My Favorite Earnhardt

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32367551/mediaviewer/rm89817090/?ref_=tt_ov_i

Fresh from watching the Prime Video release of the Imagine Documentaries, Everyone Else, and NASCAR Studios, in association with Dirty Mo Media, production of Earnhardt, I am full of emotions. 

Yes, emotions. 

I was one of the millions of Dale Earnhardt fans. 

I knew about his daddy, Ralph. 

I knew about his career, and how he won Rookie of the Year in 1979, beating out Harry Gant and Terry Labonte, and went on to win his first championship in 1980 for Rod Osterlund Racing.

When Richard Childress picked up Earnhardt and put effort into winning the championship in the mid-1980s, a seismic shift was brewing.

Winning championships in 1986 (RCR's first) and 1987 showed he was no flash-in-the-pan, but a juggernaut - a force to be reckoned.

During the All-Star Race in 1987, Earnhardt was forced into the infield grass, never lost control, and regained his lead (never passing anyone) - the so-called Pass In The Grass - earning him the nickname "The Intimidator".

When Wrangler pulled out and GM Goodwrench arrived to sponsor RCR's No. 3 Dale Earnhardt car for the 1988 season, the paint scheme went from blue and yellow to black.

More success followed in 1990, the year I started watching, and 1991 marking his fourth and fifth championships respectively.

Then, in 1993 and 1994 his sixth and Richard Petty-tying seventh championship were realized. 

Throughout the years Earnhardt had coupled his extraordinary and aggressive driving style with heart-stopping wrecks that he would walk away from seemingly unharmed.

The Intimidator seemed like The Immortal.

With all of his championships, Earnhardt had never won a Daytona 500, arguably the most important race to win in the world of NASCAR.

The Great American Race victory was realized in 1998 in grand style by Earnhardt, earning him a high five from every single crew member lined up to congratulate him at the race's completion. 

Earnhardt was a Champion.

Earnhardt was a god.

The next year, 1999, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Earnhardt's son, started in the Cup series driving for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

And, in 2001, with Earnhardt Jr. pushing fellow DEI teammate Michael Waltrip to victory in the Daytona 500, Earnhardt lost his life in a last lap crash.

Watching that final race of Earnhardt's life in the documentary series brought the emotions back in full force.

I cried. 

Hard.

Memories flooded my brain and my heart.

Losing Earnhardt was catastrophic - then and now. 

What watching Earnhardt did for me, though, was show me why so many in the sport and beyond, not only loved Dale Earnhardt, but love Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

I honestly never got it.

Upon the conclusion of Earnhardt, I did.

Like Earnhardt before, Earnhardt Jr. wanted only to be loved and seen by his father. 

Like Earnhardt, that was a rarity for Earnhardt Jr. 

The words wrapped around Earnhardt for the documentary say, "When Racing is everything, you'll sacrifice anything."

Read that again.

"When Racing is everything, you'll sacrifice anything."

Dale Earnhardt sacrificed everything for racing - his family relationships, his friendships, and, ultimately, his life. 

His death made Earnhardt ascend to mythic proportions. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed to be on a similar path, but he wasn't his father. 

He is a different species.

Although never as successful on the race track as his father, Earnhardt Jr. has had incredible successes as a driver, and as a team owner with his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller for their JR Motorsports team. 

Earnhardt Jr. is an incredible communicator, thinker, and talent picker. 

Earnhardt Jr. is a loving husband and father who is hyper-involved with his family.

He has parlayed his popularity - winner of 15 consecutive NASCAR Most Popular Driver awards - into a successful broadcasting career that spans several types of media. 

Most importantly, Earnhardt Jr. retired from competition at the end of the 2017 season. Though controversial, he chose to do what was right for him, and the years that followed have only been incredibly successful and lucrative for him. 

With Earnhardt Jr.'s blessings, contributions, and platform, Earnhardt brought Dale Earnhardt back on the screen for legions of fans. 

Though still god-like for many, this series shows a more complicated Earnhardt. 

Dale Earnhardt will continue to be a hero, and his legend will continue to thrive as it should.

I will always remember Dale Earnhardt and my immense fandom.

I'm just glad I understand why Dale Earnhardt Jr. has such a loyal, steadfast, and ever-growing fandom that may have started because he was Earnhardt's son, but grows ever-bigger because he is his own man.

https://www.swooon.com/1194966/who-is-dale-earnhardt-jr-married-to-amy-kids/

And Still We Remember By: Candice Smith

 

Time stood still.

No one moved or breathed.

No one believed that The Intimidator was mortal.

Certainly he’d walk away from what looked initially like an innocuous hit into the wall.

This was Daytona, the track that Earnhardt won consistently at and even had captured a 500 victory three years previously.

A collective gasp was heard.

Hearts sunk.

Mourning began.

