Long before producing documentaries and hosting podcasts, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a detour into prime-time comedy. The NASCAR icon made his scripted TV debut in a 2004 episode of CBS’s “Yes, Dear,” playing an exaggerated version of himself behind the wheel.
The cameo, which aired May 3, 2004, saw Earnhardt terrify a hapless character during a wild stock car ride. The episode remains a quirky footnote in his career and a reminder of NASCAR’s early 2000s pop culture crossover.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Sitcom Debut Featured White-Knuckle NASCAR Chaos
In “Yes, Dear” Season 4, Episode 21 (A List Before Dying), character Jimmy Hughes (Mike O’Malley) survives a near-death piano accident and vows to complete his childhood bucket list. One item: “Ride in a stock car with a NASCAR driver.”
Earnhardt, then 29, obliged. The scene opens with Jimmy’s first meetup with Earnhardt, whom he addresses as “Little E,” at his [Jimmy] house to help him fulfill an item on his bucket list. On the next scene, Jimmy nervously straps into Junior’s passenger seat as he [Earnhardt] casually drives at 150 mph.
“Just warming up the tires,” Earnhardt deadpans after hitting 150 mph. Jimmy’s nervousness turns to nausea as the car accelerates, culminating in a messy payoff.
On this date in 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr had a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom, "Yes, Dear." pic.twitter.com/vCrDkWmQNt
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) May 3, 2025
The cameo marked Earnhardt’s first scripted TV role, starkly contrasting his later documentary work. It also coincided with his 2004 People magazine “Most Beautiful People” nod, where he ranked 13th. “I’ve been told my chiseled jaw is my best feature,” he quipped in the profile.
While the episode leaned on slapstick, it mirrored Junior’s real-life reputation for thrilling fans with ride-alongs. “I didn’t wanna be a fool,” he later said of acting challenges.
“I was going to try to be a smart a**. But I was never gonna be as good. So, it was just tough.”
Earnhardt’s Hollywood Journey Spanned Animated Roasts and Improv Fumbles
The “Yes, Dear” gig foreshadowed Earnhardt’s eclectic media career. In 2013, he voiced himself alongside Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne in Fox’s The Cleveland Show. The animated episode poked fun at racing’s reliance on luck, with Kahne joking, “I could win this race just by driving sensibly.”
His most famous role came in 2006’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” A deleted scene required improv with Will Ferrell, a nerve-wracking task.
“They didn’t have a script. You’re supposed to say something, so you say something, right? I don’t remember what I said, but it was probably not funny,” Earnhardt recalled on the “Dirty Air” podcast.
“Will’s gonna just start talking, and you just react.’ And that was really tough because, I mean, look, he’s a professional comedian.”
The NASCAR star’s Hollywood forays balanced self-deprecation and fandom. In “Cars” (2006), he voiced a smooth-talking No. 8 car. Decades later, he executive-produced docuseries like “NASCAR: Full Speed” and “Lost Speedways,” blending history with behind-the-scenes access.
For fans, it’s a time capsule, a glimpse of NASCAR’s peak cultural reach and a driver unafraid to laugh at himself.