_“And it’s gonna be Dale Earnhardt Jr! Using lessons learned from his father to go from 6th to 1st in scoring the victory in the Pepsi 400!”_ *This will always be emotionally magical to everyone’s ears.*
I get chills everytime I hear it and everytime I watch those last 5 laps. words can not describe how great that victory feels even 20 years after it happened.
that moment at 10:51 man When Sr was standing there waiting for him and whoever that was tried to get in to congratulate Jr before Sr did...he wasn't having that. That shoulder grab stands out. As both hilarious and heartwarming. It meant so much to both of them.
I don’t remember who it was but I know it was a Budweiser Pr person who was a Jr fan he even mentioned that Jr said something that was kinda strange after the 2001 Daytona 500 big one from the day remembering Dale Earnhardt
@@masoneveridge4078 you can watch the HBO special Jr did and they talk about this moment briefly. Jr and Kelly talk about how distant and aloof Sr was and this whole moment changed Jr and Sr's relationship going forward. Sr finally took notice of Jr and it was a little weird for everyone.
@@WARSinRIOTS yeah I know I mentioned what the pr guy said about Jr’s comments after the big one in that documentary please read what I said better then try to point out something I already knew
@@masoneveridge4078 Man what the fuck is your problem? You respond to a comment of mine, which is 10 months old at this time, talking about a random comment about a PR guy saying something. Then, I respond adding something to the discussion, which I assumed we both knew about given the context. I never once tried to teach you, nor contradict you. We were just talking. Then you tell me to read better after saying "I mentioned what the pr guy said about Jr’s comments after the big one in that documentary..." When did I mention the documentary, or actually reference anything you mentioned directly? How do I know what you know? You mentioned a documentary in which I didn't refer to. You know? Adding a different point of view of the same incident? I'm just so fucking confused on why you decided to get hostile.
@@amerizoz8492 I read his book he published after he retired. He flat out was scared of crashing at both tracks and suffering another concussion. I am someone that knows what concussions can do to a person. My brain as my neurologist tells me is nothing but scar tissue and old damage from all my football concussions. He stopped counting them all after 200 separate ones he could ID on my MRI films. Those combined Concussions have left me battling Parkinson's epilepsy and surviving 2 strokes before I turned 26 for the strokes and the other 2 conditions are on going. I will never forget the letter he sent me back. He said you are an inspiration of someone that knows the pain I have lived thru with my concussions and also showed me that I can live a normal life as long as I take care of my brain from further injuries. He also said thank you for showing me that my fans do care about more than me winning the final championship in my racing career. I flat out told him in my letter that he had nothing to prove to a true fan of the sport.
@@haroldbenton979 I know this comment is a few months old, but this comment is amazing. I hope everything with your concussions and the problems surrounding it go very well for you.
That 2012 michigan race holds a special place in my heart. Jr was my dad's favorite driver and he was in the hospital due to a stroke. When jr won i ran in the room to tell him, and even though he was in a medically induced coma. I swear he reached out to me. Sadly he passed away a few days later.
This race was absolutely magical feeling. I watched for years of nothing but crashes and bad runs and wondering if this was it for junior. I didnt watch many races in 2012 i was 14/15 years old and then something told me to watch that race. I just had a feeling. Seeing junior win again was all i needed to see. Everything after that win was icing on the cake to me. Hell if he retired after 2012 i wouldve been happy he got one more win. Sorry to hear about your dad but im sure he heard you tell him JR won.
Dale Jr is all around a great person. A good driver, a much better guy, and his impact on NASCAR and the world will last forever. Also he’s my favorite NASCAR commentator, as he really livened up the NBC booth
Dale Jr. had three iconic wins in 2001. the first was the first race back at Daytona after losing his father. the second was the first race back after 9/11. the third was the same race that ended up being his father's final win at Talladega. and in all three races, he led the most laps also, this is the third video in the series, which is certainly no coincidence
I miss watching that red car compete. Shame that Bud didn't follow him. Crazy how much he won then slumped then won again. That Michigan win might be under rated.
I have the privilege of attending one of his 26 career wins when he FINALLY sealed the deal at Pocono in June 2014. After coming so close a few times at a track he clearly excelled at, in those stands I couldn't watch the final 5 laps from the stands. I was shaking because he had never won at the Tricky Triangle. I was going to go in August, but the weather forecast wasn't looking promising so I decided to forego. Next thing you know he takes the same car (Chassis 88-810) that they improved and sweeps Pocono. Richmond in 2000 he battled his Dad for the win and hold off Terry Labonte. His victory at Chicagoland proved that he could take an ill-handling car in an unorthodox season by beating Kenseth on two tires while he had four. His first win at Michigan obviously on Father's Day snapping a 76-race winless drought (same amount of races his Dad won). Other than that, you have what I would put on my list.
I cannot count how many times I have seen these wins. I will never stop seeing them though... Thankfully I am old enough to have been there for all of Dale Jr's career and he is still Little E in my head haha. God I love your channel. Not many car videos can make a man cry.
