“Drivers are not crew chiefs.” Denny Hamlin was not pleased to see a bizarre JR Motorsports antic at Charlotte Motor Speedway. On Saturday, the Xfinity Series field battled at the BetMGM 300 race, but only one driver outshone his rivals. That was Justin Allgaier, who dominated for 103 laps. The 2023 Charlotte winner got a little bit carried away and took a bold decision that Hamlin disliked. However, Dale Earnhardt’s former crew chief showed the green light.

The Intimidator was known for his bold personality on the racetrack. People feared Dale Earnhardt due to his unpredictable moves, like when he executed the ‘Pass in the Grass’ move or dumped Terry Labonte to win a Bristol race. Similarly, he also decided against his crew chief’s wishes.

Another feisty story of Dale Earnhardt is up

Well, Amazon Prime has evoked The Intimidator’s memory for the whole world this year. The newly released documentary ‘Earnhardt’ delves into all the immersive stories of the 7-time Cup Series champion. Most notably, it throws a spotlight on the less likable aspects of Dale Earnhardt’s personality. Justin Allgaier may have gotten inspired a little from that in Charlotte. He was cruising out front, holding a two-second lead with 25 laps to go. His teammate, Carson Kvapil, spun out with 22 to go, so his crew chief, Greg Ives, called Allgaier in for fresh tires. However, Allgaier defied that call and chose to stay out. Eventually, he lost the race lead and fell back to a 4th-place finish.

This controversial move is what riled up Denny Hamlin, who regards his crew chief’s words as sacred. However, Larry McReynolds disagrees. The champion crew chief had worked alongside Dale Earnhardt during the 1997, 1998 Cup Series seasons. He confessed that the Intimidator also judged against his decision sometimes. “There was a man named Dale Earnhardt. One time, I told him, ‘We need to pit.’ He said, ‘We don’t need to pit yet.’ And I said, ‘Well, evidently, your calculator is working better in that car than mine is.’ At Michigan one time, I said, ‘Two tires.’ He pulled in the pit box and said, ‘I ain’t leaving till you give me four.’ What choice did I have then?”

Well, we are talking about Dale Earnhardt here. Besides picking up 7 Cup Series championships, the legend also had 76 race trophies to his name. Justin Allgaier clinched the 2024 Xfinity Series championship, and while a veteran himself, may not attract the widest support for taking bold pit calls. Freddie Kraft reflected on that: “How much control do you give the drivers in those situations? There are certain drivers…where you don’t have the wherewithal to make the decision on your own. You’re listening to me and you have a guy like Dale Earnhardt…what are you going to do at that point?”

Whatever Dale Earnhardt has done may be the stuff of legends. But one race stands in terms of baffling crew chiefs.

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When the legend did the unexpected

Many races that Dale Earnhardt was a part of have become immortal. For instance, the 1998 Daytona 500 race, which Earnhardt won after finishing runner-up four times. However, his final Talladega Superspeedway victory in 2000 is something that gives people goosebumps. With five laps to go, the Intimidator was stuck in 18th place along with Kenny Wallace. He led Bobby Labonte and his teammate, Mike Skinner, into Turn 1. Wallace and Earnhardt found themselves marred in the middle of the field, separated by four cars. However, in the next few laps, Earnhardt overtook Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, and others in a group of 17 cars to get to the front.

Larry McReynolds, who was a crew chief for Mike Skinner then, was baffled. He gasped in a 2022 interview, “Where in the world did he come from?” Then McReynolds continued, “There was something about his ability to stay patient. I think if, today, you said, ‘List me the top 10 drivers in their ability to figure things out at Daytona or Talladega’ … if you polled 100 people in the garage area, I’d be shocked if about 99 of them didn’t have Dale Earnhardt Sr. at the top of their list.”

Evidently, Dale Earnhardt’s memory still gives goosebumps to NASCAR veterans. Although some of his actions were controversial, they make for amazing stories.