‘It is Not Simply Me’ – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Refuses to Take ‘Full Credit score’ for His NASCAR Expertise Pipeline Success

In addition to being an iconic NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wears many different hats. He’s additionally a podcaster, group proprietor, and commentator. In an unofficial capability, Junior can also be an eagle-eyed expertise spotter. His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., additionally had a knack for recognizing younger expertise, so it could actually safely be assumed that the trait runs within the household.

Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Josh Berry are simply among the names who Dale Jr. gave a possibility early on. Not too long ago, the JRM proprietor additionally revealed one other identify he believes might do wonders if he had entry to the appropriate tools and amenities. It was none apart from Parker Reztlaff of Alpha Prime Racing.

Whereas Junior wholeheartedly praised the younger driver, when he was given credit score for launching greater than a handful of stars in NASCAR, he refused to be the person within the middle and gave the credit score the place it was due.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Discusses Lengthy Record of Expertise Launches

In his interview with Sports activities Illustrated revealed on Monday, April 21, Junior started by talking about Reztlaff, who he believes is the appropriate spark and has the flexibility to go locations. He felt the No. 4 driver can shine in any tools, even when it isn’t essentially top-tier.

“He’s just about the form of driver that, when he will get behind the wheel of a race automotive, and to not say something destructive in regards to the tools, however he will get in a automotive and it runs higher than you anticipate,” he mentioned. “I can’t remember to know whether or not he’s a Cup champion man, but, however I feel if you happen to put him in a JRM automotive or a JGR automotive, he’s going to win.”

Jr. then mentioned the method of evaluating expertise. A number of the largest names in NASCAR in the present day have been groomed by Dale Jr. in numerous capacities. These embody Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, and Cole Custer. Nonetheless, Jr. revealed that it wasn’t at all times he who noticed these drivers first-hand.

He mentioned, “Nicely, it’s not simply me wanting on the market and saying, ‘Nicely, that man is nice, let’s give this individual a attempt,’ oftentimes, it’s one thing you hear from another person.”

Dale Jr. admitted that whereas he can simply take credit score for all of it, on most events, his expertise pipeline successes have come from merely listening to the appropriate individuals.

“I want I might take full credit score, be this savant of kinds, however you simply gotta take heed to individuals.”

As an example, within the case of Truex Jr., it was Richie Gilmore, DEI’s former VP, who instructed Junior in regards to the upcoming expertise. The racer was really spectacular in his No. 8 Chevy that he drove for Junior’s firm, Probability 2 Motorsports, in 2004 and gained the championship. He even went on to win the Cup championship in 2017.

Equally, Josh Berry, now a formidable identify within the large league, was as soon as a private undertaking of Dale Jr. The Wooden Brothers Racing driver thrived below Junior’s steerage and rose via the ranks in NASCAR. Berry’s first Cup Sequence win got here this season on the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas, the place he completed with 46 factors.