If you know Dale Earnhardt Jr., you know he’s all about loyalty. And if there’s one person who’s had a front row seat to Dale Jr.’s rollercoaster life on and off the track, it’s his longtime buddy Josh Snider. The duo has lived through extremely crazy times in their 20s with each other before Junior’s successes in racing. However, their meeting could’ve gone very differently if not for a little harmless flirting.
Believe it or not, their friendship began at a casual neighborhood get-together, with both of them making moves on the same girl! The sparks didn’t fly there, but something far more lasting did: a bond that would turn into a lifelong bromance.
Dale Jr. recalls the time his bromance with Josh lit up
It was sometime in 1996, and Dale Jr. had just gotten home from an Xfinity Series race. Back then, races ended early in the afternoon, which meant drivers could go home with enough daylight left to enjoy a Saturday night. The evening was wide open, so he decided to swing by a low-key party being thrown by two old friends, Eric and Brian Thompson.
The scene was a classic small town, Mooresville, with young adults standing around in a driveway drinking beer, music floating through the air, and the occasional laugh from a campfire. Junior didn’t know most of the crowd, but that’s when he got introduced to Josh Snider. At that time, Josh had dropped out of Wingate College and was reconnecting with old friends like the Thompsons. He remembers being in a similar boat as Junior, unsure of what life is going to be next, but open to having a good time.
In his most recent Dale Jr. Download episode with Josh Snider, Dale Jr. recalls saying, “I’ve been friends with these guys (Eric and Brian Thompson) since probably the late ’80s. I remember seeing them at the racetrack and stuff, but we’ve been friends a long time. So I go over there and I don’t know anybody, but they introduced me to you [Josh Snider] and we ended up hanging out the rest of that night.” That night, their connection flickered over beers, over jokes, and even over a little flirting!
Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted, “That night at Eric Thompson and Brian’s house, me and you were kind of flirting with the same girl. Yeah. We ended up kind of like hanging around together because we were both kind of flirting with that girl. But eventually, me and you became friends and forgot about the girl—it was all about pal-ing around with you the rest of the night.” Snider, who couldn’t contain his laughter, went on to add, “Yeah, she was kind of drinking beer by the campfire by herself.”
From there, things escalated in the best possible way. Weekly hangouts turned into an inseparable bond. Eventually, Josh moved into the double-wide trailer with Junior after his previous roommate, Carrie, got engaged. Dale Jr. recalls all their shenanigans. He said, “We used to throw some massive parties at the double-wide trailer. And we had a ton of fun hanging out and being roommates.” But more than the partying, it was a friendship built on timing, shared stories, and a little spark over a girl they both forgot about. Sometimes life throws a curveball, and it ends up being your best friend.
The time Dale Earnhardt wanted Dale Jr. to enjoy a party
Dale Jr.’s first Busch (now Xfinity) series win came at Texas Motor Speedway back in April 1998, during the Coca-Cola 300. It was a defining moment; just his 16th Xfinity start, and he led the final lap and held off Elliot Sadler to claim the checkered flag. What’s more? The victory gave him the points lead and marked the Earnhardts as a three-generation NASCAR winning family. He even exclaimed over the radio, “Daddy, I love you to death.”
Back at Junior’s double-wide trailer in Mooresville, Josh Snider and Jr.’s sister Kelley, were ready to turn that win into a scene to remember. As Josh put it, everyone showed up even before Jr. did. Snider recalls, “Anyway, Kelley come over and she was wanting to paint like some signs because we knew you were gonna be coming home the next night with your dad. And she’s like, we gotta do something big. So we got some bed sheets. We just spray like stupid stuff.”
One of those bedsheets hung from the pine trees hilariously declared something along the lines of “Junior lost his virginity in Texas.” When Junior rolled in with Dale Earnhardt and stepmother Teresa, he braced for a stern reaction. Instead, his old man just laughed it off. Junior recalls saying, “It’s this long driveway up to this double-wide trailer and hanging in the pine trees, two or three bedsheets. It said stuff on them. You could read it easily. I’m like, holy, there’s a party. How’s Dad gonna react to this? Oh, he might raise hell at my buddies for doing all this. But he was cool as hell.”
It was more than a prank; it was a rite of passage. For Junior and Josh, it wasn’t just a celebration; it was solidifying their camaraderie. Beer flowing, music playing, laughter echoing through the trailer, that night didn’t just mark a career milestone. It marked the birth of a friendship rooted in humor, shared memory, and spontaneity.
The post Dale Jr. Recalls How Flirting With the Same Girl Sparked a Friendship That Changed His Life appeared first on EssentiallySports.