The world knows Dale Earnhardt Jr as one of the most loved NASCAR drivers and a Hall of Famer. However, once upon a time, the two-time Daytona 500 champion was a budding skater in the making. Taking a trip down memory lane, Dale Jr was reminded of his childhood when he used to visit the skating ring with his late mother. Reminiscing about it on the newest episode of the Dale Jr Download, Junior revealed how his life has changed since the good old days.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has come a long way in life. Following a glittering NASCAR career that saw him become a household name in the country, the 49-year-old has turned into a successful entrepreneur. The instance that brought back old memories was a visit with his daughters to the Skateland premises in North Carolina. Having been an enthusiastic kid like his daughters once upon a time, nostalgia hit him hard.

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Owing to a visit to his former town, Dale Jr learned that Skateland still exists after so many years. So naturally, a visit was due. But this time, he had a different companion. Visiting the skating ring with his daughters, the venue brought back some sentiments in him that had been long lost. Revealing more about it, Junior said, “Both of my girls had so much fun. They skated, and they had these little walker-type things to go skate with. I’m out there with both of them. I took them around too many laps, and it was so much fun.”

Speaking about his emotions on realizing the circle of life, Dale Earnhardt Jr stated, “It just blew my mind that the last time I was there, I was five or six. I’m there 44 years later with my five-year-old girl skating on that ring, and the place is just identical.”

“I’m super nostalgic. That was triggering me, and a great eighty percent were happy thoughts, but there was also some sadness. Mom is gone, and the times are different. I felt like I had poured it back to 1979.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr lost his mother, Brenda Lorraine Gee, to cancer in 2019. Despite having a struggle-filled childhood, Brenda had been an instrumental figure in the Earnhardt family and paved the way for Junior’s success as a driver and his evolution as a person. Thanks to her efforts, the NASCAR community witnessed a NASCAR legend’s rise to fame.

As the podcast continued, Dale Earnhardt Jr disclosed that the Skateland building had stayed the same for 44 years, except for moving a few blocks from its original location.

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Dale Jr reminisces his days at Skateland USA

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Speaking about how long he has stayed away from the skating ring, Junior said, “I’ve never been back to the skating ring since; any skating ring.” However, that changed when his luck took him to one of his daughter’s friend’s birthday parties near his hometown. Revealing his surprise upon getting to see one of his favorite childhood spots, Dale Earnhardt Jr continued,

“44 years later, somebody we know, their child is having a birthday party, and our kids were invited, so we were going to take them. I didn’t know Skateland still existed. I didn’t know the building and business was still there operating. We drive in to the parking lot and I’m like, I’ve got an idea and imagination of what it looked like or where it might’ve been and I was a little bit off.”

“It’s a couple of blocks away from what it was. This building had changed. I took some photos and put it on my social media story. The size is the same, building’s the same, it is 50 years old. There’s a line outside to get in. You go up there, and you walk in, and it’s the same place that I hadn’t seen in 44 years,” added the former Hendrick Motorsports driver.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr’s anecdotes often have an ulterior theme in them. As he looked back upon his skating days, he showed that people should learn to value the time they have with their loved ones.