Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s love for NASCAR runs deeper than the racetrack. It’s in his blood, from his racing legacy to his late-night gaming sessions. A lifelong gamer, Dale Jr. was hooked on NASCAR video games long before sim racing became a thing, battling it out under the alias “TheIntimidator3” in Papyrus’ NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. Back in the day, he’d fire up NASCAR Thunder on his bus, duking it out with friends and crew.
“We used to run races on the bus, set the AI to 100% and see if we could beat ‘em,” he said on The Dale Jr. Download in 2020. “It got real serious. If you got beat, you were hearing about it all week.” That competitive fire, paired with his passion for gaming, made him a vocal advocate for iRacing and helped bring NASCAR to the platform in the late 2000s. Now, Dale Jr. is channeling that same enthusiasm into shaping NASCAR 25, set to drop this fall.
When iRacing snagged the NASCAR license in 2023, Junior didn’t just sign on for a cameo. He dove in headfirst, vowing to make the game a love letter to fans. “I want this to feel like the real thing,” he told developers, per producer Matt Lewis in a 2024 Insider Gaming interview. From crafting the soundtrack to nailing the emotional grind of a race weekend, his hands-on role is blowing minds. Lewis called it “mind-blowing,” noting Dale sticks around in meetings way past his schedule, even dodging his manager’s nudges to keep tweaking details.
The buzz around NASCAR 25 is electric, and it’s not just the Unreal Engine switch or slick multiplayer promises driving it. Dale Jr.’s commitment to authenticity, rooted in his own racing and gaming experience, is what’s got fans buzzing. He’s lending his voice to the career mode, popping up in-game to talk about you, the player, as you climb from Trucks to Cup. It’s a feature that’s never been done before, blending real-world storytelling with virtual stakes. For fans who grew up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on game covers and 3 Doors Down blasting, this feels like a throwback to the golden era of NASCAR gaming, but with a modern twist.
Drawing from his days grinding laps in NR2003 and battling AI in NASCAR Thunder, Dale’s pushing for a game that captures the sport’s soul, something fans have craved for years. The hype’s building, and it’s no wonder why. This is Dale Jr., the guy who raced virtual tracks as fiercely as real ones, steering NASCAR 25 toward something special.
That passion shone through when Lewis spilled details about the career mode, where Dale and TJ Majors comment on your journey via the Dirty Mo Media podcast. It’s a groundbreaking addition, making every race feel like a real-world headline. Fans hit Reddit hard, buzzing with excitement over what Dale’s involvement could mean for a game they’ve been dreaming of for ages.
“NASCAR Jesus”: Fans react to Dale Jr.’s NASCAR 25 role
One fan summed up the game-changer: “The main piece of info in this is how during career mode, Dale/TJ pop in during the week from the Dirty Mo studio commenting on the player’s progression or any involvements they’ve had in the previous race. That’s something we have never had in a NASCAR game that I can recall. Obviously we’d have newspapers, drivers texting you, agents, etc, this would be like Inside Winston Cup having something in Thunder 04 talking about you.”
This nails it. NASCAR 25’s career mode, with Dale Jr. and TJ Majors in the Dirty Mo studio talking about your virtual season, is a first. Past games like NASCAR Thunder 2004 had headlines or texts, but this is deeper, like having Inside Winston Cup break down your last race. It’s a storytelling leap that makes every crash, win, or rivalry feel personal, tying your career to the sport’s pulse.
Another fan didn’t hold back: “NASCAR Jesus is a saint. Wants it done right.” Dale Jr.’s commitment is what’s got fans calling him a saint. Matt Lewis said it best: “We’ve been on meetings a couple of times where like his [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] business manager’s popping her head in and being like, ‘we gotta go.’ He’s like, ‘I know, 10 more minutes.’”
He’s not just signing off; he’s guiding developers on how drivers think and feel, from the chaos of a race to the grind of a season. His push for authenticity, whether it’s the soundtrack or career mode’s emotional depth, shows he’s all-in. For fans, it’s proof that Dale Jr.’s not just lending his name, he’s fighting to make NASCAR 25 a true reflection of the sport.
The hype’s real, as one fan put it: “The hype I’m feeling about this game feels a lot like when College Football 25 came out last year. Looked forward to any new information that came and watched any video that they would release. Feels like I’m refreshing NASCAR 25’s Twitter account a couple times a day for anything new they tweet.” That College Football 25-level frenzy is spot-on. The switch to Unreal Engine, promises of robust multiplayer, and Dale’s podcast integration have fans glued to every update. After years of lackluster NASCAR titles, the community is starving for a game with depth, and Dale Jr.’s involvement is fueling a hype train that’s full speed ahead.
Another fan voiced hope: “I hope Dale Jr’s involvement pushes things in the right direction. If it has a career mode with good progression, and AI that is aware of the situation and does more than the bare minimum, then will be happy. A paint booth where you can save multiple different paint schemes in the career mode would be nice also. I want to change my paint scheme occasionally without losing my primary scheme dangit!”
Earnhardt’s input on driver emotions and race-weekend realism could fix long-standing gripes like bland AI or shallow career modes. Fans want smart opponents and features like a paint booth for custom schemes, a nod to older games, and PC mods. With Dale’s racing savvy and gamer roots, those upgrades feel within reach.
Finally, one fan hit on nostalgia: “People forget Dale Jr was popular during the best nascar games…3 doors down and everything.” The early 2000s were a golden era for NASCAR games, with titles like Thunder 2003 and Chase for the Cup, featuring Dale Jr. as a cover star, and tracks by 3 Doors Down setting the vibe. Those titles were cultural touchstones, blending racing with personality. Now, as a guiding force behind NASCAR 25, Dale’s bringing that energy back, merging his on-track legacy with a vision for a game that could redefine the genre.
The post Fans Fired Up as Dale Jr. Vows to Bring What Every Gamer Longed for in NASCAR 25 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
