One for the Gallery – the Time When a Young Lewis Hamilton Met Dale Earnhardt

Lewis Hamilton and Dale Earnhardt are inarguably two of the best race car drivers the world has ever seen. Both have been icons of their respective times who embodied their personality with a spirit of racing that has and will transcend history and the future.

And both these legends have some things in common as well. Most notably, both Earnhardt and Hamilton have won seven titles each in NASCAR and Formula 1, respectively.

But not many people know that Hamilton and Earnhardt were once under the same roof.

This was during the Autosport Awards in 1996 when the already legendary Dale Earnhardt received the Gregory Grant Award for his exploits in NASCAR.

And during the same ceremony, a young Lewis Hamilton was honored for his National Karting Championship exploits.

Dale Earnhardt and Lewis Hamilton in One Frame – a Picture for the History Books

Goes without saying, this is one of the most incredible pictures in motorsport history.

However, it is extremely unfortunate that we never saw the two of them interact after Hamilton became the star he did. Had the Intimidator, who, unfortunately, passed away much before Hamilton began his F1 career, been still here, he’d undoubtedly have been impressed by the Briton’s pure racing talent.

Something he must’ve had an idea of in 1996 as well.

So, looking at this picture of the two of them in the same frame, one can imagine both icons having a chat, talking about racing, and Lewis Hamilton perhaps even asking the NASCAR legend for some tips.

Who knows what they talked about if they talked at all? Perhaps someday Sir Lewis Hamilton can shed some light on this and share it with his fans.

Especially for the ones in the United States, how his one-off meeting as an up-and-coming race car driver went with the legendary Dale Earnhardt.

Also Read: Dale Earnhardt Jr Explains the Significance of His Most Popular Driver Awards