It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since Dale Earnhardt Sr. was tragically killed in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. And, the fascination over the man known as ‘The Intimidator’ continues. That has also translated to a fascination over his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and his unbreakable bond with his late father.
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On this week’s edition of The Dale Jr. Download, the younger Earnhardt was asked a unique question by a fan — one that alluded to items that belonged to his father. The question momentarily left Junior nonplussed.
“Oh man, I mean, I don’t know that there’s something that stands out, you know?” Junior said. Then an item came to his mind.
“I guess if there was a rifle or a shotgun that [Dale Jr.’s grandfather] Ralph had given him [Dale Sr.], [it] might be cool. Something that had been given to him by Ralph,” Junior said. “Yeah, that would be kind of neat, I’m sure.”
And then Junior narrated the story of a treasured closet that belonged to Dale Sr. “He had this closet where nobody’s been in since the day he passed away,” he said.
“And so there’s a lot of stuff in there that’s probably, if I could go to a space to take a look at what is physically there, that’s absolutely no question where I’d go,” added Dale Jr.
So, what treasures lie inside this trove?
There are even Junior’s and Kelley’s belongings in that closet
Dale Jr. went on to describe the items that any NASCAR aficionado would love to get their hands on. They might even fetch significant sums if ever auctioned.
“Yeah, there’s all kinds of stuff in that room: old racing uniforms and his gun collection and all types of stuff like that,” Junior said, before clarifying that they are Dale Sr.’s personal items and not exactly memorabilia.
“I don’t want any memorabilia. But old uniforms, mine and Kelley’s military (school) uniforms, are in this closet. I think Kelley stuck some of her old racing uniforms in there as well. So it’d be cool to see some of that stuff or even get it,” he added.
You would think that now, after more than 24 years since his death, Dale Sr.’s third wife and widow, Teresa Earnhardt, would relent and let her stepchildren go through their dad’s belongings. But she has consistently refused. “It’s not pressing – but maybe one day,” Junior said, his tone deepening with hope.
