One of the most popular personalities in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has experienced more than a handful of rather tumultuous life phases.
Son of one of the greatest NASCAR figures, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Junior had big expectations for himself. His father, who redefined the sport and put it on the map in many ways, was a complicated figure himself, and the two did not have a traditional loving father-son bond.
Infamous for his ‘tough guy’ persona, Dale Sr. carried it outside the track as well. Owing to this, he shared complex relationships with all his kids, including Dale Jr.
However, according to Kelley Earnhardt, Dale Sr., and Junior’s bond was taking a different turn for the good just before the former’s sudden demise.
Kelley Earnhardt On The Blossoming Father-Son Bond of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Sr.
Junior possessed a knack for motorsports and likely inherited it, considering the racing brilliance in the Earnhardt DNA. However, he was not always what one would call ‘an easy child’.
The JRM owner often got into trouble as a child, and in many cases, he also donned the creator tag of that trouble. In most cases, though, Junior only did so to grab his father’s attention.
Senior, who started out working at a loom, worked himself to the bone to become one of the most popular names in all of the U.S.
This usually came with a cost, as he did not pay as much attention to his kids. His daughter, who initially craved it, soon realized that it was transactional in Dale Sr.’s, and eventually stopped seeking it altogether.
Junior, on the other hand, did whatever was necessary to get Dale Sr. to notice him.
In an old article by The Washington Post, author Kent Bab spoke to Dale Jr. and several members of his family, and they opened up about several aspects of their childhood.
Dale Jr.’s sister said Junior wanted to get noticed whenever their dad was around. She said, “Always wanting that attention. Wanting to be noticed.”
While this worked for a while, Junior’s tactics no longer got Dale Sr.’s attention as he grew up. At this point, he indulged in smoking and spent most of his time playing video games as a teenager.
This led to several heated discussions between the two, with Senior yelling at his son for “wasting his life” and Junior retaliating by accusing him of not paying enough attention to him.
However, after some convincing, Dale Sr. finally let Junior get behind the wheel of a race car. Dale Jr. soon proved his mettle and bagged the 1998 and 1999 Busch Series championships. He also won a bit of his dad’s approval, and though Senior did not outright show it, he was proud of his son.
Memories that last forever ❤️
We uncovered this footage of @DaleJr with his dad Dale Earnhardt Sr. after winning the 1998 Busch Grand National Series Championship here at Homestead-Miami Speedway. #HappyFathersDay pic.twitter.com/3ti4oZ6ylo
— Homestead-Miami Speedway (@HomesteadMiami)
After many years of ups and downs, the father-son relationship was finally seeing a sunny patch. With Junior making a name for himself and Senior living up to his legacy, things seemed to be moving in a positive direction until the green flag at the 2001 Daytona.
Senior’s last-lap crash and sudden death came as a shock to the entire family. And though Junior did not precisely show it, he perhaps suffered the most, and it took him a long time to accept it and make peace with it.
About their blooming relationship that never reached its full potential, his sister said, “They were just developing this relationship. To have that pulled out from under him, to have it taken away, was a second tragedy.”
Even after Senior’s demise, Dale Jr. and his sister always stuck together. Junior had many things inside that he wanted to tell his dad, but could not until it was too late.