Dale Earnhardt Jr Shares Emotional Connection With Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip’s Family After His Father’s Passing

NASCAR is an absolute game of speed. And the risk factor involved is a nuance of this game. When 40 cars throttle along NASCAR’s racetracks with the sole motive of bagging that cherished win, the chances of contact just go through the roof. To be honest, while a driver buckles himself up to the seat of a stock car, he prays it is he who unbuckles himself at the end of that race.

Although NASCAR made major improvements in its safety measures and improved its emergency protocols, the danger lurking in the alleys of NASCAR just cannot be obliterated. And this is where divine assistance comes into play. While some may call it a gimmick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. felt that praying before every race was absolutely necessary. And on that note, he shared a beautiful memory with Darrell Waltrip‘s family in one of his recent episodes of his podcast.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes on an emotional rollercoaster ride back to his racing days

Before the drivers start driving their cars, NASCAR has preachers from the church coming in, offering to pray for each driver. There are even races where several preachers come in to manage different sections of the field. Some consider this a superstition, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not one of them. He would feel that saying a prayer to oneself was not enough. The two-time Xfinity Series champion had to hear it from one of the preachers.

However, that was not all. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had an exclusive tradition that he used to follow before every single race of his career. There was a time when Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip’s wife used to send a paper with a prayer written on it. And after the great ‘intimidator’ passed away, Stevie Waltrip offered to do the same for Junior.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. readily accepted the offer. So from then on, Stevie Waltrip used to visit Dale Earnhardt Jr. and hand him over a note before the race started. The JR Motorsports owner admitted, “That needed to happen for me to feel like, alright I am good to go. I always felt like I was not altogether ready when I didn’t get my paper from Stevie Waltrip.” He went on saying that even if Stevie missed one of his races, the note would find its way from Stevie, through a pastor’s hand into Junior’s.

“She missed a giant portion of my career; she didn’t go to every race but she never let that note not make it to me. And it would come in a sticky note and I’d peel it off, stick it somewhere in the car,” Junior added.

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The part of this entire story that Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds the dearest to him is even more heartwarming. In his final year, Junior’s interior guy, Adam Jordan, put all of those sticky notes on a big blackboard and framed them. Junior revealed he still has that frame upstairs in JR Motorsports.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Darrell Waltrip’s weird friendship

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Very few people know about the bittersweet friendship between Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip. There was a time when Dale Earnhardt used to call Waltrip every year on Christmas Eve. However, he missed one year, and Darrell Waltrip found it unusual.

“One year he didn’t call me. I thought, well, maybe I missed the call. So we get to Daytona and I go up to him and say, ‘Hey buddy, did you call me Christmas Eve or did I miss the call?'”

“I don’t have to call you every year,” said Dale Earnhardt and walked away.

“That’s the Dale Earnhardt a lot of people don’t know,” laughed Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In a conversation with CBS Sports, Darrell Waltrip revealed the horror of standing and watching his friend die while his brother, Michael Waltrip, won the race in the 2001 Daytona 500.

He had wanted Michael to win his first race, but definitely not at the cost of his friend’s life. After the race was over, Darrell Waltrip rushed to the hospital.

“I never could understand why I even went to the hospital,” said Waltrip, “I mean, my brother just won the Daytona 500. I would have run to the victory circle. Instead, I ran to the hospital. Why I did that, I don’t even know. But I was there and that experience… was life-changing for me.”

So many untold stories revolve around the tracks of NASCAR and especially around the Earnhardts. These pieces of insider information are enough to make any NASCAR fan sit tight to their seats and listen on for hours straight. Don’t you think?

Read more: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals His Father’s Secret Hobby That Was Posted on the News