Dale Jr. Defended Sterling Marlin From Death Threats After 2001 Daytona 500 | The Dale Jr. Download 

Parkinson's has whittled him down physically, but he's still here and in public. Sterling gets big respect from me.

I hope Sterling is doing OK. He's one of those good old boys that we thought indestructible. Hurts me to see him in this condition.

You never have to question Dale Jr's sincerity. He's such a personable, respectful person. What a good man he has become. Dale Sr. would be so very proud of his son.

Sterling had nothing to do with the Death of Sr. It was a racing accident. Thank you for standing up for him. Jr you are a class act.

It hurts my heart to see Sterling looks like his health is failing. He’s one of the bigger reasons the sport is what it is today. Thank you Sterling for having made our lives richer. I say this from the bottom of my heart.

Man that was tough to watch. God Bless you Sterling. Thanks Dale for all the kind words of one of the Best.

The procedures that Sterling had on his brain seem to have really helped his Parkinsons. He doesn't have the shakes and tremors nearly as bad as he has had in the past. Glad he got to be on here.

Sterling was definitely hurt. You can see it. He does what he can to act tough, but it’s still with him. Thank you Mike for sharing this. It’s true, you had to see him say it.

11 Poles, 216 Top Ten finishes, 83 Top Five finishes, 4,298 laps led, 10 wins One of only five back to back Daytona 500 winners. This man needs to be in the NASCAR Hall Of Fame! Sterling was a great representative of NASCAR.

Dale Jr is by far the nicest most genuine down home country boy and a great human being. Someone we all should aspire to emulate in our day to day. We miss you on the track but happy you still include us in your life. 3 cheers for Dale jr

Dale’s words like this teach me how to be a better person.

I didn’t know that Sterling was sick. Breaks my heart to see him that way. I’m glad he’s still around doing his thing though.

I lived in Culleoka TN for a few years & got to meet sterling a few times, he could not have been nicer, so down to earth. So glad you guys had him on

Sterling Marlin is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs.

Thank you Jr, Mike, and Dirty MO staff, thank you Sterling for coming on during such a difficult health battle. This is a rare gift to us fans to see Sterling (most likely for the last tine publicly) and share this and other stories. I never blamed Sterling, Kenny, Nascar, Bill Simpson, or Dale for what happened. I am a man of God and believe it was God who took Dale that day. Crass as it may sound, Dale passed doing what he loved, seeing Michael and Jr ahead racing for the win doing something Dale rarely did, falling back and blocking. Prayers for Sterling, man what a special podcast.

Seeing sterling smile at 4:47 was just so refreshing. He obviously remembers doing what Dale recalls and it must be a fond memory of his as well. Best wishes to sterling.

As a diehard Earnhardt fan, I love Sterling marlin. A beautiful soul. Much love to him and his family.

Hey Dale, you are truly first class. To not have any animosity towards Sterling all these years after what was an unfortunate racing accident, you truly have a heart of gold!

Hey Jr , Mike everybody involved with this one. Thank You so much. What a class act Sterling is. Back in the Day it was a thing to show up with Beer and just sit and share. People today have forgotten or are to young to understand that whole deal. But I'm going to tell you this old guy has not. Brought a tear to my eye. Love this and Thank You again ...

Hurts to see Sterling like that. He’s a legend in this sport

He was a GIANT of his time. Aggressive, Fearless. He could put his car anywhere. Thanks for the Memories Sterling. Sure good to see you again.

It was tough to watch this, not just referring to the subject matter but also referring to sterling. Loved watching the silver bullet in the early 2000s, seeing sterling in this condition was the toughest part about this whole thing and I know he can't really control that. Stay safe sterling. And FYI, it was just a racing incident, nobody is at fault for what happened at Daytona in 01

Sterling was my dad's favorite driver and Dale was mine and my grandparents favorite. We lost my grandpa in 2000 and we lost Dale on what would of been my grandpa's birthday. Our whole family had gotten together to celebrate and watch Daytona like we had for years. I'll never forget that day. Definitely just a racing deal. Sure is good to see Sterling!

What a great man, enjoyed watching him race, wondered what happened to him, so sorry for his health problems, but he's a trooper, always was, love ya man.

Thank you Sterling for coming on the show. I was a HUGE fan of you! You always put the 4 car up front and did amazing things in that 40 Coors light car.

