April 2, 2000, was a landmark day at Texas Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr., still new to the NASCAR Cup Series and carrying the full weight of his last name, climbed into his No. 8 Chevy and went out to prove something—to fans, to critics, and most importantly, to his father. The race that day wasn’t just another race. It became a statement as Dale Jr. didn’t just win, he dominated. He led 106 of 336 laps, beating veteran Jeff Burton by nearly six seconds. And he did it all while battling the flu.

“It was pretty straightforward. I had the flu most of that week, but that didn’t bother me once we got going… Really, nothing too unusual happened. I pretty much did whatever I wanted,” Jr. told the Rocky Mount Telegram that day. But if Junior was excited, his father was electric. Dale Earnhardt Sr., the Intimidator, the seven-time champion, the iron-willed icon, parked his own car mid-celebration and rushed to his son. “Get out of there, boy; get out of that car!” he shouted.

Junior climbed onto the roof of his car, pumped with adrenaline. Sr. helped him down, gave him a bear hug, and whispered, “I love you.” Later, Dale Sr. told reporters, “He worked hard. It took a lot of hard work, and I knew it would be just a matter of time… He drove the hell out of it. He’s something else, man.” This was one of the few moments when the fierce competitor let emotion spill into public view. Many say he looked happier that day than even when he won the 1998 Daytona 500. But now, decades later, a different conversation surrounds Dale Earnhardt Sr.—one that looks past the trophy stands and into the family room.

Was Dale Earnhardt too biased toward Dale Jr.?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. would go on to become a NASCAR legend in his own right. A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Xfinity Series champion, and 2022 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, he didn’t just wear the Earnhardt name—he proved he belonged in it. Junior also became the face of the sport for nearly two decades. He earned respect, accolades, and millions of fans. But with time, fans began to reexamine the Earnhardt legacy off the track.

Some started to point fingers at what they now see as an uneven playing field in the Earnhardt household. In a recent social media discussion, fans dug deep into the Earnhardt family to find out why Dale Earnhardt was biased towards Dale Jr. Many believe that Junior got early access to DEI and that team Kerry had to carve his way into the NASCAR world. Talking about it, one fan posted, “Dale wasn’t a modern-day model racing father. He raised his kids like his father raised him, with brutal truth. The inconvenient truth is that Dale had his flaws and wasn’t a great father to Kerry. He was absent for most of his life, and when you don’t raise a kid, you don’t have much of a connection to them.”

The comment echoed many others that pointed out how Kerry spent most of his life not even knowing who his father was. He didn’t meet Dale Sr. until he was 16. And when he finally did? The relationship was rocky and slow to start. Despite carrying his father’s middle name, Kerry was essentially shut out of the Earnhardt spotlight. His career in NASCAR never quite took off. He had eight top-ten finishes in the Goody’s Dash Series and ran 72 races in the Busch Series.

But only seven Cup starts followed. The most heartbreaking blow came the night Dale Sr. died at Daytona in 2001. That same night, Ty Norris, a DEI executive, called Kerry and told him they had canceled the racing deal Dale Sr. had set up for him. A few months ago, Kerry shared on The Dale Jr. Download, “He mentioned how much he regretted every minute of being gone… but he was chasing a dream.” That dream, it seems, came at Kerry’s expense.

Meanwhile, Dale Jr. also admitted once that it wasn’t easy for him, either. On Greg Olsen’s Youth Inc. podcast, he revealed, “There were days when I’d walk up and go, ‘I wanna race! I wanna become a race car driver!’ And he’s like, ‘Well, what are you doing to make that happen?’” Dale Sr. didn’t hand his son a ride on a silver platter. But he was around to test him, mentor him, and eventually back him.

Still, Dale Jr. admitted, “He didn’t help. He didn’t show any interest in me becoming a race car driver… He would not lift a finger unless you were willing to do the same.” So yes, Dale Jr. wasn’t handed success. But unlike Kerry, he had more than a few chances to prove himself. More than that, he had a father watching. But as NASCAR fans wait for the Earnhardt Documentary to take a look into Dale’s private life, they haven’t ignored his ‘bias’.

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NASCAR fans rally behind Kerry Earnhardt!

In recent years, fans have taken to forums, Reddit threads, and social media to speak out about Dale Sr.’s treatment of Kerry. And while there’s still love for the legend, there’s also an acknowledgement of his flaws. Recently, when the discussion turned towards his relationship with his kids, many found him biased for Dale Jr. One fan wrote, “Kerry’s middle name is Dale. He has talked about his childhood—it was an estranged relationship for him at first when he was younger.”

Notably, Kerry himself has alluded to the emotional distance: how his first real introduction to Dale Sr. came through his grandmother, and how he was nervous about even stepping into the same garage as his father. When he did, Dale Sr. simply said, “Hey, son.” No dramatic reunion. No heartfelt monologue. Just a short ride around town and a quiet attempt to bridge years of silence. Another user echoed the sentiments, saying, “Dale Sr was in Dale Jr.’s life a lot more. Kerry lived with his mother and didn’t meet Dale Sr. till he was 16 years old.” That reality shaped two very different racing paths.

Some fans even questioned why Dale’s daughter, Kelley, didn’t receive the same racing push despite showing talent. “IMHO, Kelley was the better of the three,” one comment read. “I never understood why she didn’t take it further.” What’s emerged from these conversations is a picture of Dale Sr. that’s more complicated than the NASCAR icon we know. He was tough. He believed in hard work. But he wasn’t perfect, and his parenting, particularly with Kerry, has become a focal point.

Another user bluntly said, “I think it’s pretty clear listening to DJD that Sr was a pretty crummy parent.” Others echoed the sentiment, arguing that Dale Sr. left Kerry behind while pushing Junior forward under the Earnhardt name. Overall, Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a complicated man. He was a fierce competitor, a legend, and perhaps a flawed father. His legacy on the track is sealed in gold. But off the track, fans are still trying to make sense of the family he left behind.