Dale Earnhardt Jr. only started racing in order to have a relationship with his father. | Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
Dale Earnhardt Fatal Crash – Search
The Day Dale Earnhardt Died | Watch On the afternoon of February 18, 2001, American stock car racing driver and team owner Dale Earnhardt was involved in a final-lap collision in the 2001 Daytona 500, in which he crashed into a retaining wall after making contact with Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader. He was pronounced dead at Halifax Medical Center a short time later; the cause of death was a basilar skull fracture, which was determined to have killed him instantly.[1]
Earnhardt’s death was officially pronounced at the nearby Halifax Medical Center at 5:16 p.m. EST (22:16 UTC).[2] At the time of the crash, he was 49 years old. His funeral was held four days later at the Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Earnhardt was the fourth NASCAR driver killed by a basilar skull fracture during an eight-month span, following Adam Petty in May 2000, Kenny Irwin Jr. in July 2000, and Tony Roper in October 2000. Earnhardt’s death, seen on a live television broadcast with more than 17 million viewers,[3] was highly publicized and resulted in various safety improvements in NASCAR auto racing.[4]
After Earnhardt’s death, NASCAR began an intensive focus on safety—mandating the use of head-and-neck restraints, installing SAFER barriers at oval tracks, setting rigorous new inspection rules for seats and seat-belts,[2] and developing a roof-hatch escape system and the Car of Tomorrow—which eventually led to the development of a next-generation race car built with extra driver safety in mind.[2] Since Earnhardt’s death, no driver has died during competition in a race of NASCAR’s three major series.[5]
While there have been plenty of famous families in sports, few names found more success than Earnhardt. Ralph got things rolling in the early days of NASCAR; Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed in his footsteps, becoming motorsports legends in their own right. Behind the scenes, though, things weren’t exactly an example of familial bliss.
Despite the success he eventually found in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t initially plan on racing. In fact, he only climbed behind the wheel for a painful, personal reason: to get closer to a distant dad.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t plan on becoming a NASCAR star.
Dale Earnhardt, background, and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., run side by side in turn 2 during the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2001, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Dale Earnhardt
RELATED: Most of the Lessons Dale Earnhardt Jr. Learned From His Father Had Nothing to Do With Racing
Based on the fact that his dad was a NASCAR star, it’s easy to assume that Dale Earnhardt Jr. grew up dreaming of climbing behind the wheel. In reality, though, that wasn’t the case.
Junior attended automotive school and planned on being an ordinary mechanic, fixing everyday cars. He even took a job at his dad’s dealership and rose to the rank of “assistant engine guy.” Eventually, though, his dream career was dashed.
After a new service manager took over, Dale Jr. lost his job; he headed home and began working on his sister’s late model. Eventually, he’d climb behind the wheel himself and, from there, the rest is motorsports history.
Racing formed the basis of an entire relationship with his father
Dale Earnhardt Indept with Graham Bensinger – Search
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t simply start racing to fill his free time and have a bit of fun, though. During his youth, he and his famous father were practically strangers.
“We just didn’t have a relationship,” the younger Earnhardt told Graham Bensinger. “We didn’t do a lot of hanging out. We didn’t communicate much unless he was telling me where to stand or where to be or what to fix or what to clean up. We didn’t go hunting together, he didn’t take me on trips. Like when he would go do things, I was never like an idea or a consideration.”
Things didn’t remain icy forever, though. Once Junior started racing, he and his dad finally found some common ground. In fact, he only got behind the wheel in order to strengthen their relationship.
“The only reason I raced was to get closer to my dad,” Earnhardt Jr. continued. “That was the only way I would. Nothing I did would register with him … and finally, when I started racing and I won a couple of races, I noticed we would talk about it, and he’d come in the shop and want to know what happened. And so I got more and more into [it], like ‘hey I gotta, I want to do racing’ because it gets me closer to dad.”
RELATED: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Admitted That He Failed to Make the Most of His NASCAR Talent: ‘I Did About 80%’
Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to have an impressive NASCAR career
Best Dale Earnhardt Jr Moments of His NASCAR Moments – Search
Growing up, Dale Earnhardt Jr. never planned on being a NASCAR driver. Once he climbed behind the wheel, though, the rest is history.
