Rare Gift for Dale Jr. on Intimidator’s Death Anniversary!

February 20, 2025

Feb 20, 2025 | Edition #140

👋 Dear Motorheads,

The season is officially in motion, and next up—Atlanta. We know Daytona delivered its fair share of heartbreak, but that’s just the nature of superspeedway racing. It’s unpredictable, unforgiving, and always leaves some drivers—and fans—wondering what could have been. And let’s be real, Atlanta won’t be any different. But before we dive into that, we’ve got something truly special to share.

After the checkered flag dropped at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. became part of a moment that transcended true racing. So, turns out a lifelong Intimidator fan had been holding onto a priceless piece of NASCAR history, and before he passed, he made sure it found its way home—to Junior.

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🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

Dale Jr.’s Priceless Inheritance

February 18th marked 24 years since we lost Dale Earnhardt Sr. The sport hasn't been the same without the 'Intimidator,' and neither has the NASCAR family that still mourns him every single day.

As the community came together to honor his legacy this time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was flooded with heartfelt messages. But one tribute stood apart from the rest—one that spoke about the Earnhardt fandom. A lifelong 'Intimidator' devotee, who had cherished a special car for years, made a decision that would bring tears to any NASCAR fan’s eyes.

How incredible is that? A fan left Dale Jr. an original #3 black and silver Chevy Monte Carlo—it’s a piece of NASCAR history, a reminder of the ‘Intimidator’ era. You’d be surprised to see that the car is in great shape—well, mostly. Knowing Sr., he must have pushed it to the limit every chance he got. Even the orange interior is still as bold as ever. Have a look, it’s just so full of character.

And, Dale Jr has no clue what races his father ran in this one. If we had to take a guess, we'd say this car is from the early ‘90s. Looking at that side panel—it’s got MAC Tools on it. Sr. had them as an associate partner back then, but by ‘94, Snap-on Tools had taken their place. So this has to be a pre-‘94 ride. We also did some digging and found that Sr. first ran this scheme in ‘89, which helped narrow it down. But if you know exactly when he drove it, you’ve got to share it in the comments. We can dedicate a whole section to this car in our next edition.

Either way, Dale Jr has already promised to call up Richard Childress to get the full story. But if our guess is right, this car comes from the era when Sr. won three championships—1990, 1991, and 1993. That means this could be a title-winning ride.

Most people would hold on to something this special forever. But this fan believed it belonged to the Earnhardt family. That’s really thoughtful! Now, Junior can add it to what’s starting to feel like a fan-driven exhibit—placing the No. 3 car right alongside Sr.’s firesuit, the one a stranger handed him back on July 24, 2015. See Junior even wore this.

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Is Denny Hamlin Ready to Hang Up the Helmet?

It looks like Hamlin might be in a moment of reflection. We can understand, that every driver hits a point in their career where things don’t go their way, and doubt starts to creep in. And, for Hamlin, that tipping point seems to be last week’s Daytona race.

“I mean, I woke up pissed yeah, and it’s about everything. Now I know why drivers retire, I have that feeling. I’m tired of this shit and there’s just a big picture to this,” he ranted. But let’s not mistake this for just frustration—this feels different. Hamlin might actually be at a crossroads.

If the JGR driver had won the Daytona 500 this time, he’d have joined an elite club—only the third driver in NASCAR history to win the 500 more than four times, right up there with Richard Petty (7) and Cale Yarborough (4). But instead, the final stretch turned chaotic. It all started when Cole Custer got a little too aggressive, went wide, and in the madness, a driver who was running ninth ended up taking the checkered flag. Here’s the sinister moment.

Hamlin might be frustrated with Custer or even with Riley Herbst for not holding it together to push him past the Fords. But if he really is thinking about walking away, it has to be more than just losing the 500. After all, it is believed to be the biggest Daytona 500 upset ever.

