"It wasn't all roses": When Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed the misunderstanding NASCAR fans had about him

During a 2010 interview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up on what he believed people didn't understand about him. Earnhardt Jr. is the son of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., a trailblazing 7x Cup champion who had a larger than life personality.

Similarly, his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is also an immensely popular figure amongst the fans, something which is reflected in his 'most popular driver award' wins.

Back in 2010, when journalist Jeff Gluck asked him about what people may not know about him, Earnhardt Jr. was quick to point out the misconception people had about how he grew up. Here's what he said:

"I grew up poor, and I grew up rich. I think some people who have never met me have a misconception that when I was living with my father when he was successful, that I was somehow adversely affected by his success or the money he had and was making at the time."

Junior said that misconception carried on into his Late Model career as a young racecar driver. He admitted that what he had was better than most people, but felt that people assuming that he had the best car, the best motor, the best help, etc. wasn't right. He further elaborated:

"Mainly, I think people assume I had it better than what was reality. But I had it good; I don't want to complain or piss off anybody who was providing for me back then – those people who are still around. But it wasn't all roses."

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed he and his father never really spoke about racing

In 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on his relationship with his father, Dale Sr., particularly concerning their shared passion for racing. Despite racing together frequently and Junior driving the #8 car at DEI, he revealed that he and Sr. rarely discussed racing matters.

"Me and my dad never talked racing. We just didn’t. I wouldn’t go up and ask him about that unless I wanted to upset him," Junior said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. further spoke about his Late Model years where he went four years without seeing his father.

He remarked that his father had only witnessed a limited portion of his racing career, encompassing his Xfinity Series years and his first two seasons in the Cup Series. Having said that, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that his father was 'more worried' about him being focused and not being an idiot outside of a racecar.