“He’s Probably Pretty P*ssed”- Emotional Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals Touching Tribute to His Father Years After the Intimidator’s Passing

The Earnhardt family is one of NASCAR’s most celebrated and iconic lineages. Dale Earnhardt led the line for years, amassing seven Cup Series championships in an illustrious career. Arguably the greatest-ever driver in the history of this sport, it was quite chaotic when tragedy befell upon him in 2001. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued to follow in his father’s footsteps, the boots will always be huge for someone to fill.

However, that hasn’t stopped Junior from carving out his own legacy in the sport. The 2-time Xfinity Series winner is one of the most active contributors to the sport’s growth and development in current times and is widely regarded as one of the most loved drivers ever.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings forth another memory of his father

Everyone familiar with the sport understands the bond Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his dad shared. Dale Sr was everything to his son, from an idol to a father to a teacher. As Junior raced in a much-anticipated return to the Xfinity Series race at Bristol, his mind was gushing with memories of his late father. Reminiscing one of the good ole’ moments, he spoke out in the post-race press conference, revealing one more of his anecdotes.

“My dad never really told me anything about driving race cars, ever.” started off Junior.

“We never had conversations about how to drive a track, what I should do in this situation. We never did. For whatever reason. We was here [Bristol] one year, and I think it’s my first Cup season and I was slow, struggling in over my head. He got on top of the trailer with a helmet or with a radio and was like, ‘I will tell you where to lift.’

Having one of the best-ever drivers in the sport on your side is a massive advantage to boot. However, Junior was pretty skeptical about the move considering the massive difference in his dad’s style of driving with his.

“And he told me to lift and I was sitting at the flag stand and I was like, ” Damn, no way, I want to lift here. I can drive the car another three or four car lengths to the corner.” And he said, “Now.” And when the car dropped off in the corner and landed, he said, “I want you to get on the gas here.” And I said, ” Damn okay, now I know why you want me to lift so early. “

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Senior is renowned as a driver of aggression and speed. He never backed out of going into an opening and didn’t feel like giving away an inch of space for his opponents to make a pass on him. The nickname ‘Intimidator’ truly suits on him.

Junior feels his dad would’ve been angry at him for his latest performance at Bristol

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Bristol Motor Speedway is known for its intense close-quarter racing action. Being a short track, heavy contacts are a common phenomena at the track. However, another important aspect of the venue is the pace coming off the corners. With the potential amount of traffic at the banked corner, making the lift can be a tricky question at times.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a pretty successful outing at the track for someone who has been racing pretty rarely these days. Until his car caught fire with 30 laps to the end of the race, he looked like a genuine contender for the win.

Reflecting on his performance and how his dad would have wanted him to race here, he added, “So that’s the way I drive this track. Every time I’ve tried to charge a corner here, I think about my dad’s lesson. I think he’s probably pretty pi**ed off at me for charging in the corner here. And I should be lifting earlier and driving it like he thinks.”

It is commendable to see the respect Junior has for his father and how he continues to learn from him, even after his retirement. Twenty-two years after his death, Dale Earnhardt continues to influence drivers even today and will continue to do so.

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