Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, speaks to the Media during the NASCAR Next Gen Test at Daytona International Speedway on January 12, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, speaks to the Media during the NASCAR Next Gen Test at Daytona International Speedway on January 12, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wears a lot of hats these days. He’s a part-time driver, a full-time team owner at JR Motorsports, and a series owner with the CARS Tour. He’s also a podcast host, a NASCAR commentator, and—if you ask any Junior fan—a historian. Specifically, a NASCAR historian.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
You know exactly what we mean if you’ve seen his show ‘Lost Speedways’. Dale Jr. is passionate about NASCAR history. On the show, he explores old, abandoned racetracks, digs into their rich past, and meets the people who were part of them. In fact, his deep dive into NASCAR’s past helped lead to the revival of the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Recently, Junior opened up about how his “history bug” all started. And trust us, it’s a good story.
Dale Earnhardt Jr: The historian
Let’s not forget that Dale Jr.’s interest in NASCAR history goes way beyond Lost Speedways. He’s also partnered with the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Glory Road Champions, which features 18 championship-winning cars from NASCAR’s most iconic seasons. Fans can spot cars like Dale Sr.’s 1980 Monte Carlo or Richard Petty’s 1964 Plymouth Belvedere—a true walk down memory lane.
Top Stories
But how did Junior develop this deep love for NASCAR’s past? Well, we finally know it now. It’s thanks to a simple fan interaction.
Recently a fan posted an old photo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a kid, standing next to his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. In the photograph, Junior holds a fat binder, and the fan asks, “Hey Dale Jr., what’s that you’re carrying?” The question took Junior down memory lane, and he shared a cool story.
He wrote, “The media center had media packets for all the teams. I would grab one of each team every trip to the track to get postcards and other cool items. Fun times being a kid with the access I had.”
The media center had media packets of all the teams. I would grab one of each team every trip to the track to get postcards and other cool items. Fun time being a kid with the access I had. https://t.co/WmogxozTef
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 5, 2025
That little moment seemed to stir something inside him. He then revealed where his passion for NASCAR history really began: “I was at Joe Whitlock’s house in the late 1980s. Joe was a well-known NASCAR media member, and his house was full of racing history. He gave me two VHS tapes of Bud Lindemann’s Car and Track. Each tape had 20 short highlight reels of NASCAR events from the past.”
I’ll tell you the origin of my NASCAR history bug. I was at Joe Whitlock’s house in the late 1980s. He was a respected NASCAR media member, and his house was full of racing history. He gave me 2 VHS tapes of Bud Lindemann’s “Car and Track”. On each were 20 short highlight reels… https://t.co/g3kHPczzMq
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 5, 2025
For those who don’t know, Whitlock was the guy with all the inside information of auto racing, including NASCAR. And Dale Jr. was so close to him because he was also the business manager of a young Dale Sr.
Interestingly, if you remember Dale Jr.’s show Back in the Day, those VHS tapes were a big part of it. A lot of credit goes to Joe Whitlock for giving Junior access to all those old races and stories. It’s no surprise that it sparked Junior’s knack for storytelling. And his passion didn’t stop there—he also began collecting stock car magazines, dating back to 1966.
And it’s no denying that he has some serious dedication to keeping NASCAR history alive, through his shows, podcasts, and whatnot. The revival of Pennsboro Speedway is proof enough.
Junior’s history bug brings back Pennsboro
So far, the ‘Lost Speedway’ series has aired two seasons where he explores abandoned race tracks throughout America. Dale Jr. might not be directly involved in the restoration, but his show has a big hand in it.
In Lost Speedways season 2, episode 2—titled “Pennsboro Speedway: The Miracle”—Junior took viewers on a journey through the legendary dirt track. The track, which dates back to the 1800s when it was used for horse racing, became a hub for car racing almost 100 years later. It was even the site of one of the greatest upsets in NASCAR history.
The episode was a deep dive into Pennsboro’s rich history and really struck a chord with viewers. Fast forward to 2022, and the track is set for a major revival. Thanks to XR Events and the Ritchie County Fairgrounds, Pennsboro Speedway is getting a new lease on life. It hosted the Mason-Dixon 100 in 2024, and Junior couldn’t be more excited. He shared the news on X, writing, “This is amazing.”
Fans have been flooding his social media, asking him to spotlight more old tracks that could benefit from his history bug. Could this lead to more track restorations? Time will tell. So, what do you think about Dale Jr.’s passion for NASCAR history? Are you as hooked on his history bug as we are? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Written by
Edited by
Jacob Gijy