19 Years After Brush With Death, Dale Earnhardt Jr Nightmare Déjà vu Sends Shockwaves Across the NASCAR World

It was back in 2017 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. last took his seat behind the wheel on the track of Bristol. He was a Cup Series driver then and finished 13th in the race. That was the final year that Dale Jr. was seen professionally racing in NASCAR’s most elite series. However, the love for the sport remained deeply entrenched in his heart and he couldn’t completely bid it farewell.

Whether it is as a co-owner of an Xfinity Series team or as a NASCAR analyst, Dale Jr. has become an indispensable part of NASCAR. However, the thirst to return back to racing was yet to subside for the driver. In lieu of this, the veteran driver returned to the track of Bristol as an Xfinity Series driver, donning his fire suit. Alas! The hopes of earning a victory crumbled down as tragedy befell the driver.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s outing at Bristol turns out to be a nightmare

The Xfinity Series race on the ‘World’s Shortest Half Mile’ was nothing less than mayhem as wreck carnage ensued on the track. While a few drivers suffered from mechanical and tire damages, others seemed to be involved in one form or the other mayhem. However, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had the worst hit, as he brushed his luck against a fatal incident.

The co-owner of JR Motorsports can thank his lucky stars for being able to escape a harrowing fire, followed by smoke bellowing in his car. The incident occurred with just less than 30 laps to go and the driver was racing within the top 5. However, the driver was suddenly seen pulling his car to the pit road and was asking for help because of the fire that had begun in his car. Junior hurriedly pulled down the net of his window and extricated himself, while John Hunter Nemechek’s pit crew members rushed to help Junior out.

In the post-race interview with NBC, Dale Jr. displayed burn marks at the bottom of the suit that had caught fire. Speaking to Kim Coon, the pit reporter, Junior expressed, “I got a hole in the pants. Somehow I don’t know the shift caught on fire. I saw some smoke in the car and I smelled it and thought that hopefully it’s not me.”

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“In the last lap, I saw the big fireball down in the car and I felt it obviously, my uniform was burning up and I couldn’t keep going, I had gotta stop, and usually when you stop the fire usually gets bigger. I pulled by the pit stall and some of the guys pretty alert, helped me out.”

However, this was not the first time that Junior had a close call with fire. A similar incident occurred back in 2004 when he was competing in the American Le Mans Series at Sonoma Raceway, crashed out, and burst into flames. Nonetheless, he was able to exit the car unscathed.

Enraged fans bash safety crew members for ignorance

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Nevertheless, the incident threw a wrench to a favorable day and the chances of earning a victory. However, what grabbed the most attention among the fans was the absence of a safety crew when the driver asked for help. It was John Hunter Nemechek’s pit members that helped the driver out.

The incident had left the NASCAR fandom fuming as they lashed out at the safety members for their ignorance. Many wrote;

“Jr. – Can I get some help NASCAR safety crew?

Safety Crew – Nah, we good.”

“I have a problem with the safety team not getting out there to help him. Props to JHN crew.”

“Why is the point in safety officials when the 20 pit crew can just do their job for them.?”

Others also commented, “The safety team should not have the option to say they aren’t going to help! It’s their job!”

“Good job by the @PyeBarkerFire pit crew!! Another fire extinguished!”

The incident again raised the question of the safety of the drivers, and whether they are completely safe from any form of casualties that can occur during the race. The answers are yet to be delivered by the authorities.

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