Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott have been among the most popular drivers in their respective eras in the NASCAR Cup Series. With such popularity comes pressure, and more often than not both have held their own in most circumstances. But where did these guys get their mental toughness and skills on the race track? Kenny Wallace might just have the answer for that.
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Wallace has been someone who has participated in various formats of racing, be it late model, Cup Series, or dirt. With all of his experience at hand, he surely can judge other drivers and where their skills come from. Recently, Wallace explained the very reason why Junior and Elliott have been such great drivers at the Cup level.
Why Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott are great drivers
Wallace touched upon the subject after someone asked him to compare Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin to Dale Jr. on the track, saying, “I think Dale Earnhardt Jr. is an unbelievable driver, and here’s why because I’ve been behind him. I told Dale Jr this before – he can drive a car looser than anybody I’ve ever seen and I’m impressed with that because he never drove on dirt. Dale jr, in my opinion, watched his father just like Chase Elliott did. You know sometimes you become a product of your environment.”
“I believe Dale Earnhardt Jr, like Chase Elliott as little children watched their dads race and ended up emulating them. And I think that’s why Dale Earnhardt Jr. was so good, right away. This kid could drive a car, even loose, neutral, and stay going. He just barely turned the wheel in a turn and go on.”
Wallace believes Junior’s results became worse after leaving DEI
When Earnhardt stormed into the Cup series, he raced with his father’s team – Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Soon enough, he was winning races and finishing really well in the superspeedways. However, after the 2001 Daytona 500 where Dale Earnhardt Sr. tragically lost his life, the team started on a downward spiral. Eventually, Earnhardt found himself at Hendrick Motorsports.
As per Wallace, ever since he moved to HMS his results were not that great anymore. He mentioned, “But when it all came to an end at DEI, Dale Jr goes to Hendrick Motorsports. Sounded good, looked good, clean. Rick Hendrick a good man. This is a good spot. It was the right decision because it was a good home. But the results were not as good.”
“This is where the Bill Elliott phrase comes into me, ‘Herman, racing in life is all about timing and circumstances.’ We see this in professional athleticism to this day.”
Everything today would have been perfectly fine if Earnhardt Jr. won just one championship in his career. Not that he was not good enough for it, but looking at the Bill Elliott phrase as explained by Wallace, everything is definitely about the timing and circumstances.
Who knows what would have happened if that tragic day in 2001 had never happened and Junior continued to race with DEI under his father’s guidance?
