Dale Earnhardt Jr had ideas to build a dirt track when he retired

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s dirt track idea’s not 100% off the table

What does a NASCAR driver do when he retires? Rarely, do they up and leave the sport completely.

Well before Dale Earnhardt Jr’s retirement tour of 2017, he had a plan for his post-NASCAR career. Dale Jr wanted to own a dirt track.

Did you ever have plans to own a race track someday?

“Heck no,” Dale Earnhardt Jr opens his statement via the Dale Jr Download.

“Me and Tony Jr had joked that when we retired we were going to build a dirt track.”

“We were going to have it strictly one series, just street stocks. We’re gunna pay $2,000 to win. We were gunna have heat races, c-main, b-main, a-main but just with one series. If you’re gunna race here, one series.”

“And we would have a Whisky River off turn 4 or whatever that everybody would go to after the race.”

Dale Jr says 1 class is all you need as long as you can get enough cars. Paying $2,000 to win for the street stocks would certainly bring all the street stocks in the area.

“That’s all you need is cars. To have all the races you want all night long. You could race from 7-10 and then be done and go to the bar. And… I don’t know why that wouldn’t work?”

Rustic Race Car Wrap - Belle-Claire Speedway 2619
Rustic Race Car Wrap – Belle-Claire Speedway

Why dirt?

“I just think it’s easy to manage. It’s low maintenance.”

“If I ever do… That’s our model.”

Though he didn’t start from scratch, Dale Earnhardt has already been the co-owner of a dirt track. In 2006, he purchased Paducah International Raceway along with Tony Stewart and Bob Sargent.

That would appear to be the ‘dream team’ when it comes to dirt track promoters. However, it was difficult for any of those parties to be involved in a major capacity while holding a full-time job on the asphalt side.

At the same time, Tony Stewart is the owner of Eldora Speedway. In addition, he’s co-owner of Macon Speedway. A lot of people were spread pretty thin. Paducah International Raceway track went up for sale last year.

“It was very difficult to operate a business so many hours away,” Sargent told WPSD. “We looked for someone to lease the track, and it is for sale. The status is still unclear, but it is up in the air right now.”

That track has now sprung back to life for the upcoming season. Phil Colwell, a Tennessee business man has leased the dirt track for 2018.

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