Category: Racing

Matt Kenseth opens up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. about his nerves coming back to NASCAR

“I’m already a little anxious about that first lap at Darlington,” the 48-year-old driver told Dale Jr.

For the first time since November 2018, Matt Kenseth will be behind the wheel competing in a NASCAR Cup Series race. But the 48-year-old veteran will be jumping in a car he’s never raced before, working with a new crew chief and spotter and doing it all with no qualifying, practice or test laps.

“How would you like to be one of those suckers lined up around me?” Kenseth joked on this week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast about possibly being a wildcard. “You think I’m nervous?”

Kenseth will make his 2020 Cup Series debut Sunday at Darlington Raceway for NASCAR’s return to the track after missing eight events this spring because of the global COVID-19 crisis. He’ll race full-time for the rest of the season in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, replacing Kyle Larson, who was fired last month after using the N-word during a virtual iRacing event.

Away from NASCAR for about 18 months, the 2003 Cup Series champ explained on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast that when the team called him about taking over the ride full-time, he discussed the commitment with his wife, Katie, and how it might affect their four daughters, all of whom are under the age of 11.

He said that had this opportunity been presented to him in February, his answer “almost for sure” would have even no.

But between being quarantined at home with not much to do and the No. 42 team’s strong performances in the first four races of the season, Kenseth said the timing was perfect, adding that he wouldn’t have agreed to come back if he had doubts about being able to “put 100 percent effort in.”

“I’m pretty excited,” the two-time Daytona 500 winner said. “This is as excited as I’ve been to go racing in as long as I can remember, to be honest with you. I’m looking forward to getting back to the track.”

Kenseth continued on the Dale Jr. Download:

“This just kind of came up out of nowhere, and honestly, it’s like one of those things you think about it for a little bit, talked to Katie a lot about it, and just seemed like the right deal at the right time for me. It’s a competitive car. I think they’ve got a great team over there. …

“Usually when you make a driver change or a crew chief change or all that, it’s almost always performance-related, right? So to have that opportunity to get in a car that’s currently running well — I know you’re already part way into the season and all that — but it’s currently running well and really, they just needed a driver. I just thought it was a good opportunity for me to take another stab at it.”

The last time Kenseth was in a Cup car, he was driving for Roush Fenway Racing. To help guide a rebuilding team, he split the ride with former No. 6 Ford driver Trevor Bayne that season, earning two top-10 finishes in 15 races.

But this time around, he’s getting into a car that showed some speed early in the NASCAR season. Through the first four races before the schedule was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Larson and the No. 42 team had three top-10 finishes, most recently coming in fourth at Phoenix Raceway in early March.

And Kenseth wants to pick up right where the team left off.

Although he said nothing replaces practice or test laps in a car, he’s utilizing all the resources available to him, from talking to new teammate Kurt Busch, analyzing data from past races, watching film, reading through notes from last year’s Darlington race and talking with his crew chief, Chad Johnston.

When Earnhardt asked what his goals are for this 2020 stint, Kenseth said:

“I hope to be competitive. Obviously, it’s going to be a steep learning curve, you know, it sounds like the first six races there’s not going to be any practice. And never driving for this team and a different spotter, crew chief, equipment, car, steering, fit — you know all the things that go into that to make you feel confident and make you feel comfortable and to be able to help you relay information. So it’s going to be pretty interesting.

“I’m already a little anxious about that first lap at Darlington. But I mean, really, my goals aren’t any different than what they used to be. I’d say I adjusted my goals in 2018 just because I knew there were probably some things we had to change and things like that. But every other I really raced, my goals haven’t really been that different. It’s just be the best I can be. You go out, and you hope you can put everything together and figure out how to win.”

Kenseth has 39 career Cup victories in 18 full-time seasons, dating back to 2000 when he edged out Earnhardt for rookie of the year.

His last full-time NASCAR season was in 2017 with Joe Gibbs Racing — he won the penultimate race of the season at Phoenix Raceway — before he was replaced by Erik Jones, who is 24 years Kenseth’s junior.

