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It's been a few years since Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired as a full-time driver in NASCAR. But even though he runs yearly races in the Xfinity Series, he recently described why it is tough for him to go to the racetracks.
Speaking on Dale Jr. Download's latest Ask Jr. segment, Earnhardt Jr. revealed how he wants to give credit to Terry Labonte for putting on a race suit and "going all in" alongside Kyle Larson for the throwback weekend. Wearing a suit like Labonte was something that Earnhardt Jr. claimed he would have "a hard time" saying yes to.
When asked why that would be the case, Earnhardt Jr. shed light on the sad reality of being a retired NASCAR driver.
"It's really hard. No one will understand this. It's really, really hard to go to the racetrack as a retired driver and watch. It's just hard. I think there comes a point in your life when you're okay with that or you feel like you've been going to this racetrack having this very, very important role and when that's gone, you feel so worthless. You're standing around like I don't have a hauler to go into. I don't know where to be," he said. [9:45]
He continued how even as a broadcaster now, when he's back in the garage, he doesn't have a truck to walk into. Earnhardt Jr. admitted that he can strike a conversation but after a while, it gets to "nice to see you, see you later".
"So it's kinda strange. It's weird to go back to the racetrack when you're a retired driver," he added.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race as long as he can
After his impressive run at Bristol last season in the Xfinity Series race where he ran inside the top 5 for the better part of the night, Earnhardt Jr. emphasized that he wasn't done racing just yet. At 49 years of age, Earnhardt Jr. insisted that he feels young and hungry for more.
But at the same time, he hinted at how long he sees himself running in NASCAR with the one-off races.
“I’ll run as long as I can. I like running one here and there. I think I still feel young. I overachieved tonight in my eyes in terms of how I ran, so I guess that gave me some confidence to try do to one here and there for a couple more years," he said as per Bristol Motor Speedway.
As for his appearance on this year's schedule, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is all set to return for the Bristol Xfinity race later in September.
