Dale Earnhardt Jr. clear about ‘strange’ Late Model car issues that make it ‘prone to failure’

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s day ended early at Florence Motor Speedway on Saturday. With 31 laps to go, his iconic No. 8 Budweiser Late Model Chevy started powering down, forcing the veteran racer to make a pit stop. And that was it. He never made it back in what was the 32nd running of the annual South Carolina 400.

Strangely, that’s what Dale Jr. seems to like the most about these Late Model cars. What makes them “authentic” is that they are prone to sudden breakdowns said the two-time Daytona 500 winner in a recent episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast. He explained,

"I know this is gonna sound strange but that's one thing I like about Late Model stock racing is that our cars are prone to failure. There's a ton of attrition in that race. The parts and pieces on these cars are really traditional.” (0:22)

Recalling the nature of these races back in the late 1970s and beyond, Dale Earnhardt Jr. further stated,

“When Dad (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) was racing for these championships it was a major fear in the back of your mind that you're gonna have some kind of mechanical failure. I do love that being a part of the process; it just feels real. Feels more authentic."

As the 50-year-old speedster got ousted from contention, NASCAR Canada Series regular Treyten Lapcevich prospered throughout the prestigious event. His win was the third for Chad Bryant Racing.

The Mooresville, North Carolina-based outfit had been to the victory lane in 2021 and 2022, thanks to the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ty Majeski who drove the No. 77 entry back then.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. candid on his car breaking down

Dale Earnhardt started 40th but eventually worked his way up to the front. At one point, he was tailing Lapcevich for the lead. With 40 laps to go, the top three contenders were Lapcevich, Earnhardt, and Doug Barnes Jr. But after an extended period of chasing down Lapcevich, Earnhardt’s car slowed down.

What initially appeared to be an emergency fuel stoppage proved to be a race-ending disaster for the semi-retired racer. But what happened back there?

"My guess is...so we took the fuel line off the carburetor and it was bone dry,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “Either the fuel pump itself just broke which would be the simple explanation or something else that fires the fuel pump or runs the fuel pump if broken.”

Nevertheless, Earnhardt put up an exciting show for the fans. The good news is this is not the last time the fans will see him take the wheel. As per reports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will pilot the car in select Late Model races through 2024 and 2025. He will run one race in April, two in August, and another in October.