He told Dale Jr. and podcast co-host Mike Davis that he never found an opportunity he deemed the “right fit” after that season, so he decided to walk away. But he said he doesn’t think he “was every totally at peace with the whole situation” of how this full-time career in NASCAR seemingly ended.

And he doesn’t like to use the word “retired” because, as he sees it, he’s clearly not done racing. Last summer, he even won a super late model race in Wisconsin.

“I actually never used the R-word. Like everybody’s saying — I don’t really read much of what people say, but people will be like, ‘Oh, he’s coming out of retirement for the second time.’ I was like, ‘Well, I never went into retirement. I wasn’t currently racing, but I never really retired.”

But he was quick to admit he does miss racing. Kenseth continued on Earnhardt’s podcast:

“Yes, there’s a lot of things I missed about it. It’s not the things that everybody would think. I really missed the camaraderie. I really miss being part of a team, part of a unit, a group, that is trying to go out and beat the best teams and beat the best teams that build stock cars, to try to be the best you can be and be part of that link in that chain.

“So it takes everybody doing their job at a high level to be able to be successful at this sport or be able to win. So I really miss being part of the group, the interaction with your team, just the little things, going to the shop. That’s what I miss the most.”

NASCAR’s (and Kenseth’s) first race back is Sunday, May 17 at Darlington Raceway at 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX).

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Why F1 star Sebastian Vettel says he and Ferrari are breaking up

Sebastian Vettel is done with Ferrari after the 2020 F1 season.

In a virtual press conference last month, Formula One star Sebastian Vettel said there would be “no discussion” about the possibility of him retiring at the end of the 2020 season. He is, however, ditching Ferrari.

Releasing a statement Tuesday, Ferrari confirmed reports that it and the four-time F1 world champion have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, which is currently paused because of the global COVID-19 pandemic and is not expected to return until July at the earliest. Vettel’s current contract is up at the end of the current season.

The German driver will turn 33 years old in July, and without a ride for next season, his future in the sport remains in limbo — even if he was previously adamant about not retiring. Depending on how other free-agent pieces move around, there could be a place for Vettel with McLaren, Renault or even Red Bull, but his inability to reach a deal with Ferrari could also leave him without a job.

In a statement released with Ferrari, Vettel explained how, despite being in contract talks for a while, the last few months have given him a chance to reflect on his career and future. He said in full:

“My relationship with Scuderia Ferrari will finish at the end of 2020. In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony. The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season. Financial matters have played no part in this joint decision. That’s not the way I think when it comes to making certain choices and it never will be.

What’s been happening in these past few months has led many of us to reflect on what are our real priorities in life. One needs to use one’s imagination and to adopt a new approach to a situation that has changed. I myself will take the time I need to reflect on what really matters when it comes to my future.

Scuderia Ferrari occupies a special place in Formula 1 and I hope it gets all the success it deserves. Finally, I want to thank the whole Ferrari family and above all its “tifosi” all around the world, for the support they have given me over the years. My immediate goal is to finish my long stint with Ferrari, in the hope of sharing some more beautiful moments together, to add to all those we have enjoyed so far.”

In his first five years with Ferrari, Vettel earned 14 grand prix victories, making him the third-most successful driver for the team. The 2020 season, when it starts, now will be his sixth and final year with the team.

In part, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said in the statement:

“This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best. It was not an easy decision to reach, given Sebastian’s worth as a driver and as a person. There was no specific reason that led to this decision, apart from the common and amicable belief that the time had come to go our separate ways in order to reach our respective objectives.”

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NASCAR’s latest schedule changes eliminate 3 races in 2020 due to COVID-19

NASCAR added three races to the schedule to help its return to racing. But that meant three others had to go.

NASCAR announced Friday what it described as a “realignment” for its already revised Cup Series schedule as the result of the global COVID-19 outbreak, which initially led to the postponement of eight races this spring.

Simply put, NASCAR’s return to racing later this month features three new races added to the schedule. So in turn, three races in the future needed to be eliminated to equal the total 36 it usually runs.

Because of that, Chicagoland Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Richmond Raceway each lost one race this season. Richmond typically hosts two Cup Series races per year, so while the spring race originally scheduled for April will not be made up, NASCAR’s visit to the short track in September is still on. However, Chicagoland and Sonoma lost their lone races of the season.

