When you think of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the car, your mind probably goes back to some of his most iconic finishes. The 2000 All-Star Race, perhaps? Or the 2004 Daytona 500? Or maybe it’s the 2001 Pepsi 400. Earnhardt Jr. led the charge for 116 laps before edging out his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip by just 0.12 seconds! Sure, Dale’s had his moments, but we’re talking about one that left him scared for his life, and he wasn’t even driving the car!
Now, the Earnhardts are no strangers to driving dangerously. The Intimidator’s black Chevy pushed the literal limits every time. But when you think of the family living dangerously on the track, Dale Jr.’s wife Amy isn’t the first name that pops up, right?
Well, as the couple got on their Bless Your ‘Hardt show, they revealed one instance that had Dale’s heart in his throat. It all started when Rick Hendrick, the titan behind Hendrick Motorsports, roped Dale into running ride-alongs for his crew and sponsor VIPs.
Amy revealed, “Rick Hendrick wanted Dale to do ride-alongs with some of his guys and then some sponsor opportunities, so I just happened to be around. Dale took me with him, and I did do one lap with Dale in the car. And then Dale decided to talk me into driving the car as well. I have never been in a race car before, I didn’t even know how to start the thing and I get in the car, they latch me in, I am like really far away from everything they’re trying to figure out how to move the pedals forward and Dale refuses to get into the car with me.”
Now, there we have Amy Earnhardt Jr. sitting in the car, not having done it too often, and who should step in? It’s Mr H himself! That’s right! The legendary team-owner himself. “Rick’s looking at me, he’s like ‘You ain’t gonna get in there?’. He thought I was joking. I was like ‘ No, I’m not getting in there ‘. So he walks over there. This 55-60 old man. ‘Alright, I guess I am gonna do it, ‘ Dale added, scared of getting in the car!
Well, to Rick Hendrick’s credit, he probably knew Amy had been behind the wheel. In 2017, she took the wheel of a pace car at Martinsville Speedway to lead a heartfelt tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr., driving the iconic No. 3 car’s ceremonial laps before the First Data 500. With Dale following in his own car, the moment was heavy with emotion, honoring his late father’s legacy on a track where Earnhardt Sr. won six times. It would be Junior’s final race before retiring. And Amy was incredibly excited about driving the pace car at the time. “I was very excited when the track approached me about driving the pace car. Martinsville is one of Dale’s favorite tracks and seeing how happy he and the team were in Victory Lane in 2014 is something I’ll never forget. I appreciate the track letting me be a small part of Dale’s last race at a place that means so much to him,” she said at the time.
Now, with a legendary team-owner like Mr. H in the car, one would think Amy wouldn’t worry. But she was sweating bullets! “He had his finger out showing me me the whole time where to go. I am in the car, going: Oh my god, please don’t wreck this car. Don’t blow it up. Shift. Shift. Shift. You can do this, you have done this before, it’s just been a very long time. I did downshift and the turn almost blew off the motor. We made it around.”
But that’s not all. Amy had previously revealed her struggle during the incident. While hooking up to the HANS safety device was its own challenge, she couldn’t move her head and have proper visibility. “And I’m like mega out of my place. Out of my element. I have no business doing what I’m doing. I know how to shift a car, but that’s as far as that goes. I don’t even know how to start this damn car,” she added.
Now, while Amy might not enjoy driving the car at a NASCAR track, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t had the Cup experience. Once at Bristol, when Dale took her around the track for a ride-along, he was driving as if he were in the Championship 4! With timings similar to Cup drivers, Dale pushed too hard, and that’s when the PJ1 resin used to treat the track betrayed him. The car went loose out of Turn 4 and smacked the wall, with Amy scrambling to get out.
Another time, as Dale pushed the car hard and it went loose, Amy remained unfazed as he gestured to her husband to cool things down. Say what you want. Amy’s got that racing in her.
Talking of the time other wives got behind the wheel
Speaking of wives racing, did you know there’s a special race for spouses? The Better Half Dash cranks high-octane energy into a rowdy, feel-good go-kart showdown that’s all heart and hustle. Held at the Trackhouse Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina, this annual 15-lap slugfest on a twisty, 0.7-mile, 11-turn karting track—modeled after Italy’s legendary Kartdromo Parma circuit—puts the wives and girlfriends of NASCAR’s biggest names in the spotlight.
In 2025, Julia Piquet, married to Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, didn’t just win—she owned the place. She led every lap like she was channeling a Cup Series pro, weaving through the tight turns with a swagger that had everyone buzzing. Her win snagged $5,000 for Project Street Vet, a charity that’s all about keeping street dogs healthy and happy. “It’s just the best,” Julia grinned after the race, her eyes lighting up. “Project Street Vet does such amazing work for those dogs out there, making sure they’re taken care of. I’m over the moon to help them out like this.”
The Dash brought out some serious talent, like Cami Creed, wife of Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed, and Ariana Jencik, girlfriend of Xfinity Series hotshot Parker Retzlaff, throwing down for second and third. But what makes the Dash so special isn’t just the racing—it’s the heart behind it. Every penny raised went to Motor Racing Outreach, a nonprofit that’s like a big hug for NASCAR families, offering spiritual support and real-world help.
It’s the kind of event that sums up NASCAR’s soul: fierce, wheel-to-wheel battles paired with a whole lot of love.
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