A line was drawn – events that happened before February 18, 2001 and after.

The day Dale Earnhardt died.

Accidents happen, but he’d always walked away able to race the next time.

Lives forever changed that fateful day.

Healing began.

Dale Earnhardt will never be forgotten.

His indelible mark is as palpable today as it was then.

Perhaps more.

Then Earnhardt had as many detractors as fans. Fans would boo, jeer, and argue what a terrible competitor he was. A cheat, some would say, or a thug on the race track. Fans of Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, and many other drivers couldn’t stand Earnhardt.

But when he was gone the enormity of Earnhardt’s death reverberated across NASCAR Nation and beyond.

Flags still fly proudly with the “No. 3” and Dale Earnhardt signature. His fans – ardent, loyal, passionate – still remember.

Always.

He was so much more than a NASCAR star.

Earnhardt was a sports icon, a business entrepreneur, a  farmer, a sponsor’s dream, a winning driver, a champion who tied King Richard Petty’s seven championships.

Earnhardt was a jokester, a fierce competitor, and a loyal friend.

He was a husband, business partner, hunter, and a father.

His legacy has made him immortal.

The name Earnhardt will forever be associated with racing – NASCAR –  and a host of positive things in the world as his family’s reach is constantly expanding.

Twenty years later and the landscape has changed immensely.

The one thing that has not changed is the allegiance shown by Earnhardt fans. There are endless stories of how Earnhardt touched their lives.

Others have entire rooms filled with Earnhardt memorabilia.

What every one of those fans has in common is their love, admiration, and adulation of Dale Earnhardt.

Twenty years on, as much that has changed, the Earnhardt fans stay the same.

The Historical Significance of NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt By: Candice Smith

After earth-shattering events, NASCAR has always been there in modern history to provide normalcy and a beacon of hope for America.

Leading the pack of NASCAR drivers who brought a feeling of hope, optimism, and victory to America was none other than Dale Earnhardt. On what would have been his 69^th birthday, I have gathered historical events that rocked America and how watching Earnhardt’s stellar career unfold made those stressful times in America a bit more bearable. In no way am I implying the tragedies and Earnhardt’s success were related or had anything to do with one another, simply Earnhardt’s victories and Cup championships continued to occur despite national tragedies.

In Dale Earnhardt’s storied career with 76 NASCAR Cup Series race victories and seven NASCAR Cups, he had been a part of the fabric of America from the late 1970s until his death in 2001. 

As he was racing for his first career Cup in 1980, the country dealt in May with the eruption of long-dormant Mount St. Helens in Washington state. Although certainly not related in any way, it is part of a pattern that Americans looked to their passion for NASCAR and its heroes to make it through.

As 1986 dawned, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster rocked the American space program and the country when all eyes watched live as the explosion occurred. That same year Earnhardt had a remarkable season in NASCAR winning five races and tying up the Cup one week before the season’s end.

In May of 1987, the USS Stark was fired upon during the Iran-Iraq war. That year Dale Earnhardt showed brilliance by winning 11 races his third NASCAR Cup championship, and a back-to-back one at that!

The year 1990 saw the mobilization of American troops after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Earnhardt once again had a dominate season in NASCAR and won his fourth Cup after winning nine races.

By 1991 American soldiers were participating in Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait. Airstrikes began against Iraq and military families were put under enormous strains. Earnhardt raced hard, acquired four victories and another back-to-back Cup that totaled five for The Intimidator.

The first bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City occurred in January 1993. By spring of that year people tuned in daily to learn evermore about the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas while a massive snowstorm labeled “The Storm of the Century” blanketed the eastern United States “from Canada to Mexico” for three days in late March. Meanwhile, Earnhardt won six races and captured his sixth championship in NASCAR’s top series.

In 1994 the country was mesmerized and horrified by the OJ Simpson arrest for the murder of his wife. In addition, America’s favorite pastime, Major League Baseball, struck a sour note with its fans that still reverberates to the present when they went on strike. NASCAR kept powering on, collecting more fans. Earnhardt, in yet another back-to-back Cup, earned his seventh championship, tying him with the sport’s King, Richard Petty.

The loss of Dale Earnhardt, on February 18, 2001, left the sport and the country reeling. A seemingly indestructible sports hero was fallen in what looked like a benign accident at first. The news of Earnhardt’s death sent a tremor felt within NASCAR, the country, and around the globe.

True to form, NASCAR went on with the next scheduled race a week later held at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. The winner of that race was Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Steve Parks.

In July of 2001 Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove his DEI-backed No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory at the track his father had perished five months before.

Then the unthinkable happened on September 11, 2001. And the world changed.

But NASCAR was there for America. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drove his No. 8 to victory lane at Dover Downs International Speedway and then drove his victory laps waving an enormous American flag. The crowd wept with every emotion they had been feeling since the attacks had occurred, and since Earnhardt's death. It was a form of healing. It offered hope.

