As the youngest grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, Ty Dillon spent quite a bit of his childhood around Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt, of course, drove for Childress at Richard Childress Racing near the end of 1981 before reuniting with the then-future NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner in 1984. He remained with RCR through his tragic death at the 2001 Daytona 500, winning six of his seven NASCAR Cup Series championships with the organization.
So, Ty Dillon and older brother Austin — both now NASCAR Cup Series drivers — had a front row seat to Earnhardt as kids hanging out at the race shop of their grandfather. On some occasions, like the 1998 Daytona 500 where Earnhardt finally won The Great American Race in his 20th try, the Dillon boys even tagged along with Earnhardt and the No. 3 team at the race track.
With the recent release of a Prime Video docuseries on the life of Earnhardt, the driver whose nickname was “The Intimidator” has been the topic of much conversation lately. That conversation continued Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, where reporters asked Ty Dillon about the new four-part Amazon production dedicated to one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers of all-time.
Ty Dillon Lightheartedly Recalls Being ‘Kind Of Scared’ Of Dale Earnhardt
Ty Dillon — perhaps surprisingly — has not yet watched the Dale Earnhardt docuseries, which is formally titled, quite simply, Earnhardt.
Dillon said on Saturday at Nashville, though, that he does plan to watch it as soon as time allows. Meanwhile, Dillon, who was a few days from his ninth birthday at the time of Earnhardt’s death, offered a candid and somewhat comical take on his memories of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
“When we were little and we were at the racetrack, he would come and bug my brother and I, whether it was pinching us behind the neck or grabbing us as hard as he could to get our attention — and we didn’t really like that,” Dillon said at Nashville. “We were kind of scared of him. But man, we grew up (watching Earnhardt) every weekend, and where Dale finished determined our week. We got pizza if Dale won, so that was a celebration in our house.
“He won so often, and they were so amazing as a team. I remember being so spoiled and being like, ‘Hey man, I wish you’d win at this track.’”
Ty Dillon Has Great Gratitude For The Mark Left By Dale Earnhardt
Although Dale Earnhardt has been gone for over 24 years, he will never be forgotten. That’s especially true for those like Ty Dillon, who were fortunate enough to be in his presence on a regular basis.
“The impact he had on my grandfather, my family, and everybody at RCR, and what that has become because of him and my grandfather’s relationship, obviously means so much to myself and our family and everybody in sport,” Dillon said. “He was a giant in our sport and a legend.”
Earnhardt, who captured 76 NASCAR Cup Series wins to go along with his record-tying seven championships, was a legend whose legacy lives on in the hearts of many.
“It’s just awesome that we continue to talk about him and the documentary continues to bring his name to the light,” Dillon said. “He has done so much for what the sport is.”
