DEGREES.
>> YOU'RE SO BOSSY.
>> I'M JUST GIVING YOU ADVICE.
>> WELCOME, DALE.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
DALE EARNHARDT JR., EVERYBODY.
SO, RACING IS LITERALLY IN YOUR
BLOOD.
>> YEAH.
>> GRANDFATHER.
AND YOUR FATHER.
>> YEAH, ACTUALLY ON BOTH SIDES
OF MY FAMILY.
MY DAD RACED.
HIS DAD RACED.
ON MY MOM'S SIDE, MY GRANDFATHER
WAS A MECHANIC AND THEY WERE
BODY MEN.
THEY WERE WORKING ON THE CARS OR
DRIVING THEM.
AND SO, EVERYWHERE I WENT AS A
KID, THERE WAS A GARAGE IN THE
BACKYARD OF EVERY HOUSE, WITH A
RACE CAR IN IT.
AND I WAS CLIMBING ALL OVER
THOSE THINGS AND TRYING TO LEARN
WHAT YOU COULD AND GO TO THE
RACES, AS A KID, WAS SO AMAZING.
I GREW UP AROUND IT.
>> YOU HAD SUCH SUCCESS IN THE
RACING WORLD.
I READ THAT YOU WERE VOTED 15
YEARS IN A ROW BY THE FANS AS
THE MOST POPULAR NASCAR RACER.
MOST POPULAR.
MOST POPULAR DRIVER.
THAT SPEAKS TO NOT ONLY YOUR
SUCCESS BUT YOUR LIKABILITY,
THAT THE FANS LOVE YOU.
I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IN THE
RACE WHERE YOUR DAD WAS KILLED,
AT JUST 49 YEARS OLD, YOU WERE
DRIVING, TOO, YOU CAME IN SECOND
IN THAT SAME RACE.
>> YEAH.
I WAS IN THAT RACE.
WE HAD COMPETED TOGETHER FOR AN
ENTIRE SEASON.
IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE TO BE
ABLE TO RACE FOR MY DAD.
I WAS DRIVING A CAR HE OWNED.
ALSO TO COMPETE WITH HIM ON THE
SAME TRACK.
I REMEMBER WHEN THE FIRST RACE
THAT I WENT TO, THAT WE WERE
GOING TO COMPETE TOGETHER, YOU
GO OUT TO PRACTICE, EVERYBODY
GOES OUT AND PRACTICING THEIR
CAR A LITTLE BIT AND SEE HOW
YOUR CAR DRIVES AND FEELS.
AND I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET ON
THE TRACK WITH MY DAD, TO JOIN,
YOU KNOW, SHARE THE TRACK WITH
HIM.
AS I'M OUT THERE, I'M LOOKING
FOR HIM ON THE TRACK.
AND HE GOES BY, AND I SPEED UP
TO KEEP UP WITH HIM AND WATCH
HIM.
I'M WATCHING HIM DRIVE HIS CAR.
IT WAS JUST SURREAL BECAUSE HE
WAS A LEGEND TO ME AND TO A LOT
OF OTHER PEOPLE, WON SEVEN
CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AND HE WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR, AS
WELL.
AND SO, I WAS, YOU KNOW, LUCKY
AND GLAD TO COMPETE WITH HIM
SOME.
WE RACED TOGETHER AND ENJOYED
VICTORIES TOGETHER IN VICTORY
LANE.
SOME OF MY MOST FONDEST MEMORIES
ARE THE WINS THAT HE WAS WITH ME
IN VICTORY LANE.
A LOT OF TIMES HE WOULD COME TO
VICTORY LANE AFTER WE WOULD WIN.
I WOULD RIDE WITH HIM ON HIS
AIRPLANE TO THE TRACK AND BACK
HOME.
WE WOULD WIN A RACE AND HE WOULD
COME IN, GOOD JOB, YOU HAVE TO
FIND A RIDE HOME BECAUSE I'M
LEAVING.
>> HE WOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOU.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST OBVIOUS, ALL
OF YOUR SUCCESS AND THE MAN
YOU'VE BECOME.
AND THE COURAGE YOU'VE SHOWN IN
SPEAKING OUT IN A WAY THAT'S
GOING TO HELP OTHER YOUNG KIDS
AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGED
IN SPORT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET T
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WE'RE BACK NOW WITH DALE
EARNHARDT JR., THE LEGEND.