Another victory awaited Earnhardt Jr. in October 2001 at Talladega.

Fast forward to 2020. Now there is a global pandemic that has kept NASCAR’s engines silent for six weeks and counting. The iRacing with Earnhardt, Jr. and other NASCAR drivers and drivers from other series is filling a void, but unable to quench the thirst of America’s collective need of live NASCAR racing.

It has been nearly two decades since we lost Dale. For many it still feels like yesterday. And Dale Earnhardt, Jr. retired from NASCAR’s Cup series at the end of the 2017 season, yet there are still many heroes on the track.

As we remember Dale Earnhardt on his birthday, let us honor him and his greatness by bringing the engines roaring back to life! If history has taught us anything, it is that healing begins with the normalcy, excitement, and greatness that NASCAR provides.

Let’s do it for Dale.  

Happy Birthday, Davey Allison

If you are a longtime NASCAR fan you undoubtedly know the name Allison. Bobby Allison was inducted to the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 and he and brother Donnie were two of the original “Alabama Gang”. 

Bobby had two sons, Davey and Clifford, who were following in their dad’s tire tracks. Unfortunately, tragedy struck twice in the Allison family. First, fate claimed Clifford on August 13, 1992 at Michigan International Speedway during practice for the Detroit Gasket 200 in the NASCAR Busch Series. Injuries sustained on the track took the young Allison’s life. Within a year, on July 12, 1993, while piloting his helicopter to Talladega to take part in the race, Davey Allison crashed and perished.

As a mother, I cannot imagine the unbreakable sadness that would grip me losing not just one but also two of my sons. The enormity would be too much for me to bear. And then, as an extra cruel twist of fate, having the death dates less than a year apart and at the same time of the month would simply do me in. Bobby, having dealt with his own tragic career-ending crash, was dealt the most unfair of hands, and yet, to this day, is still a great ambassador for NASCAR. He does what most of us take for granted; he gets up each morning and breathes. For those of you who have lived through tragedy and adversity, you know how difficult that one activity can be.

The Allisons were a dynasty in NASCAR; a racing family that was supposed to endure through the generations. Davey and younger brother Clifford were talented and good and primed to be the next generation of the “Alabama Gang”. Davey, several times, was a breath away from sitting at the lead table at the Waldorf Astoria. Many have pondered, “What if Davey lived” scenarios that include “would Dale Earnhardt have won as many Cups?” No one will ever know.

February 25, 2020 marks what would have been Davey Allison’s fifty-ninth birthday.  As a fan in Davey’s heyday, it is hard for me to wrap my brain around that.  It was important for me to bring Davey’s name back to the forefront for a moment. I’m sure Bobby hasn’t forgotten; I just wanted him to know, I haven’t forgotten either.

Tim Richmond

Recently I’ve been reading about one of NASCAR’s fallen heroes, a driver from the 1980s whose star shown very brightly for an all too brief period of time. His name was Tim Richmond.

If you missed his era you may not know a lot or anything about him. I became a fan of NASCAR in 1990 and missed everything about Richmond. While I was filling my coffers of NASCAR history, NASCAR past and present, and NASCAR now, Richmond’s name was rarely if ever mentioned.

Once I became active on Facebook NASCAR and racing fan sites his name came up more regularly.

I knew Richmond had a reputation for being a man women wanted to be with and men wanted to emulate. His racing prowess was enviable as was his reputation as a lothario.

At a time when jeans, cowboy hats, and big belt buckles were the dress uniform for many drivers and crew men in and around the garage, Richmond showed up in Italian suits, feathered and coiffed long hair, and a devil-may-care attitude.

There was no mistaking his intensity. He was, forgive the pun, totally driven in a racecar. Whether it was IndyCar or a NASCAR Winston Cup Car, Richmond drove it to the outer limits. He won many poles in his short NASCAR Winston Cup career, running hard and fast, some say even recklessly, but found it difficult initially to win races. Richmond’s first two years in Cup, 1980 and 1981, he had no poles, wins, or Top Fives, but did earn six Top 10s.

Paired with a legendary crew chief, Harry Hyde, in 1986 in Rick Hendrick’s fledgling stable, Richmond learned to rein in his talent just enough to produce wins and challenge for a championship. He challenged alright, but he was denied the championship in that year by his good friend Dale Earnhardt. Regardless, in that one season Richmond’s statistics were very impressive. He won eight poles, seven races, and earned 13 Top Fives and 17 Top 10s. Richmond finished third that year, only six points behind Darrell Waltrip in second.

That was the pinnacle of Richmond’s career. Unbeknownst to many a disease was riddling Richmond’s body, weakening him and stealing his thunder in the sport he so desperately loved.

Richmond, it’s now known, had contracted HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. This happened at a time when hysteria was high about the disease and knowledge was pathetically little.

