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

[Music] foreign I think you know a lot of people uh would uh would want us to touch on the 2001 Daytona 500 you know you're you uh obviously me and and the Earnhardt family uh Schrader there's all kinds of people that are part of that story willingly or not right and I wanted to just share a quick story about that we I think went to Rockingham the next weekend yeah I get I didn't want to go yeah I didn't either uh I didn't I didn't want to it's funny I didn't want to go to Rockingham but I knew I damn sure didn't want to be anywhere else that was like the the one place it was the place I I only place I really could go um but I didn't know I didn't want to be anywhere uh I don't remember if it was a I don't think it was a phone call I think me and you saw each other in person might have been as soon as we got to the track on Thursday we had a press conference uh and I was we were going to speak and Sterling came up to me and said hey could you do me a favor he's like I'm getting literal death threats about this about you know people thinking I had something to do with this and uh I was like no and uh he's like yeah and it's bothering me and I think you're one you're the only one that could fix it remember that conversation and so I go on to the press conference and I said you know I I couldn't believe I needed to I had to say this and that you know at that moment but I was like you know whoever's got a problem with Sterling or think Sterling has some role in this needs to get rid of that notion altogether I have sort of felt uh you know some sympathy or something about that for you um you know everybody that ever drove a race car especially all the guys that were on the racetrack in that moment know that we were all out there racing our ass off it's the last lap of the race and we're we're all hauling ass and you know trying to get to where we're going right and that was the race and that was a racing crash and those happen every race you know and so um and and I know that maybe the majority of Common Sense folks out there watching it knew that that was a typical race and accident I don't know how much that bothered you uh that people would have any problem with uh what went on right there I don't even know how to categorize it or how to describe it but I just hope that you've had I hope that you've carried no no problems or or carried no no no no sliver of guilt or any kind of uh uh any kind of thing going forward with that because I haven't I've always thought the world to you and felt we were all very unfortunate you know to in that moment in various degrees of of of unfortunate but um I told Schrader I was like man I know you didn't want to be in that crash I know you didn't want to be the one to walk up to that car but I'm glad you were um you know and and I was more than happy to uh assist you on that day in that press conference uh to Quail any kind of okay people it stopped like that good well I'm glad it made a difference I never did find out whether you do I was wondering did it help you're saying it helped hell yeah sure did yeah well I you know I felt so unfortunate because uh none of us wanted to be a part of that you know that whole experience that was a it was a horrible thing but uh and the whole sport had to go through it you know but um I know people would want us to touch on on that during this conversation today um you know you but I will say man I mean after after that and moving forward um knowing you and getting to know you and the person you are and uh uh the way you look at racing I've really enjoyed it I really have um I don't think I knew you too well before I started racing in the cup series but from from 2000 when I started all the way through pretty much when you retired and the last time we saw each other uh you were always easy to talk to I'd see you if I saw you and we were within five or ten foot each other in the garage we always said hey you would always go what are you doing what's he doing what you got going on um you were friendly you were a guy that I think a lot of people in the garage called a friend you were a guy that I think a lot of people enjoyed talking to you're always funny had always a joke to tell or a funny story to share or something that had happened that weekend you were in the middle of something all the time and uh High School yeah you were kind of the Class Clown if you will in the garage uh you know the guy always in the middle of something everybody knew there was going to be a story with Sterling all right of course this time I was just sitting here thinking about Talladega you put Dynamite under somebody's van I'm you you uh you sent a bunch of people to therapy that day hey if you like that video you'll love the entire podcast the bill Jitter download it's available on all major podcast platforms

Channel: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media

Views: 377,409

Keywords: NASCAR, Dale Jr, Dale Jr podcast, Dale Jr Download, Dale sr, Dale earnhardt, 2001 daytona 500, daytona 500, sterling marlin, dale sr crash, death threats, dale earnhardt jr, dale earnhardt crash

Id: YcC6zt3pS6w

Length: 5min 35sec (335 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 09 2023