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The pressure was probably there from the first time he slid behind the wheel of a race car.
Before that, he was just “Dale’s kid.” No real burdens, few expectations. Hanging out at the track on occasion, playing with the kids of other competitors. He was a child, the son of a racer for sure, but just a child and nothing more.
But once he became Dale Earnhardt Jr., racer, everything changed.
Once he became a racer, he became the son of a seven-time champion, the son of one of NASCAR’s most legendary figures. Once he became a racer, nearly every single thing took on an entirely different meaning.
Expectations didn’t grow, they exploded.
He raced and he won and his popularity grew, in part because of folks that were also fans of his father, but maybe more because he was new and fresh and cutting edge, and younger fans in the sport found someone with whom they could relate.
He listened to Nirvana. He was featured in “Rolling Stone” and “Playboy.” MTV featured him on its popular “MTV Cribs” show.
He was the new face for the sport.
And then the horrific 2001 accident took the life of his father and fans of his dad flocked to Earnhardt Jr., hoping to keep the memory of their hero alive, hoping to keep “their” sport alive through the son.
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Earnhardt Jr. never, ever discounted those who came to him as fans of his father. He embraced them, understood them and welcomed them. They were old school and as Earnhardt Jr. matured and grew and became more and more involved in all aspects of the sport, he became old school, too.
Maybe he didn’t “become” old school as much as he began to embrace it. You want a history lesson on NASCAR? Earnhardt might not be a professor, but his depth of knowledge and his love of the sport’s colorful past are unrivaled.
Now he’s stepping out of the driver’s seat after winning two XFINITY Series championships in 1998 and ’99, 26 career races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and two Daytona 500 victories.
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It’s been an incredible journey for Earnhardt Jr., who in addition to his duties as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports is also co-owner of an XFINITY Series operation — JR Motorsports — that fields four full-time entries.
But it’s been an incredible journey for his fans as well, who have voted him the series most popular driver for 14 consecutive years.
Most saw him win for the first time in the top series at Texas in 2000 and then weeks later when he got the big ol’ bear hug from his father in Victory Lane after winning the series’ All-Star Race at Charlotte. Fifteen years later he was still winning, and who knows, perhaps his winning hasn’t stopped just yet.
His father’s passing and the eventual surprise move to Hendrick Motorsports, and through it all the winning and contending for wins and his fans yearning and hoping and wishing for a championship that has yet to arrive.
He’s been a kid and a son and a racer and a champion and fan favorite. And now a husband and he’s talked about children so yeah, he may be a father some day, too.
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He’s a brand and a spokesperson and there are many in the garage that share their time and talent and resources with those less fortunate, but Earnhardt is among those at the top of the list.
And the entire time he’s let everyone in, let ’em come along for the ride, because the kid who used to change oil in cars at his father’s dealership knows race fans about as well as he knows himself.
He’s traveled his own path and enjoyed a racing career and at the end of the day you look back and say, well, that’s life.
One chapter ends and another begins.