via Getty
DARLINGTON, SC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., JR Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Hellmann’s (8) during the running of the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on August 31, 2019, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC.(Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
via Getty
DARLINGTON, SC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., JR Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Hellmann’s (8) during the running of the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on August 31, 2019, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC.(Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Earlier, Dale Earnhardt Jr was at the newly revamped North Wilkesboro Speedway. This was a project near and dear to his heart, and he was heavily invested in getting the abandoned track back in ship-shape order. Now, after several months of hard work and plenty of toils, the speedway hosted its first race, and Dale Jr just had to break it in.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. describes the feeling of racing again at North Wilkesboro Speedway. pic.twitter.com/q3X9U5a4Xk
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 1, 2022
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He said, “When I was standing here before the race started, getting ready to get in the car, I almost wanted to cry, I was so emotional because when every seat was filled, I still can’t believe this happened. This place was forgotten about, everyone was ready to argue with you, ‘they ain’t bringing it back’, ‘it ain’t coming back’.”
What else did Dale Earnhardt Jr say and how did the community react?
Nevertheless, Dale Jr worked tirelessly to ensure that his dream came true. As mentioned before, the driver just had to break the track in his first race. He qualified 6th in the late model race and finished in a fine 3rd place in front of a sold-out crowd. Naturally, many in the NASCAR community were happy to see Dale Jr’s dream hit the ground running.
READ MORE: NASCAR Fans Suggest Candidates to Dale Earnhardt Jr in His Quest to Find the Next Noah Gragson
The passion tho! Love it. #daleyeah https://t.co/oHuRrPUvbe
— Kelli Bartik (@KelliBartik) September 1, 2022
How can you not be romantic about racing? https://t.co/3ygAxJHPHJ
— Tommy Joe Martins (@TommyJoeMartins) September 1, 2022
Dale is the damn man.
Nobody loves and lives stock car racing and its history and its tradition like he does. He reminds us how deeply it matters and how widely it resonates.#SundayMoney https://t.co/zxZVnTUC5h— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) September 1, 2022
best ambassador for short track racing out there. would pay to see a show surrounding the progress of north wilks alone
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) September 1, 2022
Dale Jr continued, “There’s a lot of people who believed in it, but not enough. But enough switches got flipped and enough fortunate things happened and here we are. I still don’t believe it, I tell you, that moment when I’m getting ready to climb in the car. Looking around and seeing all the people, you could feel it. The energy was amazing, it felt exactly like being here in 1990.”
Incredible comments. He had so much to do with this, can’t even imagine how deeply rewarding that would feel. https://t.co/NY26YvzK8y
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 1, 2022
Man, in this interview, @DaleJr just transformed into the @NASCAR version of @JohnForce_FC. The excitement in his voice describing this, that was a great interview Junebug!
— Chaos Ball is Back! (@brandonsblog) September 1, 2022
It wasn't so much a weed-whacker as it was a magic wand. Congrats @dalejr and all involved. #NorthWilkesboro pic.twitter.com/RUSnUaSnzj
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) August 31, 2022
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So proud of my brother! On and off the track, he put his heart and soul into this race. There isn’t a bigger supporter of grassroots late model racing than @DaleJr ❤️ https://t.co/01HT3g5W3i
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) September 1, 2022
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Among his well-wishers was 19-year-old Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar. It is worth mentioning that the teenager is a favorite to snatch the JR Motorsports Xfinity Series seat. This is especially on the back of the news that Noah Gragson is being promoted to Petty GMS Racing in a full-time capacity.
WATCH STORY: “Calm Down” – Bubba Wallace Calls Out Noah Gragson for “Overdoing It” in NASCAR
