“She laid into me”: When Richard Childress saw fans’ deep emotions for Dale Earnhardt's unapologetic approach

Legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress once recalled an encounter he had with a female fan who bluntly voiced her opinion about Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s on-track move at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1999. Dale Sr.’s aggressive on-track antics brought out strong emotions in fans; as a result, the crowd booed Dale Sr. after the race.

The event unfolded on the final lap of the 1999 summer night race at Bristol when Dale Earnhardt Sr. spun Terry Labonte in an attempt to take the lead. Labonte worked his way to finish eighth. Whereas The Intimidator went on to win the race. It was one of the most famous finishes in NASCAR history. Dale Sr., who was adored by fans, experienced displeasure after the race due to his actions.

Richard Childress, who worked alongside Dale Sr. at Richard Childress Racing (RCR) for much of his career, the next morning while getting breakfast at Hardee’s after a sponsor appearance in North Wilkesboro, saw an old lady approach towards him and express her displeasure for Earnhardt's unapologetic approach.

Recalling the moment in 2019, Richard Childress said (via The Athletic):

“I walked in, and there was a line, and this little old lady,” Childress said recently with a chuckle. “I never will forget it; she come up to me and said, ‘You’re Richard Childress, aren’t you? I said, ‘Yes, ma’am.’ She said, ‘You’re the dirtiest car owner in NASCAR, and you have the dirtiest race driver. Terry Labonte is the finest man out there and the best race driver. You should be ashamed of yourself.’

---

Richard Childress came in defense of Dale Earnhardt’s controversial Bristol move

The 79-year-old old Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native later reflects on seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Sr.’s controversial move. NASCAR Hall of Famer defended him, saying that Dale Sr.’s intention wasn’t to cause a wreck but to execute a classic bump-and-run maneuver—tapping Labonte to move him out of the way and take the lead.

In an interview with The Athletic in 2019, here's what Childress said:

“(Dale) wasn’t planning on wrecking; it was just one of them deals. He definitely didn’t want to wreck (Labonte) to win, he wanted to get into him and move him up and go by. But sometimes those things happen.”

Six-time NASCAR Cup Series championship winning team owner, later admitted that he never heard a loud noise from the audience in his career. Around more than 140,000 fans were screaming at full volume.