Masking his illness with lies and bravado, Richmond was able to return to a partial schedule of racing in the Cup scene. With eight races run in 1987, Richmond captured one pole, two wins, and three Top Fives and four Top 10s. But those were the last glimpses of Richmond’s greatness.

By summer 1987 Richmond’s erratic behavior akin to drunkenness and/or drug abuse caused uproar among many of NASCAR’s elite, drivers, crew members, and NASCAR officials. Not knowing or understanding the true cause of Richmond’s behaviors – manic moods one moment and sleeping for hours after that regardless of what appearances were on his itinerary – gave concern to those he was in close competition.

Drug tests were implemented, results were mishandled, and judgments were made, right or wrong. All the while Richmond continued to hide the fact he was fallen with AIDS, desperately taking the only medicinal cocktail available at the time, AZT. He went so far as to take himself off AZT to make certain he passed NASCAR’s drug test.

But it was too late. The prejudice against Richmond was palpable. His career was over in NASCAR. Unfortunately, his health was deteriorating at a rapid pace as well.

Richmond shook thinks up dramatically in NASCAR. The mostly Southeastern sport full of good ol’ boys was not sure how to handle the slick Midwesterner who was a natty dresser, had “pretty hair”, and ran his racecar at 11/10s at every outing on a track.

Richmond not only brought a Hollywood feel to NASCAR for the time he was present, but he would posthumously bring a discussion to the table about AIDS affecting the NASCAR community, not just the homosexual or Hollywood ones.

That conversation has only gone so far. Even after noted journalist David Poole wrote a book about Richmond, who died on August 13, 1989, entitled “Tim Richmond: The Fast Life And Remarkable Times Of NASCAR’s Top Gun” (2005) I still heard remarkably little about this man in the sport I had grown to love.

If nothing else, I’d love to read what others think, remember, and reminisce about Tim Richmond from those who actually saw him race. So, I’m opening the comments up to you all to do just that.

Teach me about the Tim Richmond I cannot access through books and YouTube clips. I’d love to learn more about NASCAR’s most dynamic driver.

Remembering Davey Allison

Today is bittersweet as it is the 25th Anniversary of losing Davey Allison.

For those of you who don’t remember this son of racing legend Bobby Allison, he was the real deal in NASCAR.

Although he never won a Cup, Davey Allison was in the middle of a very promising and successful career in NASCAR’s top level of competition when he was killed in a helicopter crash in Talladega, Alabama.

Along with his famous racing father Bobby and uncle Donnie Allison, Neil Bonnett, and Red Farmer, Davey Allison was a famed member of the Alabama Gang.

Allison began his Cup career in 1987 winning Rookie of the Year honors. He was the only rookie ever to win two Winston Cup races.

At the start of the 1988 season Davey Allison finished second to his father Bobby Allison’s victory at the Great American Race. This was the first father/son one/two finish in the Daytona 500.

Life changed irreversibly in June of 1988 when father Bobby Allison was involved in a career-ending accident that propelled Davey Allison, the oldest of four children, into the role of decision-making man of the family.

In October 1988 Robert Yates bought the #28 team from Harry Ranier landing Yates as Allison’s team owner. 

In addition to the added stresses and family responsibility, Davey Allison went on to win his third and fourth Winston Cup races landing eighth in points for his second season in the circuit.

His four year marriage quietly ended by the end of the 1988 season.

1989 was a fabulous year personally and professionally for Davey Allison.  Earning his fifth and sixth wins in Cup, including the Talladega victory that was his second at the track, Allison finished eleventh in points. He also claimed his second wife, “Liz”, and welcomed his first child, Krista Marie.

Davey Allison racked up a couple more wins in 1990 bringing his total Cup wins up to eight. He finished thirteenth in points.

When Larry McReynolds took over crew chief responsibility for Davey Allison in 1991, the team really gelled. In that season Davey Allison had five wins, 12 top-five and 16 top-ten finishes, and three pole positions.

Finishing third for the year, Allison told champion Dale Earnhardt at the Winston Cup Awards Banquet at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City that the next year, “I’ll be sitting at the head table!”

Davey and Liz welcomed their second child, a son, Robert Grey in that same year.

Adding his name to the NASCAR history books once again, Davey Allison won the 1992 Daytona 500. This feat was the second time a father and son had each won at the historic track.

Injuries and tragedies plagued Davey Allison in the 1992 season, losing his paternal grandfather and later in the year his younger brother Clifford who was involved in a horrific accident in Brooklyn, Michigan at the Michigan International Speedway during a Busch Race practice session.

But despite these trying events, Davey’s heart-breaking situation did not tarnish his place in the Winston Cup point’s standings.

Coming out of Phoenix with a win and the points lead, Davey Allison was primed to win the 1992 Winston Cup, but fate was to intervene.

