The NASCAR community wasn’t ready for this. Country music superstar Luke Combs’ upcoming music video, “Back in the Saddle,” featuring NASCAR icons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty, drew a lot of eyes. Dale Jr. has even been hyping up this latest release on X, and after getting a glimpse of the video on Combs’ X account, fans are losing it!

Social media is buzzing with excitement as clips of Junior tearing laps at Tri-County Motor Speedway and Petty showing up ignited enthusiasm and pure surprise. The video premiere has become an unexpected crossover event, a country music moment that brought NASCAR right back into the spotlight.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens up about the theme behind the music video

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s collaboration with a country music star should come as nothing new. Back in February, his Xfinity Series team, JR Motorsports, brought in Chris Stapleton and his Traveller’s Whiskey brand to sponsor his first-ever Cup Series entry at the Daytona 500! And everyone knows, if Junior is doing a collaboration to promote the sport, he’s going all in, just like he did for his recent video with Combs.

The creative vision came straight from Junior himself. As he shared on the Dale Jr. Download, Combs initially proposed filming at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the Next-Gen car, but Junior pushed back, suggesting a grassroots feel was essential. “Why don’t we go to a short track and use one of the late-model stock cars? It’ll shine a light on grassroots racing… we wrapped two of our late models and mounted cameras all over one.”

The result? Montage of Luke walking through the grandstand, Junior racing in camera-laden stock cars, and Richard Petty coming in towards the end, as Junior noted, “He kind of comes in at the end. He’s like, ‘Hey, my turn. I want to run. I want to drive.’” Moreover, Junior was very grateful for the opportunity. He added, “I was honored to be asked. I’m thankful that Luke and his team thought of me and Richard… pretty cool opportunity.”

Combs hasn’t held back his buzz either. Posting teasers on Instagram and promoting the trio, he wrote, “Music video will be out with the song this Friday. Can’t wait for y’all to see it.” The teaser, full of slow-motion shots and raw racing energy, perfectly complements the song’s theme of a comeback and a return to the roots. It’s a carefully crafted moment, honoring NASCAR’s past and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ever-growing legacy, while showcasing a living legend feeling the wheel one more time.

However, this isn’t Junior’s first rodeo in crossover media either. In 2006, he appeared in Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got” alongside Danica Patrick, cruising city streets in high-end rides. He has shown a passion for blending racing and culture before, like steering through a street circuit in 3 Doors Down’s 2003 rock hit “The Road I’m on” alongside Tony Stewart.

In 2004, he made a cameo in Trace Adkin’s “Rough & Ready” music video, this time drawing on shouted, gritty country rock energy with fitting his legacy. Junior even appeared in Sheryl Crow’s “Steve McQueen” and Carrie Underwood’s “The Champion,” demonstrating his long-standing cultural footprint beyond the racetrack. For Combs’ “Back in the Saddle,” alongside Richard Petty, Junior pushed for an authentic setting, the Tri-County short track, rooted in racing tradition.

“I’ll be running there later this year… I ran 25 really hard laps,” he said on DJD. Junior will be returning behind the wheel for his late-model run in October. That, along with the music video coming out on Friday, was enough to make us think if Jr. would be thinking of racing again in NASCAR, but the Hall of Famer shut that down instantly. But this comeback behind the wheel in a music video was enough for fans to get hyped!

Fans are elated at the NASCAR-themed music video

The team-up between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty in Luke Combs’ upcoming song didn’t just drop jaws, it dropped bars. The teaser for their new songs and trips through the NASCAR community, with fans flooding social media with excitement. One fan summed it up perfectly: “This dude just doesn’t miss,” capturing this year’s surprise and hype surrounding the collaboration. As clips of Tri-County Speedway flashed behind the bait, someone proudly pointed out, “Good ole TriCounty,” a nod to the authentic racing back that gave the teaser a gritty, nostalgic edge.

From the first note, it was clear this wasn’t just a vanity project. The vibe hit hard, invoking “Days of Thunder vibes” nostalgia among one fan. One viewer couldn’t help but comment, “NASCAR is cool again,” a declaration that suggests the sport’s cultural relevance is once again hitting the mainstream. Another one chimed in with a battle cry for the future NASCAR game. “If this isn’t the menu song for the new NASCAR game coming this year, we riot.” A blend of racing legends and pulse-pounding production tapped into something fans didn’t even know they were waiting for.

And the pressure is officially on. Tags like “Found you an intro @ NASCARonNBC” and “This better be in NASCAR 25” suggest that fans aren’t just enjoying the teaser; they are demanding it to be fully integrated into the sports media universe. This wasn’t just a fun crossover; it struck a chord with a fan base hungry for emotion, legacy, and a little bit of rebellion. And there’s a good chance it could make it to NASCAR 25, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. playing an instrumental role in the development of that game, too.

The reactions weren’t all just praise; they were statements. “Definitely better than a damn NextGen car, bada– video,” read one fired-up comment, pairing critique with praise. Another captured the sentiment perfectly: “The King AND Jr…. Get er done, Luke!” Whether it ends up as a chart topper or simply a viral gem, one thing is certain: Dale Junior and the King reminded fans of the raw, thunderous soul of NASCAR. What did you think of Luke Combs’ teaser? Are you hyped for the full music video? Let us know in the comments!