February 20, 2014 : Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks to the media before the running of the NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel races at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida AUTO: FEB 20 NASCAR Motorsport USA - Sprint Cup Series - Daytona 500 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon140220001500 February 20 2014 Dale Earnhardt JR Talks to The Media Before The Running of The Nascar motor aviation USA Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel races AT Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Florida Car Feb 20 Nascar motor aviation USA Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY
February 20, 2014 : Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks to the media before the running of the NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel races at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida AUTO: FEB 20 NASCAR Motorsport USA - Sprint Cup Series - Daytona 500 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon140220001500 February 20 2014 Dale Earnhardt JR Talks to The Media Before The Running of The Nascar motor aviation USA Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel races AT Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Florida Car Feb 20 Nascar motor aviation USA Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY
Apr 26, 2026, 2:58 PM CUT
Dale Jr. Reveals One Lesson He Learned From NBC Broadcasting Boss
When Dale Jr. started his second act in broadcasting after retiring from racing, there was one important thing he learned. After starting his NBC job in 2018, he kept that same mindset until his boss, Sam Flood, taught him a lesson that changed everything.
On a recent episode of the "Bless Your 'Hardt" podcast, Dale and his wife, Amy, talked about how Flood taught him to put his family first.
"For the longest time, in our relationship, racing was number one and you were not number one. And then I went to work for NBC and my boss, Sam Flood, said to me, 'Family first.' He just looked at me and said, 'Look, whatever needs to happen with your family, that goes first.'"
The origins of Dale putting racing first go a bit farther back. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, racing was all Dale cared about. Eventually, once he met Amy, he began exploring interests outside racing, as Lars Anderson of Bleacher Report noted back in 2017. And there was a clear reason why. A Cup Series season runs for over 8 months in the year, with drivers travelling all over the country every single week.
However, after retiring in 2017, Dale didn't have this problem. That's why after Flood offered him the advice, he decided to act on it.
"A year or two later, Amy's like, 'Hey, my dad's having a birthday. I would like you to go.' I called my boss, I said, 'Hey, I'd like to go.'… He's like, 'Go. You've got to put family first.' And that gave me the confidence."
And we've seen Dale make time for his family, especially his daughters Isla and Nicole, telling stories of their school events and more.
The Truth Behind Dale’s Retirement Rumors
While Dale is focused on his family first motto, it hasn't stopped fans from hoping for one last Cup race. Back in February, after the 2026 Daytona 500, a conversation with Amy sparked a huge reaction online.
“Amy told me I should run the Daytona 500 next year,” Dale revealed on his podcast. He was just as shocked as everyone else, asking her, “Hello? Pardon me? What'd you say? Are you okay?”
Social media blew up thinking a 2027 comeback was happening, but Dale quickly shut it down.
He explained that he only shared the story to protect his wife from old retirement rumors. “I only wanted folks to know Amy wasn't to blame for my retirement back in the day… I won't be racing Cup but she's not the reason,” he clarified.
Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!
Written by
Sanskriti Pastor
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar