"I might wake up one day and my career could be over" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks back on treading on "thin ice" with Hendrick Motorsports

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver turned broadcaster and team owner in the Xfinity Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr., continues to be one of the sport's most influential figures to date. The Hall of Famer continues to give back to the sport in the form of his production and media outlet Dirty Mo Media.

For a change, the 49-year-old recently appeared on another NASCAR podcast which has been steadily gaining traction. Hosted by former driver and fan favorite Kenny Wallace, The Kenny Wallace Show saw the two former drivers chat amongst themselves.

In an excerpt shared by Racing America on X (formerly Twitter), Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked back on a less happy time during his career in the highest echelon of the sport. Speaking on his performance issues during the 2011-2012 phase with Hendrick Motorsports, the 49-year-old looked back on tough times with a sense of relief and thankfulness for Rick Hendrick, the team owner.

He said:

"I was sitting there around 2011 and '12 thinking that I might wake up one day and my career could be over whether I wanted it to end or not. Rick (Hendrick), to his credit, assured me we're going to keep working, we're going to keep trying. I never felt from Rick Hendrick or anybody at Hendrick Motorsports that I was on thin ice but damn, I knew the results. I knew the success that my teammates might be having."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. further recalled being introduced to Steve Letarte and said:

"I get put with Steve Letarte. Steve said 'Man, you're finishing 20th in points or worse, you're running like that every week. We're going to set a goal of 15th' and I was like 'Okay'."

Touching on the gradual progression Steve Letarte put Dale Earnhardt Jr. through, the duo formed a close bond, as is reflected by Letarte now hosting a show on Dirty Mo Media all these years later.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Ryan Blaney's work ethic in NASCAR

Speaking on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney's work ethic during a recent interview with frontstretch.com, Dale Eanrhardt Jr. praised the Team Penske driver in his unique way.

Speaking on Blaney's commitment to off-track duties, the JR Motorsport owner said:

“Well, man! He is a hard worker. One of the things I saw Blaney do, that was really nice to see early in his career, was when NASCAR and the sport would come to him or any driver, and say, ‘Hey we need you to do this, could you do this for us?’. He always said yes, that’s unique and I think I can appreciate that."

Fans can expect another year of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s expert analysis during the upcoming NASCAR season which kicks off in February next year.