If you remember Dale Earnhardt’s friend with Terry Labonte, you definitely remember the night things got rough between the two. What started off as a friendship soon turned to becoming hunting buddies. But everything changed one fateful night in Bristol. Both being champions in the Cup Series shows that both of them are passionate and skilled when it comes to racing. So when things unfolded on the tracks those years ago, there was some drama.

It was 1999, and Earnhardt and Labonte were planning their post-season hunting trip. Things took a turn at the Bristol night race as the occurrences on the tracks affected the friendship between the two. So what exactly happened on that night that led to the hunting trip not only postponing but never happening?

Dale Earnhardt wrecked his friendship with Terry Labonte

Comparing both drivers at Bristol, Terry Labonte had a faster car. Jeremy Mayfield’s wreck allowed Labonte to pit with 11 laps left. Dale Earnhardt was in the lead during the 496th lap with only 4 more to go. A few cars lapped them, but this race was not about them. Starting at P5 after the restart with fresh tires gave Labonte the situation he needed to regain his position.

Taking on Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart was a straightforward task, but the same could not be said about the intimidator. In the penultimate lap, Labonte decided to nudge his hunting buddy before taking the lead into the last lap of the race.

Dale Earnhardt thought it was time for tit-for-tat as he decided to return the favor with a nudge. But that was not all, as the nudge became the reason that the No. 5 Chevy spun out. Earnhardt took this chance to clear the finish line as the damages started to spread behind the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing car.

This win was not one that Dale Sr. would be the proudest of, as fans booed him heavily during his drive into the victory lane. The post-race interview began with questions about the wreck, and Sr replied, “Didn’t really mean to turn him around—meant to rattle his cage, though.”

Although the intentions might have been something else, in the end, Labonte suffered losing a winning race. But that does not mean that he did not try to retaliate.

Terry Labonte’s revenge on Dale Sr.

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Furious about what happened, Labonte started plotting revenge during the cooldown lap. The plan was to T-bone Dale Earnhardt’s car during the cooldown lap as Labonte decided to reverse into the No. 3. Call it lucky or unlucky, but when Labonte was asked about this, he mentioned, “When I popped the clutch and gave it the gas, it tore reverse gear out of the car. It moved about a half-inch. That let all the wind out of my sail right there.”

In the end, the anger died out and Labonte forgave Dale Sr. for sabotaging that race when the next season’s driver introductions began. The two drivers qualified next to each other at Darlington and both stood close to each other. Notably, John Andretti broke the ice for them by stating, “I’m standing in the wrong place,” hinting that he was coming between their friendship. That was taken with high spirits, as it was then that the two started talking to each other.

Although the two buried the hatchet, Dale Earnhardt, and Labonte never made it for another hunting trip. The world lost Dale Sr. in 2001, and with that, Labonte lost the chance of taking things back to the way they were.

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