I still remember the 2014 daytona victory better than any other. I was too young for the majority of his early career. My dad and I used to watch races together all the time but when junior started slumping around 2009 we stopped watching as much. We still watched big races though. In 2014 we decided to watch the last 100 laps of the 500. With three to go we were both on our feet yelling. Will forever remain a favorite memory. Maybe Jr. wasn’t the best racer to ever exist but I can guarantee most people who were fans (and there were hundreds of thousands) had a life long memory he gave them.
2:05 I was at this race and everyone was going crazy. There was this 55ish year old man that was literally crying because Jr. had won, although I am sure the alcohol played a role in his crying too.
"JR., TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TRACK. JR WILL WIN AT DAYTONA! AND THE BIG ONE HAPPENS BEHIND THEM! (Oh My God)" That moment in NASCAR history will forever be etched into my mind, just as the 2020 Daytona crash will be.
I knew what win number 1 was before clicking on this video. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate Dale SR straight up yeeting that official out of the way so he could be the first to talk to his son in victory lane?
What made the 2012 Michigan win special was his last win came at that track 4 years prior but that was a fuel mileage race. His run in 2014 was the closest we had seen to his DEI days and he just dominated Daytona and Dega that year. The 2014 500 win was great because he had finished 2nd like three years in a row.
@Kæłęb Łæñœūë As someone who likes Sr and Jr and a Kyle hater, I agree. He's more than just the most toxic Kyle Hater and Most Toxic Dale sr and Dale Jr fan, he is a BULLY to others.
I thought you would surprise us and put the '01 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at No.1! Aw well, guess it was obvious that the 01' Pepsi 400 would be top of the chart! Could you do Dale Sr. and Tony Stewart next please?
One of my absolute favorites was I believe the 2004 fall talladega race. Either 04 or 05. Can't remember specifically. But it was the one where he went from 11th to 1st in just a few laps at the end to win.
To this day, it still blows my mind that big ol' Chocolate Meyers was the first one to get to them in the infield. He was definitely one of the most visibly upset after Dale's death. And that night, he flat out-ran everyone.
I have to agree somewhat but the win at Michigan in 2012 was really emotional after watching him lose for 4 straight years. Also loved his final Daytona win in the night race 2015 he dominated.
One of my favorites will always be his 2006 win at Richmond. I was over at my neighbor's house and I remember us sitting there and being extremely pumped when he won. I was only 10, so it was quite exciting as a young Dale Jr. fan!
One of my favorites that ALWAYS gets overlooked is his Chicagoland win. It was a track he didn't really run great at and that win came out of NOWHERE. Not to mention his sweep at Pocono in 2014, yet another track he never really ran great at, but to sweep Pocono is hard enough feat to do.
2004 Daytona 500. like his dad Junior had similar luck in the race before this. 2nd place. Cut tire. Dead battery. also 4 consecutive wins at Talladega but only one at Daytona. so it was important to win the 500 now so he wouldn't have to worry following a similar path to Dad. history shows cause he wouldn't win Daytona again for 10 years. plus total of 4 runner up finishes 2nd only to his Dad with 5...
The way DEI dominated the plate races in the early/mid 2000s was incredible, the perfect tip of the cap to Dale Senior's legacy as a plate racer. DEI would've been a juggernaut if Sr had not died.
Of course 2001 pepsi 400 was huge. I was late picking up my future (and current) wife for our first date, so I could watch the end of this race. But my favorite win, is the 2014 Daytona 500. It felt so damn good to see him so happy. And we as fans felt vindicated for sticking by our guy. Juuuuuuunnnioooor!
I still love the fact that out of everyone, Chocolate Meyers sprinted across the grass and was the first person to Jr after the Pepsi 400 win. That's how much that win meant to everyone close to Dale Sr
My favorite is the Pepsi 400. My 2nd favorite Jr. win was his first Daytona 500. My 3rd favorite Jr. win was his second Daytona 500. The other ones are too hard to decide.
breaking the streak in the dark knight rises car is fairytale stuff , a guy they thought was too old and beat up came firing like a literal bat out of hell
There’s many favorite wins but I think there is one that stands out from all of those wins in my opinion, the 2001 Pepsi 400 victory. It needs no explanation. ✋🎤⬇️
2014 I was at all his wins. Always go to the Daytona 500 and both Pocono races. Just so happened to say lets go to Martinsville and he wins. It was a great year.
I was like the victory celebrations of his first win at Texas and how janky it looks. His dad shows up to congratulate him, they go to do the interview, and his dad pulls him out the car to celebrate with his team, and then the interview restarts
The 2001 Daytona win went a long way towards healing a still grieving nascar community. I figured #2 would be his 2000 Texas win but the Dover win is also a great choice.
Iceberg how old are you? Just curious. I grew up being a Nascar nut and remember the early 2000s like yesterday. Like a childhood friend pretty much lol
If only they had radioactive in 2003 because I want to hear what Kenseth saying when NASCAR said that Jr's pass was clean and didn't go below the yellow line
Other Top 10's I want to see is: Carl Edwards Matt Kenseth(for Eric Estepp of course) Kyle Busch(I know people are gonna kill me for this one.) Kevin Harvick Tony Stewart
