“That cue ball headed fool”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminisces his one and only track incident with Todd Bodine

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently looked back on a lighthearted and memorable racing incident with fellow driver Todd Bodine. In a new episode of his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, the NASCAR veteran recalls their one and only on-track run-in, poking fun at Bodine with a nickname that has stuck for decades..

The clip was uploaded by Dirty Mo Media. The caption read,

“Dale Jr. & Todd Bodine only had one on-track incident - but it was a memorable one. 🤣🏔️”

In the video, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Todd Bodine revisited their infamous clash at Pikes Peak in 1999. After being wrecked during the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. vented his frustration in a post-race interview, and called Bodine a “cue ball headed fool.” As Dale Jr. said it,

“I got out of the car, they interviewed me and I said, that cue ball headed fool wrecked me.” [0:03]

Bodine gifted Dale Jr. a signed cue ball as a keepsake. Dale Jr. says it’s now “one of my favorite things in the room.” The two laughed about the incident, and Dale Jr. asked Bodine how he reacted to the insult. Bodine responded that he laughed and added that he doesn’t hold grudges and has always believed that racing comes with its share of bumps. Adding to this, he said,

“It was funny. I don't know if you remember this but that next week, I made some t shirts. It was a rack of billiard balls but changed all the numbers on the balls to the race car numbers that we raced with. Yours was upfront and I was the cue ball and it showed the balls all getting broken apart.” [0:46]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time Xfinity Series champion and has 26 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, including two Daytona 500 victories. He was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver a record 15 straight times and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on why Texas doesn’t need the Atlanta treatment

While discussing rumors around NASCAR track reconfigurations, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it clear that Texas Motor Speedway should be left alone. On a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download, the veteran driver addressed speculation that a track might receive the same overhaul that Atlanta Motor Speedway got in 2021. The repave and redesign changed the character of racing there, making it more like a superspeedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirmed that while there’s buzz about another track getting “the Atlanta treatment,” that track isn’t Texas. He pointed out that people may assume it’s Texas because Marcus Smith, who was behind Atlanta’s reconfiguration, also owns Texas Motor Speedway. However, Earnhardt dismissed that idea directly:

“It is not Texas.”

He went on to explain why he believes Texas Motor Speedway should stay as it is. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the track is at a point where its aging asphalt is finally producing challenging, dynamic racing—something that repaving might destroy.

“Dude, those Xfinity guys were busting their ass all over the place. That's what we need. Don't change nothing,” he said.

He urged NASCAR not to make any changes. Adding,

“Don't touch it. Don't change anything. Don't move anything.”

Texas Motor Speedway last underwent changes in 2017, with both a repave and a reconfiguration. But the results didn’t bring back the racing quality fans remembered. That’s why Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the track is finally returning to form and should be left alone.