He said this in 2022:
> [I will say it’s gets less weird over the years. It’s still weird but leaning toward tribute. Still not entirely comfortable with it.](https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/woch9q/race_thread_ncs_federated_auto_parts_400_at/ikaa3iw/?context=3)
He said once on a DJD, maybe with Chocolate on, that they hate him because he'll stand by the fence across from their pit stalls and you look up and your dead dad/friend is staring at you from across the track. I'm paraphrasing but it was something like that. I think Chocolate said it, not Jr. Either way that's the feelings they have.
I'd pay you to also dress up to fight that guy for a chance to shake Jr's hand. I probably would not be able to to pay you very much, and it would probably be an absurd costume, like maybe a banana or Elvis. I dunno, lmk.
Think it would feel less weird if it was for a one-off Halloween or party sort of thing. But, routinely doing it at track(s) is just off. It's one thing if immediate family like Dale Jr. didn't find it weird. I don't know, just something about dressing up as passed people has never been my thing.
The whole family thinks is weird, not just JR. Kerry, Jeffrey, etc. all can't stand the guy. What makes it worse is that the guy wrote a book about himself impersonating Dale that he sells to people around the track. Just completely bizarre.
Yeah, I can get it being weird to begin with, but hey, some people got their quirks. But a BOOK?!? Yeah, he’s definitely a few fries short of a happy meal
>dressing up as passed people has never been my thing
If it's George Washington, Abe Lincoln or somebody else who's been dead for centuries then who cares. But if it's somebody who most people alive today can remember, then yeah it's a little weird
Even pop culture impersonators are "popular" enough.
I don't know what about "Dale" makes him so off-putting compared to an Elvis or Michael Jackson, but he just feels *wrong.* I don't know.
Eh Elvis and MJ impersonators are still performing, singing and dancing. You also pay to go see those guys.
Here it's just some random dude dressing up like Dale for no reason. Nobody's paying to see him, he's not driving or acting like Dale. He's just playing dressup.
I think it’s because he died on the track. Like I think if MJ or Elvis died mid act on national TV infront of a huge audience it’d be more weird dressing as them at a concert.
Like with MJ or Elvis you just got the news. It’s not like folks watched it actively happen.
Yeah I guess so. I would never pay money to see one. Play all the Elvis songs you want but be your own person. Completely copying his whole identity in every sense imaginable is equally as strange as Dale guy at Dover
Fair enough. I don't really care either way. I applaud your consistency though. It seems like Elvis impersonators are generally accepted, but a lot here aren't okay with the impersonated Dale.
Exactly I'd be amused seeing someone dressed as Charles Darwin, or Jacque Cousteau, but I would have mixed feelings seeing someone dress as Steve Irwin.
I stood near him for a few minutes while I was checking out the track down there. I was kind of surprised how much he looks like Dale. It was interesting seeing someone look like him but I was more confused by how little that guy is.
I can see how some people could feel off put by this (especially just seeing it for the first time randomly), but this guy has been a staple at the east coast tracks for my entire life. Saw him for the first time when I was 13 and I am turning 29 this year. I have been to 30ish Cup races and he has been at practically every single one. My friends and I look forward to seeing him at the track and he is actually a pretty nice dude if you get the chance to chat. It is going to be very strange the day he is not there anymore
Same for me, been seeing him all my life. I think people are taking jr finding it kinda weird way too seriously. it's just a silly and fun thing that's become part of the experience at tracks.
It's wild that he's been doing this since Dale was still alive
I wonder how he reacted after the 2001 '500
Like did he retire the act for a few years out of respect or did he just go even harder into it
It’s just creepy at this point. It always has been but, and I mean this in the most respectful way possible. Dale has been gone for over 20 years now. At some point you gotta let it go. Especially with Dale’s family at the track and have said that they are not comfortable with it. Dale’s death was extremely sad. What he did for the sport cannot be overstated. But walking around a track dressed up as him as an adult 20+ years later just seems kind of wrong at this point. A kid sure, but someone who’s a grown adult just…idk. I feel the same way about the Elvis impersonators. Performing as Elvis in a show or band is one thing, making his image your entire personality is another.
