Dale Earnhardt Jr Feels Key Jimmie Johnson and Stewart Haas Racing Twitch From Hendrick Days Makes Him “Hate the Next Gen Car”

NASCAR fans have their eyes everywhere. Moreover, it’s their memory that never fails them. One such detail-oriented fan recently questioned Dale Earnhardt Jr on his tendency of changing the size of his steering wheel.

During an episode of Dale Jr Download, a fan was curious about why Earnhardt Jr chose to race with a small steering wheel when he was driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He further questioned Dale about what led him to switch back to the bigger steering wheel after the final season.

Addressing the question, Dale Earnhardt Jr clarified that he never went back up to a bigger size. However, he shared that during the initial days of his career, drivers would drive with a 16-inch steering wheel. Then they went to drive with 15-inch and 14-inch wheels. Furthermore, he revealed what compelled him to change his steering wheel size.

He said; “The steering boxes went from twelve-to-one to ten-to-one, to eight-to-one (ratios). They got faster. So, I would look over and go what’s Jimmie (Johnson) doing. What’s he got in his car? Oh! That looks small. I don’t know if I want to run that small but I’ll go a little smaller. I’ll meet in the middle.”

Moving ahead, Dale also reminisced about how Kevin Harvick influenced his decision to drive with a smaller steering wheel. he shared;  “We had the setup sheets from Stewart-Haas because they were Chevrolet at that time. The #4 car with Harvick was flying everywhere. Man, he is running with an eight-to-one box! We ain’t running but a ten-to-one. Let’s try it. Okay. Throw it on.”

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However, Earnhardt said that he didn’t feel anything different. He explained that his choice of changing steering wheel sizes was only influenced by what he has seen in the garage.

Dale Earnhardt Jr on why he would hate the Next Gen cars

Dale Earnhardt Jr explained that he usually used to drive with a 15-inch steering wheel on the road courses. He further explained; “I would run the really really small wheel like a 14 but that’s just because on a road course, left and right, you really want the car to drive like a go-kart so you get that steering as fast as you can.”

However, he revealed that on bigger tracks, he usually wanted the steering wheel to slow down a little bit. Explaining how this ensures a smooth hand movement, Earnhardt said; “The box and all that stuff under the hood can be quick and dardy as much as the crew wants to make that. But the actual movement of your hands is kind of what a driver (is), I think.”

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Earnhardt Jr further revealed why he would hate to drive the Next Gen cars. He said; “To be honest, I would hate the Next Gen car because of that wreck steering and how quick it is. I am watching them drivers man! And they go in the corner, they only move their hands (imitating mechanical slight moves). I need to be (imitating sudden wide moves) driving that thing. What the hell!”