Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently sat down with Donnie Rives, his late father’s best friend, to unearth some previously unheard tales about NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. On the Dirty Mo Media podcast, Rives shared an outrageous story from their time at Daytona International Speedway during Dale Sr.’s part-time racing days.
In the episode of “Dale Jr. Download,” Rives recounted a night when he and Dale Sr. ended up sleeping in a laundry room of a remote motel. When 49-year-old Dale Jr. asked about preparations for a race on July 4th in Daytona, Rives recalled:
“He [Dale Sr.] went [for the Daytona race] and he didn’t even tell me he was going. The phone rang, I picked it up, and it was your daddy.”
The two then exchanged their whereabouts. While Rives was getting ready for church, Dale Sr. was already in Daytona. Rives continued:
“I said, ‘What in the world are you doing at Daytona?’ He said, ‘Cronkite’s got his car down here, and I’m gonna drive it for him. But I need some help…Can you come?'”
Before starting his rookie Cup Series season with Osterlund Racing, Dale Sr. competed for Will Cronkite Racing in 1978. Rives, who was part of the crew, was responsible for the tires and joined one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers for the Daytona run. Dale Earnhardt Jr. then inquired about their hotel arrangements during the race schedule. Rives admitted they had no clue about the location, adding that the motel they were supposed to stay in was 20 miles from the track. He said:
“So we got there about one thirty or two o’clock in the morning and couldn’t find anywhere. Finally, we stopped at one motel, and the man told us, ‘Yeah, I got the laundry room out here. I got two cots in it, and y’all stay in it tonight if you want to.’ We were dead tired. I said, ‘We’ll take it.'”
This appearance was a rare one for Donnie Rives, who usually avoids interviews. His close relationship with Dale Sr. and his deep involvement in NASCAR history brought him to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, where he shared unseen facets of ‘The Intimidator.’
When asked why he finally decided to speak, Rives said:
“I felt like the only reason I’ve done it was Dale would approve of it. I mean, I hadn’t gone and told anybody anything, and I know a lot of stuff I ain’t gonna tell. And not necessarily bad; that’s the way it is.”
Rives recalled Dale Sr. once told him, “If anything ever happens to me, do not write a book and don’t go telling everything we know. But I figured that being how it was you, he would okay it.”
For the NASCAR community and fans, hearing new stories and insights about the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. is always a treat, highlighting his lasting impact on the sport.