In a statement Friday, the governing body said:

“Due to the current pandemic, NASCAR has faced several difficult decisions, including realigning race dates from several race tracks. These decisions were made following thorough collaboration with local and state government officials from across the country, including the areas of the affected race tracks. We thank all our fans for their support, and we look forward to our return to racing.”

NASCAR’s last race in 2020 was in early March at Phoenix Raceway right before the sports world shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak.

But it’s returning to the real-life race track — as opposed to the virtual track drivers have been competing on while the COVID-19 crisis put the season on hold — later this month, starting with four planned races, three of which were added to the schedule.

Sonoma Raceway (USA TODAY Sports)

After an eight-race hiatus, the Cup Series’ first race back is Sunday, May 17 at Darlington Raceway. The second event will be Wednesday the 20th also at the 1.366-mile South Carolina track, which normally only has one race a season, the Southern 500 at the end of the summer (and still on NASCAR’s schedule).

Following Darlington, the next two races will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The first one will be the iconic Coca-Cola 600 — it will be on Memorial Day Weekend for the 60th straight season – while the second was added to the schedule and will be on the following Wednesday.

Because Darlington received two extra races and Charlotte got one, NASCAR needed to eliminate three races somewhere else.

As NASCAR explained, the Chicagoland race was “realigned” to Darlington on May 17, Richmond’s spring race was “realigned” to Darlington on May 20, and Sonoma’s race was “realigned” to Charlotte on May 27.

Several factors were considered for NASCAR to come back, such as being able to drive to tracks for one-day trips and which states are willing to allow racing to actually take place, like North Carolina and South Carolina. Those components will likely also impact the governing body’s moves beyond the four initial races announced as part of its return.

Although no additional race dates beyond May 27 have been confirmed, NASCAR has been adamant about doing everything in its power to race a full 36-race season. The next race currently on the regular schedule is at Kansas Speedway on May 31.

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How Dale Earnhardt Jr. preserved an abandoned NASCAR track for use in iRacing

Dale Jr. loves North Wilkesboro Speedway, so he worked to preserve it… virtually.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. loves North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, despite its dilapidated condition and desperate need for a makeover.

The abandoned .625-mile track is about 80 miles north of Charlotte, and the NASCAR Cup Series hasn’t competed at it since 1996. Although some people in NASCAR would like the sport to return to it some day, the condition the track is in makes that highly unlikely. Even a 2019 feature by The Athletic about Earnhardt’s involvement with the track described it as “closer to being condemned than anything else.”

But Earnhardt found a way to preserve it — just virtually thanks to iRacing’s technology — and documented the process of cleaning the track up.

In addition to gathering the necessary data for iRacing, the final product was a 15-minute short documentary from Dale Jr.’s company Dirty Mo Media called Bringing Back Wilkesboro.

Since the global COVID-19 outbreak, iRacing has largely been in NASCAR’s spotlight with racing moving online. And the exhibition eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is headed to none other than North Wilkesboro to race on the virtual track, which debuts on iRacing on Saturday.

It’s all thanks to this project. But it probably wouldn’t be possible without Earnhardt, who pushed for the track to be scanned and immortalized in the virtual racing world.

“It won’t be here much longer as it continues to decay,” Dale Jr. says in the film. “If we can take a scan of the surface, the walls, we can go back to whenever we want and recreate the race track as it was in any year, and it’ll be there forever for us to enjoy.”

The problem was for iRacing to gather enough data to create a simulated version of the track, the weeds growing out of the surface needed to be removed.

In the film, Earnhardt specifically mentions how this tweet helped ignite the track’s virtual preservation:

While Earnhardt and several others cleaned up the track so it could be laser scanned and added to the iRacing world, Dirty Mo Media filmed the work and created the documentary about the process. According to the short film, more than a dozen people, Earnhardt included, used 18 trimmers, 11 blowers and two track sweepers to clear the surface.

The documentary premiered Thursday on Dale Jr.’s Twitch page, and it’s also available to watch on YouTube.

The seventh and presumably final eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event is the North Wilkesboro 160 on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and FS1. Earnhardt is among the expected participants.