An accident involving Ernie Irvan, who had lost control of his car and spun in front of Davey Allison with less than a hundred laps to go, ended Davey’s chances at winning the Cup at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the last race of the 1992 season.

Alan Kulwicki would take that championship beating runner up Bill Elliot and leaving a disappointed Davey Allison third in points to end the season.

A frustrating start to the 1993 season found Davey Allison, who was used to excelling at Daytona, finishing a dismal 28^th in the Great American Race. The following week in Rockingham Davey Allison posted a 16^th.

A win in Richmond would turn out to be the last of the young Davey Allison’s life. The first half of the 1993 season would be decent landing him fifth in points and determined to claw his way back into championship contention in the second half of the season.

But that was not to be.

Davey Allison, a novice helicopter pilot, wanted to support his fellow Alabama Gang friend Neil Bonnett and his son David as David was testing a car for his Busch Series debut at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on July 12, 1993.

Allison, who had also picked up legendary racer Red Farmer, family friend and member of the Alabama Gang, tried to land his helicopter at the track but crashed instead.

Neil Bonnett heroically rescued a semi-conscious Red Farmer from the wreckage but was unable to reach Davey Allison. Rescue workers arrived on the scene, freed Allison, and rushed him to the hospital with serious head injuries.

Davey Allison was pronounced dead on July 13, 1993, the day after the accident, leaving a family and a NASCAR Nation reeling.

In his stunted career Davey Allison posted 19 wins, 66 top-five and 92 top-ten finishes. He captured 14 poles and earned $6,724,174. He was survived by his wife Liz and their children Krista Marie and Robert Grey.

His death also left a gaping hole in NASCAR.

On the cusp of superstardom and potentially a candidate to win several Winston Cups, Davey Allison could well have cut into Dale Earnhardt’s record-setting seven championships, Jeff Gordon’s sensational debut in the series, and could have carried on the dynasty created by his father Bobby and uncle Donnie Allison.

The Alabama Gang is now mostly a memory with the loss of Clifford, Davey, and Neil Bonnett.

I was not a Davey Allison fan, but I saw his talent firsthand. When he passed it hit me hard. I mourned not only for a great racecar driver, but for a wife who had lost her husband, young children who had lost and would never know their father, a mother and father who would mourn the unnatural and punishing reality of laying to rest not one but two sons, and a NASCAR Family that would never see true greatness reach its full potential.

I often think about Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett, Adam Petty, and Dale Earnhardt palling around together, exchanging war stories with the likes of “Big” Bill France, Roy Hall, Red Byron, and Lee Petty.

NASCAR has given us many great heroes and stars to look up to, and many have been taken far too early.

Davey Allison was one of those stars that shown fiercely for a short while.

And a quarter century later we still remember him.

And Still We Remember By: Candice Smith

Time stood still.

No one moved or breathed.

No one believed that The Intimidator was mortal.

Certainly he’d walk away from what looked initially like an innocuous hit into the wall.

This was Daytona, the track that Earnhardt won consistently at and even had captured a 500 victory three years previously.

A collective gasp was heard.

Hearts sunk.

Mourning began.

A line was drawn – events that happened before February 18, 2001 and after.

The day Dale Earnhardt died.

Accidents happen, but he’d always walked away able to race the next time.

Lives forever changed that fateful day.

Healing began.

Dale Earnhardt will never be forgotten.

His indelible mark is as palpable today as it was then.

Perhaps more.

Then Earnhardt had as many detractors as fans. Fans would boo, jeer, and argue what a terrible competitor he was. A cheat, some would say, or a thug on the race track. Fans of Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, and many other drivers couldn’t stand Earnhardt.

But when he was gone the enormity of Earnhardt’s death reverberated across NASCAR Nation and beyond.

Flags still fly proudly with the “No. 3” and Dale Earnhardt signature. His fans – ardent, loyal, passionate – still remember.

Always.

He was so much more than a NASCAR star.

Earnhardt was a sports icon, a business entrepreneur, a  farmer, a sponsor’s dream, a winning driver, a champion who tied King Richard Petty’s seven championships.

Earnhardt was a jokester, a fierce competitor, and a loyal friend.

He was a husband, business partner, hunter, and a father.

His legacy has made him immortal.

The name Earnhardt will forever be associated with racing – NASCAR –  and a host of positive things in the world as his family’s reach is constantly expanding.

Seventeen years later and the landscape has changed immensely.

The one thing that has not changed is the allegiance shown by Earnhardt fans. There are endless stories of how Earnhardt touched their lives.

Others have entire rooms filled with Earnhardt memorabilia.

What every one of those fans has in common is their love, admiration, and adulation of Dale Earnhardt.

Seventeen years on, as much that has changed, the Earnhardt fans stay the same.

