Reflections On The Retirement Of Dale Jr.
Story By: RACE PRO WEEKLY STAFF – With the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would conclude his NASCAR Cup Series driving career at the end of 2017, several of the staff members of Race Pro Weekly had some reflections on the man who had a famous last name, but didn’t want to just be known as “Dale Earnhardt’s kid.”
MIKE PETRUCCI: If Dale Earnhardt was the face of the Winston Cup Series in the 90s, Junior is unquestionably the face of NASCAR’s youth movement in the 2000s. He bridges the gap between old school racing and corporate sponsorship in a way that no other driver has been able. His fan base runs the gamut from old to young, from Maine to California, from Madison Avenue in Manhattan to Main Street in Hickory, NC.
Even though his success on the track has been moderate, Dale Jr. will be considered a legend of the sport, and the impact of his retirement will be felt for years. To understand this, you only needed to be at a Cup race last season. Even with Junior sitting out, the 88 tee shirts in the stands and along the rails at Watkins Glen outnumbered all other drivers.
The “suits” will try very hard to bring up a driver who represents his spirit, but they will never find another Junior.
BOBBY CHALMERS: To me, Dale Jr. didn’t represent a race team. He represented a culture…a culture that needed someone to admire and adore after the death of his father. He has said on several occasions that the shadow of his dad would always be over him…that he would always be measured up to his dad’s abilities. His goal in life wasn’t to be Dale Earnhardt. His goal was to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he’s seemed to do that very well.
His announcement on Tuesday that he would step aside from the driver seat in the NASCAR Cup Series caught many off guard. However, it’s just another example of how Dale Jr. is trying to be his own person. Health may have played a role in it, but as he said, he wanted to do it on his own terms. I think every person doesn’t want decisions made for us. We want the control.
Dale Jr. may be stepping away from the driver’s seat, but I find it hard to believe he’ll be stepping out of the role as the face of NASCAR. As long as he’s in the garage, he’ll still be “the man.”
RUSTY RHOADES: Sure, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had great equipment and an even greater ease of access into the racing world. But that doesn’t even come close to the size of driver’s suit that fate instantly forced him to try and fill by casting a giant shadow he had to drive out from under for years. In my opinion, he did an outstanding job.
I saw him come in as a young fan and was pretty amazed how quickly he gained success and began to fill that suit he never personally needed or wanted to fill as his own goals, which he made reference to at the retirement conference Tuesday. Over the past several years I’ve been lucky enough to work many race weekends with a camera on my shoulder and see the drivers and teams from somewhat of a different aspect. I don’t claim to know Jr whatsoever personally, but from the pieces and pre/post-race interviews we’ve done with him, he was always great to deal with both on and off camera and seemed to be that same genuine person on the television as behind the scenes with other drivers and friends.
Two things I remember most about Jr. are first, the smile he had on his face and the hug with Dale Sr. after winning at Texas in 2000 and breaking his legendary father’s record for fewest Cup starts to earn his first victory. The second is the crazy amount of fans he had waiting and wanting to see and meet him. Everywhere. Walking back to the hauler after Pocono qualifying. The quick hustle from golf cart to driver’s meeting at Dover. Weaving through the media and throngs into the driver intro area at Loudon. And he handled it as well and as genuine as I or anyone else should have expected him to handle it. I specifically remember in the midst of one of these wild packs surrounding him into the Dover driver’s meeting, Jr. stopping out of nowhere when two dedicated fans said they had just gotten married and we’re basically on their honeymoon while pointing at their homemade shirts commemorating the event. He shook their hands, got a picture with them and signed each of their shirts on their backs before entering the tent.
Over the past couple years, his genuine character also seemed to publicly reveal his sense of Cup fulfillment conflicted with his worry of letting his teams and fans down, which he also emotionally spoke of at his retirement conference. You could see the thoughtfulness in his answers to the media about the concussions and his future. Always genuine. He did an admirable job for many years, and succeeded with flying colors in being his own driver and man.
MATT TRACE: The retirement of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a surprise to all, but a life saver to him. From battling with concussion symptoms last year, it was only a matter of time to see NASCAR’s most popular driver bring up the “R” word.
The only thing that pops into my head is, what could of been for Little E? 26 wins, 2 Daytona 500 championships, 2 Busch (now Xfinity) Championships but the one thing missing? A cup title. One of NASCAR’s most consistent drivers for 18 years, a lack of a cup title, some would consider a failure, but his ability to give back to his fans and the sport is what makes Jr. one of the best drivers of all time.
Here’s to you Dale, enjoy life after racing. A healthy, happy life after 18 strong years of Cup racing is exactly what you deserve.
DYLAN FRIEBEL: As a kid, in my house it was Rusty Wallace for my dad and Dale Jr. for my mom. He was the handsome blonde kid in NASCAR. I haven’t been to a NASCAR race since I was five years old, so 15 years now. From watching him on TV i can see he is a class act. Yes, he should be a First Ballot Hall Of Fame guy, even if he does not win a championship. It will be weird not seeing the #88 car next year with Dale Jr. driving. I wish him and his wife Amy the best in their future endeavors.
