In any sport, it’s hard to say goodbye to a legend.
Over the last few years, Yankees Captain Derek Jeter retired from baseball, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant called it an NBA career, and Peyton Manning retired from football after a brilliant career with the Colts and Broncos. And now NASCAR will soon bid farewell to one of the best drivers of all time.
On Tuesday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he is retiring at the end of the 2017 season at the age of 42 because of health concerns. Earnhardt missed the last 18 races of the 2016 season due to a concussion and lingering symptoms. He will walk away from the Monster Energy Series after a brilliant 19-year career and the reaction from the NASCAR world this week was reflective and supportive.
Especially from other NASCAR teams.
“I think it’s the right decision for him personally,” said Andrew Murstein, co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports. “It’s the end of an era. The good news for the sport though is that there is a great young group of start coming up like Aric Almirola, Kyle Lawson, and Chase Elliot.”
Following in his father’s footsteps, Earnhardt has put together an amazing career with 26 wins in 603 starts including two series championships, two Daytona 500 titles, and two championships in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series where he plans on returning to take part in two races next season for the JR Motorsports team.
Not seeing him in the “88” car is going to be a tough pill to swallow for his supporters and for all NASCAR fans, but saying goodbye to stars that we love is part of sports. Earnhardt is retiring, but stock car racing will continue to electrify its fans.
“Eventually life goes on and someone new rises to the occasion,” said Murstein. “There will never be anyone exactly like Jr., but new fan favorites will quickly emerge.
It’s hard for some athletes to call it a career, especially the superstars. Michael Jordan came out of retirement twice to return to the hardwood. Mario Lemieux had his number retired by the Penguins and was immediately inducted to the Hockey Hall of fame but returned to the NHL. And former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is back on the football field this year after a one-year hiatus as he will play for the Raiders.
How hard is it to walk away? Just ask “The King.”
“It’s the hardest thing in the world for a race car driver to say okay, I need to go do something else,” said NASCAR legend and RPM Co-Owner Richard Petty. “I’ve had a lot of trouble with it, and I know he’s spent a lot of time thinking about it and talking with his family. I was hoping that he wouldn’t come back after having all the trouble he had last year. He did come back, and I realized how hard it is to get out of the race car.”
Earnhardt said during his press conference on Tuesday that it was a decision that was hard to reach but that he wanted to leave on his own terms. He called it a “bittersweet” day in terms of coming to a decision on his future but after all that he’s accomplished in the sport, not getting into that car after this year is going to be tough.
“That’s why he’s done it so long and enjoyed it so much,” said Petty. “Whether you win or lose, you enjoy it. It was a hard decision to make. I’m glad he went ahead and made the decision. I know he had a lot of sleepless days and nights, talking to his family and different situations. He’ll be okay. He’s been around racing long enough to know what’s going on.”
And it’s not like Earnhardt is walking away from the sport completely as he intends to remain involved with NASCAR in some capacity.
If an athlete has to retire from a sport, the competitive juices or even the passion for the sport can still be satisfied, to an extent, by staying involved. Just look at some of the stars that I’ve already talked about in this story. Michael Jordan is the Chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, Derek Jeter is part of a group that is trying to buy the Miami Marlins and Mario Lemieux is part of the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership group. Also, Magic Johnson was recently named President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even though he won’t be racing, Earnhardt can still be an important part of the NASCAR family.
“Just like “The King” has never left the sport, I hope Jr. never leaves it either,” said Murstein. “His presence around the track will be a great thing. In fact, just like Jeff Gordon, I think once you leave the sport as an athlete you can even make your presence felt more as an announcer or being at the track. Think about it. You have even more time to interface with the fans. I think that will be great for NASCAR.”
With Earnhardt still around the sport for years to come, his presence can also be extremely important as a resource for younger or up and coming drivers like Aric Almirola who drives the No. 43 car for RPM. Now in his 10th NASCAR season, Almirola can understand what a toll that the sport can take on you and can see why Jr. has decided to retire.
“I think he’s finally decided it’s time for him to enjoy more of life than just going to the racetrack and making sponsor appearances,” said Almirola. “This sport is grueling and all-encompassing. I’m happy for him to be able to step away and focus on the other aspects of life including spending more time with his family.”
There are thirty races left on this year’s Monster Energy Series schedule. Thirty more potential opportunities for fans to get a final look or two or three at one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Aside from being a big winner during his career, Earnhardt will leave many other lasting impressions when he gets out of the car after his final race.
One of them is being an example for others on how to be a professional.
“Like Richard Petty, he’s very down to earth and humble,” said Murstein. “That’s one of the reasons the two of them are among the most beloved people in the history of motorsports. Fans relate to that and appreciate it. Those two men would never flip their bats after a home run if they were in baseball or spike the football and do a dance if they were in the NFL. They are true humble American national treasures.”
National treasures don’t come along every day. When they do, you enjoy it, relish it, and hope you never have to say goodbye. But unfortunately, that’s not how the sports business works. Players can only play for so long and in NASCAR, drivers can only race for a certain period of time.
But in many cases, like it will be with Dale Earnhardt Jr., it’s not a complete goodbye. It’s more like, I’ll see you later down the road at the track.
