Former NASCAR driver makes a three-word admission to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s emotional Daytona story

In the past 24 years since NASCAR lost 'The Intimidator', one of the sports' greatest ever drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shared several stories of what made the Daytona International Speedway special for him and his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. A recent story shared by Dale Jr. ahead of the 67th running of the Great American Race got a simple yet fitting response from a former nine-time Xfinity Series race winner, Kenny Wallace.

Dale Sr. lost his life in a final lap crash into the retaining wall at Turn 4 during the 2001 Daytona 500 while he was battling with Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader. During a recent media interaction at Daytona on Friday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about how his father loved to race and win at the iconic two-and-half-mile circuit. But after his death, Dale Jr. had a difficult decision to make. Either make peace with the track and keep on racing there year after year or keep being traumatized by the whole experience.

Dale Jr. eventually made his peace with the track and he shared that the fact that his father lost his life at Daytona brought the track even closer to him.

"Daddy loved Daytona and loved winning here. And he just loved to win any race here. He loved to add to that number, whatever it was, 36 wins. And gosh, I loved coming here as a kid but just a lot of great memories. And then, so when he passed away I had to make a decision. I had a career in front of me, I was coming back multiple times and I had to figure out a way to be okay with it," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

"And I knew that it wasn't the track that took him and I knew that wherever he was, he still felt the same about Daytona. And so I've embraced it and him losing his life in this property brought this property closer to me. Now that doesn't work the same for other people and tragedy but for me, knowing I had to keep coming here, I made some peace with it and embraced the track and love it," he concluded.

Hearing the story, Kenny Wallace took to his X page and shared his reaction:

"What a quote. @DaleJr on his Dad & family history at Daytona," Wallace captioned the post.

Earnhardt Jr. had a successfull NASCAR career and he even went on to win two Daytona 500s in 2004 and 2014 with an overall tally of 26 wins.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets his dream come true as a team owner

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, and Xfinity Series team alongside his sister Kelley Earnhardt will enter into his first Cup Series race as an owner in the 67th running of the Daytona 500. Reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier for JRM will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro in the 500-mile event on Sunday.

Earnhardt Jr. has long wanted to enter JRM into the premier class of NASCAR racing but has not been able to acquire a charter. So this opportunity to field a car in the Daytona 500 is a welcome surprise, which he called his dream coming true. After confirming Allgaier's entry into the qualifying duels at Daytona, he shared:

"It’s still sinking in. I did tell Kelley that I wanted to be present for all the moments. ...I want to be involved or at least a witness to everything... I don’t know what’s realistic because there will be some other obligations, but I’m approaching this like it’s a one and only opportunity, a dream come true," Dale Earnhardt Jr. told NBC Sports.

Luckily for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Justin Allgaier managed to secure his spot on the starting grid for the Daytona 500 and will start the green flag on Sunday from the tenth row in P19. Now the next goal will be to finish the 200-lap race on the lead lap.