Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminisces on his childhood memories in reaction to a fan’s Mark Martin #2 sketch attempt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently responded to a fan art of Mark Martin’s No. 2 car posted on X. Notably, Martin drove the iconic livery for Bud Reeder in 1981, marking his first year of racing in NASCAR’s premier racing series.

The #2 seemed like one of Dale Jr.’s favorites as well. Like the fan who made the original sketch, the two-time Xfinity Series champion, too, had scribbled his version of the car as a kid.

Dale Jr. was perhaps reminded of his artwork when he saw the fan’s rendition of Martin’s #02 Prototype / Ams Oil Pontiac. He uploaded it in the comments section with the following caption:

“I drew this when I was a kid.”

The fan responded to Dale Jr.’s comment with yet another sketch. But this time around, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. The NASCAR Hall of Famer won nine races with that car before retiring in 2017.

“Found one I drew of your car from when I was around 7 or 8,” the fan wrote.

It’s safe to say that Dale Jr.’s popularity in NASCAR is unmatched. He was voted the sport’s Most Popular Driver 15 years in a row from 2003 to 2017. Although retired from full-time racing now, the 50-year-old man still competes from time to time.

Most recently, Dale Jr. brought back his famous No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet to life, running it in the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway in November 2024. Despite showcasing an impressive drive from 40th to 2nd at one point during the race, the veteran racer had to settle for a disappointing P28 due to a mechanical issue in his car.

Nevertheless, he will run select late-model races through 2025 under the banner of JR Motorsports, an Xfinity Series team that he owns alongside his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports.

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“Solid job on these”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. lauds CARS Tour for its newly launched merchandise

Dale Earnhardt Jr. received a shipment of four new versions of CARS Tour patch hats and he absolutely loved them. He tweeted,

“I got a few of these today. Solid job on these. @zMAXFormula.”

Dale Jr, alongside Jeff Burton, Justin Marks, and Kevin Harvick, owns the zMAX CARS Tour, a touring series featuring Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. Spearheaded by Harvick, the series expanded into the CARS Tour West last year.

“To have Kevin, Dale Jr., Justin and Jeff bring the CARS Tour to the West Coast and support the grassroots racing is what we need to continue to build a healthy series and showcase the next generation of drivers,” said Tim Huddleston, owner of Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

In 2025, the CARS Tour will visit several tracks including the Langley Speedway, the Hickory Motor Speedway, and the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, which was brought back to the roster in 2022 following more than 26 years of absence from the racing scene.