“I hope he’s never forgotten”: Dale Jr. weighs in on his ‘fear’ for NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s legacy  

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s son Dale Jr. recently interviewed ARCA Menards Series driver Cleetus McFarland on his podcast "Dale Jr. Download" on the Dirty Mo Media YouTube channel. The duo reflected on Dale Sr.'s legacy, with Earnhardt Jr. sharing his take on the "fear" that his father's legacy might be forgotten.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. had a spectacular career in NASCAR. During his 27-year stint in the Cup Series, he secured 76 wins, 428 top-10s, and 22 pole positions. Additionally, he won at the Daytona 500 twice; once as a driver in 1998 and the next as owner in 2001. He also won the Southern 500 in 1987, 1989, and 1990, followed by three victories at the Coca-Cola 600 in 1986, 1992, and 1993.

Dale Sr. left a remarkable legacy behind him, and reflecting upon the same, Cleetus McFarland asked Earnhardt Jr.'s thoughts on the quote, "Do it for Dale."

"I love it. My fear is that he'll one day just be forgotten with time. My worry would be that he would just, he would just disappear into the distance right as we get further and further removed from his career," Dale Jr. stated. [00:05]

"I just hope he's never forgotten because he left such an impact on the sport. So that kind of thing is the same power that is the reminder to me, like that he's he resonated with people," he added. [00:20]

Dale Earnhardt Sr. passed away in a tragic crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001 at 49. NASCAR recalled his legacy and contribution to the sport on his 24th death anniversary.

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Dale Jr. opened up about how he dealt with his father Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s death

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller recently debuted in the Cup Series as co-owners. Their team JR Motorsports fielded the reigning champion Justin Allgaier at the Daytona International Speedway. The 2.5-mile track has been associated with the family's triumph and tragedy, and Dale Jr. reflected on how he coped with his father's passing.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion was in his second year driving as a full-time driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) when he lost his father. Dale Jr. made his peace with the track and stated [vía SpeedwayDigest.com]:

"Gosh, I loved coming here as a kid, but just a lot of great memories. Then 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."

"I knew that it wasn't the track that took him, and I knew that he, wherever he was, still felt the same about Daytona. So I've embraced it. 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 added.

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier competed in the Duel 1 race at Daytona and secured a spot in the top ten drivers. He qualified for the 500-mile race in 19th place and finished ninth behind Austin Cindric.