What is NASCAR without a little bit of beef? The 76-year-old sport has been centered around almost 200 MPH stock cars, passionate fans, and intense conflicts on the racetrack. The third factor keeps the conversation going about the race beyond the track. After winning in Bristol last Sunday, Kyle Larson sought to do exactly that. He caught fire with Denny Hamlin and his fans in doing so – but Dale Earnhardt Sr wants Larson to finish what he started.
Ranging from Richard Petty and the Allison brothers’ conflict at the 1979 Daytona 500 to Dale Earnhardt Sr spinning Terry Labonte in a 1999 Bristol race, disagreement blooms best in NASCAR. Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin’s rivalry has surfaced several times. But the latest chapter had Dale Jr unsatisfied.
Dale Earnhardt Jr invites the ‘golden boy’ for more
Well, Kyle Larson was on a mission the past weekend. He hoped to do a Bristol sweep – however, that came undone at the Craftsman Truck Series race with a second-place finish. Yet the Hendrick Motorsports star was still motivated. He sought to pay tribute to the late HMS veteran Jon Edwards. At the same time, Denny Hamlin was hoping to extend his Martinsville and Darlington streak to Bristol. But Larson came in his way – he led for 411 of 500 laps in the Cup Series race and beat Hamlin. After the race, Larson took a sly jab at breaking Hamlin’s race-winning streak. “Glad to stop his three-peat. We hate to see him win as I’m sure you guys do too.”
This left Dale Earnhardt Jr and other veterans raising their eyebrows. In a recent episode of ‘Dale Jr Download’, the Xfinity Series team owner laid down his verdict. “I think that he just didn’t have to say.” However, Dale Jr acknowledged the sensational aspect of Larson’s comment. After all, Dale Jr’s father was known for his iconic racetrack moments. “I mean, we need the sport to have personality…We don’t have enough personality, we don’t have enough superstars – that’s what superstars do. My dad said, ‘If they ain’t cheering, you better hope they’re booing. If they’re not doing anything, that’s the problem.’ That part of me says, ‘Hell yes. Say what you want to say. Say what you want to believe.’”
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Valvoline Chevrolet, waves to fans during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 18, 2021 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
In the Xfinity Series, Kyle Larson finished 2.054 seconds ahead of three JR Motorsports drivers. That battalion involved Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, and Sammy Smith. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr, Larson’s jabbing comments at Hamlin could rile up JRM drivers to battle him harder in another Xfinity race. So Dale Jr challenged Larson to come back to JRM’s battleground for more.
“Another side of me says, ‘I want you to sign up for some more races’…Well, now I want him to come race because I want some more shots. I know the rest of these people in this shop too. They want some more opportunities, they don’t want him…He’s kind of like the guy where they’re breaking the fight up and his buddies are holding him back. ‘Yeah, you better be glad, my buddies are holding me back. Better be glad NASCAR’s limited me to kicking your a–‘…That’s a good thing, fire them up.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr wants Kyle Larson to take up more challenges in NASCAR and face his own drivers. But at the same time, Larson’s team harnessed inspiration from the veteran.
The past still gives goosebumps
Well, Kyle Busch may have swept Bristol weekends in 2010 and 2017. However, there was another NASCAR icon who did a shorter sweep at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. In August 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr won in both the Xfinity Series and the Cup series in one weekend. After putting his red No. 8 Chevy in BMS Victory Lane, Dale Jr was covered in sweat while answering the pit reporters. Yet the sheer energy was visible when he screamed, “It’s Bristol, baby!” This iconic dialogue has been etched on the etched in the history of Bristol Motor Speedway ever since. And Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet crew chief, Cliff Daniels, admittedly still gets goosebumps from it.
Daniels shared how he was going through past Bristol victories. But Dale Earnhardt Jr’s 2004 win stands out among all the records. In a post-race press conference after the Food City 500, Daniels revealed his fanboy emotions. “Just because of my family background, I like to think of myself as a little bit of a NASCAR history buff. But I totally forgot that ‘It’s Bristol, baby!’ came from him in that race. So that was fun to see…I had exhausted himself from watching all the 2023 and 2024 races…For me, it’s a helpful reminder just to see the way the track has evolved, the way the sport has evolved, and just have a healthy appreciation for what it is that we do. There are so many veterans of the past in our sport that have paved the way for us to get here.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr threw Kyle Larson a challenge for more duels. But at the same time, the latter shines due to inspiration from the veteran. As the NASCAR schedule progresses, let us see whether Larson battles Dale Jr’s drivers again.
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