Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently dipped his toes into the world of drag racing during a visit to Talladega Superspeedway, where he spent time with YouTuber and race car driver Cleetus McFarland. There, he had the chance to get behind the wheel of the “Dale Truck,” a vehicle specially modified for drag racing with nitrous oxide and drag slicks.
Advertisement
His reaction quickly caught the attention of Tony Stewart, who has now weighed in, offering to let Dale Jr. take a spin in one of his own drag racing machines, given that Stewart has already had over a year of experience in NHRA.
After his first taste of drag racing, Earnhardt shared his experience on the Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast, calling it “insane” to launch the truck.
He admitted he needed two attempts, as nerves got the best of him during the first launch, and he lifted off the gas prematurely. McFarland had advised him to stay planted and not be a chicken, so on the second attempt, Junior nailed it, leaving him with a core memory.
Earnhardt recalled rocketing from zero to 140 miles per hour in just a quarter of a mile, confessing he had never experienced acceleration so ferocious. He compared the first run to a jump scare, like walking through haunted woods and someone coming out with a chainsaw.
Junior recalled, “It was crazy. I am serious. My immediate thought was… I was excited and happy and thrilled and wanted to try it again. Ten minutes later, I am sitting there going, Tony Stewart!” — trying to wrap his head around how someone with similar racing roots as himself had mastered the world of drag racing so quickly.
Meanwhile, Tony Stewart, who earned NHRA Rookie of the Year honors last season while filling in for his then-pregnant wife, offered Dale Jr. an open invitation, saying, “I got a car, I’ll let him take some runs if he wants, so it’s a moment of open invitation.”
“I got a car, I’ll let him take some runs if he wants.”@TonyStewart reacts to seeing @DaleJr drive Cleetus McFarland’s drag truck. #4WideNats // @NHRA // @ATYLmedia pic.twitter.com/Qi5FDSzWcW
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) April 25, 2025
Reflecting on Junior’s reaction, Stewart admitted it was right on the money, as it mirrored his own first experience behind the wheel of a dragster. He explained that drag racing is an entirely different beast compared to the type of racing both he and Dale Jr. were accustomed to.
Stewart emphasized that everything he had done before drag racing fell under one broad umbrella, but drag racing stood off in a world of its own.
According to the three-time NASCAR Cup champion, drag racing is a whole different ballgame. There’s much more to it than simply mashing the throttle, and that’s what had Stewart second-guessing himself as he raced toward the finish line.
What caught him off guard, however, was realizing that the real challenge lies in mastering over twenty steps of the procedure, each of which must be executed perfectly and consistently every single run. Stewart emphasized that drag racing demands a completely different mindset compared to the world of oval-track racing.
