"It was like that of a fighter jet pilot" - Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s ally reveals the secret behind his intimidating driving skills

Recently, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his father's closest friend, Donnie Rives sat down and revisited NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt's incredible secret that enhanced his driving skills on the ovals. Rives drew a parallel between Dale Sr.'s eyesight to that of a "fighter jet pilot".

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jr. in a recent episode of the Dirty Mo Media podcast introduced Rives as one of Earnhardt Sr.'s best friends. Dale Jr. claimed that Rives was the "best man" in Dale Sr.'s wedding and was with him in his inner circle through the '70s, '80, and '90s. JR Motorsports owner Dale Jr. also emphasized how he convinced Rives to make an appearance for the Dale Jr. Download show and share his experience with his father, whom he knew on a personal level besides NASCAR.

Speaking with two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jr., Rives revealed that the seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Sr. had incredible eyesight and how it contributed to his intimidating driving skills. Rives said (59:49):

"I'm going to tell you and I told him it what made him,(Dale Sr.) so good especially driving was his eyesight. He had unbelievable eyesight. He's just like a fighter jet pilot. Those guys that could see the planes way out while everybody else is saying where, they looking at it. That's the eyesight."

Moreover, Rives shared a small hunting experience and spoke highly of Earnhardt Sr.'s spotting ability.

"We could be driving down the road anywhere at Pocono or something at night 'Look at that deer over there,' he said and I said 'I can't even see the woods what you talking about a deer,' But his eyesight was just uncanny." Rives added.

49-year-old Dale Jr. also approved of Rives' story and claimed that his father would spot the deer deep in the woods and could point exactly where the animal was.

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Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s best friend hopes to see him again

Dale Earnhardt had a prolific NASCAR career with seven championship titles. He amassed 76 wins in 676 starts over 27 years.

In the aforementioned podcast, Rives and Dale Jr. reminisced about the Daytona 500 crash which stirred up emotions, leading to them sharing their thoughts on the loss. Rives said:

"I think about him every day. I’d be doing something and think you better not be doing this. You know. Don’t do this. Don’t do it that way. I pray that I get to see him again. It’ll be totally different,"

Dale Jr. then added:

"When dad was gone, it was a gut punch. You didn’t know what to do next. You didn’t know how you could do anything next, and the only way you could pull yourself together and be able to move forward and carry on in this life is to believe that you would see them again. That’s what’s in store. I think that really helped me,"

During the 2001 Daytona 500 race, Dale Sr. was involved in a gut-wrenching accident and died in a multi-car wreck on the last lap of the esteemed NASCAR event. The race also witnessed Michale Waltrip, his team's driver claiming the victory, and Dale Jr. finishing runner-up.