Few things warm the heart like the iconic friendships that have shaped the sport! Take Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The Hendrick Dynasty duo turned teamwork into a legend. Gordon, already a star, didn’t just share the garage with Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports. He paved the way by recommending him to team owner Rick Hendrick back in 2002. Over the next decade, their mutual respect fueled an unmatched run, racking up 10 championships with Gordon’s 4 and Johnson’s 7.

Then there’s Dale Earnhardt and Michael Waltrip. Their bond was less about trophies and more about brotherhood. Earnhardt gave Waltrip his big break, signing him to drive the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 2001, acting like a mentor and older brother to a driver who’d chased wins for years without success.

Well, Dale shared another bond that isn’t as widely sung as his bond with Waltrip, but it was still deeply significant. Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner crafted a unique, evolving relationship, recently brought to light by Skinner himself. Reflecting on the challenges and rewards of being teammates in NASCAR’s cutthroat world, their connection wasn’t an instant friendship. It was hammered out in fire, pressure, and a hard-earned mutual respect.

Mike Skinner on his bond with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The curtain’s been pulled back on that special bond, and Mike Skinner recently opened up on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, sharing a raw look at his time with Dale Earnhardt. He started off saying,  “He didn’t want a teammate, and I think I had stolen—not stolen, but I’d acquired—some of his fans because I was in the Goodwrench truck. That wasn’t my fault. It was a tough, tough road, and sadly we lost Dale at the pinnacle of our relationship. We had never gotten along better. We were at Texas, and you know, he was always rough and gruff, and even if he liked you, he didn’t want you to know he liked you. He was like 40th on the sheet, and the 31 car was top of the board, and he said, ‘Ask.’ Richard said, ‘See if you can get Skinner to run this car.’”

Skinner first teamed up with Dale Earnhardt in the mid-1990s under the Richard Childress Racing banner. While Earnhardt was already a seven-time Cup Series champion and a living legend, Skinner was climbing the ladder, having won the inaugural NASCAR Truck Series championship in 1995 driving the No. 3 GM Goodwrench truck, a ride backed by Earnhardt himself. That instantly created tension among some of Earnhardt’s fans who felt Skinner was borrowing their icon’s branding. Skinner himself recalled how Earnhardt didn’t initially want a teammate. In his words: “It wasn’t my fault, but I had acquired some of his fans because I was in the Goodwrench truck. That made things awkward.”

Skinner kept the story rolling,  “A couple laps, I got in the car. My very first lap, I put it third on the board. Came in yesterday. I said, ‘Let’s talk about how, why I ran seven-tenths of a lap faster in one lap,’ and so I told him what I was doing coming to the flag. And he goes, ‘Oh my God. I’m not doing that.’ He goes, ‘I’m running like we’re in race pace, where we’re in qualifying trim. You know it’s time to go.’ And he jumped back out there and he ran good, and ran good in the race, and our relationship did a complete flip-flop. Then I think Dale realized that sometimes having a teammate can be beneficial. You know, he’s still not going to let me win.”

One of the most telling moments in their relationship came at Texas Motor Speedway. Earnhardt was struggling with speed in practice and found himself low on the timing sheet, while Skinner—in the No. 31 car—was fastest. According to Skinner, Earnhardt told team owner Richard Childress, “See if you can get Skinner to run this car a couple laps.” Skinner hopped in Earnhardt’s car, and in just one lap, he clocked a time that was seven-tenths of a second faster. When Earnhardt asked how he did it, Skinner shared the driving technique he was using, and the light bulb went off. Earnhardt went back out, improved his performance, and from that point on, their relationship began to shift.

Skinner wrapped up with a heartfelt reflection,  “I finally got a little respect from Dale, and we got along wonderful. And you know, when we lost Dale, I swear to this moment, I believe I would have had plenty of races the next couple years, and he would have won that other championship. I mean, he was in a good spot. He got some surgery. He’s, you know, physically and mentally in a really, really good spot. I think he was ready to go.”

Over time, Earnhardt who was famously gruff and competitive, started to let down his guard. Skinner began to earn his respect not just as a driver, but as someone who brought value to the team. They began to work together more effectively and even enjoyed each other’s company off the track. Though Earnhardt remained highly competitive and wasn’t going to let anyone beat him easily, he began to treat Skinner as a peer rather than just a junior teammate.

Their relationship was arguably at its best right before the 2001 Daytona 500. Tragically, that was the race where Earnhardt lost his life on the final lap. Skinner has often reflected on how far they’d come and believes Earnhardt was in one of the best places of his life both physically and mentally. The tragedy cemented what might have been one of NASCAR’s most productive team relationships—one that took years to blossom but ultimately reflected the depth and grit of both men.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. planning to highlight grassroots racing in music video

Shifting gears to the Earnhardt legacy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is revving up to shine a light on grassroots racing in a fresh way. Known for popping up in music videos, commercials, and promos, Junior has teamed up with country star Luke Combs to champion short-track and late-model racing yet again.

Their new music video, Back in the Saddle, drops this Friday, featuring Earnhardt alongside NASCAR legend Richard Petty. Combs teased it on X with images like a checkered flag collage, showing two photos of Earnhardt from his racing days, including his iconic No. 8 car, plus a shot of Petty’s belt with his famous No. 43. On his latest podcast episode, Earnhardt spilled the beans on how it all came together. Junior said that Luke texted him, “Hey man, I’m going to do this music video for this song.” He sent me the song. He said, “Would you want to be in it?” I said, “Yes, absolutely.” And so we started talking about what we would do, where we would do it.

They first eyed filming with a Next Gen car at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but with no cars free, Dale Jr. suggested a late-model stock car on a short track to fit the song’s Back in the Saddle theme. This switch gave them a perfect chance to spotlight grassroots racing. They picked Tri-County Motor Speedway, wrapping two late-model cars identically—one stripped down with cameras for close-ups, the other pristine for wide shots.

Earnhardt described how they caught Combs in the grandstand, walking the track, and standing in the flagstand while he tore around the speedway. “I ran some relatively hard laps in the car with the cameras mounted all over it,” Earnhardt said, before adding about hopping into the second car to crank out “25 really hard laps.” As for Petty’s cameo, Earnhardt added, “He kind of comes in at the end. He’s like, ‘Hey, my turn. I want to run. I want to drive.’” It’s a heartfelt nod to racing’s roots, blending music and motorsport with a touch of legend.