NASCAR star shares Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s superspeedway success mantra ahead of Daytona 500

Noah Gragson revealed one of the most valuable pieces of advice given to him by Dale Earnhardt Jr. As Gragson prepares for his 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with Front Row Motorsports, he shared how Earnhardt Jr.'s guidance shaped his approach to racing on high-speed tracks like Daytona and Talladega.

During an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90), Gragson recalled that Earnhardt Jr. once told him to treat every superspeedway race like a rental go-kart race. The idea was simple—stay aggressive, make constant moves, and learn from every situation on the track. The SiriusXM NASCAR Radio account later shared a tweet featuring Gragson’s comments with the caption,

🧠 @NoahGragson shares some of the best advice he's received from @DAYTONA and @TALLADEGA ace @DaleJr . 🏁 "Treat every superspeedway race like it's a rental go-kart race." He kicks off his @Team_FRM career this weekend in the No. 4 Ford.

Gragson explained that every time he races on a superspeedway, he focuses on learning and making adjustments. The advice from Earnhardt Jr. came during Gragson’s time at Junior Motorsports. He said,

“Race like you're going out to the rental go-kart track,” Earnhardt Jr. had told him. “Make moves all day to get to the front. If you get stuck in the middle of three-wide, back out, regroup, and learn how your car responds throughout the race.” he added

Further, during the podcast, he revealed he had applied this strategy since 2020, and it paid off immediately. He won his first Xfinity Series race at Daytona that year using the lessons Earnhardt Jr. taught him. He stressed the point that superspeedway racing is all about trial and error—trying moves, learning from mistakes, and refining strategies with each race.

In 2025, Gragson drives the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports (FRM) under a multi-year contract. The 26-year-old has already made a name for himself, with two wins in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and thirteen in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing second in the 2022 championship.

His crew chief will be Drew Blickensderfer, who previously worked with him at Stewart-Haas Racing. Blickensderfer played a crucial role in Michael McDowell’s 2021 Daytona 500 win.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who mentored Noah Gragson, in racing on superspeedways, got the nickname “The Pied Piper” for his performance at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. He won the Daytona 500 twice, in 2004 and 2014, and was the Most Popular Driver for 15 consecutive years, 2003 to 2017. His team, JR Motorsports, will field Justin Allgaier piloting the No. 40 Chevrolet at the 2025 Daytona 500.

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Throwback to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 Daytona 500 win with Hendrick Motorsports

Heading into the 2014 season, Earnhardt Jr. was under immense pressure. After joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, he had won only two races in six seasons. His 55-race winless streak had raised doubts, and crew chief Steve Letarte had announced his departure at the end of the season.

Despite the struggles, team owner Rick Hendrick never lost faith in him. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via Hendrick Motorsports,

“Even through the toughest years, Rick never gave me the vibe that he’d given up on me,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

The 2014 Daytona 500 was a turning point for Dale Earnhardt Jr. He started ninth and led 54 laps in a race that saw a six-hour rain delay. Letarte made a crucial call for a two-tire pit stop, giving Earnhardt Jr. track position.

With just two laps to go, he held off Denny Hamlin and survived a chaotic finish to take the win After the race, Earnhardt Jr. reflected on its importance for him,

“That was a big deal. That was with Steve Letarte, and it was his first Daytona 500 win. Just being able to celebrate that was incredible.” (Via Hendrick Motorsports)

Letarte also praised Dale Earnhardt’s performance at superspeedways. He said,

“Dale did what he does best. There’s no one I’d rather have defending in close races at superspeedways than Dale Earnhardt Jr.” (Via Hendrick Motorsports)

The win was a big shift in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s career. He went on to win three more races in 2014 and another three in 2015, before retiring at the end of 2017.