Every sport has its legends, figures who not just dominated the competition but also left behind stories that outlive their game. In NASCAR, it was Dale Earnhardt, a name that evoked both reverence and intensity. His reputation as “The intimidator” was forged through fearless racing and the pursuit of victory, but his legacy goes far beyond his results.
One of the most surprising elements of his character has resurfaced recently through a story told by Kenny Wallace, a fellow veteran and friend of Earnhardt. The moment, contextualized with Earnhardt’s tragic passing at the 2001 Daytona 500, adds another layer to his persona that few knew. And in revisiting the past, Wallace couldn’t help but boast about one of his standout achievements as well.
Refusing to sign is more than just a gesture
To most fans, having a piece of NASCAR — be it die-casts or small collectibles — means a lot, but some fans choose to have a piece of a car involved in a wreck that they might have collected from auctions or debris on the track. Some even wanted signatures on them, but for Dale Earnhardt, the broken pieces meant something more — the emotional weight of defeat or bad memories. According to those who knew him, one of them being Kenny Wallace, a fellow NASCAR veteran, Earnhardt’s refusal to sign broken pieces from the car for his fans was a kind of superstition that he believed in, and this came to light as one fan brought back an image of Kenny Wallace’s crash from a race in 1997.
In the 1997 Coca-Cola 600, Kenny Wallace endured a violent crash that brought an early end to his race. Driving the No. 8 Square D Ford for Robert Yates Racing, Wallace lost control while exiting Turn 4 and slammed hard into the inside wall on the frontstretch. The impact was so severe that it scattered debris all across the field and silenced the audience. Despite the severity of the crash, Wallace walked out of the car without any severe injuries. But this incident highlighted how harsh the 600-mile race at Charlotte could be.
Reflecting on it, the fan’s X post must have been like rubbing salt on the wound. It did not anger him, but he replied with a typical Kenny Wallace sarcastic comment, quoting the X post with a fun fact on Dale Earnhardt and his other racing endeavors far better than the one from 1997. “Did you know,” wrote Wallace. “Dale Sr #3. WOULD NOT sign or recognize his wrecked race car parts when fans would bring them to him? Soooooo… I DO NOT recognize you choosing that picture of me wrecking. Here is a picture of my pole run in 1989 at Dayton of 192 mph. And a awesome picture.”
He wrote in another X post where a fan asked, “Ok…explain why Dale wouldn’t sign please..Im interested to know that.. Bad juju?” to which he replied, “Yes. Why sign bad memories when there are other choices.” Considered a bad omen or just sad memories, no driver would want to remember such things when brought up by someone several years later, underscoring their potential for winning, especially not one of the greatest champions the sport has ever had.
For a man who ended up losing his life in a wrecked race car, it’s a poignant reminder that life can be awfully cruel at times. In a superstition to ward away bad memories of a crash, Dale Earnhardt‘s last memory was crashing his racecar at a track that brought him unparalleled joy and hardships. The struggle of having the most wins at Daytona International Speedway but having to wait twenty years to win the Daytona 500 in 1998, to eventually losing his life at the track. Daytona will always remind us of Earnhardt, and Wallace’s revelation also added a layer to his own tryst with the storied racetrack.
Did you know.
Dale Sr #3.
WOULD NOT sign or recognize his wrecked race car parts when fans would bring them to him?
Soooooo… I DO NOT recognize you choosing that picture of me wrecking. Here is a picture of my pole run in 1989 at Dayton of 192 mph. And a awesome picture https://t.co/cMXTYRiONx pic.twitter.com/54dXZAOlnQ
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) May 22, 2025
The picture posted along with the X post was from Kenny Wallace’s pole run at Daytona in 1989, which was a standout moment in his early NASCAR career, where he got to showcase his potential on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Driving in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, now known as the Xfinity Series, Wallace secured the pole position for the Goody’s 300 at Daytona International Speedway with an impressive qualifying lap, clocking in at over 192 mph.
Broadcasters and analysts highlighted the achievement during the race weekend coverage and referred to his pole run as “a big-time moment for a small-team effort,” pointing to the underdog nature of his car compared to bigger and better-funded operations. But what Wallace wanted to highlight was that the wrecks do not matter as much as the wins do. After all, not many people want to remember or bring back those bad memories when you have good memories to share.
Dale Earnhardt’s career was littered with achievements that are unparalleled by any racer of his generation. However, it was his mindset that truly set him apart from everyone else. His ‘Pass in the Grass’ on Bill Elliott at the All-Star race to his “I meant to rattle his cage” quote after an incident with Terry Labonte at Bristol underscore his will to get in people’s heads and win the mental battle and the one on the racetrack. In the middle of all of this, he kept his head clear, away from memories of bad races, and focused on how he could win the next. He remains an inspiration for every racer out there, and Wallace’s latest revelation just proves that there’s always something about Dale Earnhardt that we probably didn’t know.
The post Dale Earnhardt’s Forgotten Superstition Comes to Light as NASCAR Veteran Drops Bold ‘Bad Memories’ Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.
