“There Was a Presence”: WWE Superstar Reveals His NASCAR Connection to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. was arguably the greatest star from NASCAR, who we lost in an unfortunate tragedy. His loss was devastating for the fans of the sport and him not being around still haunts people to this day. After all, he was more than just a driver; he was a cultural icon who transcended the world of racing.

His nickname, ‘The Intimidator,’ was a good fit for his fierce competitiveness and his ability to strike fear into the hearts and minds of his opponents. The seven-time Cup Series champion was cherished by swathes of people, not just limited to the NASCAR fan base, though.

Recently, a WWE Superstar shared a previously unheard-of story regarding his father and how devout of an Earnhardt Sr. fan he used to be.

Cody Rhodes’ father was a big fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s father 

During a conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr., WWE superstar, Cody Rhodes mentioned that his father was a huge fan of NASCAR and that Earnhardt’s father was his favorite driver of all time.

He described, “My dad sat there, and he watched every race and he had very specific taste. He’s a showman. So he loves your dad. He loved that there was a presence. There’s almost a gimmick here, and then the gimmicks backed up by ‘Oh, he’s that good? Oh my gosh.’ And he had this odd, not disliked but odd, not into Richard Petty…”

“He had this one moment where at Daytona when your father passed. He was doing a show in Carrollton, Georgia. A small independent show for our company and he was devastated.”

Lastly, Rhodes mentioned that his father was a big fan of Dale Earnhardt Sr. Although he also did not quite like Jeff Gordon. Furthermore, according to Rhodes, his father compared Earnhardt Sr. to Garth Brooks and Richard Petty to George Strait. Summing both the personalities up pretty well.

Dale Earnhardt’s fans come across sports from far and wide

One of the most prominent names today who has repeatedly cited the ‘Intimidator’ as their inspiration growing up would be the Formula 1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo. The currently injured Alpha Tauri driver has often mentioned how he chose the #3 to be his racing number since it was Earnhardt Sr’s number.

Interestingly, during his career stint with McLaren, he even had the chance to drive Earnhardt’s iconic 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo while at the Circuit of The Americas. Ricciardo has also kept good relations with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’ Often sending him merch and even visiting him during a NASCAR race, where they exchanged helmets.

Now with RedBull Racing’s partnership with Ford in Formula 1 from 2026, there could be a chance for the Aussie to perhaps get a shot within NASCAR sometime. In fact, Ricciardo has also sparked an interest in testing a Cup Series car on the ovals.