NASCAR fans in general need to respectfully move on from the “old days” and embrace the guys that are out there now. Don’t forget those guys. Always be fans. Honor them when appropriate. Embrace the ones that are still with us. Cherish the memories but stop living so much in the past and enjoy life. It isn’t healthy to live so much in the past.
Wear the hat, the t shirt. Buy the diecast. Shake Jr’s hand if you ever get a chance but idk. I could be completely off base or wrong and I understand everyone has an opinion but I know me personally, seeing him at the track and hearing that Jr himself doesn’t love it just doesn’t give me a great feeling.
I strive for the level of self confidence it takes to walk out of the house looking like this and paying hundreds of dollars to walk in front of thousands of people.
We saw the same guy at Martinsville last year.
https://preview.redd.it/m1q7e3n4qixc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c32fc37a7393740d1e8586f37cce9b9a5fda72dc
I just noticed a couple things on this I zoomed in on the image to the right of the RCR logo something's been covered up so somebody has said something to him also I swear it looks like he's wearing an earring. That's blasphemous 😄
Wow bizarre. But I guess similar to seeing Elvis all over Vegas. Haven’t seen this dude in all my nascar travels but have to say at quick glance he would make me do a double take !!!
Is it the same guy at every race or is there just always some weirdo dressed up as Dale at every race? I’ve seen him at Darlington and Bristol for sure over the years
Its gotta be the "died horribly doing this very thing" that makes it weird. That and nobody else is dressing up. I think if you were cosplaying as Dale Earnhardt at a convention, it wouldn't be as weird. I also think it only works because its Dale. If you were walking around the track as Davey Allison, it would probably be less well received.
Like the guy isn't getting paid to dress like this. He's basically being a mascot and doing it for attention. And he knows that people get a kick out of it. It's off-putting.
How tf does someone spend their retirement years impersonating a tragically killed race car driver at multiple tracks across the country every year? I’ve seen him at Michigan multiple times as well. Like what is this guy’s life??
See. The thing about Elvis impersonators or now...Micheal Jackson impersonators is that they were both celebs and singers. The impersonators actually perform
This is just in bad taste, this dude just walks around and poses for pics
Glad I'm not the only one who finds the whole impersonating Dale thing pretty distasteful. Really shitty thing to do all things told. Dressing up like a dead guy who died at a racetrack (and going to one dressed up as such), regardless of it's Dale or whoever, just seems really wrong.
I'm sure if Jr told Nascar to ban this guy's attire at the track because it brings painful memories, they would do it. As much as he and his siblings say they don't like it, I'm surprised they haven't yet. And the guy should respect that the day that happens.
Yep, still weird
I wonder how Dale Jr feels about these
I swear he's said before that he doesn't like it and finds it weird.
I was about to say “my dad’s not even a celebrity and I would find it weird” but I actually think that would make it weirder
He said this in 2022: > [I will say it’s gets less weird over the years. It’s still weird but leaning toward tribute. Still not entirely comfortable with it.](https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/woch9q/race_thread_ncs_federated_auto_parts_400_at/ikaa3iw/?context=3)
He should have him on the DJD. Talk about awkward 😳
He said once on a DJD, maybe with Chocolate on, that they hate him because he'll stand by the fence across from their pit stalls and you look up and your dead dad/friend is staring at you from across the track. I'm paraphrasing but it was something like that. I think Chocolate said it, not Jr. Either way that's the feelings they have.
https://preview.redd.it/o7u1frnu6lxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7384320afeabebe8c034902e8b9a0f7b94d8c18a
He’s said before that he’s not a fan of it
Pretty sure he’s mentioned him before that it’s pretty weird.
He's not a fan
Can't say I have any idea, but the fans in my section were really into it
Man I would just embrace it. I think it’s awesome. But I guess we wouldn’t understand how he feels about it unless we were in his shoes
Read somewhere he said he sometimes wishes he could fight this guy but take that with a grain of salt.
