Kenny Wallace proclaims Dale Jr. needed by NASCAR ‘more than ever’

Kenny Wallace believes that NASCAR needs Dale Earnhardt Jr. He recently shared a clip from Dale Jr.’s podcast on his official X feed explaining why he thought so.

JR Motorsports, a NASCAR Xfinity team that Dale Jr. owns, alongside his sister Kelley Earnhardt, is about to bring the No. 40 Chevy back, known to have been driven by the likes of Pete Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, Steve Park, Joe Nemechek and Wallace himself in the past.

The iconic car will run this year’s running of the annual Daytona 500. Scheduled for Sunday, February 16, this race has been opening seasons since 1982.

JR Motorsports has never fielded an entry in this crown jewel race before. And given how often JR Motorsports made NASCAR headlines following their 2024 Cup Championship grab, Wallace feels that Dale Jr. and his sister are NASCAR’s assets. He wrote:

“I am excited for @DaleJr and @EarnhardtKelley 😁Our sport of @NASCAR needs you two right now💯 more than ever 🏁”

In the video, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was seen revealing his mindset as a team owner ahead of his team’s upcoming debut. The Hall of Famer said:

“I am not nervous. We're in a position where we can't go down. We're starting at the bottom. I personally hope that this is the start of more opportunities for us to compete at the Cup level.

“Should it be a situation where it's very challenging, it would only motivate us to continue to go back,” he added.

JR Motorsports has been eyeing more frequent starts in the Cup Series for quite some time now. However, there hasn’t been any talk of them competing in any other race during the 2025 season.

Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. give a shoutout to renowned FOX Sports NASCAR journalist

Kenny Wallace reacted to a throwback post by Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. There was a time when Gluck was laid off from NASCAR Scene, a weekly magazine that started in 1976 and continued until 2010.

Gluck sat in the parking lot and urged his followers on X to let him know about any job opportunities. Soon, Gluck landed an editing gig with SB Nation. His next job was at USA Today as a motorsports writer. Gluck joined The Athletic in May 2019 and has been a part of their team ever since.

“NASCAR Scene shut down 15 years ago today and I got laid off,” Gluck wrote. “I tweeted this from the parking lot to my 3,000 followers at the time and thought my career may be over. Very grateful to still be around today and I don’t take it for granted.”

Wallace reacted to the post by saying:

“Our sport is better because of you @jeff_gluck."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself commented:

"You set an excellent example of determination and dedication for others to follow."

Today, Gluck also hosts a podcast named The Teardown by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media. He, alongside his colleague Jordan Bianchi, offers reactions, analysis, and insights straight from the racetrack.