I always liked Sterling Marlin. He was one of the last true old school guys in the sport, just a good old southern farm boy who worked his way to the top through the ranks. I cannot tell you how much I miss those kinds of drivers. They were the heart and soul of this sport. But they have mostly disappeared, unfortunately, replaced by kids from rich families who basically buy their seats.

That interview brought tears to my eyes for several reasons. Thanks .

I remember all the ridiculous things that were said & I specifically remember when JR responded in the manner he did. My biggest memory of Marlin is when he got out to fix a tire rub under a red flag at the end of a 500 that he would have won but was sent to the back for working on the car himself under the red flag

Wow! Watch this video again and pay close attention to Sterling's body language, especially his eyes. He communicates everything you need to know, through the windows of his soul. This episode brought tears to my eyes. You can see the roller-coaster of emotions that he still rides. God bless Sterling Marlin.

Brought tears to my eyes to see this man like that. I grew up watching and loving racing in this era and kinda drifted away from the sport after Dale passed. Just didn’t have an interest after all that it was like your super hero had just disappeared. Never once did I hold any kind of disrespect towards sterling for what happened, it’s racing and in the worst case scenario that’s what happens. I’m glad Dale jr is bringing these old boys back into the light in such a behind the scenes way. Makes me feel like we’re back in those good old days. Good for you jr

GOD BLESS YOU DALE FOR HAVING STERLING ON YOUR PODCAST!! BLESS HIS HEART AND I'M PRAYING FOR HIS HEALTH AND HEALING 🙏 THAT WAS AWESOME FOR YOU TO SPEAK UP WHEN YOU WERE HURTING AND GRIEVING TO SHUT UP THE HATERS. EVERY PERSON WAS IN COMPLETE SHOCK AND DISBELIEF AND HURTING AND GRIEVING WITH YOU AND YOUR PRECIOUS FAMILY AND IT TAKES A STRONG INDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WHEN SUFFERING SUCH A DEVASTATING LOSS. YOU'RE A GREAT MAN AND I KNOW THAT YOUR PRECIOUS DAD AND GRANDDADDY RALPH(who I was fortunate and BLESSED to meet at The Old Columbia Speedway in Cayce South Carolina way back when. He and your Dad were a lot alike. It always amazed me when Ralph pulled in and unloaded his car, NO BODY TOUCHED HIS CAR OR EVEN CAME CLOSE TO IT BECAUSE IT WAS RACE READY!!! LOL 🤣 Other driver's were tweaking their cars trying to find just a tick more speed but not Ralph. We always parked in the infield and we could always wander around and talk to all the driver's and crew members as long as we weren't disrupting them working on the car. This podcast was super special. Love you ALL at Dirty Mo and all it's components and also your precious family 💞🤗💞🏁🏆🏁

I love that Sterling's condition hasn't stopped him from being him.....a good man willing to be seen. It saddens me deeply to see him in this condition, yet proud that he is standing tall. I also am deeply, deeply appreciative of Dale for doing this segment. I am sure that this wasn't one of the easier interviews to do on many, mostly personal, levels and my hat is off to him, his integrity, and his realness. Both of those men are priceless gems of society.

Seeing S.M. like that literally brought tears to my eyes; but him showing up proves his bravery, honesty & the fact that he's a STUD!

I am glad you finally had him on. Great interview. I liked him way back in the day.

Sterling was one of the most friendliest drivers and was nothing but a class act. Prayers to him and his family.

Dale Jr is just a good dude. It shows by the way he treats people and loves and promotes the sport and the respect he shows to the ones that paved the way. He seems to have a kind soul.

Thank you so much for this touching show with Sterling. He still has that twinkle in his eye when talking about his racing days. Kudos to Sterling for coming to the Download and sharing as he could only do on your show. Loved it.

I can still picture Sterling climbing out of that car at Michigan 2001 as the rain poured down giving Dodge their first Winston Cup win since 1977, and his first win in cup personally since 1996. The joy in his face was unforgettable.

omg I had no idea Sterling was in this shape. And Jr is such a freaking class act.

I remember being angry at the time, but I was always more upset at the outcome and not the circumstances. Ken Schrader and Sterling had so much of a personal burden to bear from the aftermath of that day. I hate to think that anyone would be stupid enough to threaten the life of someone who was involved a one in a million crash at a race known for big crashes. But I know the world we live in.

Thank you for everything, Sterling. Such a fantastic superspeedway driver from the very beginning. All those great runs in the 94 car, the 22 car and the 4 car. Two-time Daytona 500 winner. Amazing human being. Thank you and God Bless you.

