“I Wanted Dad’s Attention”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Daughter Nicole Inheriting One Peculiar Habit from Him

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt are proud parents of two beautiful daughters — six-year-old Isla Rose and Nicole Lorraine, who is four. The little girls display some interesting personality traits drawn from the Earnhardt genes, revealed Junior and his wife Amy in the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download.

When asked if there was any particular habit the girls picked up from either of them, Amy and Junior began talking about Nicole. Amy said that the child resembles her in appearance. However, she has no idea from where Nicole gets her extraordinary personality. Dale Jr., then, took over to explain.

“If I were to set a car on this table,” he said. “She would reach for it immediately. Pick it up and grab it. You’d be like, ‘Hey! Let’s not touch that’. You’ll look over at her five minutes later and she will be like, ‘I am going to. I am going to do it’.”

Nicole’s defiance, reluctance to follow instructions, and how she seeks attention remind Junior of himself as a child.

Dale Jr. continued: “When I was a little kid, I wanted dad’s attention. Or I wanted Kelley’s attention. Or I wanted my mom’s attention. I didn’t care how I got it.” 

Standing like a legend? Must run in the family! @DaleJr | @AmyEarnhardt pic.twitter.com/pnBHcLHsDb

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Isla, too, carries an ‘Earnhardt trademark’. However, her’s is more evident. The way she stands — with her arms crossed and one leg out — is an exact replica of the unique standing posture of her father and grandfather.

Character traits, however, comes with nurture too. And as a parent, Dale Jr. is keen to inculcate in his kids some of the qualities that have been the hallmark of the Earnhardt clan over generations.

The one demand that Dale Jr. has made of his daughters

Dale Jr. did not have the best of relationships with his father when he was young. However, he did imbibe a great deal of character from him. As a father now, Junior is focused on instilling a similar set of principles and values in his children. He is particular about one key attribute — being honest in life no matter what the situation is.

“I want them to always be honest. So, trying to teach our kids like, ‘Hey, did you do this? Did you break this? Did you steal this?’ I want them to tell me the truth. I don’t want them to have to hide it or feel like they’re going to be, you know, I don’t want them to fear the punishment enough to tell the lie,” Dale Jr. had said in a 2024 interview.

It is no secret in the racing community that Junior’s childhood was a mixed bag of complicated emotions. He had issues with his father and stepmother. Then he got introduced to a brother, Kerry, whom he didn’t know existed till he was in junior high school.

There were many other such moments and instances which would have been overwhelming for him at the time. It is his personality and resolve to be an honest person through all the difficulties that have kept him going so far. So it is understandable why he wants his daughters to be the same way.