Matt Martin shared a golden NASCAR memory this Fourth of July weekend when he posted a 1994 photo of himself as a toddler in Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s arms at Darlington Raceway. The throwback snapshot instantly ignited fan nostalgia across social media platforms.
The image captured a playful moment before that year’s Southern 500. Earnhardt tested the toddler’s loyalty with a loaded question that contrasted sharply with the Intimidator’s fierce rivalry against Martin’s father on the track.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. Playfully Tests Mark Martin’s Son, Asks About His Favorite Driver
The retro photo shows a 2-year-old Matthew cradled by the seven-time champion outside a race hauler. Earnhardt had his signature mustache and was wearing a fireproof suit while holding the youngster, but the wholesome scene came with a playful challenge.
“Dale Earnhardt holding me before the 1994 Southern 500,” Martin captioned the photo. “He asked me if he was my favorite driver 😂.” When fans demanded his response, Martin said, “I nodded yes 😂. I was only 2 years old and didn’t really understand what he meant 😆.”
Dale Earnhardt holding me before the 1994 Southern 500. He asked me if he was my favorite driver 😂 pic.twitter.com/DzaiOfdYXm
— Matthew Martin (@6matthewmartin) July 3, 2025
The moment proved bittersweet for that race weekend. Earnhardt finished second to Bill Elliott, while Mark Martin suffered engine failure and placed 25th. That season ultimately saw Mark finish second in the points standings, marking another near-miss in his five career runner-up campaigns.
Fans flooded the comments with jokes about what Martin could have replied to Earnhardt that day. One wrote, “I’m going to imagine a two year old saying ‘you’re alright I guess, but, have you seen how badass @markmartin is?'” Another guessed, “Pretty special now isn’t it? You didn’t say Jeff Gordon was did you? lol.”
Earnhardt and Mark Martin’s Complex Racing Rivalry Built on Mutual Respect
Earnhardt’s joke with young Martin masked a complex relationship with the boy’s father. Though their on-track battles turned fierce, including deliberate practice session collisions, Mark consistently acknowledged Earnhardt’s off-track respect and mentorship.
“In ’81 when I started crossing paths with him [Earnhardt], you know, with the Busch series and the five Cup races, … he treated me very very very respectfully,” Mark said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast. “It was real warming to me that someone of his stature would give me the time of day, and he was friendly with me.”
Mark described Earnhardt’s aggressive racing as psychological testing rather than personal animosity. “He was testing me when we had those brush-ups. It was a test to see what I would do, how I would react. Would I bow down? Would I cry and complain? Boy, he didn’t like the ones that would whine about it.”
One incident in Michigan exemplified this dynamic. Earnhardt crowded Martin during practice until both drivers wrecked. “He’d wait for me, get on my outside, and hang there,” Mark recalled. When Martin retaliated at New Hampshire weeks later, Earnhardt simply told his team, “I think Mark’s had enough.”
Their most intense battle came during the 1990 championship fight. Earnhardt edged Martin by 26 points after a controversial carburetor penalty cost Mark critical momentum. Despite the fierce competition, their mutual admiration never wavered, extending even to impromptu conversations with toddlers in the garage area.
Martin’s viral post now immortalizes that unique relationship between two fierce competitors who shared genuine respect and laughter beyond their asphalt wars. As one fan perfectly commented: “Never say no to Earnhardt.”
That single photo, a legend holding his rival’s son, reminded fans that behind the fiercest battles lies a bond only racing can build. Some moments don’t just capture history; they define it.