"I wanted to have that same value" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks about his father's role ahead of NASCAR Hall of Fame induction

Dale Earnhardt was a talented driver, regarded by many as the greatest racer in NASCAR history. His son Dale Earnhardt Jr., also known as Junior, is now set to join his father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame.

Having retired from racing full-time in 2017, Junior told AP News he regretted not taking advantage of his situation as a NASCAR driver:

“Once I got to Hendrick and really realized what being a driver is about, and really understood what kind of commitment it takes, I look back on the Bud years and go, ‘Wow, I really could have done so much more with that because I had some really awesome race cars and we had a hell of a team.’”

Junior strived to have immense value like his father. Although he did not win a Cup Series championship, he secured 26 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and won the Most Popular Driver Award 15 times in a row from 2003 to 2017. The 47-year-old also became a lead NBC Sports analyst and used his NASCAR and Xfinity series experience to leverage his commentary.

Meanwhile, the sport's 2022 Hall of Fame induction will take place on January 21st in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. tests Next Gen car on Daytona International Speedway

Winner of two Daytona 500 races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to test the Next Gen NASCAR car. He substituted for Kyle Larson, who participated in the 2022 Chili Bowl.

Junior joined NASCAR's testing team temporarily to benefit his analyst position by staying up to date with the latest generation of cars. Rumors began to spread that he was returning to the NASCAR Cup Series, but he quickly stated the following on January 12th, according to CBS Sports:

“I’m old. 47 years old. Take a guy like William Byron, he’s young, he’s a risk-taker. And I’m done taking risks.”

Despite fans' reactions to the statement, Junior assured them he would continue to broadcast for CBS Sports.