Sterling Marlin is truly missed in the sport. There aren’t anymore like him left now.

My cousin and I both used to be huge fans of NASCAR back in the early 2000s. I pulled for Rudd, him Marlin, tough ole drivers.. miss all those older guys. Back then we were riding around race shops in Mooresville and happened to run into Sterlin as he randomly came out a door from his race team's shop; took some pictures with him.. down to earth guy.

Damn…. I was in tears throughout this whole thing. Sterling’s health is taking a toll, he obviously still hurts due to Sr’s death. Junior, thanks for doing this. It’s been many years, but for race fans it’s almost as it it were yesterday.

As I stated, I met him at his house in November 2008. He welcomed me and my friend with open Arms.. spent a hour or so with him at his shop those cool moments mean the world to me ..

This whole episode was a rollercoaster ride. Partially sad because someone like Sterling, with as nice and gracious as he is, doesn't deserve any of the threats sent to him after Seniors passing. But it fills my heart seeing him again! Some of these guys like Marlin, Marcis and Gant just got out of the limelight after retiring. It sucks that he has to deal with such a horrific disease but you can tell Sterling is still on the ball eith some of the stories he told! Love ya Sterling and keep up the great work DJD team!

I really hate that Sterling got treated so horribly after that race, he didn't deserve it at all. Prayers for Sterling to get better, I feel so bad for him.

Just the sweetest podcast. Touched my heart and shows what a wonderful man jr. Has grown to be. Sterling is funny and his mischievous ways has given us great stories to hear. We pray for your health.

His condition aside, it’s always good to see the should-have-been 2002 Winston Cup champion again. Be it in the Kodak car or in the Silver Bullet, he was a staple of what were perhaps the greatest days of NASCAR. Hang in there, Sterling! We’re pullin’ for ya!

I can't help but say something I've said before on this platform. I lost the full taste for Nascar years ago when Dale Jarrett retired and even then, never was a hardcore fan, but i certainly wanted the Ford Quality Care 88 to win every week. Hardcore fan or not, if you were watching the 2001 Daytona 500 and watched that accident, you likely had the breath knocked out of you when you realized that wreck took Dales life. I did. Almost immediately, you had to be concerned and care for this "kid." Ironically, although not a hardcore fan I went to my second and last race ever... Rockingham, the very next week. To say it was emotional would be saying it lightly. Fast forward to me finding this podcast and listening to Junior. This dude is down to earth, sounds honest, appreciative and he loves his family and the sport. He wants others to know that he's thankful for them. Man...that's what I call refreshing. Im thankful I've "gotten to know" Dale Earnhardt Jr., the man through this outlet. The kid I felt heartache for, is now and has been a man that I respect and can't help but be proud of, as best I can without knowing him personally. (It don't hurt that we're both North Carolina guys) We need more guys like Junior, not just in sports, but more importantly in life....and we need them fast.

That was the first full race I ever watched with my Dad. Thanks for sharing yours with all of us Jr.

'.Dale, thanks for sharing this part of the podcast here. It's important we know this part of the story, your roll in helping Sterling as well get to understand and appreciate that "it was a racing deal". God bless Sterling!!

It's hard to see Sterling going through his health issues. Many years ago, by happen chance, I found myself eating lunch sitting next to him. We never even spoke of racing. We had a genuine conversation about nothing more than small talk. I always respected him in his career and knew him to be a racer's racer. After that small encounter, I found him to be a gentleman's gentleman.

God Bless you Jr!! Sterling needed that. I felt his pain, your compassion. Thanks for being real Jr.

Been a fan of Sterling's since his days at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. He is among the last of the real racers imo. A few years ago after his Nascar retirement, Sterling was still racing at the Fairgrounds. My son and I were in the pits one Saturday afternoon before that nights race, and there was Sterling on a creeper up under his car on jack stands working on it in 102 degree weather. I told my son to look at that and remember it. It was possibly one of the greatest examples of passion for anything I have ever witnessed. A two time Daytona 500 winner busting his knuckles in that heat so he could compete in a local short track race. Oh, and he won!! God bless you Sterling, and you as well Dale Jr.

You can see it in his face and eyes as soon as JR mentions it that its still haunting and still just as fresh in his memory. Have always felt bad for him and for the crap he got after the accident.

You can see in his eyes that it is something he will carry with him forever.

