My artistic padlet October 5, 2020 by Kathryn Hilliard

¹ It isn't easy being the son of a legend, especially one known as "the Intimidator." Then again, maybe there are some advantages. Dale Earnhardt Jr. once felt as if his father, who passed away in a tragic racing accident in 2001, "helped him" out of a jam.

² Junior was preparing for an American Le Mans series race at the raceway in Sonoma, California, when he crashed during a practice lap. The crash, which didn't look too bad at first, caused the car to burst into flames. The temperature in the car increased from 115 to 750 degrees in less than two seconds. Junior got out of the car in 14 seconds, sustaining burns, and felt that "someone" helped him out of the car. Interestingly, when he asked his PR guy to find the guy who pulled him out of the car, he was told "nobody helped you get out." Junior can't explain it, but he wouldn't doubt if his father is still looking out for him.

³ Many eyes are on Dale Jr. who is considered by many to be NASCAR's most popular driver. Junior inherited many fans when his father died during the Daytona 500 in 2001. Junior was also racing that day, not far ahead of his dad, and even saw the wreck in his rear view mirror. At the moment, he didn't realize the legacy that would come his way when his father passed on.

⁴ Junior was born October 10, 1974, in North Carolina and spent his high school years hanging out with a few buddies. In fact, his dad sent him to a military school for a while since Junior liked to goof off. When he can escape from the frenzy, he still likes to goof off by hanging out at home with a few buddies, watching his big screen TV or racing go-karts in his back yard.

⁵ Although Junior likes to take it easy, he takes his racing seriously and spends many hours on it each week. It is what he has known for years. After high school, he obtained a two-year automotive degree and began work as a mechanic at a Chevrolet dealership owned by his dad. At 17, he started racing stock cars and performed consistently well enough that he earned a spot in the Busch series in 1996. He won two titles there, which is something his father never accomplished. Four years later, he moved into the NASCAR Cup Series, exciting fans when he won the Daytona 500 on only his fifth try.

⁶ When you consider the position Dale Jr. is in, you realize it can be a challenge. After all, his father is remembered as a legend in the sport. Many of his father's fans now follow the career of Dale Jr. and hope to see legendary results. Junior is different from his father in some ways, although he did seem to inherit some of his driving skills.

⁷ He drives the No. 88 Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports and drives the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for his own team, JR Motorsports. He won the Daytona 500 for the second time in 2014, something his father had never been able to do. What does the future hold for Dale Jr.? Keep watching to find out!

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