Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals His NASCAR Time Travel Wish as Wife Amy Craves 1969 Elvis Presley Moment

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a true racer at heart. But when it comes to music, he’s got his priority straight – Nothing beats Elvis Presley’s tunes for him. Although he is big on country music, Presley seems to have carved a special place in his heart. Well, his fandom for the King was evident when he got behind the wheel of the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk III at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2014.

“I’m a big fan, and knowing how big an entertainer he was and how much he meant to a lot of people, it really meant a lot to me to be able to drive the car today,” Dale Jr. said. Well, the Elvis fever was so high on the veteran driver that he even had a whole guest room in his house dedicated to the Elvis theme. Given his affection and love for the King, he wouldn’t miss a chance to relive the era in which Elvis spread his magic, right? But, unfortunately, Dale Jr. fluffed his lines, and it was his wife Amy who reminded him about the possibility of reliving the Elvis era if they had a time machine.

This makes you question, what exactly did the NASCAR Hall of Famer wish for, in case he had the time machine?

It is no mere coincidence that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would pick the 1979 Daytona 500 for time travel; one is hard put to argue that the race did, in fact, herald NASCAR onto the world’s stage. This was the first time that a lap-by-lap national coverage of the race happened on live TV, and the brawl post-race between Donnie Allison and Carl Yarborough only peaked the viewership experience. Another factor that worked out in NASCAR’s favor was the snowstorm that paralyzed the northeastern United States, forcing everyone to stay indoors and watch the race.

This was the race that put NASCAR on the map, and from here on, the rest is history. Clearly, Dale Jr. is a racer at heart. Despite his fandom for Elvis, his choice was to experience the moment that changed the story for NASCAR. “You could change my mind in an instant,” he told Amy,  “but I would probably [still go there],” Jr. said this on the Bless Your Hardt podcast.

It may be on film, but Junior explains that watching something on tape is not even close to being there. “I haven’t seen that,” he said, although Amy reminded him that it’s all over video. But that statement cuts deeper: “I could see anything in video.” It’s not about the video for Dale Jr; he wants to feel the rumble, to smell the rubber, and to witness the rawness of stock car racing before the claws of corporate polish got hold of it.

This is not the first time that Dale Jr. would have been waxing nostalgia with respect to NASCAR’s roots. He has repeatedly expressed admiration in various episodes of the Dale Jr. Download for the honesty and reality of the days of yore when NASCAR was rough and the men bigger than life, one where the drama was not scripted. The 1979 Daytona 500 epitomizes all of that. But Amy’s choice of time travel left Jr. somewhat left out, as he could’ve had the same option.

Amy’s Elvis Reverie: Craving the King’s Return

The prime spot for Amy is a front-row seat to Elvis Presley’s 1969 Comeback Special. Just as iconic in its own way, it is all about experiencing cultural resurrection for her. Presley stepped on stage in black leather after years of decline, igniting the fire that made him a legend, in short, for one last time, in front of that audience at Vegas. Not only that, the Vegas run featured 57 sold-out shows and a live debut of his signature #1 hit – “Suspicious Minds.” Clearly, Amy has made a wise choice. “I watch that over and over,” she says, “but I want to see it in real life.” Same logic for Dale Jr, just a different world, hers full of rhythm, showmanship, and velvet charisma.

“I would have loved to have seen Elvis in Vegas,” Dale says in answer, rendering momentarily ordinary what he has gotten in touch with in his experience of pit stops and lap times. This extreme combination is perhaps one of its kind: NASCAR royalty restaurant and rock ‘n’ roll hotel; merging into appreciation for moments that changed the world-even if only one night a year.

Dale Jr. did have a change of mind when Amy talked about Elvis’ peak moment of 1969. Interestingly, Elvis’ magic has found its way into the NASCAR garage as Jr. shared a story about it from his days when he used to go out for qualifying runs under the supervision of Tony Eury Jr. “So you go out and qualify, Tony Jr. used to say this all the time, he’d be like, alright man, we’re getting ready to qualify. I want you to go out there and you drive her down in the corner till you see Elvis.”

Which NASCAR moment would you want to revisit if you had a time machine? Would it be the 79 Daytona 500 or some other historical event?