"I didn’t race as good if I didn’t blow off some steam" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on how he became more self aware as a NASCAR driver

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently revealed that he once decided to change his approach and make some radical lifestyle changes to maximize results from a race weekend. Earnhardt Jr. claimed that he learned what worked for him and what didn't only after trying that.

Recently speaking on his podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, Junior looked back on the things that he did at one point during his career. He said:

"I felt like I didn't run as good and race as good if I didn't blow off some steam on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night. When I started racing at Hendrick, I tried to clean it up a little bit. Some of the people in the building were like, 'Jimmie is in great shape. Look at what he does. You should be doing these things.' And I'm like, 'Jimmie is Jimmie. But okay. I'll do better. I'mma lose some weight. I'mma work out. I'mma do these new things to try and be in better physical shape and better mental shape.'"

Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he soon abstained from drinking for a couple of weeks but noticed that his results didn't change or improve. He then decided to go party with his friends and that led to his realization that maybe he was "one of the old guards".

"And I just was like, 'Maybe I'm just one of the old guards, like I need to drink and smoke cigarettes, and go kick a**.'"

---

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s definition of being a dedicated race car driver changed after Hendrick switch

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't enjoy as much success with Hendrick Motorsports as he did with DEI, his take on being a professional and responsible race car driver changed massively after his switch to HMS. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Junior claimed he didn't know how to be good at racing until he reached Hendrick.

He was quoted as saying:

"I learned when I got to Hendrick and when I got around to Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, what being a really dedicated driver was about, what being a professional was about, what applying yourself and being accountable was about."

Earnhardt Jr. remarked that he was ignorant. Moreover, nobody pushed him or confronted him for being ignorant and for being unfocused. He claimed:

"They let me have too much of a leash."

But it was at Hendrick where Steve Letarte told him that he'd have to be accountable and available to him if he wanted to talk to him. In the end, Junior confessed that he was "a late bloomer" when it came to being more professional and responsible.