Happy Birthday, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver adds another candle to his birthday cake today; he turns 43 years old.

As an outsider looking in who has observed Dale Earnhardt Jr. for many years, it is an exciting time for him.

Introduced to the public as a boy – Dale Earnhardt’s boy – Dale Jr. was living in the shadow of his famous father.

Growing into a young man with driving talent, we watched as Dale Jr. raced hard and well and carved a name for himself with two NASCAR Busch Series championships and then with wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

His father’s strong arms were never far away. His influence was ever-present.

And then the unthinkable happened and Dale Jr. was left to live life without his father.

There were ups and downs. Successes and failures. High hopes and dashed dreams. A parting of the ways between Dale Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated was the start of a new chapter in Dale Jr.’s life.

More time elapsed with still more failures on the track than successes.

Finally a turning point occurred.

Solid finishes, consistency, a driver with focus, determination, and optimism.

Personally, Dale Jr. seemed happier than ever before. His smile was genuine, his shoulders not slumped in despair.

And then the 2014 season dawned at Daytona. Dale Jr. won the Great American race for the second time in his career – a feat even his father could never claim.

The win took enormous pressure off of the driver and team under the brand new Chase format as they had secured a spot after the first race of the season.

But Dale Jr. and his No. 88 team continued to work hard.

Two more wins followed, both at Pocono Raceway. I was fortunate to be at both races.

My vantage point in Victory Lane allowed me to see up close and personally the complete and utter joy that flowed from Dale Jr.

In June Dale Jr. shook hands with every crew member, took endless pictures, and conducted countless television and radio interviews. He was then escorted into the media center at Pocono Raceway and sat patiently and unhurriedly answering every question hurled at him.

Dale Jr. answered thoughtfully, spoke eloquently, and was so in the moment.  At the same time he was calm, present, and so very happy.

In his return to Pocono Raceway in August there was a zest and confidence that Dale Jr. exuded. Perhaps it was bravado or simply a guy having fun, but it was different than I’d seen him in the past.

A sweep of Pocono capped Dale Jr.’s summer and showed the other drivers in the series and Dale Jr.’s fans and detractors that he was, indeed, a true competitor and, in fact, the real deal.

Of course, the unfailingly loyal fans of Dale Jr. – Junior Nation – have always known that to be true.

I asked Dale Jr. a question in August 2014 that made him reveal a bit about his personal life. I asked him what his Simple Joys were.

Dale Jr. mentioned Amy first.

Amy Reimann has been Dale Jr.’s companion for several years and seems to truly make him happy and content. On New Year's Eve 2016 they officially wed. 

He also mentioned beer and Redskin football.

For a week following Pocono and my question, any time Dale Jr. was interviewed the Simple Joy question was re-asked. He changed his answer slightly, but it was the response he gave me on the spot that shows how deeply happy – joyful – Dale Jr. is in life.

The 2015 season saw Dale Jr. take home three more wins. But luck hasn't been on the side of the No. 88 team. Winless in both 2016 and currently in 2017, Dale Jr. will have to be satisfied with whatever circumstances ends his 19 years in NASCAR's top series. He has a long list of accomplishments, wins, and Favorite Driver honors to bolster his ego.

Regardless, Dale Jr. is on top of the world. With personal life, career, family fulfilling him, Dale Jr. needn’t win a Cup to be successful.

Now Dale Jr. looks ahead to a new chapter in his ever-evolving life.

Dale Jr. will become a NASCAR broadcaster on NBC.
This is footage of Dale Jr. guest-broadcasting for Fox.

At 43 Dale Jr. seems to have figured out what's important in his life, how to re-invent himself, and continue to be the unparalleled ambassador for the sport in which he's lived his entire life.

Happy Birthday, Dale Jr. 

Movies about Motorsports

While I no longer follow NASCAR or other forms of racing anymore, I still long to watch, learn about, and revel in the world of Motorsports.  Over the years Hollywood has flung out some interesting, serious, laughable, and forgettable movies set against the backdrop of Motorsports racing. Good or bad, realistic or far-fetched, racing movies are a fun part of fandom!

The Last American Hero – A film about NASCAR legend and Hall of Fame member Junior Johnson in his early years.  With the tagline, “It took him 20 years to find out who he was and 2 laps to let the world know,” this movie personified the American dream. Starring Jeff Bridges as Junior Johnson and with locations that lent authentication to the piece, The Last American Hero is a slice of NASCAR history brought to life in an artful and refreshing way.

 Grand Prix - This epic story is lush with state-of-the-art cinematography, jaw-dropping race scenes, interesting characters, several compelling storylines, and, if I haven't mentioned it enough, fantastic racing scenes! James Garner is bonus here as he is cool personified. The movie dates to 1966 but has topical and timeless subject matter in the world of racing.

