Dale Earnhardt Jr. Protects Wife Amy from Unnecessary Blame Over NASCAR Retirement

Neha Dwivedi | 19/02/2026
Jan 19, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife Amy during the red carpet at Charlotte Convention Center Crown Ballroom

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped away from NASCAR in 2017 after health issues that were impossible to ignore. However, many pointed the blame at his wife, Amy, despite Earnhardt pleading with the community that the decision was his.

The talk found new legs on the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download, where Junior shared that Amy recently floated the idea of him running next year’s Daytona 500 after how this year played out. The 68th running went like a throwback, and the vibe brought back memories of race weekends from another era. And in that moment, Amy seemed to want him back in the thick of it.

Dale Jr. recalled, “Amy told me I should run the Daytona 500 next year. Really? Yeah. I was like, what? We were laying in bed Sunday night after the race.

“She’s like, you should just drive it next year. I’m like, hello? Sorry? Are you okay? There’s a lot of momentum in this sport. Oh, man. I don’t know,” the NASCAR icon continued.

But then, Dale Jr. remembered what happened the last time when Amy’s name was dragged into his career decisions. So, to head off any upcoming fresh backlash, he took to social media to clear the air before the rumor mill spun out again.

Junior wrote, “I only wanted folks to know Amy wasn’t to blame for my retirement back in the day. I felt she got some unnecessary blame back then. I won’t be racing cup but she’s not the reason.”

Why Amy Earnhardt was blamed for Dale Jr.’s retirement

In July 2017, Amy posted that she was receiving a plethora of comments asking whether she would give her blessing for him to run the 2018 Clash. After his struggles with injury in 2016, she said she felt grateful that he was healthy and able to enjoy his final season and life beyond racing. However, her stance was that his health was not a gamble worth taking.

That sparked blowback from fans who felt she was calling the shots in Junior’s career. Dale Jr. later admitted that he had “thrown her under the bus” by sharing that the two had discussed the decision. After concussion symptoms forced him to miss half of the 2016 season, Amy was by his side throughout his recovery and day-to-day care.

Fans who wanted him back on track continued to point the finger at her, brushing past the role of medical advice. Because she spoke openly about his health, some spun a narrative that she had pushed him out of racing, casting her as the villain in a story that never quite fit.

However, in his book “Racing to the Finish: My Story”, Junior wrote that Amy never told him to quit, not once. Instead, she stood by him through his recovery, something he later said kept him from stepping away even sooner.

Now, years later, Dale Jr. simply wants fans to know that his wife wants him to soak in the sport’s biggest stage one more time and that she is not making his career decisions for him.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona 500

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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