Dale Jr reiterates NASCAR driver salary comments

Dale Earnhardt Jr clears up some things…

Dale Earnhardt Jr is aiming to set the record straight on a few things. At Watkins Glen, he made comments about NASCAR driver salaries. In his weekly addition of the Dale Jr Download has addresses some of those topics again.

Related: Dale Earnhardt Jr talks NASCAR driver salaries

Those comments sparked a bit of outrage across the starting grid. Kevin Harvick of note. Harvick went on a rant last night stating, “I heard Dale Jr’s comments about driver salaries and how they need to go down. Dale’s never really been in a position, since he’s been at Hendrick Motorsports, to really understand where normal driver salaries, really even are.”

Related: “I believe that Dale Jr has had a big part in kind of stunting the growth of NASCAR.” -Kevin Harvick

It should be noted that while this podcast was released today, it was also recorded yesterday at JR Motorsports. It was recorded about the same time of Kevin Harvick’s radio show ‘Happy Hours’ or even a few hours ahead of Harvick Sirius XM Radio slot. So, you can officially state this is in no way a response from Dale Jr to Kevin Harvick. Because at the time of record, Harvick hadn’t yet flown off the handle.

Dale Jr Reiterates NASCAR Driver Salary Comments

Dale Jr clears it up, “I was trying to explain where the business is. And you know, why we’re seeing the things happen that we’re seeing.”

Dale Jr salary
Dale Earnhardt Jr at Watkins Glen International

“I didn’t think I was saying anything that wasn’t true and I thought I gave correct answers to the questions I got asked in the media center. I think some of my statements since then were a bit out of context.”

I said that I think that I might’ve been overpaid

-Dale Earnhardt Jr

“One of the narratives that has come out of it, is that I thought that drivers were overpaid. That’s not something I ever said. I said that I think that I might’ve been overpaid.”

“What I mean by that is… When I got my first contract from Rick [Hendrick], I refused to look at the base salary numbers and all the percentages. I didn’t want to know any of that stuff.”

“I’ve had a hard time in my life, sorta, feeling worthy of things. And worthy of moments and accomplishments and appreciation. So, that was a situation where I was like ‘You and Kelly handle that. I don’t even wanna know what it is, it’s gunna stick in my head.’ ”

“So I’ve always felt over-appreciated, I guess, or whatever you wanna call that. I’ve been blown away by what I’ve made, what kind of lifestyle this has provided for me. It’s more than I ever dreamed.”

“In a healthy situation: An established team, major corporate sponsorship support, manufacturing support. That more than likely is going to give any driver for that team more leverage to obtain the type of deal that they want.”

The Hendrick Motorsports #88 driver concludes, “I think that, that’s still achievable. I never met to imply that ‘Everybody’s gotta understand that this is scaling back.’ Cause there are teams out there that are still able to secure that type of sponsorship and haven’t seen a decline in funding. Those teams can afford to pay drivers X amount of money. Those drivers, have every right to get what they feel is their worth.”

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Hendrick Motorsports
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Kevin Harvick
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Dale Earnhardt Jr
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NASCAR
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Shane Walters
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