Whether dominating on the track or in video games, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seizes every chance to celebrate. His gritty 2014 Martinsville victory with Hendrick Motorsports proved it. Starting 23rd after a lackluster qualifying, the No. 88 battled through two early cautions in the first 20 laps. With 64 laps left, chaos struck when Brad Keselowski’s mechanical failure triggered a pileup, taking out Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, Martin Truex Jr., Casey Mears, and Carl Edwards. Junior powered through the mayhem to claim the win. Now, he is taking his celebrations from the track to the screen, once again at the expense of Brad Keselowski’s crew.
Even though Junior is retired from the hustle and bustle of racing, he is still competing hard, but in a different sport and on an unexpected platform. His love for both college football and video games isn’t a secret, and he is acing the challenge by combining them both. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having a blast playing College Football 25 (CFB25) and sharing his virtual football adventures.
Dale Jr. is (virtually) the 2029 National Champion
“Since the last NCAA edition was out (in 2013), back then I was a South Carolina or Tar Heels (fan)… Now they have the 49ers — local team, Charlotte. I will probably do a (dynasty) with the 49ers. It will be fun.” Junior revealed on his Dale Jr Download podcast last year about his latest obsession of playing college football virtually. Finally, he cracked the code with his favorite team after four years of losing.
Junior’s CFB25 dynasty got fans pumped as he virtually led the Charlotte 49ers to victory. “Texas State game looked like a thriller,” chimed Brad Keselowski as Junior’s Charlotte 49ers beat them 27-24 en route to the championship. Junior called it “Down to the wire!!!”. A picture of the 2029 playoff bracket showed Charlotte beating Michigan in Glendale, Arizona, to grab the title, ending a four-year winning streak from Brad Keselowski’s spotter and Jr.’s close friend TJ Majors. Majors is often seen accompanying Junior on the Dale Jr. Download as the two discuss racing, gaming, and everything in between.
Down to the wire !!!
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) March 7, 2025
Besides CFB25, when it comes to the NFL, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski already have an ongoing back-and-forth. Back in January, the Washington Commanders’ crushing victory over the Detroit Lions of 45-31 to make the NFC Championship Game gave Earnhardt the perfect chance to playfully tease his buddy Brad Keselowski, who is a big Lions fan. “Somebody check on @keselowski,” Jr. posted on X after the Commanders’ win. This is a long way forward from the times when they were competing with each other for even reaching the restroom first, racing for it in classic NASCAR style and later laughing at their stupid antics.
On the one hand, Dale Jr is enjoying his downtime after retirement in a true NCAA fan’s sense. Meanwhile, Brad is still struggling to get a hold of winning a pole position in this year’s brutally unexpected season. With three Cup Series races done and dusted, Keselowski was able to get a 20th, DNF, and 22nd position finish in that order, even coming down with a health scare recently.
Junior is worried that, like Keselowski, even other drivers may come at the risk of pushing themselves too hard in search of glory.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sees NASCAR becoming physically challenging for racers
Dale Earnhardt Jr. exposed a harsh truth about stock car racing, the physical strain it places on drivers. He shared this insight just days after Brad Keselowski’s health scare at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), where the 41-year-old RFK Racing driver battled heat exhaustion from a malfunctioning cooling suit. With temperatures nearing 80 degrees, Keselowski pushed his No. 6 car to an impressive 15th-place finish, only to end the race dehydrated and require a stretcher off pit road.
Earnhardt Jr. pointed out a “self-harming” reflex that drivers exhibit, an urge to withstand brutal conditions without protest. “These guys tough it out so much, they’ll exhaust themselves before admitting any weakness,” he declared, nodding to Keselowski’s struggle. Notably, Keselowski did admit to feeling incredibly hot inside the car, but opted to use an ice pack to cool himself instead of taking a longer pitstop to fix the suit.
Keselowski’s tenacity impressed fans and Earnhardt Jr., who commended the driver’s resolve. Still, the episode stirred concern across the NASCAR world. RFK Racing confirmed that Keselowski received IV fluids and recovered, but the scare fuels debate about driver safety measures. Earnhardt Jr. stressed that while safety leaps forward from his father’s time, heat risks linger as a hidden danger.
As NASCAR progresses, incidents like these spark demands for cutting-edge solutions and even perhaps smarter cooling tech to shield drivers from their own obsession. For now, Keselowski’s endurance and Earnhardt Jr.’s frank words would only start a conversation in NASCAR where toughness doubles as both strength and a potential pitfall. Hope this small spark brings NASCAR’s safety officials’ attention to this not-to-be-ignored matter soon.
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