Some would joke Chase Elliott keeps winning NASCAR’s annual popularity contest, only because it’s been eight years since Junior stopped driving at the top level. 15x NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. watched Chase Elliott win his seventh consecutive MPD title. At the NASCAR Awards ceremony’s first outing in Charlotte, our favorite racing legend walked down the red carpet with his wife, Amy Reimann, dazzling those in attendance, and the fans online with pure class. 

But make no mistake. Both those drivers deserve credit where credit’s due for their larger contributions to stock car racing. And it didn’t start today–Dale Jr. and Chase Elliott are NASCAR royalty. Their fathers–Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott–were equally big names in the sport back in the day, if not bigger. Carrying on legacies like that certainly teaches anyone lucky enough to be part of it a lesson or two about what it takes to survive in the high-stakes world of NASCAR. At the Charlotte Convention Center, Dale Jr narrated a heartfelt story that reflected some intricate teachings from his father, indirectly influenced by the subtle influence of his stepmom, Teresa Earnhardt.

How Teresa Earnhardt’s wisdom left a mark on the Earnhardt legacy.

Dale Jr. and his elder sister Kelley were born to Dale Earnhardt and his second wife, Brenda Lorraine Jackson. Their parents separated not too long after Jr’s birth. He and Kelley lived with their mother for a while until a rogue fire destroyed their home, leaving Brenda unable to support her kids financially. That forced her to give up custody of young Dale and Kelley to their biological father before he married his third wife, Teresa. Teresa Earnhardt was integral in helping their family race team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) grow in the late 90s and the early 2000s. But after Dale Earnhardt passed away tragically at the 2001 Daytona 500, things started rolling on a downtrend for the organization. Sadly, their partnership ended sourly in 2007 after internal tensions over ownership flared between Dale Jr and Teresa.

For nearly two decades, the sentiments remained strained between Jr. and his stepmom. But earlier this year, it felt like Teresa extended a truce towards Dale Jr when she gave up the rights to his DEI No. 8 font. That #8 car, complete with the Budweiser paint scheme, returned to Florence Motor Speedway on Saturday for the South Carolina 400 with Dale Jr. However, before that, he attended the NASCAR awards ceremony with his wife and told the media a touching story about his father.

“I remember this story,” began Dale Jr. “Dad was in the house complaining about having to pack for New York to go to the Waldorf, and it wasn’t important who won the championship. But Teresa told him that he shouldn’t be complaining about having the opportunity to go celebrate and the fortune that he has to be in the sport. And something about Geoff Bodine.” Everyone listening to his story burst out laughing, including journalist Peter Stratta.

“So yeah. I’ve always thought that was such a great story because anytime like through my career, you know, when you didn’t have an excellent year, these kinds of things would be an obstacle in the off-season. But as I’ve gotten older, you appreciate things more. You appreciate the wins; you appreciate championships for sure. And you appreciate the opportunity to celebrate your sport and everybody involved in it,” smiled Earnhardt Jr.

Junior has come a long way since his 2007 split from DEI. The following year, he joined Hendrick Motorsports, making his mark with memorable wins, including a thrilling victory at the 2014 Daytona 500. He drove the #88 car for Rick Hendrick until he stepped away from full-time Cup racing in 2017. At the end of that year, he received his fifteenth and final NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver award. But that wasn’t all. NASCAR felicitated Dale Jr with the Bill France Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions to professional stock car racing at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

These days, he’s more involved with his Dirty Mo Media Network ventures, balancing that with his ownership duties at his Xfinity Series team, JR Motorsports, with his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller. Their organization just won its fourth Xfinity Series championship, courtesy of Justin Allgaier. However, Dale Jr holds quite a unique perspective on the NASCAR Awards ceremony.

Dale Jr. balances family, media, and South Carolina 400 outing like a pro

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There’s no question. Dale Jr. must be one with the bright lights at the highest level of NASCAR by this point. Granted, he never brought home the Cup Series championship even once in his near-two-decade-long premier-tier career. From filling the gut-wrenching void left behind by his father to innovating the sport in ways most would never imagine, Jr is one of the most important representatives for the sport and its people.

And his extensive experience has made him aware of the bigger picture. In his own words to the media, at the Charlotte Convention Center, “We’re definitely excited to celebrate Justin (Allgaier) tonight. But this night is kind of, the most special night of the entire year because we recognize everything that everybody put into it, right?” Typical Junior.  “So I appreciate it and I enjoy it.” declared Dale Jr. Finally, he thanked one of the most important people in his life—his wife. “Amy and I get to get dressed up and have a date night… I love that she wants to be here. So luckily, this evening we are getting to celebrate our championship. And even when you’re second/third/fourth, you still like to come out and celebrate the sport as a whole…” concluded the many, the myth, the NASCAR Hall of Famer.

If you couldn’t tell, Dale Jr isn’t a man who leaves his affairs hanging in the balance, just like his father. And this Saturday, he will hope to do much more than that when the South Carolina 400 roars loud at Florence, with the #8 Budweiser car battling in the mix.