“Every time I’ve tried to charge a corner here, I think about my dad’s lesson”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminisces learning lessons with his father

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s relationship with his father is well-known throughout the NASCAR fraternity. The father-son duo, who once raced together in the highest echelon of stock car racing, have numerous stories of their times with each other.

Earnhardt Jr. also has a wealth of knowledge about his father, who is regarded as one of if not the greatest drivers in NASCAR's history.

After competing in last Friday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. talked about yet another anecdote about him and his father. During a post-race press conference, the 48-year-old former driver and current team owner elaborated on a time when Dale Earnhardt gave him driving tips.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. rarely discussed driving on the track with his father. However, he opened up about a rather unusual occurrence where 'The Intimidator' helped Jr. get better at Bristol. He narrated the instance in the press conference, saying:

"My dad never really told me anything about driving racecars, ever. We never had conversations on how to drive a track. For whatever reason, we was here (Bristol Motor Speedway) one year and I think it's my first Cup season and I was slow, struggling."

"He got on the top of the trailer with a helmet, or radio and was like 'I will tell you where to lift.' Every time I'd try to charge a corner here, I think about my dad's lesson."

Including anecdotes from his father's racing days on his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. never seems to disappoint in terms of stories about his father.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. elaborates on the fire inside his car's cockpit during the Xfinity Series race at Bristol

The 48-year-old driver appeared a genuine contender for the win towards the end of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s stint behind the wheel was unfortunately cut short.

The JR Motorsports team owner retired from the race after flames erupted inside the cockpit of his car, burning a hole in Earnhardt Jr.'s firesuit as well.

He elaborated on the lead-up to the moment he saw the flames and felt the heat, and said in a post-race press conference via Bob Pockrass:

"I started smelling something first and I thought 'Hopefully it's the car in front of me'. Then I started seeing a lot of smoke around the dash and I thought we just had some rubber buildup on the pipes."

What was first considered a non-issue by Earnhardt Jr. turned out to be the reason for his retirement from the race.