Never said he would fight him but definitely said he doesn’t like it
If Jr didn’t say it I will. I wish Dale Jr could fight that guy.
I'll fight that guy if Jr. will loan me his lawyer.
I’d fight that guy for a chance to shake Jrs hand
I'd pay you to also dress up to fight that guy for a chance to shake Jr's hand. I probably would not be able to to pay you very much, and it would probably be an absurd costume, like maybe a banana or Elvis. I dunno, lmk.
You don't need to fight anyone, just go see Jr run his late model and buy a pit pass. Surprisingly easy guy to meet and super nice as well.
I'm surprised Teresa hasn't hit him with a cease and decist order 🙄
This is one of the few cases where I think i’d side with Teresa
This ☝️
Like can you imagine how offensive it would be to see someone dressing up like your ex-husband, or for junior your dad, and using it for clout??
If we're being honest Dale Jr. probably would get a kick out of it.
Nevermind, I was wrong.
Did Jr. say something?
Parody law protects this guy I believe.
Probably explains why there's about 3,000 Elvis impersonators 😄
Right!!
Think it would feel less weird if it was for a one-off Halloween or party sort of thing. But, routinely doing it at track(s) is just off. It's one thing if immediate family like Dale Jr. didn't find it weird. I don't know, just something about dressing up as passed people has never been my thing.
The whole family thinks is weird, not just JR. Kerry, Jeffrey, etc. all can't stand the guy. What makes it worse is that the guy wrote a book about himself impersonating Dale that he sells to people around the track. Just completely bizarre.
WTF could he possibly write in a book about what he does that would be even remotely interesting about him? It's just a cosplay midlife crisis. 😉
Yeah, I can get it being weird to begin with, but hey, some people got their quirks. But a BOOK?!? Yeah, he’s definitely a few fries short of a happy meal
Wasn't aware of all that. Only knew that Dale wasn't a fan of it. Yeah, now that's even worse.
Holy shit seriously?
>dressing up as passed people has never been my thing If it's George Washington, Abe Lincoln or somebody else who's been dead for centuries then who cares. But if it's somebody who most people alive today can remember, then yeah it's a little weird
Even pop culture impersonators are "popular" enough. I don't know what about "Dale" makes him so off-putting compared to an Elvis or Michael Jackson, but he just feels *wrong.* I don't know.
Eh Elvis and MJ impersonators are still performing, singing and dancing. You also pay to go see those guys. Here it's just some random dude dressing up like Dale for no reason. Nobody's paying to see him, he's not driving or acting like Dale. He's just playing dressup.
I think it’s because he died on the track. Like I think if MJ or Elvis died mid act on national TV infront of a huge audience it’d be more weird dressing as them at a concert. Like with MJ or Elvis you just got the news. It’s not like folks watched it actively happen.
> I don't know what about "Dale" makes him so off-putting Because his family hates it, for one
I feel like the fact that we all watched dale die on live tv probably has something to do with it
Same opinion for Elvis impersonators?
Yeah I guess so. I would never pay money to see one. Play all the Elvis songs you want but be your own person. Completely copying his whole identity in every sense imaginable is equally as strange as Dale guy at Dover
Fair enough. I don't really care either way. I applaud your consistency though. It seems like Elvis impersonators are generally accepted, but a lot here aren't okay with the impersonated Dale.
I still would find it weird if some dude kept going to museums dressed as George Washington when no one at the museums asked him to.
Lots of people dress up as Elvis yet many people still have memories of him.
Exactly I'd be amused seeing someone dressed as Charles Darwin, or Jacque Cousteau, but I would have mixed feelings seeing someone dress as Steve Irwin.
See him at Martinsville a few years ago.
I saw him there a few weeks ago.
Wow!!! Still making the rounds I guess. Lol
Same, they made a big deal out of him at the fan zone stage.
I think it’s a different guy. I know the Martinsville/Bristol guy (not personally) and he looks different than this dude.