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NASCAR could fine team members up to $50,000 for breaking COVID-19 safety rules at races

NASCAR is returning during the coronavirus crisis, but not without some strict safety protocols.

As NASCAR prepares to return later this month to the real-life race track — as opposed to the virtual track drivers have been competing on while the COVID-19 crisis put the season on hold — it outlined some strict health and safety protocols put in place to protect the few people actually allowed at the track, along with anyone they may come into contact with.

Of course, spectators won’t be in the stands. But NASCAR is requiring those who are allowed to attend to practice social distancing and wear personal protective equipment like masks. Teams are also limited to 16 people per car roster, and there will also be health screenings for people when they enter and exit the track, along with during the event.

And just in case anyone doesn’t take these new rules seriously, the governing body is ready to fine people not complying up to $50,000.

NASCAR updated its rules Wednesday regarding members’ conduct to include, via RACER:

“[F]ailure to comply with NASCAR’s COVID-19 Event Protocol Guidelines and/or instructions from NASCAR including screenings, social distancing, compartmentalization, and use of required personal protective equipment, etc.”

As NBC Sports noted, the penalty for breaking these rules will lead to a fine between $10,000 and $50,000 for the Cup Series, between $5,000 and $25,000 for the second-tier XFINITY Series and between $2,500 and $12,500 for the third-tier Truck Series. (The latter two series are also returning to racing with an adjusted schedule.)

After eight Cup Series races have been postponed, NASCAR is planning its return for Sunday, May 17 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Reworking the schedule, that event is followed by a mid-week, second race at Darlington and then two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first of which is the Coca-Cola 600.

In addition to implementing safety measures at the track, NASCAR significantly modify both its season and individual weekend schedules.

To put on a race but limit travel and exposure to others, it’s ensuring that every race is a one-day show. Both tracks are within driving distance from NASCAR’s home base in Charlotte — so no flights, hotels, engaging with the community, etc. — and there won’t be practices or qualifying (except the latter for the Coke 600).

North Carolina and South Carolina are also allowing NASCAR to race, and that will be a factor in determining how the rest of the schedule will look after these first four races, three of which are new to the schedule, adding another layer of complexity to the return of racing.

The first NASCAR event following the season’s coronavirus-related suspension is a nameless 400-mile race at Darlington on Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The next one is Wednesday the 20th also at Darlington at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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NASCAR president Steve Phelps says revised racing schedule is ’99 percent’ done

NASCAR’s return now means some tracks will have to lose a race later on.

NASCAR is on its way back, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, with cars scheduled to hit the track at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17 for the first time since early March when the season was postponed. And fans (of NASCAR and sports in general) are pumped for the return of some type of athletic competition.

But there are a number of complex issues related to the coronavirus’ impact on racing and NASCAR’s nine-month schedule, ranging from the strict health and safety measures that will be in place for the few people actually allowed at the track to the logistics of trying to fit a full slate of 36 races in after eight have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

However, NASCAR president Steve Phelps said this week on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast that the reworked schedule is “99 percent of the way done.” And that means the governing body has already tentatively figured out which tracks will lose or gain races this season.

For right now, the NASCAR Cup Series’ revised schedule opens with four races: Two at Darlington followed by two at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend.

On this week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Phelps explained:

“We would like to announce a full schedule. The reasons why we can’t do that — part of that has to do with we don’t know if we can get into that particular state or not. So we know we’re good in the state of South Carolina. We know we’re good in the state of North Carolina. So that’s kind of where we stopped just to put a flag in the ground and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to move forward with these first four races.'”

North Carolina and South Carolina are permitting NASCAR to race and re-open their shops, and with the sport based in Charlotte, both tracks are within driving distance to make each trip as short as possible. Additionally, there won’t be practice for these races, nor will there be qualifying outside of the Coca-Cola 600.

But these two tracks also complicate things.

Normally, the Cup Series would have one race, the Southern 500, per season at Darlington, and it’s one of NASCAR’s “crown jewel” events. There also traditionally would be two races at the Charlotte track: The Coke 600 (also a “crown jewel”) and a playoff race on the half-road course, half-oval known as the roval.

