Holidays are something all the drivers and NASCAR fans look forward to after a long and taxing race season. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where families and friends get to unite to have a good time. Soon we will have photos and videos of NASCAR stars sharing moments of happiness on social media. And it seems like Kenny Wallace is doing the same.

Interestingly, the former NASCAR driver took a stroll down memory lane and highlighted his best and bleakest Thanksgiving memories. Although the turkey was part of his conversation, the story about his father, Russell Wallace, getting shot is indeed gut-wrenching.

Kenny Wallace shares a story when he nearly lost his father

Russell Wallace Sr. was a race car driver, and it was his racing adventures on short tracks in the Midwest that would eventually lead to his racing legacy. His sons Rusty, Mike, and Kenny would break through at the NASCAR level and etch the family’s name in history books. He had some 400 race wins competing on local short tracks in the 1960s and the 1970s, but his off-track heroics nearly got him killed when he tried to confront a thief during Christmas.

Kenny Wallace recalled the story that his father told him about the incident when he was a little boy. “When I was growing up as a child, I noticed on my dad’s thigh, on his outside leg… there was a mark. I said, Dad, what is that? Well, one Christmas day… in the city, Dad saw a man stealing presents out of somebody’s car, and Dad went to be a good Samaritan… Back in the day, people tried to do the right things, and my dad said, ‘Hey buddy, quit stealing presents out of the car’. And the guy shot my dad in the leg… So I’m very thankful that my dad had a lot of years left on Earth.” Wallace shared this via YouTube.

On the flip side, he did have some pretty good memories of his entire family turning up at his uncle Gary’s house. “We’d all gather around, and Uncle Gary can cut a mean turkey. He would be the guy. Nowadays we try taking all these shortcuts, right? The electric knife, just all these things. Uncle Gary, we’d watch him cut the turkey up and carve it up, and that was a big highlight, and to this day I still have that in my memory. What a great memory as a kid,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was having the best time at home on Thanksgiving as he tipped his hat to his sponsors.

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Dale Jr. celebrates Thanksgiving with a shoutout to Hellmann’s and Budweiser

Sponsors and NASCAR drivers share a unique bond, but Dale Jr. is one of the fortunate ones. We’ve seen star drivers like Kyle Busch part ways with M&M’s and recently Denny Hamlin bidding farewell to his long-time partner FedEx. So even the active race car drivers do fall out of favor with brands that once used to fuel their racing exploits. While Dale Jr. has called it quits from competitive racing, brands like Hellmann’s and Budweiser have still stuck by him.

Hellmann’s and JR Motorsports have deep ties that started 16 years ago. They first appeared on Dale Jr.’s Xfinity Series team in 2009, and ever since they’ve stuck by him. While Jr.’s racing is restricted to one or two odds races, Hellmann’s is the brand that features on the hood of his race car. Moreover, they also serve as the primary sponsor for JRM’s star driver Justin Allgaier’s #7 team.

Meanwhile, Budweiser is another brand that has continued supporting Dale Jr. While the iconic brand wasn’t in the frame after the closure of DEI, the iconic Bud 8 car is now officially back. Therefore, as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation, Jr. made these brands feel at home with his Thanksgiving message on X. “The bird is in the oven. Added herbs, onions, garlic inside. Slices of butter under the skin. A layer of @Hellmanns on the exterior, covered with some Kinder’s mild BBQ rub. Time for a 4 hour roast. Cracking the first beer before 10am. It’ll be a @budweiserusa.”

Well, this just goes to show why Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still the most-loved NASCAR personality, and fans simply cannot get enough of him.