NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared memories of his childhood in Prime Video’s new docuseries “Earnhardt”. He recalled the time when his dad, the great Dale Sr., surprised him with art supplies and suggested he could attend art school.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was Left Speechless by This Surprising Gift From Dale Sr.
Earnhardt explores the life and legacy of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, who became an immortal figure in NASCAR folklore with seven Cup Series victories. The docuseries was released on Prime Video on May 22 and offers a compelling blend of Dale Sr’s trademark intensity on the track and rare glimpses into his life away from racing.
Family has always been a key part of the Earnhardt legacy. With the weight of his father’s name on his shoulders, Dale Jr. met expectations and earned a spot on NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list.
While Dale Jr. seemed destined for a life in NASCAR, his parents weren’t always convinced it was the right path for him.
As revealed in Prime Video’s Earnhardt, Dale Sr. once suggested art school for his son, and Dale Jr. immediately dismissed it. “I wanted to race cars just as badly as my dad. I used to draw race cars all the time at school in art,” Dale Jr. said. “I took drafting class just to draw race cars.”
“Dad and Teresa (Dale Jr.’s step-mom) came home one day with a giant box of all these supplies, and they said, ‘We thought maybe you’d want to go to art school. We were looking at this college down the road.’”
“Take all this art s— out of here.” 😅 All episodes of Earnhardt are now streaming. pic.twitter.com/4NWncPyFU5
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) May 29, 2025
“I was like, ‘Are you f******g out of your mind? I’m not going to art school. What? Like, I’m not an art student. I’m not into art.’ I was so spun out, and I was like, ‘D***n it! Like you’re Dale Earnhardt, and I want to race. Help me race. What should I do in this moment to be getting closer to racing? Take all this art s**t out of here.”
At the time, he felt totally misunderstood and probably didn’t realize his parents were just trying to support his interests, not shut down any hope of racing.
Racing Changed Dale Jr.’s Relationship With His Father
During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2018, Dale Jr. recalled how his bond with his father shifted in a big way when he started racing and made his way into NASCAR.
“So he is thinking ‘Damn! This little s**t can drive a car!’ And that’s when our relationship completely changed,” he told Rogan. “That’s when [he] had his arm around me, we were doing s**t together, we had sponsor deals and promotions together. We were doing photo shoots together.”
“I saw him all the time, and we talked about all kinds of (things). We talked about life, girls, everything but racing. We didn’t talk about racing much, which is fine. And it was awesome.”
