Dale Earnhardt wasn’t just tough on the racing track. The numerous stories that Dale Jr. has shared with the fans reveal that he was never an easy father. Whether it was the lack of appreciation for both Kelley and Jr, or the emotional distance that formed between them, the relationship was far from simple. Over three decades later, however, Dale Jr. finally has a response to his father on one of his criticisms.

Dale Jr’s response to his father three decades later

“You’re wasting your time with them computers!” Dale Earnhardt told Dale Jr. back around 1990, when he got his first personal computer, to learn racing. Reminiscing about the time, Dale Jr. revealed that he wanted a computer to run Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge, an extremely popular game at the time.

“I’ll never forget this when I wanted to buy a computer. I think I was 15. I didn’t have credit yet and Kelly put it on her credit,” he mentioned how Kelley Earnhardt, his sister, helped him get the PC. “We got it, and I’m over there messing with it. I got racing, Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge, because I was playing the Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge on a floppy disk in drafting class.”

Understandably, after having run the game in his class for a long time, he wanted it for himself at home, and he got it. But Dale Earnhardt caught him playing around when he blatantly yelled that Jr. was wasting his time with the computers. But the latter now has a strong reply.

“If he was sitting right here, I’d be like, what did you know?” he said, which earned a good laugh from his wife, Amy, on their Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast.

The racing world has evolved quite a bit over the years. While there was no real learning from the likes of Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge, simulation racing has become a huge part of NASCAR. In fact, drivers spend weeks behind their simulators to practice for upcoming races.

These, however, were just one of the many things that Dale Earnhardt stood against. As mentioned, he was usually very distant from his kids. Growing up, they always felt the void from their father. But some incidents made both Dale Jr. and Kelley love their father again.

Dale Earnhardt’s emotional gift to Kelley Earnhardt after she left home

For the longest time, Kelley and Dale Jr. lived with their family. However, she ultimately left home for college. Even after finishing, she did not come back as she had started a job that she liked. But it was at this time that Kelley Earnhardt received something from her father that revealed his bright side.

“When I went to college…I never came home. I got a job in retail and was the assistant manager at this store. And I loved it,” Kelley Earnhardt Miller said on the Throttle Therapy podcast. “My dad one day sent me flowers and said, ‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I’ve almost forgotten what you looked like.’ And I was like, ‘Aw, that’s sweet.’ For whatever reason, I guess I shifted back home.”

This was undoubtedly an emotional moment for Kelley. The same father who appeared distant for such a long time revealed his emotional side. That too, at a time when she was far from home. Ultimately, both Kelley and Dale Jr. got their golden moments with their father. With Jr. making his Cup Series debut, they remained one of the few father-son duos that shared the field. Perhaps, at the end of the day, his harshness for the little computer game did not really matter.

When Dale Earnhardt ultimately passed away while racing at Daytona, the family was distressed. While they moved on, they continued to cherish their father’s memories.