“I’ve Missed It”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sets Emotions Straight as He Returns to Broadcasting With Kevin Harvick’s Help

Did you know, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never called out the Coca-Cola 600 race from the NASCAR booth? He has been the voice of the sport since 2018, but last year, the fans missed his voice. Unable to renew a deal with NBC, Dale Jr. took a break from the commentary duties and focused on his personal projects. But, not any more. He will be back in the booth, this time with new media partners, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports. And his first official race will be the marquee event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

But, despite the experience Jr. has calling races, he has mixed feelings about his comeback. Moreover, he also made a request to Prime Video that could potentially shake up NASCAR’s media broadcasting landscape.

Dale Jr. is feeling the nerves ahead of his return to the NASCAR booth

“I didn’t want to take a year off, but it just didn’t work out, and so I’ve missed it. I’ve missed it a lot and… just past weekend, you guys were in Kansas and we were at the NASCAR Building using your feed to do rehearsal of sorts… I was really nervous because, like anything, if you don’t do it everyday and you’re not in there, in the grand, it’s like golf, if you don’t swing the club this time, you might not be as good next time, you’re trying to go and do it. But, we had a little practice run, felt awesome, it reminded me like every time I get back in the booth, have fun ideas and how lucky I am to be able to do it.” Dale Jr. said this on the Happy Hour podcast.

Adam Alexander and Steve Letarte will form the trio in the Amazon Prime booth that will cover the five races starting from the Coca-Cola 600. But, for Jr., this five-race stint feels just too short; he does have another five races lined up with TNT Sports, but he seems to have found his new home at Prime Video. “Honestly, we got done with that rehearsal, all of us with our Amazon bosses and everybody on text, we were texting back and forth, and I said ‘There’s just one problem that we only get to do this 5 weeks’. I was like, ‘you know there’s just not enough path for everybody, but it’d be awesome to have a good chunk of the season.” Dale Jr. explained.

Well, Dale Jr. is cut from a different cloth, and he simply cannot control his emotions while watching a race. Be it from the comfort of his couch or from the broadcasting booth, he is equally animated regardless of the setting. This is something Kevin Harvick can relate to. All thanks to his friends and fellow partner in the FOX booth, Clint Bowyer. “I wonder sometimes if it gets annoying to Letarte because I sit down, stand down, moving all the time… I’m kind of the same way, and honestly, I sit at home and watch races. I enjoy them. If I’m at a race track in person, I enjoy that experience, but I don’t know what it is about being in a booth. It’s like the most fun I can have watching a race.” Jr. added.

Well, after both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick got done sharing their stories about the booth, they got down to business. On the agenda was the short track package and how a points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway could bring about that positive change.

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Does North Wilkesboro Speedway deserve a points race?

Ever since NASCAR rolled out the Next Gen car, short track racing hasn’t been the same. Gone are the days when fender-bending action and flaring tempers used to push the crowds to the edge of their seats. We all remember the 2017 Martinsville race where Denny Hamlin shoved Chase Elliott late in the race, which led to post race theatrics. But, sadly, the modern era of short track racing is not but an execution race, with little to no passing opportunities and action.

To make matters worse, Richmond Raceway lost one of its dates, and it could lead to the downfall of traditional short track racing. But, that’s not going to happen on Dale Jr.’s watch as he believes that NASCAR should make the North Wilkesboro a points-paying race, and in turn it will help them to improve the short track package. Kevin Harvick was the one who stoked the fire, and Jr. agreed with his opinion.

“You could get me to buy into the idea of somehow taking the Clash and All-Star race and mashing into one event, right? To kick our season off, we have an All-Star event at the start of the year. And if it meant, Wilkesboro got the points race it needs, a 400 lapper… We will have a short track package we all love one day, so I think that bodes well for Wilkesboro as well.” The JRM co-owner stated.

What are your thoughts about the current short track package, and will a points race at Wilkesboro be the start of solution? Share your thoughts in the comments.