"I RESPECTED THE HECK OUT OF HIM…I MISS HIM": JEFF GORDON ONCE VISITED DALE EARNHARDT'S STATUE IN KANNAPOLIS AND REMINISCED ABOUT THEIR RIVALRY

Former NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon once paid a visit to Dale Earnhardt's statue in Kannapolis. In an emotional statement, he said that he missed him, like everybody else did. Back then, the two drivers engaged in fierce competition on the track.

Around half a decade ago, Gordon visited Earnhardt's bronze statue in Kannapolis. It was created and installed back in 2002, a year after the driver tragically lost his life on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. This statue was installed in his hometown as a tribute.

Even though Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon had a fierce rivalry on the track in the 1990s, Gordon sounded very emotional when he visited the statue in 2019. He expressed how much he respected him and how much he "loved" racing with him.

"As much as he messed with me, somehow on the inside I always thought that it was a sign of respect. He would have not said anything at all if he didn't care. I respected the heck out of this guy. Loved racing with him, hated it at times, but overall my experience with Dale was incredible," Gordon said.

"I miss him. I know a lot of people do," he added. [1:57]

Jeff Gordon reminisces about Dale Earnhardt's safety standards while racing

The level of safety in NASCAR has notched up quite a bit ever since Earnhardt's tragic death in the season-opening race in Daytona. He crashed on the final lap as his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the line to finish in second place.

While the safety standards had changed quite a bit by that time, Jeff Gordon revealed that Earnhardt had his own style of driving. While other drivers were seated in a fixed position with multi-point seatbelts, protective helmets, and a very modified seat, Earnhardt wore an open-face helmet and focused more on comfort.

Talking to Youth Inc. about Earnhardt's style of driving and safety concerns, Jeff Gordon revealed:

"I'll be honest on the other side safetywise. He had a certain way and comfort about the way he wanted to be in the car, the way the seat belts were the way, the helmet. You know, he always wore that open-face helmet and I always worried about him from that sense. Because the younger kind of new way was this wraparound cocoon, seat headrest, seven point, six point harnesses uh you know really covering you know taking care of your your head." [1:20]

Dale Earnhardt is remembered as one of the most competitive drivers to ever step into NASCAR. His rivalry with Jeff Gordon is well-documented and continues to be a hot topic of discussion.

His son, Earnhardt Jr., raced in the Cup Series until the end of the 2017 season, and while he never won the championship, he made a name for himself with 26 race wins.

2024-06-28T23:59:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd