Superstitions in NASCAR: From Race Threatening Peanuts to Dale Earnhardt’s Lucky Charm

NASCAR might not be known for having a ton of women in the mix, but two ladies are pretty big names around the track – Lady Luck and Dame Fortune. It’s with a bit of their magic that drivers have walked away from some gnarly wrecks, while, sadly, others weren’t so lucky. To get that extra sprinkle of luck, there are a bunch of superstitions that seasoned drivers in NASCAR have sworn by.

Now, these superstitions aren’t as widespread as they used to be, but you’ll still find drivers sticking to certain “routines.” It’s not that they’re superstitious or anything. More like they don’t want to poke the bear and mess with what’s been working for them. Or you can still consider them superstitions! In any case, let’s dive into some of these routines.

Even critical drivers including Dale Earnhardt believed in superstitions when it came to racing

You know, NASCAR folks are a superstitious bunch, especially when it comes to their favorite drivers. Take Dale Earnhardt, for example. The man was a legend on the track, but even he had his quirks. Like always leaving a building the same way he came in. Not too ‘intimidating’, if you catch our drift. But it’s not just him either; the NASCAR world is full of these quirky beliefs.

• For instance, peanuts are a big no-no at the track. Not because they’re messy, but because they’re considered bad luck, thanks to some unfortunate incidents in the 1930s. Two crashes in particular, one at Langhorne Speedway and another at Nashville State Fair, both involving peanut shells, spooked everyone. And let’s not forget Junior Johnson’s crew member, whose engine blew while munching on peanuts.
• Then there’s the notorious car number 13. It’s like the black cat of NASCAR numbers. In over 650 races, it’s only snagged one win, and that was thanks to the genius of Smokey Yunick and Johnny Rutherford in 1963. Well, that was quite the breaking of a jinx!
• The color green? It’s got a bit of a dark past, too. Two tragic crashes involving green cars, one with Lee Oldfield in 1911 and another with Gaston Chevrolet in 1921, have made it a color to avoid. Some even blame Dale Jr.’s slump and Danica Patrick’s career on their green cars.
• And don’t get me started on racing charms. Some drivers swear by them, like Pete Depaolo, who raced with his son’s shoes tied beneath his car. The one time he didn’t, he ended up in a coma. On the flip side, Mark Martin had a bad experience with a four-leaf clover, so he avoids good luck charms.
• Shaving on race day? That’s another no-go, ever since racer George “Doc” Mackenzie shaved off his “lucky” goatee and then tragically died in a race in 1936.
• And the $50 bill superstition? It’s said that Joe Weatherly had two $50 bills on him when he crashed and died in 1964. Champions like Dale Earnhardt Sr and Tony Stewart wouldn’t go near them on race day.

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Superstitions in NASCAR aren’t just about dodging bad luck; they’re also about trying to reel in some good fortune. In the high-speed, high-stakes world of racing, you can’t blame these drivers for clinging to whatever they believe might give them an edge.

Superstitions that NASCAR drivers follow to attract luck

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In the world of NASCAR, superstitions are like hidden treasures for drivers looking to snag some good luck. One of the most famous stories is about Dale Earnhardt and his 1998 Daytona 500 win. He met a six-year-old superfan, Wessa Miller, who had spina bifida and was there through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a parting gift, she gave Dale a penny, which he glued to his dashboard. Guess what? He won the race with that lucky penny, which now sits proudly in his Daytona 500-winning car at the Richard Childress Racing Museum.

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Likewise in the 2016 season finale, another slice of luck superstition was noted. Hall of Fame drag racer Darrell Gwynn handed Martin Truex Jr a lucky rabbit’s foot just two days before the championship race at Homestead. Talk about fate – Truex led 78 laps that day, cruising his way to his first championship. It’s these little charms and rituals that add an extra layer of magic to the race track.