Dale Jr. Shuts Down ‘Cheating’ Accusations as He Sends Open Invitation to Internet Troll

And Dale Jr. was furious. He said that winning that race was the biggest moment of his career, and that having people question it felt like a slap in his face, his father’s face, and crew chief Tony Eury’s face all at once. “I never drove harder in my life,” he said at the time.

He might have felt the same this time, even if slightly, because the 2010 race had its own layer of meaning.

To even get that No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet on the track, it took conversations between Dale Jr., Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, and Teresa Earnhardt. Now, those are four people with enough personal history and professional friction between them that just getting them in the same room was its own achievement.

They put all of it aside to honor one person: Dale Earnhardt Sr. The car wore a retro paint scheme, a direct tribute to the Intimidator’s iconic look from his championship years, and Jr. took it to Victory Lane by holding off a hard-charging Joey Logano, who was right on his bumper at the end and easily could have dumped him.

In Victory Lane, Jr. said something rare, considering that he rarely talked publicly about his father in personal terms. But that night he said, “I never knew what I was going to get with Daddy — he was a loose cannon. But I think he’d be proud.”

Now, the comment from the user came on Dale Sr.’s birthday, who would have turned 75 this year. So, the comment must have been a disturbing one for Junior. Still and all, there is one perspective that helps him sail through.

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s philosophy for his father’s birthday

Even after well over two decades of his passing, Dale Earnhardt remains one of the most celebrated drivers in the sport’s history. He was extremely powerful on the track, and his unapologetic behavior earned him millions of fans throughout his career. Even now, many of his records remain unbroken, and he continues to be an inspiration for the new drivers.

It is that power, that personality of his, that makes Dale Earnhardt Jr. feel that he simply doesn’t need one particular day to celebrate his father.

“I enjoy this one, his birthday. It usually doesn’t register for some reason. I see a lot of posts on social media I think it’s cool, every day is a great day, right. Every day is a Dale Earnhardt day, not just a birthday,” he said. “I see posts of dad all the time, every day, all year so, it’s just a little more on his birthday.”

When Dale Sr. died, the full weight of NASCAR landed on a 26-year-old Dale Jr.’s shoulders; a responsibility he has since admitted he couldn’t handle at the time. So, the man who came out the other side of that, steadier, clearer, more sure of himself, isn’t going to be rattled by an anonymous account with a grudge.

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