Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminded NASCAR fans why he remains the sport’s ultimate people’s man during Sunday’s post-race show. As fellow analysts took polite sips, the Hall of Famer delivered an unforgettable moment of authenticity.
While Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, and Corey LaJoie barely touched their drinks, Earnhardt tilted his cup skyward and chugged every drop, igniting instant social media chaos.
Viral Chug Captures Unfiltered Earnhardt Spirit
The now-iconic moment unfolded during Amazon Prime’s post-race celebration. A fan’s viral video showed the broadcast team raising cups in toast before diverging dramatically. Edwards, Hamlin, and LaJoie took tentative sips before setting their beers down and getting busy with the race-talks. But Earnhardt locked eyes with his cup like it held the final lap at Daytona.
“@DaleJr will not stop until he sees the bottom of that cup with the naked eye and you gotta love that,” the fan captioned the clip. Earnhardt’s no-nonsense approach struck a chord.
“Literally the last of a dying breed,” one viewer declared. “Look at the rest of those pussies barely take a swig.”
Literally the last of a dying breed
— . (@Clemmer2cold) June 8, 2025
The NASCAR community instantly crowned him as one of them, “Dale Jr is all of us 🙌🏻,” One wrote, “Not a drop of beer wasted.” “@dalejr knows the assignment,” another quipped. Some fans expressed their desire to have a drink with Earnhardt, as a fan wrote, “And that’s exactly why I would love to sit down with Jr have a beer and talk!”
Kip Childress, CARS Tour executive director, validated the move: “I don’t know if you’ve heard or not… @DaleJr said beer calories don’t count…so drink up!!🍻🍻🍻”
Beer Rituals Cement Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Everyman Legacy
This wasn’t spontaneous theater — it was pure Earnhardt. The moment echoed his post-retirement Homestead celebration, where he famously cracked beers with his crew. Throughout his career, Earnhardt Jr. transformed post-race beers into cultural touchstones.
Just weeks earlier in Nashville, he’d demonstrated proper beer etiquette during Ryan Blaney’s victory toast. Analyst John Higgins noted: “@DaleJr is the only person who correctly taps the table after the cheers. Real man of culture.”
Fans instantly recognized the ritual — “Seasoned vet right there” and “And he slammed it!” flooded the replies.
If you look closely @DaleJr is the only person who correctly taps the table after the cheers. Real man of culture https://t.co/sFuhkymAHV
— John Higgins (@johnhiggins29) June 6, 2025
At May’s Coca-Cola 600, Ross Chastain brought beers to the broadcast desk. While others sipped, Earnhardt and Corey LaJoie drained theirs in solidarity. “I’m fairly sure @DaleJr knocked out that whole cup,” one fan observed. “My dude @DaleJr wanted to pound that thing🤣🍻,” another wrote.
For fans, the Michigan chug symbolized more than thirst. It represented the unfiltered spirit disappearing from modern NASCAR. As one supporter perfectly summarized, “He’s always been the ultimate bro. The love is real.” In a world of corporate polish, Earnhardt remains the people’s champion — one frosty cup at a time.