Dale Earnhardt Jr. has undergone several scary experiences inside a race car. From engine fires to concussion-inducing crashes, the popular icon has seen and survived it all. But one particular experience that he underwent during his Xfinity Series debut at Myrtle Beach back in 1996 still has him feeling jittery.
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In a recent interview with veteran reporter Jeff Gluck, Junior was asked what the most miserable experience he has had inside a race car was. He responded by narrating the scenes from Myrtle Beach.
He said, “I’m guessing it was about 95 degrees, middle of the afternoon, and before the race, I had a 100-lap Late Model stock race. I was running at Myrtle Beach every week in my Late Model car, so running a 100-lap feature in the middle of the afternoon wasn’t a big deal.”
What he had failed to consider was the physical toll that both races back-to-back would have on him.
12 Questions with @DaleJr just dropped: https://t.co/x3b6mBWEHx
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 22, 2025
Without about 20 or 30 laps left in the race, he had begun feeling extremely weird and dry inside his sweat-soaked race suit.
He continued, “It grabbed my attention, and immediately I started getting really dizzy and started having a hard time staying awake and getting through the final laps. I’d basically just gotten so dehydrated that I was delirious, and it was really scary.”
Drivers use cool suits today to keep themselves hydrated during races. But back then, such technology wasn’t readily available or used. It remains a mystery how drivers managed to get through races without such aid.
In 2025, drivers seldom have to worry about issues like what Junior faced. They all use cool suits that help bring their body temperature down.
Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones said about this earlier this year, “There were days when you’d get out of those hot races and you were done and wiped out, even as much as you trained or didn’t train. So, this has changed it to where if it’s a 90-degree day, I don’t think anyone is worried about the heat in the car anymore.”
Michael McDowell, too, is a big fan of the suits. He said that they keep the core and the vital organs cool while also lowering the heart rate.
Interestingly, Shane van Gisbergen is known to freeze his suit before wearing it to make it even colder. Junior, for sure, would have loved to be wearing one of them suits at the beach on that fateful 1996 day.
