Watch: Dale Earnhardt Once Revealed How His Father’s Death Made Him Take a Major Step for His Children

Only a few NASCAR drivers have experienced the kind of racing legacy that the Earnhardt family has built for themselves. From Dale Earnhardt’s record-breaking titles to Junior’s Daytona 500 antics, the once blue-collar family has set the world ablaze ever since the Number 3 first rolled onto the track with Earnhardt Sr behind the wheel. But even for the ‘Intimidator’, a key aspect of his life continued to haunt him, forcing him to take some major life decisions.

The family patriarch, Ralph Earnhardt’s premature death at 45 due to heart complications, triggered a ripple effect that led the family down their glorious NASCAR path. Unfortunately for Dale Earnhardt, his father would never get to witness the insurmountable legacy his death unintentionally created.

Even the Intimidator needed a father’s helping hand through his journey

As a throwback to the past, the NASCAR Classics Twitter account shared a deeply moving video from 1987 about how Senior managed to overcome his father’s death. It was never easy for the young man who was not experienced back then. He shared, “When you have problems, you think back to something that Ralph Earnhardt would have done. What would he do in this situation? And it really hits me, I missed him more because of the accomplishments I made and I just wished he could be here to be able to do things I do now.”

There were a lot of things other than racing, like deer hunting, that Dale Earnhardt wanted to do with his father as well. The Intimidator wanted to enjoy the simple things in life with his father, especially with the ease of life that his level of success brought. But it wasn’t just the good memories that kept playing back in Earnhardt’s mind.

As he realized how he no longer had the opportunity to spend time with his dad, he felt the same shouldn’t happen with his kids. He added, “I’ll tell you what really changed my life, getting my kids under my roof, from the previous marriage.”

Plagued with struggles of his own throughout his personal life, Earnhardt Sr did his best to provide for his family and children, just like Ralph Earnhardt had done years prior.

WATCH THIS STORY: The Unseen Turmoil Behind Earnhardt’s Daytona Triumph

But as fate would have it, Earnhardt Jr was deprived of a long relationship with his father, similar to the Intimidator himself. But the time the Earnhardts spent together bringing the dream of Dale Earnhardt Inc. to life left valuable memories with Junior that he still cherishes.

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Despite Dale Earnhardt’s rough exterior, his love for Junior knew no bounds

During one of the episodes of the Dale Jr Download podcast, the 49-year-old learned some crucial information about his father from Earnhardt’s close friend and legendary professional fisherman Hank Parker. Reflecting on his closest interactions with Junior’s father, Parker revealed that Earnhardt Sr would often confide in the fisherman and look for advice on how to raise his children. Parker insisted Earnhardt was a brilliant father, he was just different with his approach towards showing love.

Hoping to ease the burden of the unsaid goodbyes and countless unheard conversations planned between the two icons, Parker shared a simple piece of advice to Senior, “You just have to let go. You are who you are, and I know how much you love your kids, you just have a hard time expressing it.” Parker turned to Earnhardt Jr to have a heart-to-heart with a sense of delivering some closure from the inescapable void of Earnhardt Sr’s death.

Putting Junior’s mind at ease with how harsh Earnhardt Sr’s love could seem, Parker added, “And he never was able to express to you how much he loved you. He never was able, and you always felt like he loved you when you won, and he didn’t when you didn’t. And I could tell that.”

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It’s safe to say that Earnhardts’ life story is nothing short of a plot for a Hollywood blockbuster. From the uncanny parallels in NASCAR dominance and never-give-up attitude, their tumultuous journey has shaped the Earnhardts’ character to stand the test of time.