“2024 or 2004?”: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Bud reunion draws peak NASCAR popularity comparisons by dirt racing insider

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered Saturday’s South Carolina 400 with 55 other race car drivers. But what made his entry special was that it brought back fragments of nostalgia from when he used to drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc., a team previously operated by his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

FloRacing’s Rob Blount was taken back to 2004 when Dale Jr. went head-on with four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and current Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman, Jeff Gordon, for the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway. Notably, it was the first time in 17 years that the veteran racer strapped himself to the No. 8 car. Thrilled at the much-awaited comeback, Blount tweeted,

“2024 or 2004? Impossible to tell the difference. Watching the crowd come to their feet when he flew by for qualifying looked like the backstretch stands at Talladega back in the day when he’d take the lead. Just wild to see again.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 8 machine from 1999 to 2007 and amassed 17 wins in 291 starts through those nine years. In 2008, Dale Jr. joined Hendrick Motorsports where he won nine more races and registered a career-total 26 wins.

The veteran racer retired in 2017. However, he never gave up racing. Since his formal retirement, Earnhardt has been running at least one race each year under the banner of JR Motorsports, a team he owns alongside his sister Kelley Earnhardt and Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran his last NASCAR national race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20. He managed to deliver a P7 finish there and celebrated with a barrel of beer afterward.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s day ends early at Florence Motor Speedway

Despite qualifying well and bagging P16 in Heat 1 of the South Carolina 400, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car came to an abrupt halt on the pit road with about 31 laps to go. As per Matt Weaver of the Sportsnaut, Earnhardt Jr. radioed to his team,

“Oh man. Something is wrong with the car…the motor won't keep running. I ain't got no fucking engine boys."

Dale Jr.’s crew tried their best to get the car up and running, but in vain. A few minutes later, it seemed that his day was already over. Rob Tiongson of The Podium Finish reported,

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. clambers out of his No. 8 car and removes his helmet. It appears his race is over. Tough break after that incredible charge from the rear of the field to second tonight.”

At one point close to the end of the first half of the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was tailing fellow racer Treyten Lapcevich for the lead. It even seemed like the ball was in Earnhardt’s court until the mishap ousted him from contention.