Posted on 04/25/2017 7:15:30 AM PDT by Captain Jack Aubrey
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will retire at the end of the season, Hendrick Motorsports has announced. Voted the sport's most popular driver for the last 14 seasons, Earnhardt began his career with a start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 1999. He has since accumulated 26 career wins, including two in the Daytona 500. He also captured a win in the All-Star Race as a rookie.
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High speed parking lot. Not the NASCAR of old.
In 79, my last time, an idiot parked next to me in a van, set his van on fire cooking on a camper stove INSIDE THE VAN!.....................
Then they offset the rear axle so the cars look like they're crab-walking down the straightaways. Why even have drivers?
You and me both. Instead I’ll retire when I hit 1/100th of that but I’ll be just fine.
When Junior first broke into NASCAR, I didn't like him because I thought he was a spoiled brat and I generally didn't like his fans. As time went by, I realized that I was wrong about this guy. It isn't easy being the son of a legend and Dale Junior has handled the situation real well IMO.
Dale Junior might have gotten a break getting into NASCAR but his performance on the track has shown that he deserves to be there. He isn't as good as his dad but then few are.
I sure hope he gets a Cup Championship on his way out. Fifteen years ago, I would have never, ever said something like that.
Being a Dale, Jr. fan has everything to do with who Dale, Jr. is. He has always been his own unique person. He certainly honored his father's legacy, was never uncomfortable with it, but was still his own person with his own accomplishments. Dale, Jr also has a tremendous appreciation for the history of NASCAR and no doubt will remain a great part of the sport as a team owner and all-around arbiter of its history. We will miss rooting for Dale Jr. on the track and we wish him the best!!
Hulk Hogan won lots of wrestling matches.
I'd say even earlier than that. They may as well drop "Stock Car" from their name. I miss the days of "race what ya brung"
non sequitur
He won't. As owner of JR Motorsports, he's in it for the long haul.
I worked for a driver in the early 70’s (Elmo Langley)...
It seemed duct tape and bailing wire was very important tools back then...*LOL*
I think he’ll retire—and become a full-time team owner grooming the next generation of drivers.
True. In 19 years, he's got 26 wins out of over 600 races. 149 top 5s. 253 top 10s. And almost $100M in earnings. He's had a good career.
It may seem to be...if you fail to realize that wrestling and NASCAR are both staged.
Cool!!!!
It seemed duct tape and bailing wire was very important tools back then...*LOL*
Indeed!
Junior isn't going anywhere though, he has a wildly successful Xfinity team and I would bet he now starts up one or two Cup teams under the JR Motorsports banner also.
Not to mention he has acquired enough cars, equipment and memorabilia from the beginning days of NASCAR to now that he could probably open his own museum and immediately rival the NASCAR HOF collection.
it would also not surprise me at all if he goes into track ownership.
I don’t follow racing but Pops used to take me to MIS 4 times a year back the say when it had two IndyCar and two Nascar races oer year. This is probably early 80s? Before all the new speedways started going up. I lived in the Metroplex when Dallas went up.
Anyway I aeem to recall going nuts one year because Richard Petty after a dry spell was threatening to win #200. Place was going nuts.
My point is they were old. Gordon, now Earnhardt retiring ao much younger. I think salary, partial ownership, endorsements and the grind makes it not worth it to be race into old age. Or getting on the Announcer gravy train. I watch a lot of NBA and get a kick out Sir Charles, Kenny and Shaq so you can see where networks can build some fairly young crews and start doing what TNT does with NBA where the show after the last game often runs another hour. If the guys are funny and not wooden.
Kudos to Dale for making a smart decision. I’m sure he will enjoy his retirement as a race car driver, but I doubt he retires from NASCAR as others have pointed out. However, as a former long-time NASCAR nut (1990 to 2015), they lost me with the stupid GWC and the inane Chase, which definitely turned the “races” into staged events.
You would feel at home in my garage.
'72 440 Charger, '70 440 Superbird and '69 Hemi Charger 500 (original owner).
Quit going to Daytona after '02; our seats were already at $125. Way too much to pay for a boring parade.
Gotcha.
Kthxbye...
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