Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent much of his early career trying to stay in his father’s good graces. He pushed himself to meet the standards set by Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the racetrack, but away from it, he picked up a habit his father flatly rejected: smoking.
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Dale Sr. stood alone in the Earnhardt household and even within much of the NASCAR garage, as a non-smoker, likely because his father, Ralph Earnhardt, died at 45 from a heart attack. Health remained front of mind for Dale Sr. after that loss. Though his dad’s disapproval of the habit led him to hide it for years, it was ultimately his wife, Amy Earnhardt, who helped him stub it out for good.
In a 2019 interview with Frontstretch, Dale Jr. explained that he started smoking at 22 while spending time with friends and a woman he was dating. What began as a social habit, mostly on Friday and Saturday nights, became a big part of his life. Before long, casual use gave way to routine, and he found himself buying his own cigarettes. Smoking slowly wove itself into the fabric of his days, becoming part of his schedule and eventually his mornings.
By the time Dale Jr. wanted out, the habit had tightened its grip. He described how difficult it was to break the cycle and clear it from his system, admitting that he smoked roughly a pack and a half a day. Video games and cigarettes became inseparable, with long gaming sessions accompanied by constant smoking. When he finally committed to quitting, he realized he also had to give up gaming because he could no longer enjoy it without lighting up.
Amy proved to be the turning point. Dale Jr. acknowledged trying several methods to quit, none of which stuck. As he recalled, “I tried a lot of things to try to quit. Nothing worked. My wife said that if you don’t, it’s a deal-breaker. We were dating at the time. She would convince me to try to quit. I would try. I would fail. We would be out drinking, and I would light up a cigarette…”
“She was so devastated. She asked me if I was ever going to quit. I said, ‘I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can do it.’ She said it’s a deal-breaker. I was like, ‘Let me give it one more shot.’ You have to make it stick this time,” he continued.
Since quitting, Dale Jr. said the difference has been quite evident. Frequent sore throats, congestion, and recurring colds faded away, and he now deals with far fewer respiratory issues, a change he directly tied to kicking the habit. Recovery did not come overnight.
His lungs needed time to heal, and cycling became a key part of that process, pushing his breathing, rebuilding strength, and restoring health. The experience left him far more aware of how smoking had affected his body.
In 2019, Junior also partnered with Nicorette to launch Nicorette Coated Ice Mint Lozenges, the first coated lozenge of its kind, using his own story to encourage others, starting with family, friends, and fans, to take the same step.
