Dale Earnhardt Jr discusses family racing superstitions, reflecting on his personal beliefs and rituals passed down from his father, during a recent episode of his podcast. In a fan Q&A session, the NASCAR legend explained why fifty-dollar bills were specifically avoided in his pocket before hitting the track.
During the #AskJr. segment on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr., renowned for his extensive racing career, answered fan questions about superstition among racing families. He admitted to having several rituals, many influenced directly by his father, Dale Earnhardt. One particular superstition involved steering clear of $50 bills, a practice he inherited from his late father, who strictly believed they brought bad luck.
“Yeah, oh yeah,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
“Well I mean, in any of the traditional ones, like walking on the ladders, breaking glass, $50 bills.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Former NASCAR Driver
He made it clear that he followed his father‘s lead, describing how Dale Earnhardt refused to accept or carry a fifty-dollar bill, considering it a bad omen before racing. Echoing this family quirk, Earnhardt Jr. maintained the habit throughout his driving career, despite acknowledging the quirky nature of the tradition.
“So I just did everything dad did. If dad believes something, I believe something, and dad thought $50 bills were suspicious, he didn’t want one in his pocket, if you tried giving him one, he wouldn’t take it. So I had that as well, as silly as it sounds.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Former NASCAR Driver
Family Rituals and the Earnhardt Racing Legacy
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career in the NASCAR Cup Series began in 1998 and extended through to 2017, amassing 631 event starts, 26 victories, 15 pole positions, and 260 top-10 finishes. Alongside his accomplishments, he remains owner of JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, occasionally returning for select events, like his most recent entry at the 2024 Food City 300 in Bristol. Despite winding down full-time competition, he remains deeply connected to the sport and its traditions.
The superstitions run even further back in the Earnhardt family. Dale Earnhardt, remembered as one of the greatest NASCAR Cup drivers, collected seven Cup Series championships and 76 race wins before his tragic passing in the 2001 Daytona 500. This connection to legacy and the layered nature of racing beliefs is a hallmark of the family’s history on track.
Ralf Earnhardt’s Distinctive Pre-Race Superstition
Extending the theme of superstition, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a story involving his grandfather, Ralf Earnhardt. On the same podcast episode, he recounted how Ralf frowned upon peanuts being near his race car, a superstition whose origins remain unclear, but which he and his family took very seriously in their racing environment.
“My grandfather, Ralf Earnhardt was very serious about peanuts being around his race car, that’s an old superstition. I don’t know where that origin of that superstition comes from.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Former NASCAR Driver
Known as the family’s patriarch, Ralf Earnhardt competed in the NASCAR Cup Series during the 1950s and 1960s, achieving over 350 NASCAR-sanctioned wins out of 51 Cup starts, and is remembered for his deep influence on race day rituals. His firm beliefs contributed to a legacy of superstition and seriousness that persists in the Earnhardt line, even following his death from a heart attack in 1973.
The traditions upheld by Dale Earnhardt Jr., embracing practices set by his father and grandfather, reflect a multi-generational commitment to routines, no matter how unusual. These stories illustrate both the enduring pressures faced by racing families and the legacy left by iconic figures in NASCAR history, such as the Earnhardts, JR Motorsports, and the sport’s tight-knit community.
