Racing against some of the finest drivers in any NASCAR series isn’t something as easy as going out there, facing zero competition and just winning a race. But of course, this isn’t something you would try to explain to a child. For former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. this seems to be a growing problem, especially since his eldest daughter does not like seeing her father lose out in the few Xfinity Series races he participates in a year.
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Recently, while speaking ahead of his race at the Homestead Miami Speedway this weekend, Junior elaborated on his daughter’s expectations from him for the race, whilst also giving her a reality check on the hard work the drivers have to put on during the races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares the reality of being a NASCAR driver with daughter
On being asked if he had been able to manage his daughter’s expectations for his race, Junior replied, “She thinks just should drive right to the front like in the cartoons and win the race. But hopefully we have a good result today and finish where the car should…”
Meanwhile in a separate interview, Junior revealed how his eldest daughter Isla Rose (5), has begun to understand what her father actually does in terms of a profession. Additionally, she has been known to cry in events where her father does not win the race.
Interestingly, Junior has shared instances of him crying as well when he was a young man and would visit his father’s races only to see the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. lose out on a race.
Junior grabs top-five finish at Homestead Miami
Heading into the Xfinity Series race at Homestead Miami, Junior qualified to start from the 23rd position on the grid. In short, he had a lot of ground to cover over the duration of the race.
But with his ability to perfectly race the high line at the race track, which has been known to yield a significant speed advantage, Junior sliced through the field and ended up with a respectable 5th place finish.
Although most of the race remained uneventful for him, it was toward the end that he briefly lost control of his car and ended up contacting his own teammate Josh Berry. In the aftermath of the incident, Junior carried on without issues, but the contact itself cut the tire on Berry’s car. Subsequently, Berry ended up in the outside wall and had his race ruined as a result.
