“I Can’t Believe This Thing Still Exists”—Dale Earnhardt Jr Taken Aback by 33-YO Barn-Find That Once Propelled Him to Victory Lane

Dale Earnhardt Jr wears many hats as a team owner, series owner, and mentor to name a few. Yet, amidst this whirlwind of roles, there’s a piece of his heart that yearns for the good old days behind the wheel. How do we know? Well, he recently let his heart do the talking on Twitter, sharing a blast from the past.

For him, it was like stepping off of a time machine as he wandered into Donnie Allison’s son’s storage shed. There, hidden away in a treasure, was his old racing chariot. The retired NASCAR icon, stumbling upon this relic of his racing saga, was awash with nostalgia. He couldn’t help but express that it had been a whopping 33 years since those wheels had graced his gaze.

Dale Earnhardt Jr unexpectedly took a trip down memory lane

At the tender age of 17, Dale Earnhardt Jr kicked off his racing journey behind the wheel of a 1937 Ford legend car. It was a nod to his grandfather Ralph Earnhardt’s legacy, cloaked in white with a bold red or black number eight. Sponsored by Boulevard Gulf, the car was owned by Hank Jones, an ally of Dale Sr and the brains behind Sports Image, an early merchandise venture that Dale Sr would later acquire.

Fast forward to the present, Dale Jr found himself being nostalgic in Kenny Allison’s shed. There, he found his old racing companion, the very car that saw him to victory in 1990. Taking to Twitter, he shared: “I just left a storage shed that was an old gas station. It’s owned by Kenny Allison, Donnie’s son. Inside is my original Legends car that I drove and won within 1990. [Mind blown emoji] After I was done with it back then, Dad sold it to John Ray in Alabama for his son Kevin to race. John eventually gave it to Kenny years ago, and it’s sat here ever since. I’m 100% sure it’s the car because I welded a gusset on the LR shock mount that is still there today. I can’t believe this thing still exists.”

He added in a follow-up tweet, “I ain’t seen this car in 33 years.” This trip down memory lane also highlighted Earnhardt Jr’s win in 1992, which netted him a $300 prize. Dale Earnhardt Sr, watching from the pits, swelled with pride. In the ultimate accolade, he likened Dale Jr’s prowess to that of Ralph saying, “He was awesome.”

“He passed just like his grandfather used to do. I don’t know what he’s going to do. When he gets through college, if he still wants to drive a race car, then we’ll talk about it. But he ain’t getting my ride,” Dale Earnhardt said, as per NASCAR.com.

By 1993, Dale Jr had graduated to late-model racing, and on his 40th birthday, Charlotte Motor Speedway honored him with a legendary car, mirroring his first, in a poignant reminder of his roots. Despite racking up 26 Cup wins, Junior’s earliest brush with triumph was in the legends’ realm. Yet the car wasn’t the only relic that resurfaced. The week seemed to be a treasure trove of Dale Jr’s yesteryears, with an old racing video unexpectedly popping up online—another piece of his racing tale he never knew still existed.

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Junior’s racing video from the past surfaces online

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A gem from Dale Earnhardt Jr’s early days in Late Model Racing, dating back to the 90s, has recently surfaced online, stirring up waves of nostalgia. To many, Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville, South Carolina, might seem like just another pit stop in the world of local racing. However, for Dale Earnhardt Jr, the track is steeped in personal racing history.

He once reminisced about this track on his podcast, saying, “I raced at Florence every Friday night, probably 14 times a year.” Between 1994 and 1996, Junior was a regular presence at Florence Speedway, his playground, before he stepped up to the Busch Series.

His triumph in the 1996 Late Model race at Florence Motor Speedway was a standout moment, marking his sole victory on that 2/5-mile track. Discovering the race footage on YouTube caught the former Cup Series driver off guard. He couldn’t help but share his surprise on Twitter: “A 1996 late model stock race I won @FlorenceMSpdwy was just uploaded to YouTube. I didn’t know a video of it even existed. Cheers to you internet and technology.”

This unexpected digital time capsule has certainly brought a slice of his racing past back into the limelight.

Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr Goes Down Memory Lane as Video of His 1996 Late Model Stock Race Win Resurfaces