Every motorsports driver at the onset of their career, always dreams about their first win in any racing category that they are a part of. There might be many more wins later on, but it’s the first win that they will cherish forever. This was something, the importance of getting your first win in the door, former NASCAR Cup Series driver and Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently opened up on.
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Junior used the example of his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr, and how his first win came by in the Cup Series. He also explains how one loses the urgency and state of mental panic to win going in every weekend and ease out for the rest of their careers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr explains why the first win is important in NASCAR
While speaking on his podcast, Junior mentioned, “It’s a big, big deal to get that first win. It’s a really huge deal to finally get that out of the way. It’s a great thing, it’s awesome. But it’s also this sort of necessity that has to happen for you and your mind to continue down this sort of path. This vision of where you want to go as a driver.”
“You know, you make a lot of mistakes and you frustrate veterans around you. And finally, it all comes together. The right people wreck out of the race and open up this sort of pathway for you. In Dad’s case at Bristol, Cale, and Baker wrecked.”
“You know, a bunch of people sideline themselves, which happens in every race, right, and that paves the path for whoever’s going to win. And so all these little things happen and Dad moves on to victory lane. I think as a driver, you kind of lose that urgency in that panic sort of posture that you go with every day and the move with every day. You can kind of walk with a little confidence.”
Where was Dale Earnhardt Sr’s first win?
It was the 1979 season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was in his rookie year and anticipating his first win. Although he did not know that heading into the 1979 Southeastern 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway would give him the opportunity to get that coveted first taste at triumph.
A total of 26,000 fans had gathered to witness the 500-lap race at the 0.533-mile track at Bristol, Tennessee. They got one heck of a show when Earnhardt Sr battled Bobby Allison for the lead and won with three seconds separating each other. Earnhardt had started the race from the 9th place but was able to make up ground after pole-sitter Buddy Baker suffered a terminal wreck at lap 211 of the 500-lap race.
Furthermore, other drivers like Cale Yarborough and J.D. McDuffie retired from the race due to problems. This had cleared up the field for Earnhardt who surged up to the top of the field and won his first ever NASCAR race in the top division.
Later on in his career, Earnhardt would go on to clinch a total of 76 race wins and seven championships to solidify his legendary status within the sport for years to come. But it all started at Bristol in 1979.