Junior cut his teeth on the short track scene before moving up to the Busch Series in 1996; two years later, he made his Winston Cup Series debut. Before long, he became a fixture on the NASCAR circuit.
While he never reached the same heights as his dad and struggled with some serious concussion-related symptoms, Earnhardt Jr. still found plenty of success in the world of motorsports. He won 50 races across the Cup Series and what’s now known as the Xfinity Series, took first place in two Daytona 500s, and monopolized NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver title, claiming the award 15 times. He also built up an estimated $300 million fortune, which isn’t a bad consolation prize, either.
While it wasn’t ideal that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to start racing to have a relationship with his father, that reality certainly changed the course of NASCAR history. Along the way, he also probably made his dad pretty proud.
Happy Fathers Day. Pretty cool club to be a part of.
Cheers to all the dads and the happiness that it brings. 
Dale Earnhardt Jr. posts throwback photo with The Intimidator on Father’s Day
Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Heartfelt Message to Dale Jr.’s First NASCAR Cup Win Resurfaces on Father’s Day
Fresh off the consecutive championship victories in the Xfinity Series, Dale Jr set out to race alongside “The Man in Black” in the 2000 Winston Cup Series. Junior, then young and insecure, was apprehensive of ever securing a win in the Cup Series. All that would change on April 2nd, 2000, at the Texas Motor Speedway. Driving the #8 Chevy for the newly formed Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Junior bagged his first Winston Cup Series race win. Leading 106 of the 334 laps, Dale Earnhardt Jr clinched the title, beating Jeff Burton by 5.92 seconds. The victory was a major breakthrough for young Dale Jr, but the week leading up to the race was not easy as Junior was down with the flu.
“It was pretty straightforward, I had the flu most of that week, but that didn’t bother me once we got going. There weren’t any omens or superstitious feelings or signs. The car was good all day” revealed Dale Jr.
Feb 12, 1999 NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr and Dale Earnhardt Jr in victory lane after Earnhardt Sr. won the IROC race at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares the One Father-Son Talk That Changed His Life Forever – EssentiallySports
Throughout the course of their respective careers, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. elevated the sport to a whole new level in their own unique ways. In fact, one could even go so far as to say that NASCAR today wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the Earnhardts. Having said that, one can’t help but address the tragic aspect of their careers for the brief time they raced in the Cup together. Yes, that day in Daytona overshadows most of the things they accomplished together, but that shouldn’t mean the beautiful moments they had together shouldn’t be talked about as much.
So on the occasion of Father’s Day, NASCAR on NBC did just that, throwing it back to one of the most important and beautiful moments shared between Dale Sr. and Dale Jr.
Dale Earnhardt’s heartfelt reaction to his son’s first Cup win
Even though Earnhardt Sr. was known and perceived as the tough guy in NASCAR (hence his nickname, The Intimidator), there were a few occasions on which he showed the lesser-known side of his personality. One such instance was when his son won his first-ever Cup race.
Following in the footsteps of his own career, Junior’s first Cup win came at Texas, the same track where he won his first Xfinity race. Not only that, that win was also the first in the books of Dale Earnhardt Inc. or D.E.I.
Ecstatic and full of emotions after the momentous day in his son’s life and his race team, Earnhardt Sr embraced his son just as he got out of his race car. When asked about his thoughts on the dual significance of this win, the Intimidator said, “I tell ya, he’s something else.”
Even Dale Jr posted a tweet on the occasion of Father’s Day as he wrote, “Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. ”
Dale Earnhardt Jr wonders this about his father every day
Ahead of his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in early 2022, Dale Jr. opened up on what he imagined his father’s reaction would be to his and his sister Kelley’s massive achievements in their careers
“I think he would be surprised,” Earnhardt Jr said as per Fox News. “I think that he would be so proud of Kelley and who she has become, the amount of respect, her stature, I think that would matter a lot to him.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. matches his father as NASCAR Hall of Famer – The Denver Post
With that said Junior claimed he would do anything to know what his father’s words would be about all his and his sister’s achievements, something he said he thinks about “all the time.”
