It seemed like Murphy’s Law was working overtime against Dale Earnhardt Jr. as soon as the green flag dropped at Bristol Motor Speedway. The racing veteran struggled with radio issues in certain sections of the short track, forcing him to pit not once, not twice, but a staggering four times to get it resolved. If that wasn’t enough, he was also forced to replace his helmet, losing his glasses in the process. To add to his troubles, Junior also received a speeding penalty, relegating him to the back of the grid.

Reflecting on his struggles at the 2024 Food City 300, Dale Jr.’s spotter T.J. Majors shared insights about what went on behind the scenes in the No. 88 Chevy in what was a topsy-turvy race for everyone involved with JR Motorsports.

T.J. Majors reveals the inside story behind Dale Jr’s struggles

The drama unfolded right from the get-go. Starting the race in 13th place, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was determined to secure a good result at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, issues with the radio meant that the 49-year-old couldn’t communicate with crew chief Andrew Overstreet or spotter T.J. Majors, forcing him to pit under the first caution. While his team struggled to find a solution, Junior incurred a speeding penalty, forcing him to the back of the grid. However, he managed to climb up to 24th by the time another caution was introduced involving Justin Allgaier, during which time his team replaced his helmet.

That didn’t resolve the issue either, forcing him back onto pit road, where his wiring harness was replaced. That finally did the trick, after over 60 laps of struggles for the two-time Xfinity Series championship. Revealing details about Dale Jr’s struggles, his spotter T.J Majors said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, “If it could go wrong, it went wrong. We had problems in practice with the radios and I guess they thought they fixed it. They definitely didn’t fix it.” He went on to say, “Swapping helmets, swapping harnesses, radios, push-to-talk buttons, and then, I’ve never heard, ‘Do you want your glasses open or folded when we hand them back into you?’

After Junior switched his helmet, he thought that his glasses had fallen on the car’s floorboard. Little did he know that they were in the malfunctioning helmet, which was replaced in one of the pit stops. To make matters worse, his radio, which was finally functional, fell during the race and turned the volume up, prompting Dale Earnhardt Jr to tell his spotter, “You are way too loud. Don’t yell at me TJ.” Despite his struggles, the North Carolina native didn’t lose a lap, holding off drivers on fresher tires to remain in the top 10. He was finally reunited with his glasses before the end of Stage 2, finishing in ninth place after 170 laps.

It almost looked like Dale Jr. had turned back the clock, driving effortlessly across the 0.533-mile track while battling for fifth place with Ryan Truex Jr. Though he didn’t manage to overtake the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Junior finished the race in seventh, marking his 147th Xfinity Series start. Despite knowing he could have placed higher in the standings, it was a solid result on a competitive racetrack, especially considering the numerous challenges Junior had to overcome throughout the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. questions the necessity of his spotter

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Despite expressing his frustrations due to the radio problems early on in the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t lose his sense of humor while talking to his team. The veteran racing driver was forced to go 60+ laps without communicating with his spotter T.J. Majors, but despite his struggles, Junior didn’t lose a lap and remained in contention for a good result. This prompted him to make a tongue-in-cheek comment about his spotter, jokingly questioning his necessity in the team.

Indicating just how chaotic the opening half of the 2024 Food City 300 was, Dale Jr was heard saying, “I ran that whole first run with nothing so, don’t know what that says about TJ. But appreciate everybody’s help. And here we are. That radio fell down in the rocker panel. I can’t start it down. Radio is now in the water bottle holder. Water bottle is somewhere else, not sure where.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s return to the Xfinity Series, even if it was just for one race, brought smiles to the faces of NASCAR fans. Few drivers have the aura, presence, and star power of the 49-year-old, who remains one of the most beloved stock car racing drivers of all time. While Junior has ruled himself out of an appearance for next season due to broadcasting duties with Amazon Prime Video, fans will hope he changes his mind in the future. Will the NASCAR Hall of Famer come back to Bristol Motor Speedway in the coming years? Time will tell. As things stand, the soon-to-be 50-year-old has no plans of closing the curtains on his part-time racing career.