Dale Earnhardt Jr.: ‘Little sliver of me that doesn’t want Jimmie to win 8’
By Nick Tylwalk
Junior says he doesn’t regret not breaking Bill Elliott’s Most Popular Driver record, and he definitely understands why Chase Elliott is glad he won’t.
Considering the high regard in which many of us hold our fathers, it’s completely understandable that Dale Earnhardt Jr. might not want anyone to break a record set by the late, great Dale Earnhardt — even if the person in position to do so is a teammate.
The record in question is the number of Cup Series championships won by a single driver, which is currently a three-way tie between all-time greats from different eras: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson. But while Johnson hasn’t had the kind of year he sometimes does on the way to a title, he’s in the NASCAR Playoffs and has a shot at winning his eighth before the year is over.
How does Earnhardt Jr. feel about that? On his Dirty Mo Radio podcast, he admitted to having “a little sliver” of him that didn’t want to see Johnson win eight:
That doesn’t mean that Junior feels Johnson is undeserving in any way, offering up the highest of praise.
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“I like that Jimmie tied him, because I see Jimmie and my father, I see them more as equals,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I think Jimmie is definitely in the conversation of the greatest driver who’s ever been in the sport.”
No, it’s simply a son wanting to see his father hold onto a record. The remarks came up in the context of Dale Jr. being asked if he regrets that he won’t break Bill Elliott’s record number of Most Popular Driver awards. Elliott won the honors 16 times, while Junior has won it 14 times in a row and is a lock to win his 15th in this, his retirement season.
Still, he said he understood why Chase Elliott wouldn’t want him to take down his dad’s mark. In a sport with as many family ties at the top level as NASCAR, those ties run deep — as they should.