One of the most common challenges race car drivers face once they leave the track and blend into everyday traffic is recalibrating their sense of speed. Years of operating at the limit can blur the line between fast and normal, especially when the mind drifts elsewhere.
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Ryan Blaney has admitted as much in the past, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently revealed that the issue goes beyond speed alone. For him, a close call on a public road became a sobering reminder of how distraction, even when unintentional, can change everything in an instant.
During a recent episode of Bless Your ‘Hardt, Dale Jr. explained why he wants his daughters to attend a distracted driving course run by a company called Brakes, an organization he partnered with during an event at a drag strip in Charlotte.
That discussion led him to revisit an incident that prompted him to reflect on his own driving habits. To him, what began as an ordinary drive turned into a moment that stayed far longer than the trip itself.
Dale Jr. recalled that while driving, he found himself driving through a four-way stop near the entrance to a business park later that day or the following day. Nicole was riding with him.
He approached the intersection, came to a complete stop, and noticed a vehicle approaching from the right. Expecting the other driver to follow the rules of the road, Dale Jr. proceeded through the intersection.
But as he reached the center of the four-way stop, his instinct kicked in. A quick glance revealed that the oncoming car was not slowing; instead, it barreled forward at roughly 45 miles per hour, heading straight toward him. With no time to hesitate, Dale Jr. mashed the throttle and steered left, trying to open space between his truck and the approaching vehicle.
The margin was extremely close. The other car missed the back bumper of Dale Jr.’s truck by mere feet. The driver never made eye contact, and from Dale Jr.’s perspective, the other motorist never even noticed him. The emotional reaction came fast and raw as he admitted that anger surged immediately, to the point where he wanted to confront the situation physically. But instead, he kept driving.
Only after his adrenaline faded did the complete picture settle in for him. Junior later told Amy that he had been on the phone with Mike Davis during the incident, having a whole conversation. At that moment, the realization hit him harder than the near-miss itself that Nicole had been in the car, and the outcome could have been far worse.
“I don’t know how bad that would have been. And it had been bad for the car, but it probably just spun us around. But I was like, ‘Holy moly.'”
The timing of the incident made it even more unsettling. Dale Jr. had just participated in a distracted driving appearance with Nationwide when the close call occurred. That coincidence was impossible for him to ignore.
“I had the distracted driver appearance with Nationwide, and then this happened. Like it’s the universe sort of telling me that I might need to look at myself a little bit in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, are you maybe on your phone a little bit too much? Are you looking around doing [things] you shouldn’t be doing while you’re driving down the road?'”
For Earnhardt, the moment became more than a story to tell. He explained that when situations like this occur, he sees them as reminders to reassess, pause, and make sure his habits align with the responsibility that comes with being behind the wheel, as well as being a good father.
