“I just wanted to introduce Dad and his greatness to a generation of fans that hadn’t seen him race or didn’t understand why he was so loved or appreciated.” Dale Jr. said this when asked about Earnhardt, the emotional new documentary streaming on Amazon Prime Video. For Dale Earnhardt Jr., this project isn’t just about storytelling. It’s about legacy. It’s a chance to bridge the gap between fans who watched The Intimidator tear up the track and a younger generation who knows the legend but never felt the roar.
But during his Nashville visit for the NASCAR schedule, it wasn’t just Junior doing the talking. The moment, shared by Prime Video on their Instagram page, turned quiet and deeply personal when he came face-to-face with the Earnhardt memory wall. Let’s just say it hit harder than any wreck at Daytona ever could.
Dale Jr. gets emotional at Nashville
Dale Earnhardt Jr. always had a very complicated relationship with his dad, which is explored beautifully in Prime Video’s docuseries. It touches on how Junior always craved his dad’s attention, which he never got until he started winning Cup races. Junior never spoke to his dad about racing until he became a racer. This stemmed from Dale Sr.’s lack of a connection with his father, Ralph Earnhardt, who passed away before Senior made it to the highest level of racing. However, Junior and Senior shared a loving bond for the year they raced together in the Cup Series in 2000. This weekend, Nashville honored that bond.
The 2025 NASCAR weekend in Nashville had all the buzz. Music City’s racing roots run deep, but this year, something else tugged at heartstrings off the track. Among the roar of engines and packed grandstands, there was a quieter moment that captured the hearts of millions of NASCAR fans. The Earnhardt Memory Wall.
Dale Jr. made his way to the emotional centerpiece just outside the Nashville Superspeedway. The wall wasn’t just art. It was a mosaic of messages, memories, and tributes from fans all across the country. Each note was handwritten on tiny tiles. Together, they formed the face of the man who changed NASCAR forever: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
And when Junior arrived, there was one spot left. One final piece to complete the portrait. That piece? It was reserved for his son, another huge personality who shaped NASCAR. Dale Jr. gently placed it in. Written on it were just a few, yet meaningful, words: “Miss you Dad. See You Soon.” A video of the moment shows Dale Jr. getting emotional as he pressed the note into place. Junior said as he gazed at the wall in awe, “It’s so cool. Just neat, man. It’s a cool way to honor him and imagine what he would think of this.”
Dale Jr. grew up wanting to emulate his dad, despite never getting the racing wisdom from him at an early age. He always wanted to make his father proud, and when he won the Xfinity Championships in 1998 and 199 and eventually moved to the Cup in 2000 and won multiple races, that’s when he truly got close to his dad.
However, we all know the tragic incident at Daytona in 2001 that took Dale Sr. away from us, and stopped that bond from growing into what Junior wished it would. But even after Dale Sr.’s passing, that connection never faded. Dale Jr. has carried his father’s legacy since that day in Daytona and raced in his honor. He won the very next race at Daytona in 2001, an emotional comeback after a torrid time of trying to come to grips with what had just happened to him.
After his retirement, Dale Jr. built a media empire to keep the stories alive. He made sure Dale Sr. would never be forgotten. Not by new fans, not by old. The father-son dynamics, including Dale Jr.’s love and admiration for his father, are perfectly showcased in the four-part documentary, Earnhardt, available on Prime Video.
Their bond was bigger than racing. It was father and son. Idol and legacy. Ironclad. And in that one quiet moment in Nashville, surrounded by fan love and memories, Dale Jr. didn’t just honor The Intimidator. He spoke straight to him.
Why Nashville means so much to the Earnhardts
Nashville isn’t just another stop on the NASCAR calendar for the Earnhardt family. It’s a place rich with memories (on and off the track) for both Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Jr. Dale Earnhardt Sr. made his mark at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, scoring two Cup Series wins there, including a dramatic victory in 1983.
That night, he beat Darrell Waltrip, the local favorite and fierce rival, on his home turf. Dale Sr. loved the challenge of the Fairgrounds’ tight, demanding layout. He also cherished the rowdy crowds and the sense of history in the grandstands. Of the 420 laps, Dale Sr. led for more than half of the race (212 laps in total). Eventually, ‘The Intimidator’ won by a margin of 15 seconds. “I know his connection here and appreciate that,” Dale Jr. once said, reflecting on his dad’s legacy at the track.
For Dale Jr., Nashville’s significance goes beyond family memories—it’s also a place where he made his own mark on the track. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Nashville Fairgrounds, Dale Jr. ran three races between 1997 and 1999. He finished 39th in his debut in 1997, thanks to an oil leakage. He returned in 1998 and improved to a third-place finish. In 1999, he started on pole and finished ninth. While he never scored a win at the Fairgrounds, Dale Jr.’s performances were always competitive, and he consistently ran up front.
Today, as Dale Jr. honors his father’s memory at Nashville, completing a fan-collaborated portrait at the memory wall, it’s clear this city is more than a racing destination. It’s a place where the Earnhardt legacy lives on, fueled by victories, family moments, and the enduring love of fans.
The post Dale Jr. Gets Teary-Eyed Seeing Fan Love for Sr., Leaves One Last Message for Him: “See You Soon” appeared first on EssentiallySports.