While one can always bank on Dale Earnhardt Jr. to be a classy guy, he can also get pretty animated. Following the O’Reilly race at Martinsville, Earnhardt showed the former side of his personality in the media availability session regarding the Rajah Caruth-Jesse Love incident. In his latest podcast episode, the legendary driver has doubled down on his comments from the post-race press conference.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked forward to being hit at Martinsville
However, on the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download, TJ Majors claimed that 21-year-old Jesse Love was ‘a little rough’ on other drivers earlier in the race. This led to Dale Jr. sharing his observation about the RCR driver.
“There’s the thing about Jesse: Jesse drives the way he doesn’t like to be driven. I like Jesse… I don’t want to give him the wrong idea, but dude, honestly, Jesse races hard, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But when it comes back around, he don’t like it, and especially around Martinsville, damn, you’re supposed to get run into,” he said.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed that Jesse Love and every driver needs to understand that making contact with other drivers on track at Martinsville is a given. He elaborated, “I couldn’t wait to go to f**king Martinsville, and I’m like, ‘Please f****** door me! Somebody put some doughnuts on this m****f****r. Let’s go!”
Junior said he’d go to Martinsville expecting to ‘trade some sheet metal.’ After all, the racetrack is only 0.526 miles, the smallest on the calendar. Having said that, Earnhardt emphasized that he wouldn’t spin another driver or ruin someone else’s day.
Having raced with some greats of the sport, including his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., the Jr Motorsports owner has had his own share of clashes.
Junior once pissed off Dale Earnhardt Sr. at Martinsville
In 2018, Dale Jr. revealed the time he ended up making his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., mad at Martinsville. He recalled on his podcast how one time, he and Elliot Sadler started a race at Martinsville ahead of the Intimidator.
Before the start of the race, Earnhardt Sr. told both his son and Sadler that they had good cars and that if they played smart, both could end up having a good day. However, as the race resumed, the legend did not think too hard before running into the duo.
“I was so pissed, and so Dad came by later in the race. I got my (expletive) fixed, get back on the track. Dad comes by, and I just turned right and dragged the right front tire all down the side of his car,” said Junior. “And I just was so mad, he comes over the radio, and Tony (Eury) Jr.’s like, ‘Richard Childress said don’t be running into him no more, all right? If you know what’s good for you.”
While this is not the same era of racing, and drivers are not allowed to fight, Earnhardt Jr. expects mutual respect in races. It is common to hit someone on the track, holding a grudge against any driver, for it will only affect the individual’s finish.
