Reminiscing This Wholesome Earnhardt Family Moment!

^{Jan 23, 2025 | Edition #127}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

The Lucky Dog is on a bit of a nostalgia spree this week, but we promise it’s not intentional. First, we shared a glimpse of 7-year-old Denny Hamlin, and now we’re diving into the life of 15-year-old Dale Earnhardt Jr. These moments from NASCAR veterans’ childhoods are just too good not to share, and we couldn’t resist spreading the joy!

🗝️ From the Vault

NASCAR’s Most Wholesome Post Race Interview

Just this other day, we were scouring the internet to bring you the best NASCAR content. And we stumbled upon an old video that will surely leave you smiling and reminiscing about the old days. 

As you would have guessed by the image above, the video is of a 15-year-old Dale Earnhardt Jr playing a pit reporter and interviewing his dad after the 1990 DieHard 500 win at Talladega.

Now, the Lucky Dog knows what you’re thinking. 

‘Didn’t Junior and his dad share a complicated relationship?’ Well… they did. In fact, here is a heartbreaking video of Junior talking about how his dad was disappointed in him as a child, and how the two didn’t even have a relationship to begin with.

However, in the victory lane video from Talladega, their relationship seems nothing but adorable. And it was pretty funny to see how Junior could not stay in the reporter role for long. 

In his defense, he did start with a couple of textbook pitlane questions, like ‘how was the race?’ But soon the interview turned into one of the most relatable yet hilarious father-son conversations that broke everyone who was in the frame. 

Since we probably won’t do justice describing the special moment with words, here is a 30-second clip of the wholesome interaction.

The only thing funnier than Junior’s cheeky request was the Intimidator’s candid reply. And now that we think about it, he may have orchestrated this whole stunt just for the last bit. Can you blame him, though? Junior’s quick wit has always been one of his best qualities as a broadcasting giant.

Since we’re on this subject, how about we take a quick look at the dynamic Junior and his dad shared back in the day?

From what Junior has shared in interviews, we don’t think Senior looked at his son as a serious race car driver initially. However, things changed when he came to Xfinity Series full-time and lifted back-to-back championships. 

It was probably the moment, Dale Sr started to see his younger self in his son. You can almost hear it in his voice here. Sadly though, Junior couldn’t do as well in the Cup series. 

Is it superstitious of us to think he would have performed better had he driven the same #3 car as his dad? Either way, Dale Jr didn’t disappoint as he used his aforementioned quick wit and entrepreneurial skills to build an empire that we also know as ‘Dirty Mo Media’. His old man would be proud!

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📈 Trending News

RFK’s Loss is JGR’s Win

We called this one, folks! When Kroger moved to RFK Racing, King’s Hawaiian departure became a strong possibility. Rather, we’d say Brad Keselowski chose this bargain. And it makes sense. Kroger’s is a much bigger brand. 

It’s been a while since these tensions started. And the reason for the fallout is Kroger’s partner Bimbo Bakeries USA, who happens to be a market rival of King’s Hawaiian.

Still, the orange #6 car was just starting to become memorable. And we love drivers running the same car for many seasons. It just reminds us of the golden days of NASCAR. That’s probably why Denny Hamlin and his FedEx car were so iconic. 

Hamlin’s not complaining, though. Why would he? The sweet bread makers will be on his car this season. And we agree it's not a FedEx-level replacement, but it's something!

As a start, they’ll do four races together: Atlanta, Daytona, Bristol, and Martinsville. And we’d say King’s Hawaiian’s best shot at winning is at Martinsville, where Hamlin’s the winningest active driver.

Also, the paint scheme is not out yet, but look at this fan art.

We’d say the crown is going pretty well with the number 11. This move, somehow, has a very wholesome feeling about it. A generational family-owned bakery, paired with a family-owned team! Both are veterans of their field. Just clicks, you know? So let’s hope this grows into something bigger than 4 races per season. 

Continue Reading: Denny Hamlin Gives Himself the Perfect Slogan After Pairing With All-New Sponsor

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

Last Poll’s Result: We asked you if Kyle Larson is indeed the world’s best driver and 72.55% of you said yes. We also got some crazy comments calling him a wheelman with a God-given talent. But some of you also feel wins don’t count for the talent.

🗞️ NASCAR Shorts!

Who Is Replacing Mike Wallace for the Daytona 500?

