Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most decorated drivers in NASCAR history, but he finished his career with a lone regret.
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Despite earning 26 wins and a pair of Daytona 500 victories, the NASCAR Hall of Famer wishes he had checked off one more milestone on his bucket list.
Speaking to Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton in the recent episode of SPEED, the NASCAR legend admitted that he wished he had done "The Double," an exhausting attempt to complete both the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar) and the Coca-Cola 600 (NASCAR) on the same day. The historic races always take place on Memorial Day.
NASCAR Legend Regrets Never Racing in Indy 500
The Indy 500 is one of the most prestigious annual events in sports. Even European F1 racers dream of driving the iconic track. Earnhardt missed his chance.
He said, "IndyCar. I've had some chances to just run laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a car, and I should've. And I always kind of wondered what that would feel like, and just saying that now, I'm probably going to get another couple of offers, but that ship has sailed."
Executing the feat requires racing 1,100 miles of track and, obviously, requires flying between Indianapolis and Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina in a single day. Five drivers have attempted the modern "Double," but only Tony Stewart (2001) completed all 1,100 miles.
"I wish I would have done that," Earnhardt continued. "I wish I would have done that, really, because when I was younger in my 30s, I had some opportunities just to go feel it. Not really go race and do the things that [Kyle] Larson does. I don't need to go race, but I just really would love to know what that car feels like going around such a historic racetrack."
Earnhardt Jr. remains a fan-favorite among NASCAR faithful and fans would no doubt love to see him in action again. For now, the legend seems content with retirement, and his potential performance in the Indy 500 remains a hypothetical.
The second-generation NASCAR legend was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class.
