In the pantheon of NASCAR legends, no NASCAR fan could forget the story and legacy that Dale Earnhardt created. Known simply as “The Intimidator,” Earnhardt Sr. wasn’t just a driver but an unstoppable force. His iconic #3 Chevrolet, black as night and bold, has his racing style, cutting through the field like a blade, striking fear in competitors and inspiring devotion in fans. He built a legacy not just on track, but in the hearts of millions who saw him as the soul of American stock car racing. Just like he famously said, “You win some, you lose some, you wreck some.”
Unfortunately, not all stories have a happy ending. His tragic passing at the 2001 Daytona 500 sent shockwaves through the sport, leaving a void that could never truly be filled. Back in the day, many young fans like Spencer Boyd would be introduced to the world of racing. But for them, Dale Jr. was their favorite driver. The iconic #8 DEI Budweiser car going around the racetrack instantly made an impact. But, after the tragic death of his father at Daytona, he lost a piece of himself, which is well depicted in the “Earnhardt” documentary by Amazon Prime.
Like any passionate fan, Spencer Boyd was emotionally touched when he took a stroll down memory lane while watching the docuseries. And he recalled the interaction he had with Dale Jr., just weeks after Earnhardt’s tragic passing.
How Spencer Boyd’s childhood idol became his career compass
The memories came rushing back during an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, as Boyd revisited those emotional moments through the ‘Earnhardt’ documentary. The documentary isn’t just a retelling of NASCAR history, but a personal time capsule. “I never met Dale Sr. I was 5 years old when he passed. I did meet Dale Jr., two weeks after Dale Sr. passed.” Although he did not remember large chunks of the incident, his parents recalled his conversation with Dale Jr. after the latter’s race.
“I don’t really remember it specifically, outside the scenes and pictures and reminding me, my parents said ‘Yeah you walked up’ and we’re like ‘Sorry about your dad bro’ and I’m like, ‘Man I cant imagine me saying that and I can’t imagine what he thought when this little kid says that and I was probably one in the million.’” Spencer recalled. It wasn’t just young Spencer, but the entire racing community who have vivid memories of the moment when Earnhardt passed away.
“My dad was a huge Dale Sr fan, I was leaving my first ever go-kart race when Senior passed away in the 500. So, it’s kind of weird, how you kind of remember where you were when certain things happened in the world and for my family, we all knew, we could talk about it to this day, where we were, what exit we were at when we heard Dale Sr passed,” The Freedom Racing enterprise driver added.
However, that 5-year-old kid would go on to live his dream when he shared the same racetrack with his hero, Dale Jr. “I’ve got to race on the same racetrack as Dale Jr. and Xfinity and that was a really big moment for me and my parents thought that it was so cool.” Well, he’s even given 7-time Jimmie Johnson a tough time while he raced in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing in 2019. At Richmond, Boyd was a lap down and gave his all to keep Johnson in his rear-view mirror, resulting in an unfriendly gesture which the young driver laughed off. Since then, his passion for the sport has motivated him to make big strides beyond his role as a driver.
Spencer is not only living the dream, but he is also following in his idol’s footsteps, co-owning a race team in the Craftsman Truck Series. After the 2017 win at Talladega, this was perhaps the biggest moment in Boyd’s racing career. So far, the #76 Chevy truck has shown improvements compared to last year. With five top 20 finishes, the team is looking strong, and a trip back to Talladega could see them make a huge splash this year.
Dale Jr. shares an update about his personal project
Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced the completion of the second season of “Becoming Earnhardt,” a documentary series that delves into the early years of his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s, NASCAR career. The upcoming season focuses on the 1980 season, during which Earnhardt Sr. secured his first Cup Series Championship. The series aims to provide fans with an in-depth look at the unique dynamics of race teams and the distinctive personalities that made the sport what it is today.
In a recent post on X, Earnhardt Jr shared his enthusiasm for the project via X, “Today I went into the @DirtyMoMedia studios and recorded the full second season of ‘Becoming Earnhardt.’ It’s a series focused around the 1980 season, dad’s first Cup Championship. Follow @DirtyMoMedia for updates on when that will be available. We did a deep dive into the 1979 season a few years ago as well.”
This comes on the back of the Prime Video documentary that gave the audience an in-depth view of what it means to be an Earnhardt. Not only Dale Sr., but also the different trajectory of Dale Jr., Kelley Earnhardt, and their dynamics with Teresa are captured without a filter. And this approach seems to have struck a chord with the viewers. With another project lined up by the Dirty Mo Media, it will be interesting to learn about the early racing days of Dale Sr., back when he wasn’t at RCR.
“This series is an opportunity for all of us to learn about the quirky nature of the race teams and the cantankerous personalities that filled up the @NASCAR garages back then,” said Junior. “I’m massively nostalgic to the past historical moments in NASCAR competition, so this series is a ton of fun for me,” Jr. added.
NASCAR fans are indeed spoiled at the moment. After Netflix and Amazon, they will have another interesting documentary to cherish.
The post “Sorry About Your Dad” — Spencer Boyd Recalls Childhood Encounter with Dale Jr. Weeks After NASCAR Tragedy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
