Every NASCAR driver has had moments they or their fans are not very proud of. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. had one of those back in the 2009 Daytona 500 race when he pushed another driver out to win the race.

Dale Jr. fans joined the others, giving the driver flak for his move in the 2009 Daytona 500. Because Junior quite literally hit Brian Vickers after he got blocked. Of course, that didn’t sit with the fans at all. Even the commentators called him out on the move.

One would assume things have settled after some 13 years. But it turns out things hadn’t really washed over because Twitter user Nick Paul recalled that very race as the most embarrassing move by his favorite driver.

Yikes. That’s a big statement, but that’s one embarrassing Dale Jr. moment that stands out among the rest. But the Hall of Famer didn’t sit back and take the heat because he was compelled to justify his move in reply to that Tweet.

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Well, that is a good reason for it to be fair.

NASCAR fans supported Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the move

Sure, initially, the fans were not really supporting what he did, and even Junior knows it wasn’t really his brightest moment. But the reasoning he gave for what he did, put things more into perspective.

Moreover, a driver in the middle of a race is quite pumped full of adrenaline and in a very high pace, high-pressure environment. Of course, that often compels drivers to make aggressive or poorly thought-through moves in the middle of a race. Fortunately, the fans understood that and supported the Hall of Famer.

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So, do you think Junior’s justification is valid? Let us know in the comments.