Both the Southern 500 in September and the roval race in October remain on the schedule as planned currently. So by handing Darlington two additional races and giving Charlotte a third, NASCAR will have to drop three other race dates from the schedule — and that number could increase, depending on the direction the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. takes.

Phelps continued on the Dale Jr. Download:

“What we’re determining right now is, obviously, the number of events in Darlington for this year, when the season started, we had one. Now, we have three, so we had to figure out where those races are coming from.

“So we have some idea. But we’re trying to figure out what that looks like because if you have two additional Darlingtons and one additional Charlotte Motor Speedway [race], they have to come from some race track. So is that coming from a race track with two events that will now have one? Those are the things we’re trying to work through right now.”

NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, Steve O’Donnell, was a little firmer. In a conference call with reporters Thursday, he said: “Those decisions have been made,” but NASCAR isn’t prepared to make anything public.

There are several contributing factors for figuring out which races could be eliminated, including sponsorship obligations and whether the tracks are owned by either NASCAR or Speedway Motorsports.

But the point is that some tracks are going to lose a race, and although the situation is fluid, it sounds like NASCAR has determined which ones.

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Kyle Larson is returning to the dirt track after being fired by NASCAR team

Kyle Larson is set to compete in an upcoming World of Outlaws sprint car race.

Three weeks after Kyle Larson was fired by his NASCAR team, Chip Ganassi Racing, for using a racist slur, the 27-year-old driver is returning to the race track.

Larson will compete Friday in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, NBC Sports reported Tuesday. It will be the sprint car series’ first race since early February with several events on the schedule being postponed or canceled because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Without real-life racing, drivers moved online to the virtual iRacing world. And during a virtual event on Sunday, April 12, Larson used the N-word on his radio, and it was heard by not only those competing but also by fans watching the livestream.

By Monday after the clip made its way around the internet, both NASCAR and Ganassi suspended Larson indefinitely, and after Larson’s sponsors ended their relationships with him, the team announced Tuesday that it fired him.

On April 27, news broke that 48-year-old veteran Matt Kenseth is replacing Larson in the No. 42 Chevrolet for the rest of the Cup Series season, which plans to resume competition (without fans) at Darlington Raceway on May 17.

Since sharing a video apology the day after using the slur, Larson has not posted anything to his Twitter or Instagram pages about the incident or anything else.

Additionally, NASCAR is also requiring Larson to complete sensitivity training before returning. NASCAR told For The Win that the organization doesn’t comment on the sensitivity training process when a driver is in it and will confirm the person’s completion of it when the driver has been reinstated.

The World of Outlaws said in a statement last month that Larson — who loves dirt track racing and is also a sprint car team owner and multi-race winner — would be able to return to racing after finishing “a sensitivity training course within 30 days of the date of the infraction.” And the series said he fufilled those retirements “to our satisfaction,” RACER‘s Kelly Crandall reported Tuesday.

Tuesday, the World of Outlaws also announced 16 sprint car and late model races through mid-June, starting with Friday’s race at Knoxville. Although spectators are not allowed yet, fans can stream it via DIRTVision.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. touchingly describes why he’s elated to have a second daughter

“I can’t even hardly put it into words,” Dale Jr. explained.

Days after Dale Jr. and Amy Earnhardt celebrated the gender reveal for their second child due in a few months, the retired NASCAR driver opened up about having another baby and what that means to him and for his family.

On the latest episode of his podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt explained not only why he’s ecstatic to have another girl but also why he said he “was a little nervous” about the idea of having a boy. He said he’d assume there would be astronomical expectations in life for a boy, presumably to have a career in racing that would draw constant comparisons to Dale Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(Podcast co-host Mike Davis asks Earnhardt about their gender reveal at the 13:50 mark in the video below.)

Earnhardt said on the podcast:

“You go through a lot of emotions about, you know, I know a lot of people were hoping that we were going to have a boy. So you think about those things. And I’ll be honest with you, and I don’t know how people will receive this. I was worried — I’ve gotta choose my words wisely here — I was super worried about having a son.

