“I Had Everything… When He Lost His Dad, He Had Nothing” — Dale Jr. On How “Insane” It Is That His Dad Made It

A true rags to riches story. NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt came from humble beginnings in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and worked his a** off to become a seven-time NASCAR championship. And really, when you consider the challenges he faced both personally and otherwise, it's pretty dang amazing that he made it, to say the least. His son Dale Earnhardt Jr. has said that many times , and is quick to point out just how determined his father was to find success by doing what he loved, no matter what it took or what sacrifices he had to make to get there. They had a famously complicated relationship , though it's clear how much Jr. loves and respects his late father to this day. And in a recent episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Sr.'s longtime best friend  Donnie Rives was a guest, and Jr. elaborated on how he's continually impressed by his dad and his story. Dale Sr. lost his father, Ralph, when he had a heart attack in September of 1973 at the young age of 45. Sr. was in his early 20's, still trying to figure out life and get some real direction. Jr. noted just how stark the contrast was when his father died, because he had "a comfortable existence," established career and everything he could ever need. His dad, on the other hand, barely had "enough food in the fridge" and was "a vessel out in the open sea" trying to figure out how to get home. He explained his bewilderment to Donnie, someone who was with Dale from the beginning, and it's so interesting to hear this perspective from Jr.: "When I lost dad, I had a comfortable existence. I had a job and an amazing race team around me. I had everything, right? When he lost his dad, he had nothing. He was working a job at Great Dane or whatever, right? I mean, he had nothing... barely enough food in the fridge to eat, no racing job. I think it's so incredible that he made it, out of sheer determination. You know, I made it because I had so much supporting me in that moment. I had a lot of support around me. '74, '75, '76, '77, he's just making it up, trying his hardest every day. I don't know how in the hell he did it. It's insane what he accomplished... put in that position, losing his dad, his direction, and his guidance. And being just left like a vessel out in the open sea to figure out his way home." It really is insane when you consider all he had to overcome, and it's an extremely eloquent (and self-aware) point by Jr. that puts his father's career in context when he explains it that way. Donnie agreed with everything Jr. said, summing it up simply by saying: "It's amazing what man can do if he has to do it." Amen... and there has maybe never been a more determined person grace the earth than Dale Earnhardt Sr. The man was a true one of a kind talent, and he had a chip on his shoulder and sheer desire to win that hardly compares to any other athlete I know if. Here's that clip from the episode, it's well worth a minute or so out of your day to watch: https://www.instagram.com/p/C95Nq6ePM5i/ And you can watch the entire episode here: https://youtu.be/-YLs7SetJYw?t=1