The legend of Dale Earnhardt Sr. is quite well known in the world of motorsports. His immaculate attitude and unparalleled driving skills are the best reflection of what stock car racing was all about in the old days. One of the individuals who worked with him closely and knew him better than many was the former crew chief Larry McReynolds.
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Speaking on a recent episode of the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast, he spoke in great admiration about Earnhardt’s dedication to always being the leader of the field, no matter the circumstance.
He said to Dale Jr., “I remember, with this particular car, we practiced every day. Three times a day. I remember somewhere between Sunday of qualifying and the Duel race, your dad was notorious.”
One of the coldest lines Dale Earnhardt has ever said. @DaleJr | @MikeDavis88 | @LarryMac28 pic.twitter.com/uy67bs8is0
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) December 5, 2025
The Intimidator had wanted to go out during practice and juice the maximum out of the car that’d been given to him. He continued, “This one practice, he just led the pack, led the pack, and led the pack. I finally said, ‘Dale, why don’t you get back in the pack? Let’s see what that thing would do with the pack!’ You know what his response was? ‘Don’t plan on being there.'”
Even in those sessions ahead of the big races, Earnhardt had wanted to defeat his competitors and break their mental strength. It is this relentless competitive nature that made him one of the greatest drivers to have ever lived. It is also what made him a Daytona 500 champion in 1998 after 19 failed attempts.
The car that made Earnhardt believe he could win the Daytona 500
Despite over 30 wins at Daytona before 1998, Earnhardt Sr. had struggled to find a way to win the Great American Race. But that year, he was equipped with a car that led him to create history spectacularly. The No. 3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo had impressed him right from the get-go, and McReynolds had seen the excitement on the driver’s face clear as day.
The crew chief said in 2021, “When we went to Daytona, tested that thing in January, I can still see Cheshire Cat grin the first time he drove it. He said this thing’s good.”
He led a total of 107 laps during the main event and came out on top after defeating Rusty Wallace by the narrowest of margins. His obsession with testing his cars before races and understanding every aspect of them bore results that day.
