Dale Jr Fights Back Tears Ahead of Daytona!

^{Feb 15, 2025 | Edition #137}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Just one more day until the moment we’ve all been waiting for. But this year, the Daytona 500 carries even more weight as it marks 24 years since NASCAR’s greatest tragedy. A tough reminder, no doubt. But maybe we should see Daytona the way Dale Jr does.

It’s the place where he lost his father, yet a place so close to his heart. To him, Daytona isn’t just history—it’s NASCAR’s heartbeat. Iconic, timeless. And maybe that’s why, all these years later, he chose it for JRM’s big day.

🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

Dale Earnhardt Jr Finally Accepts Daytona

Every time we talk about the Daytona 500, one race always comes to mind—2001. That day, NASCAR didn’t just lose a legend; it lost a piece of its soul. And for Dale Jr, the weight of that moment was unimaginable. It was only his second Daytona 500. He finished P2 while his teammate, Michael Waltrip, took the win. But the celebration never came—because that race changed everything for a son who lost his father forever to the sport.

In a normal situation, this would have been a great day for Sr. Both his cars finished in P1 and P2. Who could’ve imagined the day would end like that? Even before the race, he was all confident as he eyed his 2nd Daytona win. But fate had other plans. Here’s what he mentioned about the car in his last official interview.

Hours later, the Intimidator was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Everybody was devastated. In Junior’s words; "I walked into Dad's room, and knew right away it was as bad as it could be." And just like that, NASCAR’s Intimidator was gone. In an instant, the sport lost an icon, and a son lost his father. The weight of that moment, the pain—it never truly faded, especially at the track where it all happened. But then again, he was The Intimidator’s son.

Fast forward to July of that same year—NASCAR returned to Daytona for the Pepsi 400. We know stepping onto that track must have been unimaginably tough for Dale Jr. But not only did he show up—he owned the night. Against all odds, he didn’t just race—he spectacularly won the damn thing. We kid you not, it will give you goosebumps! Watch his emotional victory.

A perfect tribute—from a son to his father. As the laps wound down, fate had another moment in store. Michael Waltrip, Dale Sr's closest friend at DEI, climbed to P2. Under the lights at Daytona, with two DEI cars crossing the line in a photo finish—just like before—you couldn’t help but feel that somewhere up above, Dale Earnhardt was watching, proud as ever.

Through all the heartbreak, and all the memories, Dale Jr never let Daytona become a place of pain. He never ran from it, never spoke of it with bitterness. Instead, he embraced it. At the recent 500 press conference, he mentioned, "I knew it wasn't the track that took him…Daddy loved Daytona.” Junior paused, trembled, and said more, as he let go of the weight. Here’s the full interview.

24 years to his biggest loss, and this season is a full-circle moment for Dale Jr as his team is now set for the big move. If you didn’t already know—JRM is finally making its Cup Series debut, with none other than Justin Allgaier at the helm. And the 2024 Xfinity champ is already making waves, securing a solid P9 finish in Duel 1. He’s a veteran, sure, but that’s still impressive.

As for strategy? Junior is keeping it simple. No complex plans, no overthinking—just one directive for his boy: “Mash the gas.” And, if Allgaier pulls off something big, maybe Junior will finally leap full-time Cup racing.

Honestly, even the Lucky Dog thinks it’s time. Four Xfinity titles prove JRM belongs at the next level. Now, picture this: Allgaier in the seat, Greg Ives calling the shots, and Junior in the Amazon booth, calling a JRM win at Daytona. What a view!

Continue Reading: Ex-NASCAR Driver Exposes Dirty Tactic After Parker Kligerman’s Controversial DQ at Daytona

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Ballot 🏁

One last edition with the Lucky Dog's Quick Ballot! Hope you’ll help us finalize the last two awards!

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Bubba Wallace on Trump’s Presence at the 500

The Wallace-Trump back and forth has to be one of the wildest NASCAR banters ever—and somehow, it led to a change. 

In 2020, Bubba Wallace pushed for NASCAR to ban Confederate flags at tracks—and they did. President Donald Trump wasn’t happy, claiming it tanked ratings (funny enough, ratings actually went up). But the real controversy started a month earlier that year when a noose was found in Wallace’s garage at Talladega. NASCAR even put out a photo. Here’s the noose that started all the controversy.

Now, this was right when the Black Lives Matter movement was at its peak. So, naturally, accusations started flying—some even claimed Wallace staged it as a hate crime. But in the middle of all that noise, something bigger happened. NASCAR drivers stood with Bubba, pushing all the drama aside, and showing up for one of their own. It was a huge driver/crew members’ parade. Watch NASCAR drivers pushing Richard Petty’s No. 43 to the front of the field.

#ISTANDWITHBUBBA written on the infield grass, the moment was definitely one for the ages. But on the contrary, President Trump asked Wallace to apologize. He called it a HOAX in this viral tweet.

And Bubba's reply? "Always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE!... Even when it's HATE from the POTUS." But it’s been more than 4 years now, and they might face each other again.

While it’s not confirmed yet, the President might show up at the 500, and Bubba “couldn’t care less”. He’s locked in on racing, starting P3, and made it clear—“We’re here to race, not for the show.” And why would he care? He just won his first Duel and is starting up front. Maybe that P5 from 2024 could be a checkered flag this time. That’s probably why he's not bothered about the whole controversy.