Cause for the Hamlin controversy: The Lucky Dog thinks it probably started when FedEx, the backbone of the No. 11 team for years, decided to leave. Finding a replacement—one just as big—hasn’t been easy, and so far, he still doesn’t have one. Then came the real gut punch: his winning crew chief, Chris Gabehart, stepped away, and Chris Gayle joined in. And, Hamlin himself admitted he was “shocked” by the move. To top it off, his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing runs out after 2025.

So maybe it’s not just about losing another Daytona 500. That early momentum has carried him to championship runs before, and with the kind of luck he’s had lately, maybe he’s come to terms with never winning it again. Who knows...we might only see Hamlin cheering for the 23XI boys next year. And maybe he’d also be fighting Martin Truex Jr to get into HoF’s class of 2027. Only time will tell.

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📈 Trending News

Days of Thunder 2 Loading…

Wouldn’t it be something to see what Cole Trickle is up to now? For those who haven’t seen Days of Thunder, Trickle was played by none other than Tom Cruise—a young, fearless driver looking to make his mark in NASCAR. The film hit the big screen in 1990 and became an instant classic. Now, 35 years later, Jeff Gordon is stirring things up, calling for a sequel.

And, we know he and Cruise are best buds. The latter even gave a speech at Gordon's retirement ceremony. Watch here.

So, word is that Jeff Gordon picked up the phone and told his old buddy Tom Cruise—it’s time for Days of Thunder 2. And here’s the kicker: Hendrick Motorsports is all in. “We want to be a part of it if it were to happen,” Gordon said. Makes total sense. HMS played a huge role in the original. If you didn’t know, Tim Daland—the team owner played by Randy Quaid—was basically a fancy version of Rick Hendrick. We found a short clip of Mr. H’s character.

And that #46 City Chevrolet car in the movie had one of Hendrick’s dealerships on the hood. More so, Hendrick and Paul Newman were tight because of racing, and Cruise had just worked with Newman on The Color of Money. One thing led to another and boom—Hollywood met NASCAR.

We’re not saying Days of Thunder single-handedly put NASCAR on the map, but it definitely cranked up the hype. Cruise was already a superstar thanks to Top Gun, and his name alone packed theaters. The film pulled in $157 million on a $60 million budget—a solid hit by any standard.

So, no doubt movies have a way of growing a sport’s reach, and if a Days of Thunder sequel really happens, don’t be surprised if NASCAR itself jumps in to help make it a reality. Soon we’ll be bringing you more updates on this.

 🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

William Byron Shuts Down Daytona Controversy

So, Byron took the checkered flag at the Daytona 500—but a win wasn’t official until he cleared post-race inspection. And right before that, he did his usual burnout. Nothing unusual there… except for the way he scraped the wall with his fender. It looked a little too deliberate. Hard to say for sure…But watch this clip—it’s definitely sus. 

Some are convinced the HMS driver did it on purpose—to cover something up before NASCAR officials got a closer look. But then, he passed inspection without a hitch, which only made the whole thing seem even more suspicious. The NASCAR community isn’t buying it, and here’s Byron’s explanation, “Yeah, I haven’t looked at any of it… conspiracies that I hit the wall on purpose on my burnout. I’m just really clumsy.”

Our analysis: Something doesn’t add up! Byron’s explanation isn’t holding up. A race-winning driver from a top-tier stock car series misjudging the distance between his fender and the wall is a tough sell. Especially when we’ve seen plenty of drivers try to outsmart post-race inspectors before.

Remember the 2011 Talladega race when Jimmie Johnson had these very specific instructions from crew chief Chad Knaus, "If we win this race, you have to crack the back of the car. Got it?" And Knaus sounded on point with how to execute the wreck. “Do it while doing donuts,” he even said. Listen to this blatant pre-race discussion.

Thankfully, it never came to that—JJ finished 26th after starting P2. But the plan was clear. Knaus knew bump drafting could push the car past NASCAR’s legal limits, and he had a backup strategy just in case. Now, as for Byron, we don’t know if he was hiding anything or if Rudy Fugle, Gordon, or Brandon Lines had similar plans. But they were… they pulled it off quite well. And just like that, he’s a two-time Daytona 500 champion. And, the case is closed!

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