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.
“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.”
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.
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 fierce competitiveness, the two drivers developed a mutual respect for one another and a friendship that lasted beyond their racing careers.