“I hadn’t seen it before”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares iconic picture of Dale Sr.’s 1976 Daytona entry car

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a previously unseen photo of his late father at the Daytona International Speedway in 1976. He expressed delight at discovering the image, though he was left with many questions.

Earnhardt Jr. is a 50-year-old Kannapolis native who won 26 Cup races, including two Daytona 500 victories. His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., was a seven-time NASCAR champion who passed away during a race at Daytona in 2001.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, Dale Jr. shared his thoughts on the photo of his father during a Late Model Sportsman race at Daytona in 1976.

"Dad at Daytona in 76. His first trip. His own car he prepared in his father’s garage. No gloves and no idea what the future held. I was recently sent this by a friend, I hadn’t seen it before. Pretty amazing," Earnhardt Jr. said.

In the reply section, the former NASCAR Cup Series driver shared the questions running through his mind. Some of these were who took the picture, where his father stayed in Florida, and the paint code on the No. 8 Pontiac.

He also shared that Teresa's uncle, Tommy Houston, was behind Dale Sr. in the No. 95 car. Teresa was Dale Sr.'s wife and Junior's stepmother.

With so much happening in the photo, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he wanted to travel back in time.

The photo was taken during the 1976 Permatex 300 held at the Daytona International Speedway under the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman series. Dale Earnhardt Sr. finished the race 13th after starting in P21.

The NASCAR legend only had one start in the Cup Series, formerly Winston Cup Series, prior to the 1976 Permatex 300.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to Daytona 500 as a team owner

JR Motorsports, an Xfinity Series team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently confirmed its entry into the 2025 Daytona 500 as an open team. Dale Jr. tapped Justin Allgaier to pilot the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro in the "Great American Race."

As an open team, Allgaier needs to qualify for one of the four spots for non-chartered teams. It will mark Earnhardt Jr.'s return to the prestigious race but as a team owner. His last entry as a driver was with Hendrick Motorsports in 2017.

Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sister and JR Motorsports co-owner, expressed her confidence in Justin Allgaier, who will compete in the Daytona 500 after a championship-winning run in the second-tier series.

“There’s nobody like Justin who knows our organization, who knows our needs, who can meet those needs and really deliver for this partner all year long,” Kelley said (via NASCAR.com).

Allgaier will compete against other open car drivers including Martin Truex Jr. and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. However, Castroneves would benefit from the new Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) rule if he fails to qualify for one of the original four open team spots.

The 2025 Bluegreen Vacations Duel (qualifying session) is scheduled for February 13, while the Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday.