Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t known for retaliating against his rivals on the racetrack. Far from the Intimidator image his father had, Jr. ran his own lane, with a subtle yet effective driving style. However, back in 2006, he pulled off a move like Austin Dillon from last year at Richmond. And on the receiving end of his antics was Carl Edwards. Yeah, it is hard to imagine NASCAR’s favourite driver just shipping off his rival to get his way. Although Jr. emerged victorious at Michigan International Speedway, he wasn’t cheered on or celebrated by Junior Nation; rather, he was booed by the fans in the grandstands.

This is one of those moments that the former HMS driver isn’t proud of. And after almost two decades, the two drivers take a look back at the infamous incident. And they were able to bury the hatchet over the incident that might have seen Edwards swing a punch at Dale Jr. in the victory lane.

What Michigan revealed about the Carl and Dale Jr. rivalry

Thanks to Prime Video, both drivers had a special screening where the stage was set up for the final 3 laps of then called the Busch Series race in Irish Hills. It was a green-white checkered shootout, and back then, they restarted in a single file. Piloting the #8 Chevy, Dale Jr. started in third place behind Robby Gordon and Carl Edwards.

Gordon got a good restart, and Edwards slowly made his way behind him. As the field managed its way into Turns 1 and 2, Jr. took the inside lane, and on the backstretch he bumped into him multiple times. The #60 Ford car got loose and before Edwards could recover, the #8 car made another contact, which saw Edwards spinning across the track. Gordon barely missed the chaos, but Dale Jr. edged out in front, and with the drop of the yellow, the race was officially won by the DEI driver.

Recalling those final laps, Edwards stated, “I remember that moment, because I thought, ‘Oh I got it. I got it, just let me go, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s not gonna let me go. ” continued Edwards. “I felt like, ‘Damn, this guy just dumped me completely’ and you said I thought to myself, ‘would this guy live for me?’ and the answer was no.” Well, the Roush Fenway Racing driver was no saint; he drove from his pit lane, searching for the #8 car, and coincidentally, Jr. was just rolling past when he exited the pit road. What Edwards did next was egregious; he rammed into Jr.’s car, and it caught the DEI driver off guard. But the drama didn’t end there.

Edwards then stormed into the victory lane, leading to a heated and tense confrontation between the two. “I was still mad.” The anger was so fueled that Edwards wasn’t sure if he was in the right state of mind, “I didn’t know what I was gonna do here. If this plan was still coming to grips, perfected, I didn’t win the race, this guy, meant to wreck me.” Even Jr. was surprised to see Edwards trying to confront him in the victory lane.

“It was rare for somebody to come to vigilant, even in a moment of anger like that. I wasn’t sure whether you were the kind of guy that was gonna throw hands,” said Junior. Both drivers were thankful that the matter did not escalate. But NASCAR did not take the situation lightly, as Edwards was slapped with a $20,000 fine and placed on probation through the end of 2006, though he kept his race finish and chose not to appeal. Officials deemed the on-track bump intentional and dangerous, especially considering the visible hand of Junior in motion. “I was wrecked and I reacted. It was wrong on my part. NASCAR penalized me and I respect that,” Edwards said later in a statement.

But now that the rivalry has cooled off, the two enemies-turned-friends sat together reminiscing about the good old days of their racing career, with Junior sharing a few words of wisdom, “Yeah, you do. Sometimes you gotta win, the way you win ‘em, sometimes those that you’re more proud of than others, and there’s wins that I’m gonna be proud of this.” In a share of joy and laughter, and a surprising turn toward introspection, the two veterans found a moment of reconciliation as Edwards replied, “That makes me feel good, thanks. Thanks for saying that. We’re sitting here as a team and watching this thing, and think about how we’ve grown as people. It’s just cool to be a part of some of this.”

The cold steel rivalry gave way to a warmer acknowledgement that they had both evolved through these clashes on track and in character. What began as a conflict ultimately became a cornerstone of respect and mutual acceptance.

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Prime Video brings back the Carl Edwards and Dale Jr. duo

Years after a fierce rivalry on the track, the duo is back again together, but this time behind the mic. Carl Edwards was announced to be a part of Prime Video’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series broadcast team as a studio analyst for 5 races. The move marked a new chapter for the 28-time Cup Series winner, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight since walking away from full-time racing nearly a decade ago.

Edwards recalled that Dale Jr. had been instrumental in convincing him to take the plunge. “Dale’s involvement in this is key,” Edwards said. “He told me, ‘We’re going to support each other and build each other up.’ Hearing that, I thought, ‘This is just perfect.'” Though energized by the challenge, Edwards admitted to some nervousness about stepping into the role. “It’s one of the things I’m most worried about,” he said. “I’m hopeful that I have relationships with people in the sport where I’m able to objectively say, ‘Hey, this is what I see,’ without judgment. I hope that’s acceptable to them. I hope I can do it in a way that respects how difficult it is to be a competitor.”

With his candid approach and Earnhardt Jr. by his side, Edwards’ return could redefine how fans connect with the sport. “It’s really cool for me to be excited about racing again in this way, the way I was excited about racing 20 years ago,” said Edwards. Well, they are having a good time together and are sharing a beer in the post-race interview with the race winners. Prime Video hasn’t just revolutionized NASCAR broadcasting, but also repaired the broken ties between two beloved drivers of the sport.