The Legend of Dale Earnhardt’s Imaginary Big White Dog

Sometimes, when it rains at the racetrack, the real action happens off the track. A legendary story from the early 1980s tells of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Hammond, and a crew of hungry racers who found themselves in a sticky situation—one that involved a borrowed car, some reckless driving, and a miraculous escape thanks to a completely made-up “big white dog.”

• Could Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson have formed an even more dominant duo than Earnhardt and Richard Childress?
• Do you think Junior Johnson’s reasoning about needing a driver who had lost and learned was valid? Or was Earnhardt already ready for the job?
• Would Earnhardt’s career trajectory have been different if he had joined Junior Johnson instead of Richard Childress Racing?

Is this one of the best “off-track” Earnhardt stories, or do you know of an even crazier one? Let The Scene Vault know all of your thoughts and questions in the comment section.

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