Jr often tips his hat to his legendary father on his podcast. He’s an open book when it comes to sharing tales about Senior, delving into everything from his dad’s rookie days to the life lessons he imparted. But, no matter how many stories he shares, you can’t really put a number on how much more time with his old man would’ve been enough.
However, Dale Jr is on a mission to keep his father’s legacy alive and kicking. On a recent episode of his podcast, he spilled the beans on a little treasure hunt. He stumbled upon the time when he grabbed some of his father’s business cards and decided to sell them to get his hands on something he’d been eyeing for a while.
Dale Earnhardt Jr Reminisces What Makes His Father Hated Him
Dale Earnhardt Jr sold his father’s invaluable business cards
Dale Earnhardt Jr once found a stash of his dad’s first business cards from the ’70s, each adorned with a number 8 and a snapshot of Senior’s late-model sportsman car from his Martinsville days. Junior held onto a few for keepsakes and passed some along to folks like Mike Schrader, Rick Hendrick, and a couple of buddies.
Reflecting on the antics that followed, Dale Jr chuckled, “I wanted a Game Boy, all right? Stole a little bit of money out of Dad’s change jar. I got like 80 bucks worth and got in trouble there and then I took these(business cards) and I don’t remember what I got. I sold one or two of them and kept the rest. I got in trouble pretty early after selling one or two, right? So I stopped doing that. Man, I sold those and we bought toilet paper, to toilet paper people’s houses, we bought eggs. Did some things that were near federal offense. I was 16 when I did this and I learned my lesson. But much more well-behaved these days.”
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Sure, Dale Jr might have raised a bit of hell as a kid, but he’s held onto something priceless – memories of his father. Besides, Dale Jr often brings up Senior because, firstly, he was deeply attached to his old man, and it took him ages to come to terms with his loss. Secondly, he’s got this fear niggling at him – the worry that someday, people might forget the legend that was Dale Earnhardt. That’s why Junior keeps the stories alive, making sure his dad’s legacy races on in the hearts and minds of everyone who hears them.
READ: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Wife: More About Their 8-Year Marriage Exposed To Public
Junior is on a mission to etch his father’s legendary status into the annals of time
It goes without saying, that Dale Earnhardt Sr‘s passing sent shockwaves through the racing world, the kind of loss that leaves a permanent mark. But even with his dad’s colossal legacy, Dale Jr couldn’t shake off the fear that fans might let ‘The Intimidator’s’ impact fade into the background, especially after his heart-wrenching passing at the 2001 Daytona 500.
He opened up about it, saying, “I was just always scared. Man, I hope they will never forget the essence of him and his personality and his impact, what it felt like when he walked in a room and what it felt like when he was out on the track and he just had this air; he changed the mood.”
Imagine if Dale Sr was still with us, what a sight it would be to see Junior and Senior tearing up the track side by side, reigniting the thrill of that unforgettable Michigan race back in ’99. Now, that would have been something straight out of a racing fan’s dream.
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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