DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked a rather innocuous question about the best advice he had ever gotten, but the answer turned into a passionate plea against the use of illegal drugs.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. constantly preached about staying away from drugs, and Earnhardt Jr. said it worked.
“I had a pretty decent head on my shoulders, and I was actually scared to death of that stuff when I was 13,” Earnhardt Jr. said Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR hosted its Preseason Thunder Fan Fest. “I had never seen what weed looked like or what cocaine looked like, and if somebody would have showed me I probably would have run in the other direction.
“For some reason my daddy was real adamant, and he mentioned it almost on a daily basis or a weekly basis at least about staying away from it, stay away from people who were doing it. I think he was worried because he was out of town racing.”
Earnhardt Sr., of course, was racing every weekend, so he was worried about what Dale Jr. and sister Kelley were doing on the weekends.
Well, Jr, I'll tell ya this....you're late, great Dad is / was not the only Dad that is just real adamant about this subject.
I have a 14 yr old that will testify to that fact, no oath required---just ask him and he'll tell ya.
Ya did good in listening to the old man, Jr.
This afternoon my youngin' is nursing a sore shoulder. In honor of the MLK holiday we went out shooting.
About 200 rounds with his Christmas gift, 22 rifle. And four rounds with Dad's 20 gauge, his first with a gauge. Definitely hesitant to try it after hearing it in action, little assurance from the 'wise one' and it was time to do it.
A great experience. I told him, "Skeet shooting is next!"
Anyway, one of my efforts in the battle against drugs.
Side story: we go about 30 miles out of town to shoot. The wife says this morning, "are you going to Apex to shoot?" - "No, we are about 15 miles past that, why?" - "Everybody at work says that Apex is where the gangbangers go to shoot." - "Wow, glad to know that. They say what the bag limit is?" :)
Nascar related, I'm sure.....bullets / pellets / slugs got to the target really, really FAST.
Awaiting WCG's approval before posting.