When Dale Earnhardt called in a TV show following Al Unser Jr.’s Indy 500 win

In 1992, the year Dale Earnhardt Sr. won the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he made a unique phone call during a live TV broadcast to congratulate Al Unser Jr. on his Indy 500 win. Initially, the broadcast featured ESPN hosts chatting with Al Unser Jr. and taking calls from fans eager to send messages or speak with the racing star.

However, one call particularly stood out—made by Dale Earnhardt Sr. himself. On that same day, both drivers celebrated their victories at their respective races in Charlotte and Indianapolis. When the hosts prompted the caller to identify himself, asking:

"Caller, are you there? Who is this?"

Dale Earnhardt simply responded:

"Earnhardt."

The brief introduction was enough to change the atmosphere in the studio. During the call, while speaking with Al Unser Jr., Dale Earnhardt conveyed his wishes, saying:

"Need to congratulate Al. [...] Michael [Andretti] blew out and was leading. I kept my fingers crossed till you won."

In response to Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s congratulatory message, Al Unser Jr. remarked that both drivers sporting the #3 had graced the victory circle the same day.

That year's Indy 500 was largely dominated by Michael Andretti, who debuted the Ford Cosworth XB engine, leading 160 laps and maintaining a 30-second lead until a fuel pump failure sidelined him with just eleven laps remaining. The race reached its peak in a battle between Al Unser Jr. and Scott Goodyear, with the former narrowly securing the win by a mere 0.043 seconds—the tightest finish in the history of the Indy 500.

Simultaneously, Dale Earnhardt Sr. won in the Coca-Cola 600, executing a decisive late-race overtaking maneuver, with 54 laps remaining, to clinch his 53rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sole win of that season.

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When Dale Earnhardt Sr. leaped from an ambulance to resume racing at Daytona

While Daytona was the track where the legendary driver lost his life, it was also the track where he had some of the most memorable moments. For instance, in the 1997 Daytona 500, while running second to leader Bill Elliott with only 12 laps remaining, Earnhardt attempted a daring pass.

At that critical moment, he was clipped by Jeff Gordon, who was in third place. The contact caused Earnhardt to lose control, sending his car crashing into the outside wall. The impact flipped his Chevy upside down before it righted itself and came to a halt in the grass.

Despite the crash, from inside the ambulance, Earnhardt noticed his #3 Chevy was still on all four wheels. He quickly asked his crew to check if the car could still be started. After receiving confirmation that it was operational, he jumped out of the ambulance, returned to the car, and drove it to the pit. In his post-race interview, Dale Sr. explained:

"Well, I just wanted to get back in the race and you know, try to make laps. We are running for a championship."

Eventually, his pit crew made all the necessary adjustments they could manage, and Earnhardt managed to finish the race in fifth place, five laps behind the winner, Jeff Gordon.