“I kind of bragged about it”: When Dale Jr. confessed his ‘stupid’ mistake that ignited NASCAR’s wrath

Dale Jr. was running in the 2004 Food City 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway but encountered a concerning situation with one of his four tires on the #8 Budweiser Chevy. Instead of pitting under the green flag, the two-time Xfinity Series champion devised an alternate plan to prevent losing laps, which went unnoticed by NASCAR.

Junior was on old tires and thus couldn't keep up with the frontrunners' pace. But a pitstop under a green flag would've meant dropping two laps for fresh compounds, something he wasn't looking for. As a result, with 71 laps until the checkered flag, he deliberately spun on the 'World's Fastest Half Mile' to instigate a caution and capitalize during the yellow flag.

However, when he admitted to his antics during the 500-lap event, the officials reprimanded Junior with a hefty $10000 fine and docked 25 driver and owner (DEI) points.

Reflecting on his 'stupid' bragging mistake, Dale Jr. said (via USA Today).

“I would lump that one into the group, that was an intentional wreck. … I went to the back and made sure there was a lot of room between me and the next guy. I had a loose wheel or a flat tire, and if you pit, you’re gonna go down two laps. So I thought if I’d spin out, maybe I’d only lose one. And then I got fined because I admitted it. I kind of bragged about it, which was stupid.”

It's worth mentioning that the NASCAR Hall of Famer was put on probation until June 1, for his detrimental stock car racing (Section 12-4-A) and for intentionally causing a caution (Section 12-4-N).

Dale Jr. would win the season's penultimate Bristol race after surging from a 30th-place start

The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series season was Dale Jr.'s only year with more than five wins. The legendary driver entered the season on a dominant note, triumphing in the opening race -the Daytona 500. His next win would come at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, his third race since his season's maiden victory.

Junior could've etched a promising result at the Food City 500. He was running 14th when he deliberately spun to take fresh tires which didn't help much as he settled in 11th. Nonetheless, the #8 Chevy driver redeemed himself during the next visit at the 0.533-mile oval.

Dale Jr. didn't let his unwanted Bristol memory and a P30 start at the Sharpie 500 get the better of him. He piloted the #8 Chevy for 500 laps and led 295 of them to become the first driver to sweep a Bristol weekend, as he reigned supreme in the Xfinity Series race as well.

Thus, with six wins, 16 top-5s, and 21 top-10s, NASCAR's 15-time Most Popular Driver Award winner wrapped up the 2004 season in fifth place.