Greased Lightning – Loosely depicting the life of black NASCAR driver Wendell Scott, the film shows the history of post World War II atmosphere that led to Scott’s evolution from taxi cab driver to moonshine runner in Virginia to stock car champion. Richard Pryor stared in this serious film role that showcased his fine acting chops. Beau Bridges co-starred.

Stroker Ace- Fictitious Stroker Ace, played by the incomparable Burt Reynolds, has little respect for the business side of NASCAR preferring to leave it all out on the racetrack. When a string of events leads to Stroker losing his sponsor, he and his team need to hustle up a new one. A hilarious and raucous storyline continues. Most notable are the actual NASCAR cameos featured in the film as well as race tracks for location shots. If watched simply for mindless fun and for spotting NASCAR faces like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Tim Richmond and scores more, Stroker Ace is a good choice.

Six Pack – Kenny Rogers, pre-face lift and during his enormously popular singing career, took a turn as a struggling NASCAR driver who, due to circumstances, winds up with a van full of kids in his charge. Not a bright spot for NASCAR films, but to see Kenny Rogers and Diane Lane it’s worth a couple of mindless hours.

Days of Thunder – Tom Cruise starring as Tom Cruise, I mean starring as Cole Trickle. 1980s flash, Robert Duvall’s crustiness and Randy Quaid as the antithesis of the character he made famous in the Vacation movies, tried to make this one a winner, but the crazy schedule for NASCAR and the preposterous storyline are so bad it’s like watching drivel. Of course, it’s Tom Cruise and NASCAR so as bad as it is it is still so watchable!

Pixar’s Cars Movies – An animated story with heart, lush scenery, well-developed plot, and a host of stars makes this modern flick an instant classic. Not necessary to see just with the kids, this film, and its sequels, are the best of all. Don’t walk, run to put this on your “must own” list of NASCAR movies. I'm also a fan of Cars Movie 2 and 3. The second one brings in the open wheel crowd and the international scene tied in with a spy ring. The third movie that came out this summer takes Cars Movie back not only to its NASCAR roots, but also to its history. Look for heavy hitters in the Motorsports world in all three movies as cameos.

Turbo - What Cars Movie did for NASCAR, Turbo was supposed to do for IndyCar. Unfortunately, it fell short. But, it's a cute movie with some decent characters and an okay storyline. You have to suspend belief for this one a lot, but it's still worth seeing just so you can say, "I saw it." The bonus is a pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds.

Rush - A fascinating, fast-paced, sexy, and stressful look at a short period in Formula One's history when James Hunt battled Niki Lauda. If you watch Formula One  then you know how this one ends, but seeing it played out is worth your time! Great racing scenes, a look back on the tremendous risks racecar drivers took back in the day (and today), and an all-around terrific film. Ron Howard directed, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) starred as Hunt and Daniel Brühl starred as Lauda and was simply brilliant.

Hollywood hasn’t always done a bang up job on offering high caliber NASCAR-based and racing movies. But the fact that racing movies exist at all, are a part of film history, and even include real NASCAR and racing personalities from different eras is another reason to check out this slew of movies.

Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

Finding and recognizing my Simple Joys again in the last couple of weeks has truly enriched my life. By constantly being on the lookout I find I am more able to live in the moment, experience joy even if it is fleeting, and look forward to every opportunity to find ever more joy.

These personal findings aren’t meant to do anything than to keep my perspective. I’m neither preaching nor bragging. I simply want to share with you the times I found Simple Joys in the last week. It helps me keep balance and perspective in my overly busy, stressful life, and I hope it inspires you to do the same.

And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Twitter friendship – It’s difficult to say Twitter “followers” and “followees” are friends, but some actually do become ones. I have some awesome friendships that began there – Doc, Johnny, Ted, JJ, and more – and others who became fun acquaintances.

When one of my friends retweeted (RT) my last week’s Simple Joys post, one of her friends RT’d it, too. The assumption was that I suffered from “Fibro”. I quickly corrected the error – I don’t – but was stricken with two thoughts. First, how sad it is that people suffer from all types of conditions “24 hours a day in pain” as I was told. Second, how my Simple Joys piece resonated so strongly with this community.

Having my work – truly a selfish piece – impacting people so strongly is a Simple Joy that is powerful and humbling.

Facebook Birthday Greetings. Over the years replying to Facebook birthday greetings took a small part of my day and was always enjoyable.

It’s still immensely enjoyable to see all of the lovely birthday greetings, but now there are so many I’m hard pressed to keep up with all of them. I am NOT complaining. It means the world to me to see the multiple good wishes, heartfelt hellos, and good will being sent my way.

Having a plethora of friends sending wonderful birthday wishes on Facebook is an overwhelming Simple Joy!

Birthday dinner. Some people spend their birthday dinners going out to dinner and I admit I do enjoy doing just that. This year, however, with my birthday falling on a Saturday, a larger group than normal gathered, and still having young children, I chose a meal at home.

