"I love that man like a grandfather": Dale Earnhardt Jr. previews upcoming conversation with uncle Tony Eury Sr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed the guest of the upcoming episode of his podcast, Tony Eury Sr. The former crew chief who worked with Junior as well as his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., has a long history of association with one of the biggest dynasties in American motorsports.
But as Dale Jr. revealed, Eury Sr. is not only a very private person, but someone he has never had a chance to talk with.
During a preview of the upcoming episode with Eury Sr., the NASCAR Hall of Famer shed some light on their relationship over the years, how it was, how it got broken, and then mended again.
"At some point, Dad said (to Tony Sr.), 'I want you to quit your job and come work at my race shop and there must've been some consideration there. And then the rest of the story is they raced together in the Xfinity Series, and then I drove for him, and then we went into the Cup Series. A lot has happened since then. I dont' think we'll get all of it. I mean, I know we won't. Because then he comes and works here at JR Motorsports, didn't end all that well, wasn't a great ending. We've since, kind of mended those fences and I think we're in a really good spot now. I love that man like a grandfather, I really really have incredibly strong feelings for Tony Sr. and how he impacted my life," Dale Earnhardt Jr. described. [16:45]
It's worth mentioning that Eury Sr. officially parted ways with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, JR Motorsports in 2012.
After the announcement, Dale Earnhardt Jr. credited Eury Sr. by naming him as the person who has impacted his career and development as a driver the most. Junior even claimed that while his father put him in the Nationwide Series back in the 90s, it was Tony Eury Sr. who convinced him to do so.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals Tony Eury Sr.'s connection with his family, sheds light on his personality
Speaking about Tony Eury Sr. ahead of his podcast appearance, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that Sr. is someone who isn't going to let someone dig into his real history. But because he has agreed to come on Dale Jr.'s podcast, he wouldn't have 'anywhere to run and hide.'
"We're going to dig into his story and how it relates to my dad and obviously we'll try our hardest to go through that whole process," Junior said. [13:40]
He revealed that Eury Sr.'s father and his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, would race together in the dirt races a lot. And that is how Junior believes the two families got to know each other. Later down the line, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Tony Eury Sr. married two sisters, which means that Eury Sr. is also Dale Jr.'s uncle.
Shedding more light on the personality of his upcoming podcast guest, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that Eury Sr. had the nickname of 'Rosie' because of his patience and temper issues.
"You just never wanted to be on the other side of that. I mean, he would rip into you and man, it was, he didn't have much of a filter. And as tough as those times were, they were brief, not often, but they did get your attention and they did make you think about the decisions or choices you were making and how to maybe avoid that going forward," Earnhardt described. [18:10]
He added that he appreciated those times. And he would pick that over having no guidance, no one lecturing him or trying to shape him and keep him in line. Dale Jr. expressed his thankfulness for people like Eury Sr. who has been a big part of his life.