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NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 smiles on the starting grid just before the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831014. | Image Credit – Imago
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NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 smiles on the starting grid just before the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831014. | Image Credit – Imago
During the Ask Dale Jr segment of the recent Dale Jr Download episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr came across an interesting question. Back in his racing days, NASCAR introduced a new feature to spice things up. This is no surprise as in its 75-year history, the sport has evolved, making some major strides. After all, people would get tired of seeing the same formula every year, so innovations are needed to boost engagement. One such innovation allowed driver to communicate with other drivers, especially at superspeedways.
Dale Jr mentioned in his podcast, “I definitely did not get everything out of that. Like, I probably would have abused it. Keyed up the mic and been like, ‘Hey! what are you doing, what are you thinking about? What’s going on?”
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CONCORD, NC – JANUARY 25: (R-L) Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet, and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, speak with the media during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on January 25, 2012 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“What are you doing after the race? That was a dumb move, hey man!’.”
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“I would probably not use it as intended and then probably would have been subsequently removed from everybody else’s radio. So that I couldn’t chat, couldn’t reach out to them. My intent would have been to annoy the hell out of everybody… just for a laugh.”
READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr Admits to Being “So D*mn Jealous” of Nephew for an Opportunity He Couldn’t Get
What else did Dale Earnhardt Jr say?
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Safe to say, Dale Jr had a bit of a prankster streak in him. This is why he confessed that it was probably for everyone’s benefit that the feature was taken off. Otherwise, the grid would have had to deal with his dulcet tones for the entire race. If he truly wished, Earnhardt Jr. could have used the gimmick to distract his rivals with incessant chatter.
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February 17, 2019 – Daytona Beach, FL, USA – Dale Earnhardt Jr. smiles in a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the Daytona 500 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach on Sunday, February 17, 2019. NASCAR 2019: Daytona 500 – ZUMAm67_ 20190217_zaf_m67_027 Copyright: xStephenxM.xDowellx
Unfortunately, that feature is long gone, and there is likely no chance of it returning in the future. As a result, Dale Jr is filled with regret for not exploiting it more when it was still in use. Even if NASCAR brings it back, Dale Earnhardt Jr is retired from full-time racing, so it would still be a missed opportunity.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr Set to Make His Annual Return to the Xfinity Series at Bristol
Would you want NASCAR to bring back this feature? And who, on the current grid, do you think can pull off the same antics as Junior’s?