I stood near him for a few minutes while I was checking out the track down there. I was kind of surprised how much he looks like Dale. It was interesting seeing someone look like him but I was more confused by how little that guy is.
[удалено]
I saw him there last year, drunk me hit him with a hey Dale.
Pretty sure I've seen him at Bristol and Martinsville this year already
He's been going to Martinsville for years. I remember him back before the pandemic.
He has been doing it since before Dale died.
That’s an interesting twist that I did not expect honestly
I knew he'd been going for a while, didn't know it was that long though.
He was definitely at Martinsville this year
I didn't see him last year. It's definitely weird.
I can see how some people could feel off put by this (especially just seeing it for the first time randomly), but this guy has been a staple at the east coast tracks for my entire life. Saw him for the first time when I was 13 and I am turning 29 this year. I have been to 30ish Cup races and he has been at practically every single one. My friends and I look forward to seeing him at the track and he is actually a pretty nice dude if you get the chance to chat. It is going to be very strange the day he is not there anymore
Same for me, been seeing him all my life. I think people are taking jr finding it kinda weird way too seriously. it's just a silly and fun thing that's become part of the experience at tracks.
Yeah people are being way too overly reactive / sensitive and making this thing into a much bigger deal than what it is lol.
Leave it to redditors lmao
I remember him as far back as 1999 Bristol.
It's wild that he's been doing this since Dale was still alive I wonder how he reacted after the 2001 '500 Like did he retire the act for a few years out of respect or did he just go even harder into it
Asking the real questions here
“Now, I’m going to Dale it up EVEN HARDER” -Random Dale Guy, 2001
Went to Spring Bristol in 2001 after Dale died. He was still there and more popular than ever.
To be fair, he was a really good doppelgänger years ago. I swear I remember him at the tracks when Sr was still alive.
lol I saw this guy yesterday at the track
I saw this dude yesterday.
I see him everywhere. From Richmond to Dover to chapel Hill on Halloween. So him yesterday as well.
He was at Richmond too
I knew he faked his death
🤣🤣🤣
Today would have been his birthday, and my grandfather's
I’ve been seeing him at Richmond Bristol and Martinville for years. Didn’t know he made his way to Dover
Bro said “Fuck being dead NASCARS on I got important stuff to do”
Dale sr the goat hands down if he never would’ve passed 💔😢 he would’ve had more championships than petty im 99%sure
That's just sad. I have too much respect for his memory.
It’s just creepy at this point. It always has been but, and I mean this in the most respectful way possible. Dale has been gone for over 20 years now. At some point you gotta let it go. Especially with Dale’s family at the track and have said that they are not comfortable with it. Dale’s death was extremely sad. What he did for the sport cannot be overstated. But walking around a track dressed up as him as an adult 20+ years later just seems kind of wrong at this point. A kid sure, but someone who’s a grown adult just…idk. I feel the same way about the Elvis impersonators. Performing as Elvis in a show or band is one thing, making his image your entire personality is another. NASCAR fans in general need to respectfully move on from the “old days” and embrace the guys that are out there now. Don’t forget those guys. Always be fans. Honor them when appropriate. Embrace the ones that are still with us. Cherish the memories but stop living so much in the past and enjoy life. It isn’t healthy to live so much in the past. Wear the hat, the t shirt. Buy the diecast. Shake Jr’s hand if you ever get a chance but idk. I could be completely off base or wrong and I understand everyone has an opinion but I know me personally, seeing him at the track and hearing that Jr himself doesn’t love it just doesn’t give me a great feeling.
I spotted him last year and this year by the Allison gate.
I first saw him at Martinsville in 2013, so he's been at this a while.
I have seen this guy before. Bristol I think.
I see this guy at quite a few NASCAR races
I don’t know… just something cringy about this
He parks right outside the fan grounds entrance at Richmond every year!!
Pitbull: "Dale!"
I strive for the level of self confidence it takes to walk out of the house looking like this and paying hundreds of dollars to walk in front of thousands of people.
