“He got booed”: When Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled the iconic “rattled his cage” moment from Bristol

Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a nostalgic recount on an older video, discussed a notable moment from his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1999 Bristol win—an incident that led to rare booing from the audience. Dale Earnhardt Sr., adored by NASCAR fans for his intimidating style, experienced displeasure due to his controversial actions during that race.

The events unfolded early at Lap 32 when Dale Sr. in his #3 Chevy nudged Rusty Wallace’s #2 Ford, causing Wallace to spin near the start line. And then the climax of the race heightened tensions even more when Dale Sr., trailing behind leader Terry Labonte during the final lap, made a decisive move. In an effort to seize the lead, Earnhardt Sr. collided with the rear of Labonte's car, sending him spinning into the wall. Despite the chaos, Labonte managed to finish eighth, while Dale Earnhardt Sr. captured the win.

The aggressive maneuver led to an uproar among spectators, with many deeming the contact overly aggressive and not in keeping with the sportsmanship expected at such levels.

In his post-race interview, Dale Earnhardt Sr. addressed the crowd's reaction, highlighting the intense competitive nature of his racing style.

"Didn’t mean to really turn him around, meant to rattle his cage, though."

Reflecting on one of the rare moments in NASCAR history, NBC Sports shared the video of Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalling an unusual race involving his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Dale Eanhardt Jr., who wasn't very pleased to see his father getting booed, said, after he watched the footage:

"That was a weird deal, because Dad Never got booed. That night? He got booed, yeah. I was there that night. He got booed. He got out of the car and... The fans really they were split down the middle. [...] He didn’t want to wreck Terry. He was hoping he’d just move him up the racetrack," Earnhardt Jr. said (at 0:27).

Moreover, in the same video, Dale Jr. also revealed that Terry Labonte had said they had a hunting trip planned for the next week after the wreck happened. However, Dale Sr. bowed out as he called Labonte up, and said ‘You know what I don't think we're gonna go to this week.'

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When Kyle Busch 'felt like Dale Earnhardt Sr.' after his Bristol win

Reflecting on his unexpected victory at Bristol in 2022, Kyle Busch found himself reminiscing about a similar moment from NASCAR's storied past, famously involving Dale Sr.

In his 18th Cup season, Kyle secured his ninth victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway, but this win was uniquely controversial. During the final lap, Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe were embroiled in a tight race for Reddick’s first Cup victory.

Briscoe attempted an inside pass, but as he slid up the track, he collided with Reddick, causing both to spin out. Busch, who was trailing in third, seized the moment and surged past the chaos to claim victory in what was the second-ever dirt race at Bristol and the first with the Next Gen car.

The crowd was booing Busch's win though. Drawing parallels to the legendary NASCAR moment when Dale Sr. got booed at Bristol, Kyle Busch said during his post-race interview:

"We got one. Doesn’t matter how you get ’em. It’s all about getting ’em. So just can’t say enough. I mean, man, I feel like Dale Earnhardt Sr. right now. This is awesome. I didn’t even do anything," Busch said.

This year, however, Busch has yet to find victory lane despite numerous close finishes. With the upcoming Bristol race, all eyes will be on him to see if he can continue his streak of securing at least one win per season over the last two decades of his Cup career.