“There’s nothing great about second place”: When Dale Earnhardt’s friend Ned Yost opened up about the late driver’s winning mentality

No matter the circumstances, the late seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt never liked to lose. Nicknamed "The Intimidator" for his aggressive driving style, Earnhardt didn't mind roughing up his fellow competitiors to win either.

With 76 Cup Series wins and a record-tying seven championships, Earnhardt was a winner, and it was his strong-minded mentality that made him one of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen. On an episode of "Dale Jr. Download" back in 2022, Ned Yost, a former longtime Major League Baseball manager and friend of Earnhardt's, opened up about how his late friend kept a winning mindset.

On the show hosted by Earnhardt's son, 26-time Cup Series winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Yost recalled how he used to tell the baseball players he coached that their contracts simply stated that as long as they're giving their best effort, they're doing their job. However, Yost said Earnhardt had a different set of standards when he was behind the wheel.

When Yost went to help Earnhardt's race team back in 1994, his first race was Darlington, where Earnhardt came in second place behind Bill Elliott. In Yost's mind, he was pleased to see his friend come home runner-up. In turn, Yost recalled Earnhardt not being as thrilled, adding:

"For me, second is really, really good, right? Really good. We got in the truck because we were going back to his house. 'Man, second place was really good.' He was pissed. 'What are you, joking? What are you talking about, second place is good?'" (11:47 onwards)

Yost went on to recall standing his ground and telling Earnhardt that second place was a great run. Then, Earnhardt made his feelings known on what he thought of finishing second, something Yost initially thought was a joke. Yost said:

"He goes, 'Second place is the first one to lose. There's nothing great about second place.' I thought it was a joke, but the more I was around him, it wasn't. He lived it. That was his mentality and how he could handle the failure of not winning all the time, but he was a different person." (12:05 onwards)

Yost finished by telling Dale Earnhardt Jr. that his dad was one of a kind, saying:

"I've had the opportunity to meet five presidents and a bunch of different people. I've never met anybody like your dad." (12:28 onwards)

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Who is Dale Earnhardt's friend Ned Yost?

Ned Yost was a guest on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast "Dale Jr. Download" back in October 2022. He played in Major League Baseball from 1980-1985 and later became a coach for the Atlanta Braves in 1991.

Yost spent 12 seasons with the Braves and won a World Series in 1995. He left the organization after 2002 and became a manager for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003.

Yost spent six seasons with the Brewers and became the Kansas City Royals manager in 2010. He won another World Series in 2015 and retired after 2019.