Chasing ghosts with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drives on his property in North Carolina. (Courtesy of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.)

Approaching the age his dad was when he died at Daytona, a second-generation legend went looking for answers. I went looking, too.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — For as long as he can remember, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had a recurring dream. He’s at some racetrack, in a garage or the pits, and there’s his daddy talking to some guys.

Dale Sr. is in flannel and jeans, like he just came off the farm. He looks the same as the day he died: Eyes still narrow, hair just as dark, creases rippling off his mustache like rings in a pond. Junior wants to walk toward him, maybe ask a question that’s been percolating for years.

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