?I Regret That?- Dale Earnhardt Jr Painfully Turns the Pages on Missed Championship Opportunity

The names Dale Earnhardt Jr and NASCAR are almost synonymous. There are drivers who attain great heights in their careers. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr is a man who is still basking under the spotlight even after 6 years since he retired from a full-time Cup Series ride. And his fame game just keeps shooting skyward.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has made immense contributions to the world of NASCAR throughout the years. Just with the aid of his podcast alone, he gives the viewers that inside scoop, which keeps them glued to their seats for hours. But there was a time when the almost 50-year-old man was a young speedster. And like everyone else, he too has regrets about the decisions that he made as his younger self.

Dale Earnhardt Jr regrets not stepping up

Throwback to 2004, only one driver was able to lead more laps than Junior did at Daytona. And that was Tony Stewart. Stewart led almost half the number of laps in the 2004 Daytona 500, but then the No. 8 car driver grabbed the lead with just 20 laps to go and, after that, didn’t give it away. In just his 5th start, Junior won the Daytona 500, a feat that took his dad 20 years to achieve.

However, as the curtains to the recent episode of the Kenny Wallace show parted, Dale Earnhardt Jr expressed his regrets about not making that one crucial decision that might have gotten him the 2004 Sprint Car Championship. After nearly two decades, the JR Motorsports owner shed light on what he could have done differently.

Junior had 6 wins that year. Looking at his spot in the points standings, Junior could have easily pulled his socks up and challenged the entire grid for the championship title. But somehow, it didn’t occur to him. Despite being the best time of his career, Junior said, “It was disappointing because I didn’t realize we could have won the championship that year. No point in that season did I wake up and go, damn, I got a shot at this. And I regret that.“

Dale Earnhardt Jr had seen the same thing happen with his dad. The only difference was that Earnhardt Sr realized that he could win his first Winston Cup championship in 1980, and he did it. “He’s up there leading the points and it just dawned on him one day,” said Junior. “That never really occurred to me in 2004. Regretfully, I think that was probably my best shot at a title that never happened.”

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One would be amazed to know that back in 2004, there was one more thing that Dale Earnhardt Jr regretted not doing enough of. In an interview with USA Today, the two-time Xfinity Series champion spilled it out.

Junior reflects on the things that he missed out on

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Dale Earnhardt Jr never dreamt of a NASCAR career. He was just a frail white boy, growing up under the shadow of his intimidating father, working in the garage of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s Chevrolet facility. As a teenager, Junior was extremely introverted and chose to spend his time alone.

Although not a party freak, he started going out more often after he met his then-girlfriend (now wife), Amy. And he perhaps regrets not doing it enough during his younger days. There were times when Junior’s friends would call him and ask if he wanted to go to a football game or just hang out, and Junior was just lazy and kept himself out of those endeavors. “I think back to all of those times I should have pushed myself to do more and enjoy more. Because you don’t get a chance to do it again,” he said.

Read more: Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals How NASCAR Robbed Him of a Championship in 2014

Dale Earnhardt Jr doesn’t want people to think that he wishes to have gotten drunk more often or partied harder. He explained, “It’s just the little things you put off when you had the opportunity, because it was, ‘Nah, I just want to lay on the couch today.’ I should have just got up.”

Nevertheless, the things that Dale Earnhardt Jr has achieved in the NASCAR arena surely outweigh the things that he has missed out on. As the saying goes, one can’t have everything in life, and that’s perfectly fine.