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NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared his interest in exploring a trivia-filled book detailing significant moments in Formula One history. The revelation came as he discussed the origins of his passion for motorsports history, often referred to as his "NASCAR history bug."
Dale Earnhardt Jr. began his NASCAR career in 1996 in the Busch Series (now Xfinity Series), where he earned back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999. Over his career, he amassed 50 victories across NASCAR’s top two divisions. Despite his success, Earnhardt Jr. could not replicate his father Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s legacy as a seven-time Cup Series champion, as he never clinched a Cup Series title.
The two-time Xfinity champion recently shared a post on X and spoke about how his fascination with the history of NASCAR came to be. He wrote:
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"I'll tell you the origin of my NASCAR history bug. I was at Joe Whitlock's house in the late 1980s. He was a respected NASCAR media member, and his house was full of racing history. He gave me 2 VHS tapes of Bud Lindemann's "Car and Track". On each were 20 short highlight reels of NASCAR's events of the past. These same episodes would be used to create my show "Back in the Day" that ran on Speed Channel in the 2000s. Joe Whitlock was a good man."
After reading this, Motorsport.com's editor Alanis King asked Dale Jr. whether he would be interested in a book about Formula One's 'wild history' and its 'shady sponsorship' deals.
"I know it’s not the same, but if you ever want a copy of my F1 book that has a bunch of wiiiild history and historical characters and shady sponsors, I can get you one," King wrote.
Dale Jr. responded with interest and wrote:
"I need to add that to my collection."
After retiring from full-time racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. transitioned into team ownership. He now co-owns JR Motorsports, one of the most successful and experienced teams in the Xfinity Series. Additionally, Earnhardt Jr. is a co-owner of the zMAX CARS Tour, alongside former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick and other prominent NASCAR figures.
“Fun time being a kid”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks back on childhood picture with Dale Sr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a close bond with his father, seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., which greatly influenced his path into NASCAR. Growing up around the sport and accompanying his father during race weeks, Dale Jr. developed a passion for racing.
NASCAR analyst Jay Coker recently shared a nostalgic post featuring a photo of two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. walking alongside his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. Dale Jr. reshared the post on X, adding a heartfelt note that detailed the significance of what he was holding in his hands in the picture.
"The media center had media packets of all the teams. I would grab one of each team every trip to the track to get postcards and other cool items. Fun time being a kid with the access I had," wrote Dale Jr.
The father-son duo competed together in the Cup Series for nearly two years until Dale Sr.’s tragic passing in a fatal crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.
