At present, several debates are rocking NASCAR. The foremost among them is the demand for a tweaked championship format, as the current one produced a string of heartbreaks again. Denny Hamlin could not win the title despite 6 trophies this year, and Connor Zilisch also could not capitalize on his 10 wins. And despite most veterans of the sport voicing their protests, the higher-ups are still taking time.

That makes us wonder if one person had still been alive, the scenario would have been different. That is none other than Dale Earnhardt, who used to be the heroic statesman of NASCAR. He enthralled fans in the garage and outside it with his charismatic personality. And sometimes, he would defy morning routines to loudly declare his opinions.

Dale Earnhardt nagged with a solid purpose

The Intimidator was usually known for expressing his anger with winning moves. From his ‘Pass in the Grass’ move in a 1987 All-Star Race to rattling Terry Labonte’s car in a 1999 Bristol event, Dale Earnhardt responded in many ways. And sometimes, he took it up directly with the bossman, Mike Helton. The former vice-president of NASCAR told Dale Jr. in 2019, “My phone would ring at six o’clock in the morning. And I knew it was either going to be Bill Junior or Dale Sr. If it is something that your dad didn’t like on Sunday, first thing Monday morning phone would ring…before I had the first cup of coffee.” 

Mike Helton was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer in February 1999. However, Helton admitted to the powerful influence that Dale Earnhardt had over the sport’s top brass in solving problems. “He worked through all those things just to get them out of the way so he could go back and be himself. The other thing that bonded us, Bill Jr. enjoyed your dad’s company a lot, and Richard Childress’s too, and relied on Dale’s input for what the garage area may or may not need.”

While harboring a tough, no-nonsense attitude, Dale Earnhardt also had a heart of gold. Mike Helton shed light on that as well while talking to the Intimidator’s son. “The thing about Dale Sr., he would go into the ticket office or administration off of every racetrack, every race weekend, and say hi to everybody. He’d come in the office building and walk to every floor, every desk, and say hello. Along the way at the racetracks, he and I figured out that we had a lot in common. We liked hanging out and all that.” 

And when Mike Helton ended up on the executive wing of NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt took a friendly jibe. “He says, Welcome to The Dark Side type thing. And we have a conversation at dinner one night with Bill Jr., Dale, and some other folks that we’re going to argue about stuff. But you know, two or three days from now just won’t seem that important, but let’s argue. But you know, be fair with each other.”

In pursuit of this fairness in NASCAR in the present day, Dale Earnhardt’s son is continuing a similar attitude.

Speaking up about the issues

Like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also a true spokesperson of NASCAR. He did not achieve the racing success like his father. Dale Jr. is a 26-time Cup race winner while Dale Sr.had 76 Cup wins alongside 7 championships. Nevertheless, the Intimidator’s son has a profound impact on the sport, with a gigantic fanbase at his side. He never shies away from speaking his mind on his podcast, the Dale Jr Download. Be it restoring old racetracks, as he successfully did with North Wilkesboro Speedway, or protesting vehemently against the championship format, Dale Jr. is vocal.

And that is what he emphasized in a recent interview with The Athletic. Dale Jr. said he balances his love for NASCAR with his problems around it. “Honestly, it’s the most important thing outside of my family. It’s the most important thing in my life, and it means the world to me. If NASCAR failed, or if NASCAR was to diminish, all the things that I ever accomplished — or more importantly, that my dad accomplished — are less valuable, less important. I want NASCAR to succeed and be the greatest thing ever. We’ve all got our own version of NASCAR, and what we think NASCAR could be and should be. I believe in its success. But it’s hard sometimes to keep your mouth shut.”

Evidently, the Earnhardts signify the true voices of NASCAR. And Dale Earnhardt’s impact resonates tremendously 24 years after his death – and will continue to do so.