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USA Today via Reuters
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Ford EcoBoost 400-Practice, Nov 17, 2017 Homestead, FL, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before practice for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homstead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports, 17.11.2017 10:16:11, 10418624, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ford EcoBoost 400, Ford EcoBoost 400-Practice, NASCAR PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJasenxVinlovex 10418624
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-4.jpg?width=600)
USA Today via Reuters
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Ford EcoBoost 400-Practice, Nov 17, 2017 Homestead, FL, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before practice for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homstead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports, 17.11.2017 10:16:11, 10418624, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ford EcoBoost 400, Ford EcoBoost 400-Practice, NASCAR PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJasenxVinlovex 10418624
A rather harmless-looking habit almost did what superfast cars and exhilarating racetracks could never do! Fast eating is something doctors and researchers highly condemn, as it can have dire consequences. And dire it almost got for Dale Earnhardt Jr!
Junior, who is currently on a break from his career, is aiming for a new broadcasting stint at TNT Sports, slated to begin next year. But for now, he is enjoying some quality time with his family. Yet that time got hampered by a scary moment because of his crazy eating habits. After returning to the Dirty Mo studio, he recalled the incident that happened in South Carolina and it was not fun!
The life-threatening moment on Sullivan Island
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Dale Jr’s relationship with food was long known to be sloppy. In 2013, he felt his firesuit getting tighter as he unknowingly added a few extra pounds. At that time, Dale Jr. had decided to pay conscious attention to what he ate. After taking on a 15-day detox diet, he even began counting his calories. The objective was that he “wouldn’t have to keep getting my driver suits altered throughout the season.” But evidently, even Junior forgets things.
This time, a potentially life-threatening situation emerged due to his bad habit, where he almost choked on food. He revealed, “Man, I eat fast, way too fast and I don’t chew my food,” Dale Jr recalled the incident on a recent Dale Jr Download podcast.
“I’m at this restaurant, the Long Board – a really good place in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina…I take one bite of three different plates. And dude, I went to drink and yeah, it wasn’t going down. It was like stuck right in the center of my chest.”
This episode in South Carolina turned into a nightmare for Dale Earnhardt Jr. He said, “I was like I can breathe, but I was freaking out a little bit, you know.” But thankfully, a friend helped him out. “A buddy of mine was sitting next to me, I grabbed him. He’s like, ‘Oh, you need to get up?’… I was like, ‘No!’ I was hitting him and I turned around…and he smacked me…he hit me in the back as hard as he could, like three times. Then knock, that fixed it.”
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via Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, speaks to the Media during the NASCAR Next Gen Test at Daytona International Speedway on January 12, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
This chilling incident brought Dale Earnhardt Jr. to his senses. “Dude, it scared the sh*t out of me. I’d never had that happen before. I’ve had situations where I recognized, I gotta do a better job with my food.”
Besides having a friend in need, the usual way to solve a choking problem is by drinking fluids. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. outlined how he had to drink some fluid to help post the whole incident. However, experts do not recommend drinking anything until the choking problem is resolved because drinking fluids could worsen the situation.
Well, we know Junior’s food habits, but what does he like to drink?
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What is Dale Jr’s favorite drink?
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The 26-time Cup Series winner was a stellar fixture on the racetrack. Off the track, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some odd choices. First and foremost was his infamous banana and mayonnaise declaration. In 2016, he posted that this was his favorite combo for a sandwich. Despite being a marketing tool to promote Hellman’s partnership, the combination shocked fans and peers. But Dale Jr’s eccentric choices extend to his drinks as well.
Craft beer is insanely popular right now, with small breweries popping up in several places. But Dale Earnhardt Jr opts for something traditional. And bartenders may not be so happy with him.
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“I cannot stand craft beer…I’m the a**hole that when I go to the craft beer places that serve only the craft beers – and I know this annoys the hell out of the bartender – I’m the guy that’s like, ‘You got anything that’s kind of like a domestic light?’ They hate me. They hate that person. And you know, they probably give me something that ain’t even close, cause they’re like ‘Screw this guy.’”
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s taste is indeed unique. But he really needs to mend his eating habits to avoid further scary moments. Do you have any unusual food habits like Dale Earnhardt Jr? Share with us in the comments below.