Dale Earnhardt Jr Had to Tell a Disappointed Martin Truex Jr “The Friendship Hat Is Not On”

Where does one draw the line between being a friend and being a professional? This is a million-dollar question that’s even tougher for someone like Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is such an admired figure, but at the same time, such a dedicated and committed professional.

Fortunately for Dale Jr. himself, he knows where that line is, as he revealed in a recent interview.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer gave an example of when he found himself on the wrong side of Joe Gibbs Racing driver and his pal, Martin Truex Jr. about something he said in the booth.

“When we’re in the broadcast booth, sometimes we’re gonna say things that my friends I drove with aren’t gonna appreciate,” he recalled.

“(Martin) Truex got bent out of shape about something or was disappointed in something I said about him. And I told him, ‘Man, I’m up there doing a job. When I’m up there, the job hat is on and the friendship hat is not on.'”

Dale Jr. revealed that’s exactly the way he feels about his podcast and the way he approaches the question of what to say and what not to say.

“Things are going to be said in that room. I might not agree with everything that gets said about NASCAR. But sometimes I’m gonna say things about NASCAR they might not like,” he added.

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The tracks with broadcasting booths that Dale Earnhardt Jr. disapproves of

In an Ask Jr. segment of his podcast show, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed the racetracks that have a less than ideal broadcasting booth. The former Hendrick driver called Talladega as the track that used to have “the worst booth.” 

“The Pocono booth is okay. We kinda use a room right next to the suites, I almost tripped down the stairs,”

But then he quickly changed his opinion about the booth, “Pocono sucks.” 

“Pocono’s booth is kinda tough. I almost blew my knee out one time in that booth trying to get around,” he said. “I kind of stepped wrong, and my knee hurt for like a couple of weeks.”

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