Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a taste for chaos

In the mid-1960s, race car driver Bill Ward had a casual conversation with NASCAR founder Bill France about building a speedway in Alabama. Neither had a clue about the chaotic phenomenon they were launching back then. Talladega Superspeedway became the site of some terrifying crashes in NASCAR’s history, including Bobby Allison’s 1987 crash. After blowing a tire, Allison went airborne and hit the catch fence; this prompted the introduction of restrictor plates.

So fans were not so delusional when they bashed NASCAR’s rumored schedule shuffle for next year. For 2025, the Talladega race would enter the round of 8, right before the Championship race. Yet Dale Earnhardt Jr. wanted to question the excessive apprehensions instead.

Taking his bold stand on the Talladega, he said on The Dale Jr. Download: “What’s wrong, is Talladega some sort of a freaking fluky race? …You’re acting like Talladega just got built, and that the Superspeedway racing and drafting is this new thing. Talladega’s been around since ’69.” 

Next, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sanctioned the jittery feelings around the scary racetrack. Yet the six-time Talladega winner emphasized that is precisely why 2025 is going to be thrilling! “I know that it’s an 80% chance you’re gonna crash and I know that there are a lot of fluke winners. But I don’t think that should scare the industry away from…throwing the drivers right into those difficult scenarios. Throw them into those moments. We want to see them panic!”

He also explained how the rescheduled position would help a driver in the playoffs. “I would be more nervous if Talladega was in the first round because there’s a chance that 12 of those guys will outpoint the s**t out of me if something bad happens to me at Talladega. And now I’m in a worse spot.”

Talladega has claimed a lot of terrifying moments for NASCAR drivers. For instance, the 2002 Aaron’s 312 saw one of the biggest crashes in NASCAR history, involving 27 cars. Then Elliott Sadler flipped multiple times on grass in 2003. Most recently, Tyler Reddick narrowly avoided two chaotic wrecks and scattering cars to clinch the win in April this year. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr himself has overcome some dramatic conditions to win on the track.

When Dale Jr. drove a battered car to victory

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In case you think that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is simply enjoying the drama from a distance, the following story will clear your doubts. The veteran driver has won six times at Talladega over his career, and the most recent one was under chaotic circumstances. The 2015 GEICO 500 race featured a multi-car wreck on lap 47 that collected 13 cars, including Kevin Harvick’s and Alex Bowman’s. Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed to steer clear of that mess somehow, but by the end of the race, he had to manage with a damaged ride.

Right before he crossed the finish line, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s front grille was matted with trash, and his radiator was boiling over. Additionally, his engine was overheating and spewing water 10 feet. All this happened as he fought off a charging field of 30 cars on his heels, especially Jimmie Johnson.

In the end, the audience got the fireworks it cheered for, and Dale Jr. rejoiced. “Just real emotional, man,” Earnhardt said. “Everything is just so good for me now, my personal life, my racing, the team I am with. I don’t know why. I don’t feel like I deserve it. I’m, blessed, man. I’m blessed.”

Evidently, the veteran driver has not lost that taste for the wild six years after his retirement. Now we can only wait and see how Talladega treats drivers in 2025.