After 17 long years, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s heart was brimming. He had worn the No. 8 logo in blazing red Budweiser colors between 1999 and 2007, including a time when his father was alive. He clinched 17 victories in this racing look, and stamped himself as an asset to NASCAR. So when this paint scheme returned to Florence Motor Speedway for the South Carolina 400, Dale Jr. ardently wished to excel at it.

The 26-time Cup Series race winner did it, accrediting his successful run to a prayer. This runs counter to Dale Jr.’s usual habit, as the veteran avoids reading verses from the Bible before a race. However, this occasion was close to his heart, and so was his prayer, which came true.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on ‘fulfillment’

In the world of racing, willpower is crucial, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. aptly understands. In a 2016 Michigan race, he incurred a crippling concussion and sat out 18 races. The determination on his face was prominent when he came back to race the 2017 Daytona 500. Similarly, the veteran’s drive to race well at Florence’s CARS Tour race was evident. Despite qualifying 40th out of 41 cars, Dale Jr. stormed back to the front soon enough. By lap 40, he had cracked top 25 and swiftly got behind race leader Treyten Lapcevich by the halfway 10-minute pit stop break.

This remarkable run from the back of the field to the front had a spiritual reason. In a Dale Jr Download episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed he rapped the doors of the ‘big man upstairs’ unlike his usual habit. “I don’t go to church a lot. But I’ve always believed in God. So I don’t know where I fall on the scale of religion but I’m on there…When I really need something, I say a prayer and I ask for it. I never ask to win…I don’t say, ‘Hey God, help me run 10th.’ Obviously, I prayed to be safe, and I prayed for everyone else to be safe. But I prayed that when it was over, I would be happy.”

The end result was a significant molding of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s belief system. The veteran had a big religious epiphany as his wish came true. “Running that first half, I got up to third and I’m freaking beaming inside the car. I mean, I’m having as good a time as you could possibly have… There’s Josh Berry running second…I got up there, and I caught him, and I passed him. The caution comes out at the break, and I thought about that prayer, ‘I’ll be damned. It happened before the race was even over.'” Although his engine gave out with 31 laps left, Dale Jr. was satisfied. “The fuel pump would have broken halfway, and I would have been like, I’m good. I’m fulfilled.”

Such meaningful prayers have been uttered in the past, even during moments of the worst tragedies.

The last prayer before crossing over

Trending

Kelley Earnhardt and Denny Hamlin’s Fiancee in Awe as Kyle Larson’s Mother-In-Law Enjoys Special Day

Weeks After Suspension, NASCAR’s Notorious 18-YO Forced Dale Jr to Hit Back at His Tantrums

Richard Petty Makes a Nearly $100K Investment Backing Jimmie Johnson Supported Sponsor for the Team

Martin Truex Jr’s Reliance on Joe Gibbs for His Daytona Dream Could End in Shambles With NASCAR’s New Rulings

Vulnerable Tony Stewart Details Wife Leah Pruett’s NHRA Dedication With Surprising Childbirth Reveal

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s prayers were fulfilled during the South Carolina 400. But even though his father’s last prayer seemed unfulfilled, there were signs of imminent disaster. Dale Earnhardt Sr. usually had Rev Max Helton for 13 years, to stand by his black No. 3 Chevy and lead a prayer. But the 2001 prayers felt different, as Helton recollected. Earnhardt Sr. had wished to harness wisdom in wielding his car and also prayed for safety. After he was done, the Intimidator shook the Reverend’s hand – but a tad bit too tightly and a little longer. As things turned out, Dale Sr.’s car crashed into the retaining wall with stunning force and as the driver did not have his head and neck restraint device, he could not make it.

Helton claimed his surprise at learning about Dale Earnhardt Sr’s tragic accident. Given that the 7-time Cup Series champion had cheated death so many times. “No one expected, I think, Dale Earnhardt to die in a race car. Maybe in a plane crash, maybe in some other way; but not in a race car. Because he was so good and he’s been through so many crashes and walked away from them that seemed a lot worse than the one he was in and which took his life.” 

Helton also recalled how Dale Sr. reckoned it important to say a prayer after every race. “Man, he grabbed me by the neck and pulled my head in and said, ‘Let’s pray and thank God for this victory,”‘ Helton recalled. “He was just that way.”

Now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has learned how valuable it can be to ardently wish for something. With his blazing red Budweiser colors back in action, fans cannot wait to see Junior on the track again.