“I Begged Rick Hendrick”: Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals Heartbreaking Loss of Joe Gibbs’s Best Driver Who Would Have Been in HMS Had Mr. H Listened to NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver

The Michael Waltrip Racing scandal was a controversy that rocked the NASCAR world in 2013. During the race at Richmond Raceway in September 2013, MWR was accused of manipulating the race results to benefit one of their drivers, Martin Truex Jr, and help him secure a spot in the NASCAR playoffs.

During the race, MWR’s driver Clint Bowyer deliberately spun out, causing a caution that affected the race’s outcome. This caution allowed Martin Truex Jr to gain valuable positions and points, improving his chances of making it to the playoffs. The incident was later identified as an intentional attempt by MWR to manipulate the race’s outcome and raise suspicions of unfair play.

NASCAR conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and penalized MWR heavily. They fined the team and its General Manager, Ty Norris, and stripped Martin Truex Jr of his playoff spot. Instead, Ryan Newman entered the playoffs according to the revised points standings. Talking about the infamous scandal, Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr recently revealed a few intriguing facts and a piece of advice he gave to Rick Hendrick about Truex Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr reveals his best advice that might have turned HMS’s future

After the MWR scandal in 2013, Martin Truex Jr faced hefty consequences. While there was no evidence of direct involvement or wrongdoing on his part, the controversy tarnished Truex Jr’s image since he was the beneficiary of the manipulated race results.

In the years that followed, Truex Jr joined Furniture Row Racing and experienced a career resurgence. He secured multiple wins, including a dominant season in 2017, eventually winning the championship.

Recently, while discussing Truex Jr’s retirement news with co-host Mike Davis on The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Jr said, “I hope he races. Me and Truex, I consider us to be close pals, and man, I begged Rick Hendrick to hire him when he was between drivers. I can’t remember. It was Mark leaving or Keisie leaving but that was a time.

“I had a hard time convincing Rick to change the route he was going down and also to understand just what kind of driver Martin was. And that would have been pretty cool to see him get in there, but he ends up going down the southern route.

“And honestly, man, I think there’s so much to be appreciated because Martin ends up in a bad situation with how Michael Waltrip things fall apart. He has to basically relegate down to a car and help that program that in a bit rebuilt right.”

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Dale Jr wants reassurance about Martin Truex Jr’s future

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Being a NASCAR driver is a lot of pressure; it takes commitment, time, and sacrifices. Truex Jr recently shared the reasons why he wants to take leave from the sport. He touched on the point by saying,

“Do I want to keep doing it? And am I willing to sacrifice all those things again for my team? So that’s just what I’m thinking about.”

“If we lost Martin, we’d be losing a really cool personality and a very unique person that’s fun to pull for,” Dale Earnhardt Jr said on the podcast.

After a rough 2022 season, Truex Jr has brought renewed hope as he aims to recreate the magic of his 2017 season. With three wins already under his belt, Truex Jr is displaying consistent dominance and delivering exceptional performances on the track.

However, despite the comeback from the #19 JGR driver, Dale is not sure of his future plans. He said, “Does he stick around and grind out a couple more years for a few more wins. And even if he wins a championship this year, I don’t know if that keeps him around. We’re all waiting, so we’ll see.” 

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