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“The Thing He Kept Close to His Chest & Didn’t Share With You” – Jeff Gordon Reveals How Dale Earnhardt Kept Him in the Dark

Published 02/11/2023, 12:34 PM EST

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Racing against Dale Earnhardt Sr was never an easy feat. He was known as the “Intimidator” for good reason. A few weeks ago, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver, Jeff Gordon, spoke about Dale Earnhardt Sr. He mentioned how he used to keep his strategies and skills a secret, never revealing what was going on in his mind.

During the interview, Gordon said, “Well, that was that was the uniqueness and the skill that Dale Earnhardt had. Maybe the thing he kept close to his vest and didn’t share with you. So you’ve never really knew you just. You just knew that, that you typically ended up on the bad side of things when, it resulted in you on the fence… I had a tremendous amount of respect for Dale.”

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Gordon also spoke about the lessons he learned from Earnhardt Sr. He mentioned that Daytona and Talladega were where he learned the most from Earnhardt Sr. The intimidator had the ability to recognize the different styles and personalities of his competitors. He then used that knowledge to his advantage on the track. He was known as the Intimidator due to his ability to use the air around his car and bumpers to intimidate other drivers. Gordon then said retaliating against Earnhardt Sr. usually meant ending up on the losing side of the altercation.

Dale Earnhardt Sr and Jeff Gordon shared a rivalry on track and friendship off track

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The rivalry and friendship between Dale Earnhardt Sr and Jeff Gordon was one of the most iconic in the history of NASCAR. The two drivers dominated the sport in the 1990s and 2000s. On-track battles between the two were always intense and memorable.

Both drivers came from different backgrounds and had different driving styles. However, both were determined to win. They constantly pushed each other to be better, and their intense battles on the track became the stuff of legend. Despite their fierce competitiveness, the two drivers developed a mutual respect for one another and a friendship that lasted beyond their racing careers.

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Watch this Story: WATCH: Kyle Busch Avoids Serious Career-Ending Injury Which NASCAR Fans Joke “Joe Gibbs Paid” For

Earnhardt Sr. was known for his aggressive driving style and his “Intimidator” nickname, while Gordon was seen as a rising star who was bringing a new level of finesse to the sport. Despite their differences, the two drivers shared a deep love for racing and a desire to be the best.

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Written by:

Srijan Mandal

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Srijan Mandal is a NASCAR author at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Journalism and has been writing for his own blog as well, covering NASCAR, F1, F2, W Series, MotoGP, DTM, IndyCar, WRC, and WEC. Following motorsports for more than a decade, he has become a devout supporter of McLaren Racing, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bubba Wallace, Sir Lewis Hamilton, and Ayrton Senna.
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