Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals childhood rebellion incident that landed him in military school

In the latest episode of the Bless Your Hardt podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled a dinner table incident with his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. Amy, his wife and the co-host of the show, was visibly amused while listening to her husband’s childhood story.

Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most respected personalities in the sport. But back in the day, he was just another mischievous young boy.

There was a time when Dale Jr. went to the lengths of swallowing his food and spitting it all out on his plate just to prove that he was feeling under the weather. But Teresa knew exactly what was going on.

“Teresa brought one of them chicken pot pies in there for me to eat and she left the room and I chewed the whole, oh, I’m sorry for everybody that’s got to ear this, I chewed the whole thing up and spit it back in my plate,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said (43:50). “And then I made throw-up noises and acted like I puked it up. In my mind, I thought she would come in there and realize that she had made me eat the chicken pot and then I vomited it up.”

“I was a problem. That is why I got sent to military school. Stuff like that,” he added while Amy continued laughing.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. owns JR Motorsports, a three-car team that operates full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. 2025 is shaping up to be a stellar season for Connor Zilisch, driver of the team’s No. 88 entry. The 19-year-old racing phenom is currently on a four-race winning streak.

Next up for the driver is the Food City 300, the first race of the 2025 playoffs, at Bristol Motor Speedway. Scheduled for Friday, September 12, the 300-lap event will be televised on CW (7:30 pm ET) with live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. teases with possible NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series entry

It has been eight years since Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired from full-time racing. However, the itch to race never died in the two-time Xfinity Series champion. In a recent statement, Dale Jr. said that he wouldn’t mind competing in select races till he turns 55 or 58.

However, Dale Jr., who turns 51 this year, hasn’t mentioned any specifics about a potential schedule. In an episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast, the man said,

“I don’t have any problem with getting in my Xfinity car in eight years and running a one-off. What the hell? Why the hell not? I’d run Bristol again. I’d run Wilkesboro once the pavement wears out. If the Nashville (Fairgrounds) thing happens, I’d probably contemplate going and running that one as well.”

The last time Dale Earnhardt Jr. was seen strapped to a NASCAR car was back in the 2024 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He usually runs at least one race each year, but that didn’t happen in 2025 due to his preoccupations as a sportscaster for Amazon Prime and TNT Sports.