Brad Keselowski on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Unusual NASCAR Legacy: “Look at John Madden. He Had One of the Outstanding Careers as a Football Coach, and People Know Him for a Football Game”

Dale Earnhardt Jr may not have been overly successful as a racing driver when compared to his father, but that has not stopped him from performing exceptionally well away from the track. Admittedly though, there was a time when he was often questioned about how he is able to juggle being a driver and a top athlete.

Recently, Brad Keselowski spoke about Dale Jr and his legacy in the sport.

Keselowski said, “By nature, when you’re in the media as a race-car driver, people over time remember you more so for that than they do for your driving, just because of how our memories all work. You remember all recent. Your career on the racetrack, in general, is shorter than what it is off the racetrack. Look at John Madden. He had one of the outstanding careers as a football coach, and people know him for a football game.“

Does Brad Keselowski have a point about Dale Earnhardt Jr?

Some would probably compare Dale Jr to Ned Jarrett. This is because Jarrett elected to move to the broadcast scene after retiring from racing. In Jarrett’s career, he amassed 50 race wins and two championships. In fact, Martin Truex Jr mused whether his former contemporary would be like Jarrett; one thing he did acknowledge is that Dale Earnhardt Jr has done a lot for the sport.

Another role model of his is Benny Parsons, who also swapped his steering wheel for a microphone. According to the former Hendrick Motorsports driver, Parsons helped open up new opportunities for drivers. Of course, commentary is not the only thing that Dale Jr is involved in.

This is because he also co-owns an Xfinity Series team, which he occasionally drives for. It is also worth mentioning that the JR Motorsports team has been quite successful in the Xfinity Series arena, producing many championship contenders.

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