“He never was able to express to you how much he loved you”: Hank Parker tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. an emotional story about his father

In a touching episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s The Dale Jr. Download podcast, legendary professional fisherman Hank Parker shared an emotional insight into the late racing icon, Dale Earnhardt.

A close confidant of the racing legend, Parker unveiled a side of Earnhardt that few had seen before.

Parker, known for his prowess in the fishing world and his enduring friendship with Dale Earnhardt Jr's father, recounted poignant moments from their shared history.

Among the revelations was a deeply personal conversation in which Earnhardt confided in Parker about his struggles in expressing love to his children during their formative years.

"'I don’t know how to love my kid like you love your kid,'” Earnhardt had admitted to Parker.

Parker, empathetically offered reassurance, saying:

“'Well we’re different, Dale. You love him just as much as I love Hank Jr., you just don’t know how to express it'.”

The conversation delved deeper as Earnhardt bared the complexities of his familial relationships, shaped by broken marriages and the challenges they brought. Parker provided a perspective that resonated with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s father's predicament.

“'You just have to let go. You are who you are, and I know how much you love your kids, you just have a hard time expressing it',” Parker advised.

Parker explained to Dale Earnhardt Jr. that although his father had trouble expressing it, he loved his son deeply. He said:

“And he never was able to express to you how much he loved you. He never was able, and you always felt like he loved you when you won, and he didn’t when you didn’t. And I could tell that."

Hank Parker reveals that Dale Earnhardt Jr's dad was the 'smartest man he's ever known'

In the same episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Hank Parker shed light on a lesser-known facet of the late racing legend Dale Earnhardt.

Beyond his prowess on the track, Parker unveiled Earnhardt's remarkable intelligence and business acumen. According to Parker, Earnhardt harbored a deep-seated embarrassment about the lack of education in his life, choosing not to discuss it openly.

"He was hard. He grew up hard. He didn't have an education and he was embarrassed about that and he never would talk about that," Hank Parker revealed.

"But he was the smartest individual I've ever known. The smartest businessman I've ever known."

Parker proceeded to highlight Earnhardt's collaboration with Hank Jones in pioneering the souvenir business that would later become an integral part of NASCAR's fabric. Parker said:

"He and Hank Jones pioneered the souvenir business that NASCAR has today. They built the foundation."

"Your dad was a brilliant man. The smartest man I've ever known. It's crazy," Hank Parker reiterated.