“The expectations and people’s hopes of who he would become or might become were gonna be just really unrealistic and challenging and, at times, even unfair maybe. And so there was a part of me that was a little nervous about that, about having a son and being the focus of how I raised him and who he was and who he was going to be. And I’m sure I’m overthinking the hell out of that.”

But his tone quickly shifted.

After detailing why he had some nerves about a hypothetical son, he touchingly explained why he’s overjoyed that they’re having another daughter. Fans of the podcast recently got a taste of Earnhardt’s life as a dad when Isla joined the show a few weeks ago for a predictably adorable appearance.

More from the Dale Jr. Download:

“There is a love and a feeling about being the father of a daughter that I can’t even hardly put it into words. Isla is now, just in the last probably several weeks, is constantly saying how much she loves me. She loves her daddy and loves to be up against her dad and wants her dad to tuck her in at night.

“It’s just the most amazing thing, and to have another dose of that ingredient in the household, I’m all about it. So Amy’s great, Isla’s great, and we’re going to add to that. We’re going to bring more of that into our home, and I just can’t wait.”

More good news: They already have a name picked out after struggling to decide on Isla the first time around.

“We have a name. It took us forever to figure out Isla’s name. It was like the very last few weeks of Amy’s pregnancy is when we finally decided on a name. But now we have a name, and it came really easy, and I feel great about that.”

Of course, he didn’t share what that name is yet. He and Amy also haven’t mentioned what their due date is, but considering they announced they’re expecting back in March, we’re guessing the baby will be born in September or October.

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Danica Patrick reflects on her historic IndyCar win 12 years later: ‘It was a *finally* moment’

For The Win spoke with Danica Patrick about her top memories from her historic win — including the big bottle of sake she celebrated with.

Danica Patrick was behind the wheel and flew past Hélio Castroneves on the outside for the lead late in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi Superspeedway. She only had a few more laps. She just had to hang on before making history.

Then it became clear Castroneves couldn’t catch her. There was no way. And after leading for only three of 200 laps at the 1.5-mile track in her No. 7 Andretti Green Racing Honda, Patrick took the checkered flag on April 20, 2008, making her the only woman to cross the finish line first in an IndyCar Series race.

It was the only checkered flag of Patrick’s storied career, and she remains the only woman to ever win an IndyCar race. And when she walked away from the race track for good in 2018 — her farewell tour was dubbed the “Danica Double” as she finished with NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 — she was (and still is) the only female driver to race consistently full-time at the top of both disciplines.

In honor of Danica’s first and only career win 12 years ago Monday, For The Win spoke with the retired driver about how she views her historic win, the celebration that still stands out and how she reacted to critics over it.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions your win in Japan?

Finally. I think it always has been that. It was a finally moment. I also think to myself, “My goodness, that was such a long time ago now.”

Is that your feeling about it now, or was there a moment at or near the end of the race when you felt that way?

It’s just a general feeling. I felt like in my IndyCar career, there were so many times earlier on that it was sitting right there, and, shoot, including my fourth race in IndyCar in the Indy 500. [Danica finished fourth in her first Indy 500.] And I’m so grateful it happened, and it was really fun.

What else stands out when you think back?

The activities that happened after, from drinking a big bottle of sake on the helicopter on the way down to the airport to flying home with Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon and everybody. We drank the plane dry — either that or they cut us off — of their liquor. And then I had a 3 a.m. wake-up call to get hair and makeup done the next morning to go on East Coast morning TV. It was just a whirlwind.

That was a long time ago, and I’m learning how to do a couple things. One of them is having a little more perspective and pride on the things that have happened, like letting go of the mentality that has run my life, which is just, “Never enough and never good enough.” So instead of looking back at that moment with any kind of negativity like, “I wish I would have had more wins,” or “I wish it would have come sooner,” I look back, and I’m just grateful. And I had a great career.

(Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Does that mean you don’t regret not winning more races?

Well, I mean, of course you want to win more races. But what’s the good in that being my memory? It’s not a very productive memory. It’s not going to help me win more races.

Did you come across critics trying to invalidate the win?

Of course. There will always be critics.

Does it bother you that people question it?

No, because I can remember all the times I was really close to winning without a fuel strategy, and it didn’t happen. I know the driver that I was, and it all looks the same in the history books.

