NASCAR announced on Tuesday the 15 nominees for the 2021 Hall of Fame class. Veteran driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on this list, but he was not expecting to see his name. In fact, he said that he was “shocked” to learn that he had been nominated, which he tweeted amid his self-quarantine.
“Was shocked to learn today that I was a nominee for the @NASCARHall. It came out of nowhere. Then immediately my heart felt it. Hugged my wife and been smiling ever since. What an honor to be considered,” Earnhardt wrote on Twitter Tuesday afternoon. This tweet was immediately met with several fans proclaiming that he is extremely deserving.
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Meet the nominees for the #NASCARHOF Class of 2021. Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jake Elder & Banjo Matthews officially join the list of 15 potential inductees. To learn more about each nominee, visit: https://t.co/hAxH9vzcvp#NASCAR #NASCARHall pic.twitter.com/UF3sZ6lfMF
— NASCAR Hall of Fame (@NASCARHall) April 7, 2020
“Brother, I believe you can go ahead and clear your schedule for induction day,” one person commented in response. Others agreed with this sentiment and declared that Earnhardt is a shoo-in to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Their reasoning was the impact that he made on the track as well as off of it.
While the fans believe that Earnhardt is going to be an automatic Hall of Famer in his first year of eligibility, this honor is not guaranteed. Only two Modern-Era nominees will be inducted, along with one from the list of Pioneer nominees. He will have to beat out nine other drivers, including Jeff Burton (21-time Cup Series winner) and Carl Edwards (28-time Cup winner). This list also includes Mike Stefanik, who won a record-tying nine NASCAR championships.
There were many racing fans that believe Earnhardt isn’t deserving due to having fewer Cup Series wins than Edwards, but they feel he will get inducted anyway. Their reason is that the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a “popularity contest.” Although many of Earnhardt’s supporters vehemently disagreed and provided his resume as the primary argument. They also said that it’s impossible to tell the story of the sport without including the longtime driver.
Earnhardt is considered by many as one of the best drivers in NASCAR history due to his impact on the track and as a team owner following his retirement. He won the Busch Series twice and he won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014. Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most beloved figures in NASCAR history as he’s been named the organization’s Most Popular Driver Award from 2003-2017.