I'll admit I was pissed never made any threats but it took me years to get over it. Over the years the more I've looked at it and thought about it, I don't blame him, I don't blame anyone. He didn't want to hurt anyone and he was a hell of a good driver, I hope he is doin OK and he has peace. He didn't deserve the hate.

This brings me to tears. My bday is Feb 18th. Im so Glad that Dale Jr. is saying what he has to say now. And Sterling is here to hear it. While there is still time.

❤Much admiration and respect from my heart to yours, Sterling.❤🏁🚗🏁

My heart went out to Sterlin on that terrible day in 01 and it went out to him again today 🙏 Obviously he's in the iron grip of Parkinson's, but there he sat, at Junior's biggass table, on nothing but guts! 💪🥺 Don't you know Coo-Coo & Senior are looking down with such pride for both their boy's.

My dad has Parkinson’s disease and it’s so hard and heart breaking seeing a big strong man like my dad was growing up. Was a hunter, played hockey, was in the military. It’s hard seeing my dad who is 75 looking like 105.

Sterling was a really good racecar driver,him and the Kodak and Silver Bullet racecar,were in contention every Sunday.Good to see Sterling,and thaks for inviting him on,it was good for all of us.Sterling raced against the best and the best raced against him.The coolest thing to watch is when during the red flag,Sterling unstraps gets out of his racecar and begins to tweak the front right fender,against the rules,went to the back for restart,that move very well might have cost him the race,so damn funny.And his Daddy Coo Coo was also a great racecar driver.

Thank you for having Sterling on your pod cast and treating him with the respect he deserves. I know that wasn't an easy interview and you handled it with class,

When we ran Late Models at Nashville, Sterling was always a good guy to have around. I still remember "Hey Buddy, What you doin?" I considered him a friend at the time. I don't think I ever heard him say anything hateful toward anyone. I hope he does well. I pains me to see old friends have health issues such as he has going on. Love ya Brother!!

There are class acts, and then there is Junior. I am more impressed by this guy ever time I see these videos.

Had a chance to meet Sterling at a restaurant right up the road from Talladega back in 08. He was one of the most genuine and nicest people I’d ever met. Stood around 30 min outside the restaurant after he’d finished eating just talking and having general conversation with anybody who wanted to talk. Absolute class act. It’s tough watching him struggle with his health.

I get that you want to keep bigger audiences on other platforms but damn it, I wish you could put whole shows on RU-vid!

I feel so bad for him. I'm sure he has always carried with him a lot of guilt, thinking he was the one that killed Dale. If the Rusty Wallace in the 2 hadn't push Dale forward, if Ken Schrader was another foot or so forward Dale would have hit more of Shrader's car instead of the wall. There were a million things that could have been slightly different and it would have / could have changed the outcome. I was in the stands that day on the front stretch and will never forget it. Truly a sad day in American motorsports.

Sterlin, I've been a Dale Earnhardt fan since I was a little boy. Im 53, only watched nascar 2 years after because of Dale jr, but that was racing no one should have ever threatened you in anyway, shape or form. You've always been a hell of a driver and have all the respect for you. I pray for you and god bless you.

So thankful this conversation happened. Thank Y'all!

Once they showed the replay, it was obvious senior just lost control trying to cut Marlin off. At the time the commentators were saying Marlin hit him. They just couldn't believe Dale did it to himself.

Earnhardt fans crucified this man for absolutely no reason over a freak accident. Dale was blocking for his team and came down. Nobody did anything wrong. The fans are the best and worst part of this sport. It is sickening what sterling went through and really deserves an apology from the fans who treated him like that.

Wow I have tears running down my face. Remembering that day/week/month and now to see Sterling aging this was truly hard to watch..On top of everything my Dad passed away in December of 2001 and it made me think of him as well.

Dale Jr your podcast are just awesome

I can still remember Sterling getting out of his car on red flag and pulling on his front fender loved watching him and hearing his stories

Sterling is a great guy. Hell of a driver. Made the most of the cars he had. With all my memories, I can't remember one that he complained. A true racer.

So much respect and admiration for dale Jr and Mike, I am sure it made Sterling feel very at home and honored to be on the show and also it was a honor to have him on for dale Jr and Mike and it's such a great to get to watch these podcast and see the old drivers and hear the stories that we remember seeing back then!! Had sterling not for injured he would be a cup champion in my opinion and like Mark Martin, dale Jr, sterling is the people's champ..

