Dale Jr.: ‘Awesome to see’ dad appreciated on birthday – Nascar

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TALLADEGA, Ala. — Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have been 65 years old on Friday.

Fittingly, his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., spoke about his father on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, where the paternal duo has a combined 16 Sprint Cup Series victories.

“It’s crazy to think of what he would have been like at 65 years old,” said the Hendrick Motorsports driver. “You kind of had an idea he wouldn’t have changed a whole lot had he lived a little bit longer, but at 65 and what would he have been like at 80 and all those things would be hard to imagine.”

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So often in racing — and in sports in general — names and figures come and go as they pass through, their careers short or long.

One has remained constant — Earnhardt.

“One of the best things about it, and I’ve said it before, is that it’s great that people still talk about him. That the sport, his fans, the media, that everybody still acknowledges who he was and what he meant. That is all I care about … that we don’t ever forget just the impact that he had because I felt like he had so much influence, definitely in the top five, top three people that influenced this sport as a whole, as much as Bill (France) Sr. and guys like that. I put him right up there with people that really changed the sport.

“It’s so awesome to see him get that kind of appreciation and recognition after all these years. Hopefully, that is something that never changes. I see it on his birthday and days like this is when I’m reminded of that appreciation that everybody has for him.”