And if you remember, NASCAR’s findings pretty much settled it—the noose had been there since 2019, as Steve Phelps confirmed. So, could the 500 be the place where Wallace and Trump finally bury the hatchet? Now that would be a sight—Bubba taking the checkered flag and Trump handing him the Harley J. Earl Trophy.

Continue Reading: Bubba Wallace Shuts Down ‘Fallout’ Talk, Reveals Real Reason Behind Crew Chief Shakeup

🎤 Rant of the Week

“A slap in the face!” – That is how Martin Truex Jr recently described NASCAR’s latest try to have a global reach. In case you missed it, here’s the social media post where he talks about the disrespect, despite giving 20 years to the sport.

📈 Trending News

Chevy Joins the EV Parade… Fans Aren’t Jumpy!

We called this one, folks! A few editions back, we talked about Ford’s EV prototype for NASCAR—the Mustang Mach-E. And if Ford had one in the works, you just knew Chevy and Toyota weren’t far behind. Now, there’s no official word from Toyota yet, but Chevy’s got theirs ready—the Blazer.

But let’s just say, some fans aren’t sold on the name. A few are even saying it looks like "a cross between a Chevette and a '74 Nissan truck." Ouch, that's a bit too harsh! Take a closer look at its hood and decide.

And, the Blazer EV does look decent. But that’s not what’s got fans riled up. It’s what this prototype represents. NASCAR is testing how a stock EV would run on the track, and let’s be real—that sure feels like a step toward an all-electric future. Not trying to jinx it, but if that’s where NASCAR is heading…fans have made their stance clear. If EVs take over, they "won't watch it!"

We feel Denny Hamlin is the one who jinxed it last year. These were his exact words, "Any horsepower I think you can add will make the racing better." Maybe Denny should’ve been careful what he wished for—because these EVs are no joke. They’re packing 1,300 HP—twice what the Next Gen car has! And with a modified Next Gen chassis, they sound pretty solid on paper.

And we had Justin Allgaier as the NASCAR driver's representative to tell us how it drives. However, his review is a bit confusing. Allgaier said, "There are so many things you don’t think about until you’re in the car actually testing it. I’m used to knowing my speed through gearing and listening to engine revs, so I had to totally change how I judge corner entry speed.” Maybe he's saying it's something (good or bad).

Anyway, Blazer EV will pace the Daytona 500, and the crowd's reaction might just tell NASCAR all it needs to know. And, if it’s a NO, maybe NASCAR should create a separate EV series. Hell, bring in Tesla as the fourth OEM. But for now, let’s keep the roar of real engines alive for as long as possible.

Continue Reading: Justin Allgaier Sends an Emotional Message After Fulfilling Earnhardt Family’s NASCAR Dream

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Ballot 🏁

 🔎 The In-Depth View

NASCAR Botches the Daytona Duels

This one’s a heartbreaker for Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club!

In the second Duel at Daytona, Erik Jones put on a masterclass, snatching the lead from Austin Cindric and taking the checkered flag. But it looks like he climbed onto the window pane, and waved to the fans—only to find out later that he finished P2! Yep, another year, another controversy over a final-lap yellow.

Just as Jones was racing to the line, a multi-car wreck erupted behind him. NASCAR threw the caution, triggering the dreaded caution freeze rule. And just like that, what should’ve been a victory turned into disappointment. But the rule is simple—once the yellow light comes on during the final lap, the race is frozen right then and there. No passing allowed after that moment! See how the congestion started.

And in the Duel, when that caution light flashed, Cindric was just inches ahead of Jones. So, by the rulebook, he was declared the winner. Tough break for Jones, but that’s how it goes!

Now, some fans feel "NASCAR robbed Jones of the win?" And that is partially true. Even Jimmie Johnson called it, “bullsh*t.” You could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

Had the caution come three seconds later, Jones would’ve won. We've seen races stay green after last-lap wrecks. If you remember the 2020 Daytona 500, Hamlin was leading, and a wreck happened, but the race continued. NASCAR’s decision that day let Ryan Blaney and Ryan Newman fight for the lead until the latter crashed. At that exact moment, Blaney was ahead, yet Hamlin was declared the winner after crossing the line first.

This is the same inconsistency why fans are frustrated. And, we know for LMC, a Duel win wouldn’t be a points race, but it would've been a huge boost. Of course, everyone knows the yellow light isn’t automatic—it’s triggered manually (by NASCAR). And, NASCAR would disagree, but that split-second decision can change everything, especially for these smaller teams.

And folks... if you are still confused about this ‘freeze’ rule. Here's a detailed video explaining it! It came into play last year when William Byron won over Alex Bowman. So despite what happened at the Duel, let's hope to see better judging in the Daytona 500!

Latest Update: Alex Bowman Discloses His Dynamics With Teammate William Byron

📰 Lucky Dog's Recommended Reads

1. “Pathetic”: Fans Expose the Dark Reality Behind Daytona 500’s Purse – Full Story

2. Chase Elliott & Kyle Busch Tell Their Feelings About Trump’s Rumored Daytona Cameo – Full Story

3. Daniel Suarez Address Rumors of Him Losing Trackhouse Seat With a Selfish Claim – Full Story

4. Veteran Fires Shots at Kyle Busch’s Unending NASCAR Misery With 3-Words – Full Story

5. “Struggling” Toni Breidinger Recalls Her Chaotic Truck Daytona Debut – Full Story

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