YOU'VE BEEN OPEN ABOUT
CONCUSSIONS IN YOUR SPORT.
SOMETHING WE'RE HEARING MORE AND
MORE TOP ATHLETES SPEAK ABOUT.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS
YOU SUFFERED?
>> YOU KNOW, I CAN GO BACK AND I
DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, A DEFINITE
NUMBER.
BUT I CAN GO BACK AND COUNT THE
ONES THAT I DO KNOW.
WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG, SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE ACCIDENTS AND CRASHES AND
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU'RE
CONCUSSED.
YOU DON'T -- WE'RE SO MUCH MORE
SELF-AWARE, ESPECIALLY AS YOU
GET OLDER, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR
BODY MORE AND YOU REALIZE WHEN
THERE'S A PROBLEM, MUCH EASIER.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN I STARTED
TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE HITS
STARTED TO TAKE THEIR TOLL, WHAT
I WENT THROUGH WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF HARD WRECKS.
I STARTED UNDERSTANDING, AS I
GOT OLDER, AROUND 2012, I HAD A
CONCUSSION THAT I WAS CERTAINLY
AWARE THERE WAS AN ISSUE.
AND I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO
BE DRIVING A CAR.
AND I NEEDED TO SEE A DOCTOR.R
I WAS SCARED.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND YOU WOULD
CRASH, IT WAS A BADGE OF HONOR.
I GOT DINGED UP.
I'M SEEING STARS OR I'M DIZZY.
AND YOU WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND
BE TOUGH.
BUT AS I GOT OLDER, I GOT
SCARED.
I HAD AN ACCIDENT THAT LITERALLY
SCARED ME TO GO SEE A DOCTOR.
I WAS HAVING ISSUES AND SYMPTOMS
THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE WITH.
YOU KNOW?
I HAD ANOTHER ISSUE IN 2016.
>> AND YOU SAID, I'M GOING TO
MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE.
TO YOUR CREDIT, YOU'VE SPOKEN
OUT ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF FOLKS THINK IT'S NOT
THE MANLY THING TO DO.
AND IT IS THE DEFINITION OF
MANLY TO LEAD AND TO BE
COURAGEOUS.
I KNOW YOU AGREED TO DONATE YOUR
BRAIN TO HEAD INJURY RESEARCH.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR THAT.
TRULY.
CAN I ASK YOU?
WE'RE SO HAPPY HERE AT NBC THAT
YOU DID MOVE ON TO THE NEW
CHAPTER.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN NBC
ANALYST, ANALYZING THE RACES.
IS THAT GOING TO BE HARD FOR YOU
TO BE, LIKE, I COULD DO BETTER
THAN THAT?
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
WE HAD SO MANY AMAZING RACE CAR
DRIVERS IN NASCAR, AND IT'S
GOING TO BE -- I'VE BEEN AROUND
RACING ALL MY LIFE.
I DID WANT TO GET OUT OF THE
CAR.
AND I MADE THE DECISION TO DO
THAT.
BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THE
SPORT.
YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THE TEAM
ASPECT OF RACING SO MANY YEARS.
YOU WANT TO BE AN ASSET FOR
SOMETHING.
I WANTED TO BE AT THE RACETRACK
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIT IN.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN
THE BOOTH.
NBC SAW SOMETHING THEY LIKED.
THEY SAW TV GOLD.
YOU AND YOUR WIFE, AMY, ARE
DOING THIS RENOVATION SHOW.
AND THEY HAVE A NEW BABY.
HER NAME IS ILA ROSE.
IS SHE GOING TO CONTINUE IN THE
EARNHARDT TRADITION?
>> I TELL AMY SHE HAS NOTHING TO
DO WITH RACING.
SHE'S NOT GOING TO SEE ME
RACING.
IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IT
DOESN'T REGISTER WITH HER.
>> MAYBE SHE'S GOING TO BE
INSPIRED TO BE A BROADCASTER.
>> SHE MIGHT.
>> OR A RENOVATOR.
DALE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO FUN HAVING YOU HERE.
ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY.
JUNIOR, EVERYBODY.
NBC SPORTS IS GOING TO KICK OFF
COVERAGE FROM CHICAGOLAND