Dale Earnhardt Jr and Steve Letarte both had pretty remarkable careers in their own right. While Junior ended up in the Hall of Fame and most recently in NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, Letarte too tasted a lot of success with Jeff Gordon and then with Earnhardt Jr.
All in all, Letarte won 15 races during his time with the two Hendrick Motorsports icons including a Daytona 500 with Junior in 2014.
But still, there was one racetrack he wanted to win at during his stint with Earnhardt Jr, that he simply couldn’t, something he recently called one of his career’s biggest regrets.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Steve Letarte on his regret with his tenure with Dale Earnhardt Jr
In a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Letarte opened up on his good fortune to win at several racetracks as a crew chief which he then segued into a question towards Earnhardt Jr, asking, “What’s the track I have won the most races?”
“I’m going to say, the most races, Pocono,” he replied, which Letarte confirmed, “Pocono, three at Pocono.”
This led to Junior’s co-host Mike Davis chiming in with, “I was going to say something different.”
“You were gonna guess what? Martinsville?” Letarte wondered.
“Talladega,” Davis replied.
“Talladega, so, I will say it, the one thing, I have very few regrets, Dale and I had nice times together but the one thing if I could go back, we never won at Talladega together,” the former crew chief admitted.
WATCH THIS STORY: Amid Calls for Change, NASCAR’s Indecisiveness Over Bristol’s Bleak Future Might Upset Dirt Fanatic Tony Stewart
Letarte once revealed how he and Junior clicked immediately
Trending
Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Pruett Pens a Heartfelt Message for Husband After His Unwavering Support for His Family
“We Are Not Morning People”- Travel Woes Hit Home for Kyle Busch & Wife Samantha Leaving Son Brexton Grinning
“Godspeed Les” – NASCAR Loses Old School Pioneer Integral to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Late Model Venture
Denny Hamlin’s One Final FedEx Tribute Steals the NASCAR Awards Spotlight as He Uncovers Drivers ‘Disgruntled’ Emotions
Joe Gibbs Drops a Bombshell Without Warning, Leaves Denny Hamlin Shocked
In an interview with Jacksonville from 2012, Steve Letarte opened up on how he and Earnhardt Jr. quickly developed an understanding and chemistry together as driver-crew chief.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“We sat down kind of when the whole deal came together,” Letarte said. “He was completely on board, gave his opinion on things which were great.”
This was followed by a day of testing at New Smyrna Speedway, the main aim of which was to not work on the product on the track, but the relationship off the track between them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“From that day forward, we have been all steam ahead,” Letarte confessed.