That was one of the best and nicest interviews Dale. I was a Sterling Marlin fan in his run for a championship. I think it was a big help for him asking you to cool the angery fans lashing out at Sterling. I watched many replays and everyone was bumpin n banging going into the turn. It's Daytona and wrecks happen every time. Those drivers back then never gave an inch. They were racing against one of the best in the business. It's unfortunate that we lost the heart and soul of Nascar that day but no way it was Sterlings fault, it was just racing. Stay well Sterling.

miss you on the track sterling! you were one of the old school drivers i grew up watching.

Damn it hurts to see Sterling go through what he’s going through. I’m glad he’s still doing life as normal as can be expected.

Jr what a class act you are, and so much respect for you. I remember that day like it was yesterday. That was racing doing what Dale Sr. Loved what he was doing. Kenny Shrader, Sterling Martin are a big part of what Nascar had become. Sterling that you so much for doing the pod cast. GODS SPEED STERLING MARTIN

Awesome interview!

"Done got spun out by a bug eyed dummy"

Good to see he is doing well. I am almost certain Sr. would say that’s racing

Me and my dad finally went to a Daytona 500 infield in 1994 because we usually went to the Firecracker 400 because the Daytona 500 tickets were sold out years in advanced. That was an AWESOME race, I was 21, drinking a beer with some good old boys rooting & watching Marlin do his Daytona 2nd win in the Kodak #4, and Dale Sr. charging up to the front quickly at the end. I remember back in the days just waiting for a Sterling Marlin pre or post-race interview, always seemed happy and energetic. When Dale Sr. died & I heard of the "death threats" toward Marlin, I got SO SAD for him & the crew members were even told not to wear their uniforms at Rockingham. It made a tragic situation WORSE. I just now found out about his illness & I am sad for him again, but glad to see him here at this interview. GREAT show, brings a lot of emotions out from the driver point of view, and us sad #3 fans. God Bless you Sterling Marlin. And thank you Mike & Dale Jr for sharing this, I wish my dad was around for these great shows. I LOVE the family involvement in Nascar, from the drivers/crew/owners and from the fans. 😥

Jr. will always be the most pragmatic guy ever. He was so caring toward Sterling in this interview. Seeing Jr. like this should make everyone want to be a better human. ❤

I've always liked Sterling. I hope he's doing okay I really hated to see him in such bad health. He is one of the true original good old boys.

God bless him

This was so good. Loved hearing Sterling. Great job by Mike and Jr helping the audience understand what he was saying without treating him bad. He always talked a little different! I hope Sterling is doing ok. We sure do love him!

this was beautiful. absolutely beautiful. well done.

STerling Marlin IS ONE OF THE BEST DRIVERS THAT nascar ever had, i remember his dad was a great driver to

Anyone with eyes should be able to tell that the wreck had nothing to do with Sterling Marlin and everything to do with Earnhardt trying to block 3 lanes of traffic.

Thank you Dale. Touching on this subject tough I know but awesome too. Love the podcast. Makes me laugh to watch you I see that 12/14 year old kid in the pits doing interviews. It's awesome man

Made me misty eyed listening to Sterling, and was even harder to see him in this clip. What an outstanding episode with a legend from the best days of NASCAR. God bless him and his family. He's One Tough Customer for SURE!

Breaks my heart and makes me smile all at the same time. Been watching Sterling for damn near 40 years at local tracks here in Alabama and Tennessee. I couldn't believe folks were blaming him back then. I guess I should believe it, ive seen where college FG kickers get death threats from idiot fans too.

I remember hearing about the death threats back then and it still pisses me off to this day. The fact that folks would stoop to that level makes me incredibly sad. When Jr said on the follow-up show that he was told that Sterling still watches the last 10 laps of that race made me tear up. Obviously he's still carrying the events of that day with him.

i watched the race, saw the crash, when it didn't look good, follow the news that night, cried when word came out that Dale Sr. passed away, and never at once thought Sterling Marlin had anything to do with Dale's death. Mad respect for Sterling Marlin as he has always been a fair racer and is on my list of the good ol' boys of NASCAR. It was unfortunate what happened, but it happened and because of that crash and Dale's death, additional safety measures have been put in place which have probably saved more lives.

Sterling, you are a wonderful ambassador of the sport. I have to root for you because my Dad loves Coors Light. DJ, thank you for having him on your podcast, sir!

God Bless you Sterling!