With extended family, the best of summer’s fresh produce, and a gorgeous night weather-wise, I had one of the best birthdays of my life!

Spending my birthday dinner at home surrounded by loved ones was a most pleasing and excellent Simple Joy.

Birthday Race Chat. Once the dinner party was over and the children were tucked into bed, each with a story, I relaxed into the last part of my evening watching the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Bristol. I watch the race while chatting with my friends on the Drafting the Circuits Facebook page.

I’m not one to sit still and watch a race for four hours from start to finish alone, but while hanging out online, chatting with my friends, the time melts away. It was a thrill to get back to my online life during a race!

Indulging in watching a NASCAR race with my online friends is a consistent Simple Joy.

Russell Stover Candy. My big brother was able to spend my birthday with me; he arrived from out-of-state to join me for dinner. He brought a big hug, a sweet card, and a box of Russell Stover’s Candy.

At dessert I opened the box and everybody delighted in their favorite candy. It’s like a tiny bit of Christmas on a summer’s night.
The candy was scrumptious! Sometimes a little sweetness and choice makes the day perfect!

Having a fresh box of Russell Stover’s Candy to close out my birthday celebration was a sweet Simple Joy.

My Simple Joys revolved around people – and chocolate – this week.

As I get older I realize so much more clearly that a present for a birthday means far less than a relative being at the dinner table.
That a person’s richness is measured by how many lives they touch and who remembers them fondly than by how much is in their wallet is another lesson I’m learning.

Remembering to look for Simple Joys – good health, pain-free day or hour or even minute, surrounding oneself with family and friends – and appreciating them in every form is powerful.

Even in this short time I have gained so much from paying attention to my Simple Joys. I’ll continue to write mine weekly. My hope is that in some way you find a way to spot your Simple Joys throughout the week.

Wishing you a week filled with Simple Joys!

What's Happening Wednesday June 5, 2013

Welcome to What’s Happening Wednesday on Chief 187™Chatter.

This week on Drafting the Circuits we are welcoming two guests back to the program. The first is the delightful and lovely Sylvia Porter who runs Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, SC. Sylvia’s track is nicknamed “The Super Track of the Carolinas” and hosts manydifferent series and races throughout the season, including Crate’s own Southeast Super Trucks.



Chase Briscoe is an acoomplished young man who is returning to our show. This driver runs 410 non-wing sprint cars in USAC, MSCS, and locally. Briscoe was recently announced as one of the 10 finalists in the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge so we’ll have a lot to talk to him about tonight!



Burning Rubber Radio continues its tradition of hosting the winner – or points’ winner – of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Matt Crafton who came in second to Kyle Busch in Dover last weekend. We also speak to Frank Kimmel who won the ARCA race last weekend.



Corrie Stott joins me for our weekly rountable in which we discuss the NASCAR Sprint Cup race with show hosts Andy Delay, Bob Steele, and Ronnie Crate Payne. Just like belly buttons, we all have our opinions and feel strongly about sharing them! Andy takes the heat for a comment he made last week so be sure to tune in for all of that! Lastly, Chef John Dicks shares another one of his scrumptious recipes.

Heels on Wheels has producer Bob Steele and me discussing the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Dover and tackling perspective on Jimmie Johnson’s penalty among other things. The ladies of the program interview Dina Parise, Tracy Daniel, and Lea Anne P. Chef Sizzlin’ Scotty brings another fantastic dish to the table.

To find out where and when these programs air please read the following:

Drafting the Circuits airs LIVE tonight, Wednesday, June 5, 2013 on http://DraftingtheCircuits.WhooBazoo.com at 9pm ET. We have a live chat for listener interaction so be sure to check that out. The program is archived as a podcast on the site and is also available on iTunes as a subscription here  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/drafting-the-circuits/id616064984
In addition, we are re-broadcast on the Performance Motorsports Network http://PerformanceMotorsportsNetwork.com on Thursdays at 6pm ET, Fridays at 9am ET, and Saturdays at 4pm ET. PMN is a part of Scorpion Radio Group and is available on the Aha Radio Platform.

Burning Rubber Radio airs Thursdays at 5pm ET, Fridays at 12n ET, and Saturdays at 10am on PMN. It also airs on Sundays on Radio Active 107.9FM in Longview Washington (PST).

Heels on Wheels airs on PMN on Thursdays at 7pm ET, Fridays at 1pm ET, and Saturdays at 2pm ET.

All programs on PMN are available on iTunes Radio and on the Aha Radio Platform.

If you are a fan of racing, NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, and other series please tune in to these shows I appear. Each one is unique, has special guests from the racing world, and is prime entertainment!

Remember, for racing articles look no further than http://DraftingtheCircuits.WhooBazoo.com as new works are published weekly!