"Dad rocks; those cars were tanks" - Dale Jr. recalls Dale Earnhardt's victorious first Winston Cup race

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently reflected on his father Dale Sr.'s first-ever Winston Cup Series victory.

While he tragically left too soon, Dale Earnhardt's legacy in the sport still lives through his numerous wins, accolades, and the legacy he carved for himself. With seven Cup Series championship wins, Earnhardt, to date, remains only one of the three drivers to have achieved such a feat alongside Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson.

Among his other accolades, "the Intimidator" clinched 76 victories in the Cup Series, including the infamous 1998 Daytona 500 victory, and was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame posthumously in 2010.

However, among all other achievements, one that stands out is Dale Earnhardt's first-ever NASCAR Winston Series race victory. In his rookie season, Earnhardt, piloting the No. 2 Chevy for Osterlund Racing, clinched his first-ever career victory in the 1979 Southeastern 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Upon the completion of 45 years since his first-ever victory on April 1st, 1979, clips of Earnhardt's victories once again surfaced online, promoting a response from none other than his son and two-time Xfinity Series winner, Dale Jr. Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Earnhardt Jr wrote:

"Dad rocks the fence off the corner one lap behind Waltrip. Damn those cars were tanks."

Earnhardt won that race after snatching the lead on lap 474 from Darrell Waltrip, who ultimately finished third at Bristol.

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Dale Earnhardt's advice that changed the life of NASCAR broadcaster

In a recent episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast, ESPN's NASCAR journalist Ryan McGee shed light on the character traits of the Intimidator.

Earnhardt, who, as his nickname suggests, carried a bold persona around the NASCAR paddocks and on the racetrack. However, the seven-time Cup Champion still carried a soft side, something which was evident to McGee back in 1999 when he lost his mother.

At a time when he was going through deep pain, the journalist revealed finding solace in the words of none other than Dale Earnhardt. Reflecting on the advice he received from the legendary driver, McGee revealed Earnhardt's poignant words (09:30):

"I need to tell you something. Everybody's gonna tell you that you're going to get over this one day. You're never gonna get over this. My dad died 25 years ago. You never get over it. You just learn how to live with it. You just do what you can to make her proud."