The NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr., before coming into the Cup Series, drove in the Xfinity series. Where he also garnered a lot of success. In his Xfinity career, Junior consecutively won the championship in 1998 and 1999. And, one of his early standout moments came before these championships in 1997 at the inaugural Carquest Auto Parts 250 at World Wide Technology Raceway. During the race, Dale Jr. unexpectedly found himself behind the wheel of the #99 Chevy, stepping in for Glenn Allen Jr., who had retired early from the event, as the latter was reportedly sick.

Seizing the opportunity, Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed to take the #99 car from outside the top 20 and skillfully navigated his way into the top 15. Despite his impressive performance, Dale Jr. later recalled that he couldn’t fully enjoy the rewards of the race’s payday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls out Glenn Allen Jr.

This all started with Rob Tiongson, founder and chief of The Podium Finish, who posted a photo from the inaugural race of the 1997 Xfinity series at WWT Raceway. In the photo posted is Glenn Allen Jr.’s #99 car, which is being driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tinongson tagged Dale Jr. in the post and asked him, What does he remember from this race? The race and the 1997 Xfinity series as a whole are memorable for Dale Jr. as it was his debut year.

Replying to the post, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a walk down memory lane as he explained how he got in the #99 car. Here’s what happened, mid-race. Glenn came into the pit lane and got out of his car. According to Dale Jr., he was sick and puking. Dale Jr. had to take over the race from there. He assumed that the car had overheated and caused Glenn to puke, but that wasn’t the case according to him. Reiterating this, he said, “I remember his car not being as uncomfortably hot as my own was.”

When Dale Jr. took over the race, he was in 25th position, and he managed a P14 finish at the end of the race. A P14 at your debut is commendable. That too after starting abruptly, mid-race, from behind the pack. A sick Allen Jr. had promised Dale Jr. to give him a cut out of his race purse. Based on this, Dale Jr. had already imagined all the things that he was going to buy with the money. Humorously, Dale Jr. said that the paycheck never came. Reiterating this, he said, “I was gonna spend that money on a big amp and 2 15 subs but he never got it to me.” 

Post that race and the entire 1997 season, where he was crowned champion. The NASCAR world knew he would continue his legendary father’s legacy. He went on to also win the 1998 season and then later moved to the Cup series, where he grabbed several victories. Like this story was prompted by Tiongson asking him a question on X, another interesting story also recently emerged when a fan asked Dale Earnhardt Jr. which place he would like to visit next, somewhere he’s not been before.

Dale Jr. wants to go to Alaska

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It is known that Dale Jr. is an avid traveler; on his podcasts, we have heard about several of his hunting trips with Dale Sr. Being a racer, traveling to different destinations is part of the job description. Every race weekend takes you to a different state. However, one state that has not yet built a racetrack is icy-cold Alaska, where Dale Jr. wishes to go.

In the recent podcast episode of Dale Jr. download, he talked about this after a fan prompted a question about where he’d like to visit next. He said, “I’ve never been to Alaska. I’ve been to Hawaii. I’ve been to all the other you know States. For whatever reason one reason or another, nothing’s ever taken me or drawn me to Alaska.” A road trip is what Dale Jr. wishes to do, as he is more interested in the old villages that come en route to Alaska.

Reiterating this, he said, “There’s a road and this is probably not as cool as I think it might be. But there’s a road that you can drive from the northwest part of the United States up all the way to Alaska. There’s all these old vintage like mining towns and so forth on this route. I’m really fascinated with kind of going and seeing some of those places. To get to Alaska that was the route that a lot of people had to take before we had modern travel. And so to drive up through there and see that part of the world that a lot of people don’t really go look at, would be a lot of fun I think.” It’s always fun to hear the stories of Dale Jr., isn’t it?

Even today, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to captivate fans not only with his racing legacy but also with the stories and reflections he shares. His blend of humor, nostalgia, and curiosity reminds us why he’s not just a NASCAR legend but also a beloved figure off the track. We eagerly await the next story he’ll share, whether it’s a racing anecdote or a new adventure on the horizon. Stay tuned!