Dale Jr. Unveils Vintage Photos Of His Dad – 18 Years After His Death

Patrick Smith / Getty Images, Twitter / Dale Jr.

In 2001, the world of motorsports lost one of its biggest legends. It was a tragic moment that shook the entire community. And that same day, a young Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost his father.

Even almost two decades after his dad was tragically killed in an accident during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, the community – and his son – spent the anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr.‘s passing keeping his memory alive with a slew of photos and stories. Many of which had rarely been seen before.

Dale Jr.’s brother, Kerry, took to social media to honor his dad with a throwback photo and a heartfelt story about how great his dad was.

Following that, Dale Jr. opened up the age-old archives and shared some personal and rare photos of his dad in the years before he started Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

“This was taken in 1984. This building is next to my Grandmothers house in Kannapolis. It was originally Grandfather Ralph’s old shop. Dad used it for some years before he built DEI. I played hundreds of paper football games on that desk in this tiny office.”

To add to this incredible amount of nostalgia – coming from his famous racing son – Dale Jr. also unleashed a series of pictures that showed his dad working on his BGN car and engine in 1984. It’s a glimpse into history that very few have witnessed, but now the whole world can look back on this talented racer and his legendary career.

Fans and family shared some wonderful memories of Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the anniversary of his passing and it is a great reminder of how profound of an impact he had on the world of motorsports.

Watch Dale Jr. open up about his father in this interview with Joe Rogan below and share your own memories of Dale Sr. in the comments.