Dale Earnhardt Jr. Finally Tracks Down the Man Who Helped the Intimidator Build His NASCAR Career

“I’m not mad…I just feel I have to make a change, and now is the time to do it.” Dale Earnhardt Sr uttered these words when he prepared to leave J.D. Stacy’s team in 1981. The primary reason was Stacy occupying what once was Dale Sr.’s first full-time NASCAR Cup Series team owner’s position. Once the latter left, things were not the same anymore, and Dale Sr. turned over a new leaf. After over 4 decades, his son, Dale Jr., has reconnected with the individual who gave wings to Dale Sr.’s career.

What Dale Earnhardt has accomplished hardly requires a mention. Named ‘The Intimidator’ due to his bold and aggressive moves on the racetrack, Dale Sr.’s seven championships make him a timeless legend. However, the origins of such a legendary figure are always intriguing, as Dale Jr. helped remind us recently.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. strikes a bond with the past

When Dale Sr. started racing in 1970, he was merely 19 years old. He wheeled a pink 1956 Ford Victoria on the local short tracks. Those first steps gradually paved the way for his entry into NASCAR. But his initial journey was nebulous and uncertain. Between 1975-79, Earnhardt ran nine Cup Series races for six different owners – his first Cup race being the 1975 World 600 at Charlotte for car owner Ed Negre. However, it was Rod Osterlund who gave him the first full-time opportunity. The Silicon Valley real estate developer cum team owner prepared Dale Sr. for his Daytona 500 debut in 1979.

In 1979, Dale Sr. missed four races of his rookie season with a broken collarbone, suffered in a crash at Pocono. But his career got a jumpstart nonetheless, as he got his first trophy at Bristol, finished seventh in points, and was named Rookie of the Year. That season was forever etched in NASCAR’s history, and in Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s heart. That is why a recent interaction meant the world for the Intimidator’s son, “I got a phone call yesterday, and spoke to Rod Osterlund for the first time in my life. His daughter, granddaughter reached out. They knew that I wanted to speak to him, meet him. It was great, they’re great people.” 

Dale Earnhardt Sr. won the 1980 championship and drove for Rod Osterlund until the mid-1981 season. That was when Osterlund had to sell his team to J.D. Stacy for a reported $1.7 million. Although a heartbreaking turn of events, it introduced Earnhardt to the newest chapter in his career – under Richard Childress. Being contacted by the Earnhardt family after all those years, Osterlund was surprised. Dale Jr. continued, “He said, ‘Well, I don’t know what you need from me or what you’re looking for.’ I said, ‘Man, I just want a relationship, I just wanna be able to text you and say hey. Also, I wanna, before we hang up the phone, tell you thank you.”

Dale Sr. won 7 of his 76 Cup Series race wins while driving for Rod Osterlund. Although their teamwork was brief, Dale Jr. acknowledged it anyway: “What he did for my dad changed dad’s path, and everyone that was ever connected to dad benefited off of that decision that Rod made to put Dad in this car…All of us sitting right here are a result of that decision.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. tries to be eternally grateful for people in his dad’s life. At the same time, he cherishes the presence of another individual in his own life.

Counting his sweet blessings

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. first met Amy Reimann in 2009, it was under the most unlikely circumstances. Reimann was part of the designing firm tasked with renovating the racer’s North Carolina home. That meeting bloomed into a relationship and a beautiful marriage in 2016. They had their share of troubles in the bond, for which they sought the help of counselors. At the same time, however, Amy Reimann introduced a new and loving chapter to Dale Jr.’s life. She helped him bear the physical and emotional toll of concussions incurred in races over the years. Amy was also a pillar of support in his recovery from the lingering grief of losing his father.

Dale Jr. recently confessed, “Every day when I get up, I feel loved.” He continued about the evergreen presence of his wife in his life. “When you make that choice to sort of turn loose of that past life and that person you used to be, you make that real commitment. I mean, it only made my life better, you know? It only made me happier. It only made me more comfortable… I finally found someone that I wanted to marry and I wanted to start a family with. And Amy has been an incredible influence on my life and changed my life in so many ways.”

Such affirmative words are what sustain a relationship for a long, long time. As Dale Earnhardt Sr. attempts to reconnect with his father’s past, he makes way for more meaningful relationships.