Revenge on the racetrack isn’t always about winning, it’s personal. Dale Earnhardt Jr. once proved that in the most dramatic way. Back in 2000, during a race at Martinsville Speedway, Dale Jr. found himself wrecked early on after his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., clipped Elliott Sadler. Sadler’s spinning car bounced up the track, slamming into Junior’s vehicle. It wasn’t just a minor bump. It knocked Dale Jr. out of contention. But Junior, never one to sit quietly, had something up his sleeve, and he didn’t wait long.
Later in that same race, once his car was patched up and back in motion, Dale Jr. saw his father’s black No. 3 Chevy roaring toward him. Still boiling from the earlier hit, he veered slightly and dragged his right front tire along the entire side of his dad’s car. “I just turned right and dragged the right front tire all down the side of his car. I was so mad,” Dale Jr. recalled. The move caught everyone’s attention, especially crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who radioed him a stern warning: “Richard Childress said don’t be running into him no more, all right? If you know what’s good for you.”
It was one of the few moments where Dale Jr. stood up to the legend himself. But not every standoff with “The Intimidator” went in Junior’s favor. In fact, some memories left Dale Jr. feeling helpless. Recently, in a heartfelt moment on his podcast, Dale Jr. admitted to one incident involving his father and the NFL team Washington Commanders, which left him crushed. As he put it, “I cried.” It was a rare moment where his father’s loyalty, or lack thereof, hit deeper than anything on the track.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s love for Washington football runs deep. He’s not just a fan; he’s been on this ride since childhood. “Still riding high like a jet airplane over last night’s @Commanders win. Been on this wagon since at least 1980,” he wrote after a recent win. That post featured a throwback photo, young Junior, all-in on Washington, standing next to his father. It was one of those rare glimpses where the kid’s passion wasn’t just cars, it was football.
That’s why Super Bowl XVIII still stings him. Washington had just won a championship the year before. Junior was full of hope. But on that day, the Raiders ran wild. Marcus Allen tore through the defence like paper. It wasn’t just a loss; it was a crushing defeat. “I remember when Washington was playing Oakland in the Super Bowl, Oakland destroyed him. I cried, I think,” Dale Jr. said during the latest episode of his podcast. But the real pain wasn’t from the game. It came from the person sitting next to him.
Dale Sr. loved the Atlanta Braves – and giving Dale Jr. a hard time. pic.twitter.com/TqHtkgU5GM
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) June 7, 2025
His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., had no real allegiance to either team. Despite that, seeing Washington get beaten, he was cheering in joy. “And dad is sitting over there cheering like hell. He wasn’t a frickin’ Oakland Raiders fan. That pi—- me off,” Dale Jr recalled. It was one of the few moments where The Intimidator’s joy didn’t sit well with Dale Jr. For Junior, it wasn’t about the score. It was a betrayal in real time. A memory that never really faded.
However, that moment wasn’t just a one-off reaction. Dale Jr.’s love for the Washington team has remained a defining part of his identity. From posting supportive tweets after each game to defending the old team’s name, Junior wears his fandom with pride. After a recent NFC Championship run, he wrote, “Hell of a season @Commanders. Got caught up in the idea of a Super Bowl run and needed reminding this morning of how big the gains were the past 2 years. The team this year went above and beyond anything I had imagined. I’m grateful and excited for the future.”
His emotions haven’t faded; they’ve grown deeper with time, and he is not shy about expressing them either. Ironically, in baseball, the father and son found common ground. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a massive Atlanta Braves fan. He knew the players, hunted with catcher Jody Davis, and exchanged messages with manager Bobby Cox. “A big Atlanta Braves fan knew a lot of the players. Jody Davis was one of the players that he would hunt with. Jody would come to the NASCAR races. Knew Bobby Cox, manager at the time. Would communicate back and forth with him to the dugout, to the racetrack,” Junior said.
It wasn’t just casual interest, it was passion. And just like that, Dale Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps. “It’s been fun being a Braves fan,” he said, though he admits he’s not at the extreme level of Chase Elliott. The bond through baseball was strong and shared. But when it came to football, that same connection was broken, especially on that Super Bowl Sunday. Meanwhile, some young NASCAR drivers still remind him of his father.
Dale Jr. identified new Intimidator for the current generation
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sees flashes of his father in today’s crop of drivers, but not always in the polished ones. Instead, it’s the raw, aggressive racers who remind him of the man known as “The Intimidator.” Recently, Junior singled out Carson Hocevar. “People are probably going to go crazy over this one, but Hocevar, a little bit, is kinda like a young Dale Earnhardt in a way. Makes a lot of mistakes, ruffles a lot of feathers, but he’s very fast, very aggressive,” he admitted.
He didn’t stop there. Junior also pointed to Ross Chastain. “Reminds me a lot of Dad,” he said. “He’s run a few guys up the racetrack and into the fence to win races.” Even Joey Logano earned a nod. “Joey… he gets frustrated, but he’ll still put the bumper to ‘em.” It’s not just about talent, it’s about grit, edge, and making people uncomfortable on the track.
That’s how Dale Sr. raced. That’s what made him feared and respected. And in these current drivers, Dale Jr. sees that legacy continuing, not in stats, but in spirit. “I’ll see that little glimpse of Dad’s style in a lot of different drivers,” he said. And for NASCAR fans, that fire is the lasting shadow of a legend who still lives through every risky move and bold pass.
The post “I Cried”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Comes Clean on the Intimidator’s NFL Obsession That Left Him Fuming appeared first on EssentiallySports.
