Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty share a bond that stretches back to Dale’s early days in NASCAR’s spotlight. In that era, the King’s towering legacy lit a fire in the young driver’s heart with a small gesture as he grew up under his father’s shadow in Kannapolis.

Dale Jr., as a fan himself, knows the importance of an autograph. For instance, like when Dale surprised his friend with Michael Jordan’s signature on a pair of Air Jordans during a race weekend. “I’m usually not a thoughtful, caring person, but I said to Sean, ‘Michael Jordan’s going to come… Do you got a pair that you would love to get autographed? I will ask him to sign them,” he once shared. Those fanboy sparks never faded, especially during Petty’s era of dominance. And lately, Dale’s revisited one keepsake that hits even closer to home.

Dale Jr.’s treasured link to The King

On the latest 12 Questions Podcast with Jeff Gluck, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about the autographs that shaped his fan side, zeroing in on his first big ask. “One of the very first autographs I asked for was from Richard Petty,” he shared plainly. Growing up in the 1980s shadow of his father’s rivalries, Dale wasn’t chasing signatures early on: “Autographs didn’t really get cool to me ’til later in life,” but Petty’s aura in that era cut through.

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The seven-time champ, with 200 Cup wins from 1960 to 1992, ruled NASCAR’s golden stretch, especially the ’70s and ’80s, when his STP Plymouth turned tracks into spectacles. Fans mobbed him at Daytona, crediting his charisma for packing grandstands during thin marketing years, as Winston sponsorship kicked in to keep the series humming.

That spark led to Dale’s grown-up wish for an autograph from Petty. Four pristine copies of a massive comic book from his kid days, detailing Richard’s boyhood romps with brother Maurice and crew chief Dale Inman. Remembering those soapbox racing hills before shadowing Dad Lee Petty into the pros.

“When I was young, Richard Petty had a comic book, and it was really large in size. And in this comic book, it was the story of him and Maurice (Petty) and Dale (Inman) growing up as kids and racing these homemade boxcars down a hill and then growing up and racing with their dad, Lee,” Dale explained.

Dale Jr. read them first, gave those comic books a fresh new look, and hauled them straight to The King for his autograph. Dale Jr. has still kept those signed comics as priceless NASCAR relics.

But Dale’s not just reminiscing; he’s cheering fresh chapters in the garage too.

Ex-JRM ace’s shot at Cup glory gets Dale’s nod

Jim Pohlman, the crew chief who steered JR Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevy to the 2024 Xfinity title alongside Justin Allgaier, is swapping shops for a Cup leap. Richard Childress Racing poached him to head Kyle Busch’s No. 8 in 2026, aiming to snap Busch’s 91-race winless streak since 2023 amid Next Gen tweaks. Dale, who leaned on Pohlman’s detail grind at JRM, sees the fit clear as day.

“I think Jim can do it, man. He’s detailed. He works his tail off, and he is in the details,” Dale Jr. said on The Dale Jr. Download. Pohlman’s edge shines in the kit car’s tight margins, where Busch’s two championships and 63 wins demand razor setups over raw power. Back at RCR, where Pohlman cut his teeth on R&D before JRM, he’s primed to stack those tiny edges, like air adjustments or tire tweaks, that turned Allgaier’s season dominant.

“And that’s what it’s going to take, especially with that car, the kit car that the Cup guys are racing. Every thousandth of a fraction of a freaking inch in every little piece and part is what you’ve got to work for to gain an advantage. You’ve got to add it all up. He is into it. I think he’ll have some success there,” Dale added.

With Busch eyeing playoffs after two misses, Pohlman’s intensity could reignite that fire, blending old-school hustle with modern precision.