Does anyone know why Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't drive in this year's Prelude to the Dream?

Question

Prelude to the Dream is a charity dirt track race that benefits the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Answer 1

He just said in an interview that he just "liked his days off.".

Answer 2

Dale would not give his many fans the satisfaction. Nor would he be interested in helping make money for anyone other than himself.

"I want 51% ownership" What an ego

Answer 3

Tony asked him, he declined. I don't think he would handle a Dirt Late Model that great, and I think he said he "didn't want to make a fool of myself."

He should have done it anyway, because I'm sure just him being there would help get more money for charity, but I guess he wasn't interested. A lot of them have never driven them before, so I think he could have attempted it at least. That's not a very good reason. It's all in fun in the end, and goes to a great cause.

Answer 4

Heck, he can't drive on pavement, what makes you think he can handle dirt?  He didn't want to totally humiliate himself.

Answer 5

i'm not trying to be a hater, because one of my boys, kurt doesn't run in it either, but budweiser doesn't sponsor junior anymore and shouldn't have any say in what he runs and doesn't. plus, both gordon and johnson were there, so it can't be an hms thing.  

and there are lots of guys out there who have never run dirt - heck, they had two guys out there who had never run circles before coming to eldora (nhra guys).  jimmie johnson and robby gordon were there for their first ever dirt late model races, and mark martin was in an interview and said he was just going to be there so they'd all have someone to make fun of.  even juan pablo montoya was there last year and tony talks about how he had to show him how to shift the cars just to get rolling...

kurt's reasons probably have something to do with he and tony not getting along all that well, but tony and dale are good friends.  but, i guess i can see the rationale that he is too hot a commodity and too focused on winning a championship to risk hurting himself in one of these non-sanctioned events like what happened in sonoma.  

still, it would be nice to see, and he'd bring a big fan base in to raise a lot of money...

just my $0.18.

Answer 6

California recently made g*y marriage legal and i heard he was marrying his boyfriend that day.

Answer 7

He hasn't ever done it.  He says he likes his days off.  I bet more people would have bought the PPV and raised a lot of money for VJGC.

Answer 8

beacuse he is a punk!!!

Answer 9

I think its called upside down and burning. He hasn't ventured much outside of NASCAR since his incident with the GT Corvette. That might color any-ones idea of what a fun new way to race is.

Answer 10

he probably do it, but it isnt easy being dale jr

Answer 11

I don't think he drove last year.

Answer 12

I'm not sure about his current sponsors, but Budweiser would'nt allow Jr to run in anything but NASCAR races in his contract. In 2004, Jr was practicing for an ALMS race at Sonama and wrecked and Jr got burned when his Corvette caught fire. After that Bud said no more of that, hence you don't see Jr racing anything but Cup and Natiowide races.

Answer 13

He has said he would rather have the day off, his choice but since I go to the event and it is huge for the charity, I cannot see that reasoning, The drivers that go and have fun and help the charity are to be admired!

Answer 14

I wish he would of cause he could of helped raise more money, but he had previously said that he had no experience and was going to wait until he could get some seat time! He also said he didn't want to embarrass himself!!

Edit: FYI "pizza" Jr does alot of Charity stuff and DEI was his dad's so why wouldn't he want control of it? ( it should of been his)

Answer 15

Frankly, I would be it's a lot of things. You know, where Junior goes, so goes a huge media circus. Perhaps he realizes that his presence would detract from the causes the Prelude is run to support.

Answer 16

Jackaroo is just another hater who's answer doesn't need to be up here.

Answer 17

Dale Jr does not drive the dirt track,and he admits, he would be bad at it, however he does devote a lot of his off time to being at the camp and donates a great deal of money to it.

so while not being there, I am sure would have helped the race bring in more money ,his money was already at the camp for the kids to be able to have to be used for their medical needs.

Answer 18

I agree with wedge, since Jr got badly burned in a wreck and couldn't race in a few sprint cup races he has stayed with just nascar. I did hear that bud didn't want him racing in any other races. Maybe it wasn't just that though, maybe he's worried about something like that again and he could lose a championship because of it? Which is completely understandable.