NASCAR remains steadfast, leaving Wallace without that coveted family photo opportunity in the Daytona pit lane. Yet, there’s encouraging news for Carl Long. While he won’t be stepping in as a replacement driver, the positive spin is that his former ride and its sponsorships have secured a new pilot.

Long’s team is also undergoing an exciting rebranding, complete with a name change. With that, the team has brought on board an experienced ex-Xfinity Series driver, who is currently racing in the Truck Series. Find out who he is!

🔎 The In-Depth View

Hailie Deegan Might Never Return to NASCAR

If you've been wondering what Deegan is up to, she’s currently carving out her path in Indy NXT, the feeder series for IndyCar. Her move away from NASCAR has definitely sparked plenty of debate. But by the looks of it, she’s thriving.

Deegan’s time in NASCAR had its own magic. She made history as the first female driver to win a NASCAR pro series race. That iconic race saw her defeat competitors like Jagger Jones, Trevor Huddleston, and Derek Kraus, showcasing her tenacity and skill. So, the skill was never in question. And, who could forget her last-lap heroics, bumping the No. 99 to snag the lead and take the checkered flag? Watch for yourself.

Hailie Deegan had skill and resources but modern NASCAR can never really be dominated by either. It needs to be the perfect balance. Or maybe as Kenny Wallace has said on multiple events, NASCAR is indeed not ready for a female racer.

Recently, as she talked about her open-wheeling adventures, the topic of NASCAR came up. And, to be precise, it was more on her return to NASCAR, where she said, “If someone wants to pay for a ride, yeah, I will do it.” It looks like even she feels it's hard for a driver to establish themselves in NASCAR. Here, you must listen to what she said.

And it could be the same story in Indy, Hailie!

But, despite having little experience in open-wheel racing, she has managed to secure a spot with HMD Motorsports, the powerhouse team that clinched back-to-back Indy NXT championships in 2022 and 2023.

Also, it’s worth noting that Deegan’s racing roots go back to her karting days, where she excelled. Even so, she’s already shown promise in Indy NXT, finishing P10 in her debut race at a wet Circuit of The Americas—a track that can test even seasoned drivers.

So, with a full 2025 season ahead, Deegan surely has the chance to prove she belongs in open-wheel racing. And if you ask us at the Lucky Dog, we think she’s on the fast track to an IndyCar promotion.

Have a Look: Hailie Deegan Is Showered Support as She Hops In for Off-Season Testing

🗓️ 24 Days Till Daytona

Sterling Marlin and His Daytona 500 Stunt

Those of you who know Marlin, know he loves the Daytona 500 (at least before the 2000s he did). First to win it back to back (1994, 1995) and all that. But things changed. And no, we are not here to talk about 2001. This is about the next one. 

If you remember the 2002 race, nothing unusual was happening (just several multi-car pile-ups).

Imagine this: The track into chaos, and Sterling Marlin in the #40, Jeff Gordon, and a few other drivers pushed to the line, with Marlin narrowly holding onto the lead before the race was red-flagged.

The cars sat motionless, engines off, as crews worked to clear the debris. Tension hung in the air, but then something utterly bizarre unfolded. Marlin, sitting in his car, recalled an incident from the race—the contact with Gordon that had bent his fender. Next thing we know, without hesitation, Marlin unbuckled, climbed out, and began tugging at the damaged bodywork.

The sight left everyone stunned. What was Marlin thinking? Check the footage of the whole incident.

He could have easily won that race. The race was further delayed as officials decided on a penalty. Eventually, Sterling started last and Ward Burton got his career’s biggest win! Maybe this was Marlin pulling one of his classic pranks. But jokes apart. You have got to feel it for him. Barely after losing the tag of ‘Dale Earnhardt Sr’s killer,’ getting death threats and whatnot. To this silly incident, fans call him a joker. If you think of it, the  #40 car has seen a lot. 

And for those of you who missed our last edition, the #40 car is coming back to the Daytona 500. And it's a strange connection that it is JR Motorsports’ debut Cup car.

Before you judge Dale Jr, listen to why they picked the number 40. 

Also folks, only 24 days left for the Daytona 500. Hang in there! Meanwhile, we’ll keep bringing lots of such stories. 

Read More: Updates From the Yellow Garage Area Fire at the Daytona International Speedway

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