Dale Earnhardt Jr is one of his generation’s most loved NASCAR drivers. From a lineage synonymous with NASCAR, Dale Jr has translated his popularity to 15 NMPA Most Popular Driver of the Year awards. However, he has sometimes faced the pressure of performing up to the fandom’s expectations. A major part of the criticism has come from none other than his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt’s fanbase.

The Intimidator is a revered figure in the NASCAR community. Being arguably the greatest driver to grace NASCAR ovals, Dale Earnhardt’s stature added a certain magnitude of performance pressure to Junior’s career. A recent post on the popular subreddit r/NASCAR from a fan has resurfaced a critical old photo frame of Dale Earnhardt Jr being downplayed by his father’s image. The image has divided the NASCAR community into two factions, one defending the image and another standing against it.

Reddit user unearths a controversial piece of old Dale Earnhardt Jr memorabilia

A redditor recently posted an image depicting Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr, on the NASCAR subreddit. The divisive comments the image would trigger were unbeknownst to the original poster, as he cited that he’d found the memorabilia in a Goodwill store.

The photo shows a young Dale Earnhardt Jr with a bleak mirror showing his father’s reflection behind him. The quotes on the image read, “In the image of his Dad, Dale Earnhardt Jr”. The price tag of the collectible shows that it was available for just $3.

The debate about Junior justifying his dad’s reputation has continued for too long. While the Intimidator’s stature has certainly helped him get into NASCAR, he has gone from strength to strength in his career. Following his father’s unfortunate demise at the 2001 Daytona 500, Junior continued to prove himself in the sport and gave the fans countless memories on the race track.

As the NASCAR fandom chanced upon the collectible, it split into sects immediately. Dale Earnhardt’s fanbase is one of the most loyal and die-hard fan bases in the community, and owing to this, the faction has often imposed its expectations on Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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NASCAR fans go against each other over the Dale Jr collectible

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Dale Earnhardt Jr hasn’t been behind in influence on the sport. Following his exploits on the racetrack, he retired unexpectedly in 2017, and since then, he has worked tirelessly towards the sport’s growth. Defending Junior, one of the Redditors slammed the image’s motive, as he commented, “That may actually be the tackiest NASCAR memorabilia piece I’ve ever seen. Bravo!”

“And people back then wonder why Jr. Didn’t exceed their expectations,” read another comment highlighting the unjustified pressure that Dale Earnhardt Jr has experienced throughout his career. At the same time, another fan wrote that the photo was a bargain for just three dollars, saying, “For $3, it’s a steal!”

A certain fan had a similar viewpoint as he said, “You have no idea what you have here. This is a great piece.” which earned criticism from a fellow fan who commented, “Someone should’ve stopped this idea before it ever left the drawing board.”

One fan pointed out how many people have attempted to use the criticism of Dale Earnhardt Jr to sell such products to fans with a similar perspective. He wrote, “No offense to OP, but good lord, everybody was trying to earn a buck off of Dale. Lazy artwork. Lazy ideas. Reeks of desperation.“

The argument between the two sets of fans is a perennial debate. However, the way Dale Jr’s career has turned out to be, the image is a harsh representation of his contribution to the community.

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