WWE superstar recalls how Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death in the Daytona race left his father “devastated” 

Dale Earnhardt's influence on the world of NASCAR as well as outside the world of racing was immense. The late 7-time champion of stock car racing was one of those personalities whose aura encapsulates not just the sport, but fans' way of life as a whole.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently found out about yet another fan of his late father on his popular podcast, The Dale Jr. Download. WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes stopped by for a conversation with the former driver, elaborating on how Rhodes' father was a die-hard fan of "The Intimidator".

In a heartfelt sequence of events narrated by Rhodes, he elaborated on his father's liking for Dale Jr.'s father and said:

"My dad was a monster fan and your dad was his absolute favorite. My dad sat there and he watched every race, and he had very specific taste, he's a showman, so he loved your dad and loved that there was a presence."

As the 38-year-old wrestler continued on his story of how his family and he himself as a child were affected by the aura of Dale Earnhardt, he added how his father reacted to the sudden demise of the NASCAR legend.

He added on the podcast:

"He had this one moment when your father passed, he was doing a small independent show for our company and he was devastated. He didn't know, 'Do we say anything to the crowd?' This was Carrollton, Georgia. I remember that driver home with him, just different times he watched and how excited he was. So, never been told."

Crossovers between the worlds of motorsport and wrestling are rare, however, phenomenons such as Dale Earnhardt still manage to bridge that gap.

Dale Earnhardt on how he recovered from a crash in his rookie season

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s wildly popular podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, became even more popular with race fans after the former racing driver did a segment on his late father's antics in NASCAR. On a segment of the podcast named Becoming Earnhardt, Dale Jr. revealed some of Earnhardt's writing from back in the day when he was just a rookie in the world of stock car racing.

The late driver elaborated on how he recovered from one of his crashes in his debut year as his son narrated the article:

"It wasn't any special miracle drug that helped me get over my injuries from the Pocono wreck. I wanted to get back in that racecar so bad I must have just psyched myself back to being healthy. My regular appointment wasn't until Thursday after the Southern 500 but I called my doctor and we moved it up to Tuesday. He checked the X-rays and shook his head. He told me nobody was supposed to heal that fast."

Like Michael Schumacher from the world of F1 or Roger Federer from the world of tennis, Earnhardt Sr. remains the quintessential name associated when someone hears or thinks of the sport of NASCAR.