Since his retirement from racing in 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been focusing on the various roles that he has taken up in the NASCAR community. As an analyst, commentator, podcast host, and team owner, he has been carrying forward the Earnhardt legacy. He also occasionally takes his No. 88 Camaro out of the garage to participate in races in the Xfinity Series. The recent race at the Bristol Motor Speedway was one such incident. Despite dominating the race for the most part, a fire accident caused him to quit midway, much to the dismay of fans. But one other person that the turn of events appears to have affected is Dale Jr’s daughter, Isla Rose.
Dale Earnhardt Jr expresses guilt over the impact of social media on his daughter
The race at Bristol was on a special stand because it was Dale Jr’s first start of the year. With fans gathering to watch their beloved hero behind the wheel once again, his 5-year-old daughter Isla had been right there too. As he took the wheel of his Chevy for his team, JR Motorsports, he put on an amazing spectacle that saw him lead for over 47 laps. But then, he quickly pulled his car up on the pit road as smoke emerged from it and bailed out.
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His car was on fire, and he was left with little option other than retiring. Notably, he had talked about how his daughter had been sad after the terrible outcome.
Talking on the recent episode of his ‘Dale Jr. Download’ podcast, he expressed to his co-host Mike Davis the impact of his loss and how particular social media posts had impacted her further after his post-race interview.
He said, “Well, I will say, when I saw the post on social media, I didn’t really love it. Cuz it was, I don’t remember how it was positioned or whatever. But the way the post was framed, maybe felt like it opened us up to some mockery. I don’t know. You get careful about sharing things about your kid, right? I felt like I put her in the crosshairs.”
While the legend had already talked about his problems with anxiety and nervousness during the race, the current reactions on social media that he is being forced to deal with make it a much taller climb for him.
Watch This Story: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals the Immediate Regret After Entering Bristol
Dale Jr’s revelations about his problems with anxiety at Bristol
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Over his career, the son of Dale Earnhardt seemed on track to achieve what his father did. Conquering challenging tracks like the Talladega and Daytona on numerous occasions, he has also won multiple Most Popular Driver awards. In complete contrast to the confident driver that we were all used to seeing, Dale Jr expressed a few weeks back that he had felt a strange sense of nervousness take over him as his car prepared to go into the qualifying lap.
Disclosing his emotions in a showcase of courage, he told Mike Davis on their podcast, “I was kind of like, I am taken aback by how nervous I was in that moment (Before the qualifying lap). Then in one minute, I was going to be completely on the other side of that extreme. (…) Dude, I don’t know how to not get that way. I wish I wasn’t like that. I wish I wasn’t that nervous or anxiety-ridden.”
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What is heartbreaking is the further weight that social media has added to his sorrows. The young Isla Rose had beamed with happiness as she clung to her father in his pre-race interview.
"I'm racing for my daughter."@DaleJr is ready for his first @NASCAR_Xfinity race of the year at @ItsBristolBaby.
📺: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/ltI2u2tkCg
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 15, 2023
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Furthermore, the driver had also mentioned that he was racing for his daughter. Though she must be glad that her father managed to escape the accident unscathed, Dale Jr.’s worry about social media getting to her after his loss is totally understandable. Let’s stand behind the legend and hope he is able to overcome the troubles that he is going through.
Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Struggles With Anxiety Almost Broke His 5-Year-Old Daughter’s Heart