‘The Intimidator’ had a fierce on-track personality. Dale Earnhardt Sr. reigns in NASCAR fans’ hearts with his aggressive and no-nonsense attitude. This was displayed in incidents like the ‘Pass in the Grass’ in 1987 or his flare-ups with Terry Labonte. As it turns out, Earnhardt’s rough-and-tumble attitude extended beyond his racecar exploits. It touched even his role as a team owner, as another legend recalled recently.

Dale Earnhardt’s eyes said it all

“The good thing about it, he didn’t have to say a word. It’s his demeanor, his look, and stuff like that,” said Ron Hornaday Jr., a four-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. The 67-year-old motorsports legend appeared in a recent episode of Dinner With Racers and recollected memories of working with Dale Earnhardt. “The best one is when Earnhardt hired me, and I went Busch racing a couple here and there,” he continued.

In 1994, Dale Earnhardt was watching a NASCAR Winter Heat Series race. He noticed Ron Hornaday Jr. on his television in Tucson, Arizona. Then, Earnhardt did the needful: he tracked Hornaday down and offered him a ride in the 1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. That marked the foundation of Hornaday’s legendary Truck career.

Driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) from 1995 to 1999, Ron Hornaday Jr. won 25 times, scoring top-five finishes in 57 of 97 races. He won Truck Series championships for DEI in 1996 and 1998 and never finished worse than seventh in points. And Earnhardt’s invaluable guidance helped him achieve these milestones – and continue achieving them beyond his career in DEI.

“I’ve been very fortunate to drive for some good people. Mr. H, I drove for Richard Childress, I drove for AJ Foyt, drove for Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick. I never had to make an excuse, ’cause they all drove, they’ve all seen it. So it made my job easy. If I screw up, make sure their money by fixing it,” Ron Hornaday Jr. said.

What set Ron Hornaday Jr.’s career apart was a combination of his wonderful owners and his own prowess.

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Recalling a talent hard to replicate

“They’ve always called me the bulldog. If I catch you, I’ll run you down, give you a little tap. But you only get two, next time I’m really moving you,” Ron Hornaday Jr. said on the Dinner With Racers podcast.

In the Craftsman Truck Series, Dale Earnhardt’s recruit faced an army of rivals. They included Mike Skinner, Jimmy Hensley, Joe Ruttman, Jack Sprague, and Tony Raines. They clashed in the first official Truck Series race, which took place as part of the Copper World Classic, a weekend-long series of races at Phoenix International Raceway – Skinner won that event. However, Hornaday developed an Earnhardt-esque reputation.

“When you saw him in the mirror, you knew trouble was coming,” said Todd Bodine, who, like Hornaday and Skinner, is a past Truck Series champion. “You didn’t want to mess with him. He never took it from anybody. If you wanted to dish it out to Ron, you’d better be willing to take it back, because he’s going to make sure you get it back.”

However, Bodine also shed light on Hornaday’s softer side. “He’s a very compassionate and caring person. If you’re a friend of Ron’s, you’re a friend for life, and he would do absolutely anything he could to try and help you. That’s a part of Ron that doesn’t get to be seen by the fans.”

A combination of these traits helped Ron Hornaday Jr. become the legend he is today. And his association with Dale Earnhardt will remain one of those evergreen stories of NASCAR.