From schoolmates to NASCAR peers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rodney Childers go a long way back. The two used to share the same seat when they were at Mooresville Senior High School. While Dale Jr. was a native of North Carolina, he had moved to Mooresville during his middle school years and this is where he met Childers.

Childers had always been a Mooresville native and was also a driver when he met Dale Jr. Before his eventual transition to a successful crew chief, he was out in the streets of Mooresville, wreaking havoc with Dale Jr. Recently, Childers appeared on the Kenny Wallace show and opened up hilarious stories from their time together as teenagers and how Dale Earnhardt Sr. had no patience for his son’s driving.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was drawing cars for Rodney Childers

Rodney Childers since his childhood had been highly involved in the world of racing. He started his venture at the age of 12 with the world of kart racing and won seven championships in South Carolina. In fact, he has also accounted for five victories at the national level before moving to the Late Model Stock Car division in 1997. It was in 1999 that he made a switch to NASCAR, although he retired from driving in 2003 and embraced his calling as a crew chief. His most popular phase started when he embarked on his journey as a crew chief with Kevin Harvick from the Stewart Haas Racing team and secured a Cup Series championship in 2014. 

However, it seems that Earnhardt Jr. was a huge admirer of Childers since the latter was racing in high school while Dale Jr. was not. As they recounted early memories, Childers said, “We’d sit in drafting class, and he’d draw pictures of Busch [Xfinity] cars with my name above the door and my number on them. He’d say, ‘What do you think about this one? This is going to be you one day'”. Childers also recollected how Dale Earnhardt Jr. had very little contact with racing during his childhood years. In fact, he was so distant that even Dale Earnhardt Sr. had very few hopes. 

Recounting the incident, Childers said, “Yeah. He went and rode a go-kart one time, flipped it right in front of his dad, and his dad told him he was done—never racing again. So, he knew I was winning all the time. Every Monday morning, he’d ask, “Where did you go? How many classes did you win?”. While Childers and Earnhardt Jr. haven’t worked together in a team, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has carved out a pretty good career for himself. 

Earnhardt Jr has been a proponent for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and is currently the co-owner of JR Motorsports. The 50-year-old also boasts back-to-back Busch (Xfinity) Series championships in 1998 and 1999. Dale Jr. also has two Daytona 500 wins in 2004 and 2014, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s greats.

Childers recalls his appearance on the Dale Jr. Download where they talked about their time together in high school, but Dale Jr. didn’t seem to remember much of it.

When Dale Jr. and Childers threw eggs on the street

Trending

1

Shell-Shocked Dale Earnhardt Jr Explores 50-Year Old Unsolved Mysteries of His Dad’s Daytona Legacy

2

Roger Penske’s Plan to Overtake NASCAR Revealed by Latest F1 Hire

3

Kelley Earnhardt Reveals Dale Jr.’s Irresponsible Yet Heartfelt Gesture, Upsetting JRM Financials

4

Iconic Rock Band’s $65 Million Reality Check Bursts Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ‘Hate’ Bubble

5

Shutting Down of Nearly $100 Billion Worth Company Has Bubba Wallace’s Wife in Shambles

Rodney Childers and Dale Earnhardt Jr. being high school buddies still seems like a shock. However, once Childers revealed their shenanigans, it made a lot more sense. Recounting an incident on the Dale Jr. Download, Childers spoke about how both of them, along with their friends, bought eggs from a grocery store to throw at stop signs and speed limit signs. How typical of two boys who love driving fast.

Recounting his experience on the Dale Jr. Download, Childers said, “He wanted me to do that Dale Jr. Download one time and we got to talk and all kinds of stories and I started telling some of them and he didn’t even remember like throwing eggs all night one night and doing this and that. He’s like, ‘I don’t think I remember that”. 

“How do you not remember that?“, said Dale Jr.’s co-host Mike Davis. “We need Rodney [Childers] to come over here and tell us everything else that Dale Jr. doesn’t remember about his life.” Dalle Jr. might not have remembered the incident but he was in a fit of laughter when Childers told the story. Their friendship emphasizes how life can have a plan for you and you don’t even know it. From drawing cars that Childers to drive in the Busch series to winning the series twice himself, Dale Jr. came a long way.