Having stepped away from a full-time racing career owing to a series of concussions, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was never really able to say goodbye to NASCAR for good. Hailing from an iconic family, oval racing ran in his blood, and Earnhardt began hosting a podcast called “Dale Jr. Download” to discuss all things racing.
An avid collector of race memorabilia, the 49-year-old started a special segment on his podcast. Each month, he picks out a winner for the “Ultimate Collector Contest,” this month’s winner shocked Earnhardt.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Awe of a Rusty Wallace Fan
Each month, hundreds of fans send their NASCAR-related collection to Earnhardt for a chance to get featured on his podcast and become the Ultimate Collector of the month.
The latest episode of the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast revealed the competition’s most recent winner, a huge Rusty Wallace fan.
As Earnhardt went through the highlights from the collection of ‘Big Dan,” he couldn’t help but drop all his filters to exclaim, “Holy s***!” The JR Motorsports co-owner added, “Look at this room! He’s got helmets. Suits… full suits! Oh man, everything is in beautiful cases.”
Congratulations to @rwifan for winning this month’s @Lionel_Racing‘s Ultimate Collector contest! 🎉
Talk about a Rusty Wallace fan – and an awesome bar set up too. 🥃🍻
Thanks for sending in your submissions into the @DaleJr Download, we will see you guys next month! 📆 pic.twitter.com/aiEggyKRF5
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) April 30, 2025
Aside from race gear, the fan also housed a full bar comprising Wallace’s liquor bottles signed by the man himself. As the camera moved through, the 49-year-old also noticed a bottle of his “High Rock Vodka” that he co-created with his wife Amy and Sugarlands Distilling Company.
Some more t-shirts had Wallace’s signature on them, adding to the value of the collection.
Notably, the Ultimate Racing Collector competition is sponsored by Lionel Racing, which creates NASCAR’s official diecast cars.
Speaking of diecast cars and Earnhardt, the retired racing driver holds a unique record related to them.
Earnhardt Jr. Holds a Special Record in the Diecast World
On Nov. 19, 2017, Earnhardt drove in his final Cup Series race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in a livery he called “The Last Ride.”
Lionel Racing released a diecast model that mirrored Earnhardt’s livery and released it for sale. Little did they know that the model would become the company’s highest-selling car in their 25-year history.
While the official numbers weren’t released, Lionel Racing issued a statement saying that the Last Ride Diecast had outsold its previous record by more than 10,000 orders.
Altogether, Earnhardt die-casts were six of the top 10 best-sellers of the year, including the top three positions. Chase Elliott (twice), Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch also had die-casts inside the top 10.