Some rivalries in sports feel like a ticking time bomb. But the one between Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine was a full-blown explosion waiting to happen, lap after lap. And when Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought it up recently on his ‘Dale Jr. Download’ podcast, fans got a raw, honest look at how deep that tension went.
Earnhardt didn’t hold back, either. He called it what it was — real hate, the kind that boiled over on the track. And honestly, fans could feel every ounce of that fire when those two drivers raced back in the day.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Recalls the Intimidator vs. Bodine
In the ’80s and ’90s, Earnhardt’s father was already known as “The Intimidator.” However, senior Earnhardt’s aggressive style hit a different level when Bodine was around. These guys would beat and bang for fifth place like the Daytona 500. It didn’t matter if the win was on the line — it was personal.
Earnhardt mentioned in his podcast with the youngest Bodine brother, Todd Bodine, that, “In around the mid-80s or the late-80s, dad and Geoff had a really rough couple of years. The Earnhardts didn’t like the Bodines, and the Bodines probably didn’t love the Earnhardts, at least that particular section of the family, Geoff and dad.”
He added, “but then there were times when he would get himself five-lap penalties, and I’m thinking, ‘What are you doing? Why are y’all so mad at each other that you’re going to throw the whole race away?”
One quote shared by Earnhardt really painted the picture. He admitted to one event, saying, “Your whole family’s up in this suite… and you and him are out there d**king around.” That pretty much summed it all up—just pure frustration.
The two were locked in a loop of revenge. In 1987, Earnhardt’s father crashed Bodine in the All-Star Race to grab a massive $200,000 prize. Bodine got fined, but the feud wasn’t over. A week later, Bodine returned it to him in the Busch Series — and NASCAR slapped Bodine again with a $15,000 fine. It kept happening, race after race.
By 1988, it had reached a point of no return. Bodine spun at Charlotte, walked over to Earnhardt’s car, and made a huge “X” gesture in the air. Later in the year, NASCAR stepped in and dragged both teams to Daytona for a serious sit-down after a severe wreck between these two.
One Bodine Was a Friend, Though
While Bodine and senior Earnhardt went at it like cats and dogs, the youngest of the Bodine brothers — had a totally different relationship with Earnhardt’s father.
He told a heart-warming story on the podcast about how he and senior Earnhardt used to ride horses together. Their farms were just a few miles apart, and Earnhardt’s dad would show up on horseback with his daughter, Taylor, ready for an afternoon ride through the woods. He even joked once, “d**n it, give me a hitching post up here.”
After senior Earnhardt’s tragic death at Daytona in 2001, that hitching post became a silent tribute — a reminder of a friendship that bloomed in the middle of a family feud.
So, while the Earnhardt vs. Bodine feud will always be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most bitter rivalries, it’s those unexpected bonds that make the story even richer.