Why Dale Earnhardt Jr. Longs for a Visit to Alaska

Being a race car driver has taken Dale Earnhardt Jr. to almost every state in the United States of America. However, one of the places he has never visited is the northern state of Alaska. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, he expressed his desire to visit ‘The Last Frontier’, and the reason why might not be what most people expect. The topic came up when a fan asked the veteran race car driver where he would like to visit that he had not. Earnhardt Jr. replied with New Zealand at first but quickly shifted to a place in his own country.

The chilly temperatures and difficult terrain make Alaska a tough place to visit for a lot of people but Junior seems to be up for the challenge. However, it’s not the destination that fascinates him, it’s the journey. The NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner wants to take a drive from the northwestern part of the country up to the frozen state. With modern transportation, most people would prefer taking a direct flight. However, Junior wants to experience the state while on a road trip.

The reason behind the same is that several mining towns along the route have vast amounts of history behind them. While they might be slightly cut off from the rest of the country, it is still fascinating to the veteran race car driver. “There’s all these old, vintage mining towns on this route…I’m really fascinated by going and seeing some of those places,” he said.

Kennecott, Alaska was a mining town. Most of the buildings have been abandoned for around 60 years, some of which have deteriorated past the point of salvation. It still attracts visitors.#WyrdWednesday pic.twitter.com/szPX5RYFXh

— TWhatley🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@whatters1) August 24, 2022

The former Hendrick Motorsports driver has recently had some time off from his NASCAR broadcasting duties as the sport relaxed during a 2-week-long Olympic break. However, considering that it’s already the second half of the year and the Richmond Race right around the corner this weekend, it might not be the best time to visit a state where freezing temperatures are the norm. But history has shown us that if Junior wants something, he usually goes ahead and gets it.

He also mentioned a couple of places that he had been to before and would like to go back. Japan and Australia. Both countries have a rich motorsports culture and it’s no surprise that someone like Junior enjoyed his time over there. He could even tick off his plan to visit New Zealand the next time he visits the land down under. The last time he was there was back in the year 2006, close to 20 years ago.