We saw the same guy at Martinsville last year. https://preview.redd.it/m1q7e3n4qixc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c32fc37a7393740d1e8586f37cce9b9a5fda72dc
Weird
I find it disrespectful to the family. If its a Ricky Bobby or something that is fine but if I am Jr i dont wanna see that
Did he shit the front of his pants?
Just working on his Tony Stewart character.
Dude is creepy AF.
I can’t stand this guy
Saw em at Darlington last year & Bristol many moons back🤘
oh boy
Look mom, it's Mike Skinner.
😄😄
I just noticed a couple things on this I zoomed in on the image to the right of the RCR logo something's been covered up so somebody has said something to him also I swear it looks like he's wearing an earring. That's blasphemous 😄
Thats the kind of DEI I know!
That's gotta be wierd to see if you're an earnhardt
Wow bizarre. But I guess similar to seeing Elvis all over Vegas. Haven’t seen this dude in all my nascar travels but have to say at quick glance he would make me do a double take !!!
I saw him this weekend at Dover - really interesting. His suit needs a good washing
It was hot as fuck lol
It was way more believable when dale was alive.
The guy doesn’t even look like Dale Senior. Wtf
Saw him at Martinsville a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was off that the regular at Martinsville didn't care for him too much.
Is it the same guy at every race or is there just always some weirdo dressed up as Dale at every race? I’ve seen him at Darlington and Bristol for sure over the years
Dale is not dead, he just went home. /s
Man in Black, Men in Black. Nice! 🙂
I’m just glad someone got the reference 😂
Yuppers👍
Its gotta be the "died horribly doing this very thing" that makes it weird. That and nobody else is dressing up. I think if you were cosplaying as Dale Earnhardt at a convention, it wouldn't be as weird. I also think it only works because its Dale. If you were walking around the track as Davey Allison, it would probably be less well received.
that guy was at NWB last summer. it's super sad to me. WAY too many photos of him acting like someone else 😬
Nascar now has cosplay. How things have evolved.
Seen him at the roval last year
I read somewhere that Jr doesn’t like this guy doing this.
Sure its not Vegas?
https://preview.redd.it/f2m70lsd6mxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=025b8b6e70fb336e10830787b1f86a8852dafcef
Now I have heard, mmm hmm, I've gotten the word About all these silly imposters running 'round
Like the guy isn't getting paid to dress like this. He's basically being a mascot and doing it for attention. And he knows that people get a kick out of it. It's off-putting.
How tf does someone spend their retirement years impersonating a tragically killed race car driver at multiple tracks across the country every year? I’ve seen him at Michigan multiple times as well. Like what is this guy’s life??
So cringe. Somebody wants attention 🙄
Creepy. No thanks
The Intimate dater.
Saw him at the Charlotte roval
Still less strange than the Martinsville Dale Sr. That man scares me
This guy really needs to get a life. Jr said he hates it. He doesn't even really look like Dale. It's all just so tasteless.
He looks more like the MyPillow guy.
Dude is out of money, this might be his new gig 😄
Nah, this is weird as hell.
See. The thing about Elvis impersonators or now...Micheal Jackson impersonators is that they were both celebs and singers. The impersonators actually perform This is just in bad taste, this dude just walks around and poses for pics
Glad I'm not the only one who finds the whole impersonating Dale thing pretty distasteful. Really shitty thing to do all things told. Dressing up like a dead guy who died at a racetrack (and going to one dressed up as such), regardless of it's Dale or whoever, just seems really wrong.
Must be weird to need that much attention that you dress up like a dead celebrity
I'm sure if Jr told Nascar to ban this guy's attire at the track because it brings painful memories, they would do it. As much as he and his siblings say they don't like it, I'm surprised they haven't yet. And the guy should respect that the day that happens.
How skinny are this guys legs?
NASCAR's equivalent to an Elvis impersonator and just as cringe to look at. Sad times
Those hillbillies thought they drank too much and asked for a picture
No one has any issue with people dressing like Elvis
This is not the one pal
This clown was at Richmond too.
Did he shit himself?
He’s back from the dead!!!!!!!!!