NASCAR News
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was never what his father was when behind the wheel.
Dale Sr. was a vicious competitor and winner of 76 NASCAR races. Dale Jr., who announced his retirement on Tuesday effective at the end of this season, has won 26.
Dale the Younger was, however, NASCAR’s most popular driver for 14 straight years. Fans loved him and the No. 88 car. His career is not undistinguished, just not the equal of dear old dad’s.
Junior, 42, did win the Daytona 500 twice. But he never won the NASCAR championship, which his father did seven times. His father, however, died in a wreck at Daytona in 2001. Junior, after missing half of last season with concussion-like symptoms, took himself out of the race before something untoward could catch up with him.
“As you know, I missed a few races last year and during that time I had to face the realization that my driving career may have already ended without me so much as getting a vote on the table. Of course, in life we’re not promised a vote, and that’s especially true in racing,” Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt will still get behind the wheel. He has a commitment to drive in a couple of Xfinity races (the series just below NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup) next year and he’ll find a different role in the racing world.
“I do have ambition to work,” Earnhardt said. “I’m not going to quit working. There’s a feeling to being an asset to something. I don’t have to be the guy holding the trophy, but being a part of that success, I really enjoy. I really enjoy making people happy and doing stuff as a team. I think I can replicate that in the next chapter of my life.”
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
Khalid Goes On Taco Run With Eric Nam…Destroys Car!
Team Hybrid: Does Your Car Define Who You Are?
-
Correa joined the Mets with a $315 million contract. Recently, baseball player Carlos Correa announced that he had cut...
-
Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season. The Big 12...
-
Robert Kraft wants to re-sign Brady just long enough that he can retire as a Patriot. Earlier this week,...
-
The skilled third-baseman will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is one of the most skilled and recognized third-basemen...
-
Brady’s 23rd football season has ended. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys went head-to-head for...
-
Smith has been fired after one season with the team. Over the weekend, the owners of the Houston Texans...
-
Pelé passed due to complications related to colon cancer. On Thursday night, the sporting world received unfortunate news: Pelé,...
-
His return heralded a victory over the Phoenix Suns. On Sunday, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas needed to take...
-
Mayfield will be available on waiver to other NFL teams. After an underwhelming performance in his current role as...
-
Mike White led the team to a decisive victory over the Bears over the weekend. On Saturday, the New...
-
The game has been moved out of New York due to an encroaching snowstorm. This weekend, the Buffalo Bills...
-
Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else. Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in...