Dale Earnhardt Jr. Recalls The One Time His Dad Got In A Fight – And The Surprising Reason Behind It
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Despite his nickname as “The Intimidator,” Dale Earnhardt Sr. was not one to come to blows.
It is not uncommon for fights to break out on a NASCAR track, as evidenced by the recent scuffle between Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. never engaged in any physical altercation following a race.
During this week’s “Ask Jr.” segment on his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. told the story of the only time he remembers his father getting into a fist fight — and surprisingly, it didn’t happen at a racetrack.
“Dad, I don’t think was ever in a fight. I don’t think I’ve ever – only time I know dad threw hands was on on the dude at the farm that shot his deer, but he never fought at the racetrack that I know of.”
The incident, which has since become a memorable story from Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s life, took place in 1993. The driver reportedly broke his hand after punching a man who was working on his property. Dale Jr. has previously told the full story during a conversation with Hardt Nation. He shared:
“So, a guy was working on a tractor during the day on dad’s property, fixing a big tractor. And he saw some deer, went to a bar later that afternoon, happy hour drinkin’ with a buddy of his tellin’ his buddy about the deer. The more they drank, the braver they got.”
After a little liquid courage, the man decided to return to Earnhardt’s 300-acre property and shoot the deer that he had seen earlier. He arrived around dusk and jumped the fence. Dale Jr. explained that his dad and the farm manager were coincidentally walking the tree line when they heard the shot ring out.
“They saw the deer run down the power line and fall down. And so they hid in the tree line and waited for those guys to come up to the deer.”
Once the trespasser reached the fallen deer, Dale Sr. tackled him and delivered several blows to his face, breaking his hand in the process. Dale held him on the scene until the cops arrived.
Why Dale Earnhardt Sr. Kept The Fight Under Wraps
The altercation occurred just before an awards banquet, where Dale Earnhardt Sr. was set to be recognized for winning the 1993 NASCAR Cup Series championship. As a result of the fight, he arrived at the ceremony wearing a cast. Dale Jr. recalled:
“He ended up getting his cast on his arm, and he went to the banquet with that cast and his tux, his black and white cast. And he told everybody a lie, he told everybody a lie about how it happened.”
I remember this cast. The quote here is hilarious, and true. He didn't like you shooting his deer. At all. pic.twitter.com/5GHlxDcjQ4
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 31, 2017
However, the NASCAR champion’s decision to keep the real story private had less to do with the fight itself and more to do with protecting his hunting property. He did not want word to spread about the deer on his land.
“He didn’t want people to know about his deer, he didn’t want more people showin’ up, trying to sneak into his property cuz he had some really big bucks on that property. He wasn’t hunting it, he was just wanting them to be there cuz he liked watching ’em. And so he told a different story.”
When the following race season arrived, Dale Sr. was reportedly informed that the cast would prevent him from competing in the Daytona 500. Rather than sit out the race, he once again took matters into his own hands — literally — and removed the cast himself with a pair of scissors.
Hear Dale Jr. tell the story in the video below!
