"Felt like I was being punked": Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalls having a chat about racing and Dale Sr. with his 4-year-old daughter

Former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently hosted an episode of his podcast 'Bless Your Hardt' with his wife Amy Earnhardt in a public venue on 'Fan Day.' During the podcast, Dale Jr. recalled having a conversation with his four-year-old daughter Nicole about Dale Earnhardt Sr. and her interest in racing.

Amy worked as a professional interior designer before she met her husband. They met when Earnhardt Jr. hired her to renovate one of his properties in North Carolina and soon began dating. The couple later tied the knot on December 31, 2016, and have been blessed with two daughters: Nicole Lorraine Earnhardt and Ilsa Rose Earnhardt.

On the podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled a day when he decided to have a conversation with Nicole instead of watching TV. The four-year-old enthusiastically agreed and asked Dale Jr. if he wanted to talk about racing, which caught the former NASCAR driver off guard. The father-daughter duo then talked about 'Papa Dale,' aka Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his favorite race car.

"You know what? Your boy's my favorite. Your Papa Dale's yellow and blue," Nicole stated. [21:33]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was stunned by her daughter's reply and said:

"I was like, "Man, what is going on? ... I felt like I was being punked, like she had an earpiece in, like somebody was telling her to say this." [21:50] onwards.

Continuing further, Amy Earnhardt mentioned that Nicole wore a vintage racing shirt and connected with it on a deep level.

"Oh, it made an impact on her. She won her race in that shirt, and she connected it, so she's like very, very all about that right now."

Dale Earnhardt Sr. had a remarkable career in the Cup Series before he tragically passed away in 2001 while racing at the Daytona International Speedway. He secured seven championship titles, 76 wins, 281 top-five finishes, and 428 top-ten finishes with 23 pole positions in 676 starts.

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"I am excited that we have this chance": Dale Earnhardt Jr. got candid about reuniting with $138B partner and its deeper meaning as a tribute to his late father

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to drive the iconic #8 Budweiser/MLB All-Star Game-inspired paint scheme once again. Junior aims to promote the CARS Tour Speedway Classic on August 12, 2025, at Anderson Speedway.

After a hiatus of 24 years since winning his first Daytona 500, the new paint job will also be seen at the MLB Speedway Classic on August 2. This event will mark an emotional affair for Earnhardt Jr., as he won his first Daytona 500 months after the tragic passing of Dale Earnhardt Sr.

During a recent interview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on his new partnership with the $138 billion-worth (via Bloomberg) beverage company and said:

“It is an incredible opportunity to reunite with Budweiser and Major League Baseball. I’ve watched that July 2001 race at Daytona so many times. It’s such a great memory for me.” (via JRM Racing)

“I am excited that we have this chance to collaborate with Bud and MLB to bring that scheme back again because of what it means to me and so many others,” he added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. never secured a Cup Series title, unlike his father. Howrver, he was one of the most popular drivers on the grid and amassed 26 wins, 149 top-five finishes, and 260 top-ten finishes with 15 pole positions in 631 starts.