“I learned from some of the best”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. clear about Mark Martin’s involvement in his championship-winning driving style

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made it clear why he drives with a distinct and eye-catching style. Earnhardt Jr. said he adapted the driving style from Mark Martin, who popularized the technique sometime around the 90s.

Earnhardt Jr. is a 50-year-old former NASCAR driver who won two championships (1998 and 1999) in the Busch Grand National Series, known today as the Xfinity Series. During that time, the influence of Martin's driving style dubbed Arkansas Grip or Arkansas Handle was seen in Jr.'s driving.

Per Dale Jr.'s Instagram story, the Kannapolis native admitted he learned the driving style from Mark Martin.

"I learned from some of the best," Earnhardt Jr. wrote.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Instagram story - Source: @dalejr on Instagram

Below is the video the two-time Xfinity Series champ was referring to.

The video shows Mark Martin's in-car footage during the 1990 Daytona 500 using the Arkansas Grip. When turning the wheel to the left, Martin puts his right hand next to his left hand. Once the car runs on a straight, he returns to the traditional 10-and-2 steering position.

Martin once explained why he uses the technique. The now 65-year-old former driver said it was easier to correct the steering wheel using the Arkansas Grip in moments his car got loose. He added that it was a practical move considering cars turn left only anyway.

With the use of the Arkansas Grip, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won 26 races in the premier series. He also won two Daytona 500 races (2004, 2014) where the distinct driving style would be an ideal go-to.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on Dale Sr.'s racing prowess after the 2004 Daytona 500 win

Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrating his Pepsi 400 win at Daytona in 2001 - Source: Imagn

In 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared how he felt after winning NASCAR's most prestigious race, the Daytona 500. The driver said he sometimes felt as good as his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr, but his pops always found a way to prove him wrong.

Dale Jr said (via New York Times):

"There's days when I feel like I am as good as he was. But, you know, then you're reminded by something that reminds you of what he did that you will never be able to do. There's times on the racetrack where I get real confident and feel like...he couldn't have done it no better than that right there.

He added:

"But it ain't long before I figure I was wrong. I mean, he was pretty tough. Even if you thought you were better than him, he just had a way of proving you wrong at anything."

At the time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tied his late father on Daytona 500 victories at one, with the latter driver winning the "Great American Race" in 1998.

Today, Dale Jr. is a two-time Daytona 500 winner. He also notably won the Pepsi 400 in 2001 at the Daytona International Speedway. The Florida-based track was where his father died on the last lap of the Daytona 500 earlier that year.