NASCAR is getting set to begin its season with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s racing team will be competing in the Great American Race. Daytona is the same place where his legendary father died while racing. That has led to an emotional feeling for Earnhardt being at the track.
Earnhardt spoke with the media from Daytona on Thursday and was asked about his emotions of being at the Daytona International Speedway.
“Daddy loved Daytona, and he loved winning here. … And gosh, I loved coming here as a kid. Just a lot of great memories. So when he passed away, I had to make a decision. I had a career in front of me … and I had to figure out a way to be OK with it. And I knew it wasn’t the track that took him. And I knew that he, wherever he was, still felt the same about Daytona. So I’ve embraced it,” Earnhardt said.
“Him losing his life in this property brought this property closer to me. For me, knowing I had to keep coming here, I made some peace with it and embrace the track and love it.”
Earnhardt Jr.’s father Dale died at the age of 49 after being involved in a crash in the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Dale Jr. was also driving during that race and finished second.
After Earnhardt’s fatal crash, NASCAR mandated several safety-related changes, including the use of the HANS device, which reduces the likelihood of a basilar skull fracture as a consequence of a crash. Earnhardt died after sustaining a basilar skull fracture.
Dale Jr. continued to race even after his father’s death. He won three Cup Series races later that season and had 26 wins overall during his Cup Series career. Now Dale Jr. is the owner of a team, JR Motorsports, that mostly focuses on the Xfinity Series.
JR Motorsports will have its No. 40 car in the field being driven by Justin Allgaier. This will be the Cup Series debut for JR Motorsports, and it will come in the huge race.