I remember reading after that some people were like, “Yeah, come back to the States and win at home,” or something like that. And I’m thinking, “Ha, that’s cute.”

By the time you finished, Hélio Castroneves was pretty far behind you. Do you remember what was running through your mind on that last lap?

Just, “Bring it home.” Like, I did it.

I think more than anything, what I remember is before I passed Hélio in the closing laps, I remember thinking: “I’m not going to worry too much about my fuel right now because I would be so mad if the caution came out, and I was being conservative until the last lap and I was not in the lead.” So I remember thinking, “He’s so close. I’m going to push it here and just get by him.” And then I also remember I did a really good job with the fuel strategy. Hélio had the same strategy as I did, and I won by a lot. So the whole run paid off in the end and made the last lap really comfortable.

Is there a single moment you remember more vividly than others?

There’s a lot, but if I have to identify one: The trophy was really funny. Just to have this giant trophy, and there’s such a great picture with Hélio and his trophy. And Hélio, being the character that he is, he of course embodied the look you’d have with a trophy that size next to mine. That was one of those memories.

And in the end they asked if there was anything else I’d like to say, and I just said, “Kanpai,” which is “Cheers.” It was a good day.

Castroneves and Patrick at Twin Ring Motegi on April 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Is there something about that day or race that you think most people don’t know about?

A couple little tidbits from Japan: No. 1 is I love going. And in the spring, there were cherry blossoms, and it was so beautiful. And I would go running in the morning around the track and be able to see all the cherry blossoms because not only is there the oval, but there’s the road course. It’s a really big facility, so I would go running for a while. That probably helped just put me in a good mood.

What impact do you think your win had on motor sports?

I still think that’s easier for other people to answer than it is me at this point. It’s still not that long ago in the grand scheme of things, but it’s hard to feel the full perspective or see what comes of it. Every time someone breaks the norm, it opens up that mental capacity for what’s possible. I think that it was just something special, unique and different, and that’s what made it big.

Do you ever rewatch it?

No. I don’t think I’ve ever actually watched the race.

Overall, how do you remember that win when you look back?

I think my big thought is that I can be really hard on myself, and I think that I’m entering this phase where I am doing myself a disservice to have negative thoughts around things that I’ve accomplished. My mind really thinks like, “Was I successful? Did I really accomplish all that I could have?”

But I think it’s unproductive and unhealthy. So I’m learning to look back on my life and the things that I’ve done with a lot more gratitude and a lot more perspective and appreciation and enjoy it and be proud of what it was. Motegi was definitely one of those.

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Dale Jr. delightfully surprised Amy Earnhardt for second baby’s gender reveal

Dale Jr. was so excited to surprise Amy with some baby news.

When Amy Earnhardt told Dale Jr. she’s pregnant with their second child, her husband was delightfully stunned (and she captured it on video for the rest of us to enjoy). So when the time came for the couple to learn if they’re having a boy or girl, he wanted to return the favor.

Dale Jr. — with a huge assist from their toddler, Isla, who will celebrate her second birthday on April 30 — found out the baby’s gender before Amy, and he had a special pair of baby shoes made to give to her for their reveal. The shoes are just like ones Amy gave him a couple years ago to tell him they were having a girl.

“She got to surprise me with the pregnancy, so I get to surprise her with the news!” Dale Jr. said in the video he recently shared on Instagram. “I’m so excited!”

And he wrote in the caption:

Good 👶🏼 news to share. It’s a…

The Earnhardts announced in March that they’re expecting their second child, also with some adorable help from Isla, who was so excited to celebrate becoming a big sister.

Recently on the Dale Jr. Download, NASCAR’s 15-time most popular driver’s weekly podcast, Earnhardt opened up about expecting another baby. He said:

“I’m looking for forward to going through that role process again and to have another human in our house. The first two years with Isla have been incredible, and I can’t wait for that experience all over again and to see them two together, interact with each other, will just be so much fun.”

Dale Jr. and Amy have not mentioned a due date publicly yet. However, Amy wrote on Instagram that the video of her telling him that she’s pregnant was a few weeks old, so if we had to guess, we’d say the newest Earnhardt will be born around October.

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