Dale Earnhardt Jr. Lost for Words After Heartfelt Gift on Father’s Death Anniversary: “He Passed Away and Willed it to Me”

Neha Dwivedi | 19/02/2025
Feb 14, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It has been 24 years since the passing of Dale Earnhardt during the final lap of the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr., following in his father’s footsteps, navigated his own path in racing. In a tribute to his father, several times Dale Jr. raced in his father’s former cars or their replicas until his retirement. However, on the 24th anniversary of his father’s death, Dale Jr. received an extraordinary gift — a gentleman bequeathed to him one of his father’s cars from his RCR days.

On his podcast, Dale Jr. shared the whole story: “I had a surprise today. There was a gentleman, that owned a race car, that was an RCR Dale Earnhardt car from the 90s. And he passed away and willed it to me. And the car is here today for the very first time. So I’m very thankful for that. What an incredible surprise. It was an RCR car still has the original orange interior. Dad raced it somewhere.”

However, Dale Jr. mentioned his uncertainty about the specific history of the car, saying he would reach out to RCR to uncover more about its provenance. He explained that RCR should have the numbers on that car and the chassis and the information on what races that chassis ran for my dad. He also noted that the car was likely in Ireland at some point, so it traveled across the world and then came back to Dale Jr.

Dale Jr. revealed that the individual who originally purchased the car had removed the original hood, which was the last configuration Dale Sr. used. But interestingly, the hood had been stored in Dale Jr.’s uncle’s garage for 40 years. When his uncle decided to clear out his belongings, Dale Jr. acquired the hood, and now, he possesses the entire car that once bore this hood.

Junior has frequently honored his father by racing cars with the same paint schemes, and sometimes in his own distinct styles. For instance, in 2006, Earnhardt Jr. drove a replica of his father’s car, adorned with the iconic black paint scheme accented with silver and red stripes, but featuring his own #8 on the vehicle.

Then, in 2010, he took to the track in another replica, this time driving a #3 Chevy at Daytona, particularly momentous because, although he had piloted the renowned #3 car in NASCAR’s second-tier series, this was his first time driving the number at NASCAR’s Cup level.

It would certainly be captivating to see Dale Jr. maneuver a new #3 car of his father’s in an upcoming Xfinity event or another series, especially after his team’s [JR Motorsports] successful debut in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
Dale Earnhardt Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Sr

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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