What is NASCAR without some wild wrecks? Ranging from 200 MPH racing that results in fender-banging action to unintended contact with outer walls, drivers face thrilling mishaps at the racetrack. But when things spiral a little out of control, then concerns rise. Chances of serious injury or even fatality become multifold, and Dale Earnhardt Jr has faced that many times. However, probably his first ever bone-chilling crash was off the racetrack, and he did not get scolded for it.
His father, Dale Earnhardt, was a NASCAR legend, having clinched seven Cup Series championships. Besides his glorious resume, Earnhardt was also known for his penchant for the reckless. So, it was no wonder that the Intimidator himself let off his son for road rage.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr almost got grounded
Well, there has been no dearth of wild stories pertaining to Dale Earnhardt Sr. The legendary racer did not own a driving license until he hit his 30s. Then ‘The Intimidator’ stories still mesmerize people at NASCAR racetracks and beyond. During the 1987 All-Star Race, Bill Elliott was closing in on Earnhardt with eight laps to go, then gave a tap that sent him to the infield grass. Yet Dale Sr was able to recover in what is now famously called ‘Pass in the Grass’. He maintained the lead before contact, and a cut tire took Elliott out of contention. Then during the 1999 Bristol race, Dale Sr roughed up Terry Labonte to charge for Victory Lane. So when a man with such a checkered resume for chaos hears about his son doing the same, there would be nothing but empathy.
In a recent episode of ‘Bless Your Hardt’, Dale Earnhardt Jr recalled a nasty accident. When he was 19 years old, he was driving a Chevrolet S10 Truck to a family reunion. While trying to add music to his drive, Dale Jr ran into serious trouble. He said, “I was messing with that Walkman, changing CDs. Ran off the road down into a ditch, hit a driveway culvert, threw that truck in the air, and it barrel-rolled seven times. When it rolled onto the roof, I had my hands on the steering wheel, and it crushed the windshield down on my knuckles. So I felt that and I went, ‘Ahh!’ My arms went like this, ’cause the truck was spinning so fast.”
Dale Jr. flipped his truck—and his dad’s reaction? It caught him completely off guard…
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The severity of the crash stunned bystanders and fellow drivers. But besides tending to their concerns, Dale Earnhardt Jr was worried about contacting his father. He continued, “And I’m fine. As soon as I get out, there’s a car stopped and there’s a couple. They had just got engaged that morning. They’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. You flipped so many times!’ I was like, ‘Do you have a cellphone?’ This lady’s like, ‘You need to sit down. You’re in shock.’ I was like, ‘No, I just gotta call dad.’”
Dale Earnhardt Jr was left biting his nails in anticipation of a solid scolding. However, he could sigh in relaxation as his dad empathized with him. “So he comes, we get in that truck, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m getting ready to get my a– chewed. He’s going to chew my a–.’ And he just starts laughing. He goes, ‘Man, I flipped my car when I was 16 or 18.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, he’s not upset.’ I got insurance for that, and I got me a 1994 S10 pickup truck.”
With similar stories to rely on, Dale Earnhardt Jr could peacefully learn a lesson that day. However, NASCAR races have also taught the veteran many lessons, including one that did not involve him.
When the feeling of victory turns numb
Michael Waltrip felt that during the Daytona 500 race in 2001. While the Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver was celebrating his Victory Lane, his team owner was drawing his last breath. Dale Sr crossed a tragic fate at Daytona, where he crashed into the outer wall and did not survive. So Waltrip’s victory soon gave way to a day of mourning for all of NASCAR. Years later, Dale Earnhardt Jr felt something similar, although the severity was far less. The former Cup Series driver won the 2015 Coke Zero Sugar 400 race. It marked his second win of the season and also his 10th restrictor-plate race win. But Junior could not cherish these achievements properly. After leading for 96 laps, he adeptly held off Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin, however, spun across the track after a push from Kevin Harvick. Austin Dillon got caught in this melee, his car going airborne and catching the fence. His car was torn apart and landed on its roof on the track. Then Brad Keselowski rammed into him. Dillon suffered a bruised tailbone and bruised forearm. Dale Jr reflected on this chilling wreck in 2015: “That was terrifying to watch. You know a wreck like that has such a high potential for someone to get injured and you saw the car get high and get into the fence. You just worry about everybody else in the grandstands and all that stuff…It was touch-and-go there for several moments. I’m more thankful that everybody is OK than to be standing here in Victory Lane, that is for sure.”
Evidently, Dale Earnhardt Jr has spent a lifetime of lessons related to car crashes. Although most of them were chilling, the one from his younger days was a sweet memory that he shared with his dad.
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