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Dale Earnhardt Jr. sends warning amid Martinsville clockmaker news

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 4:00 PM ET

A longtime NASCAR tradition is in jeopardy. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hoping that whatever replaces it, doesn’t mess it up. The company that makes the Martinsville grandfather clocks is going to cease operations in 2026.

Everyone who has ever raced at Martinsville Speedway has dreamed of where they would put the grandfather clock should they find victory lane. There are some drivers that have too many to keep. Others only ever achieve the feat once in their career.

Howard Miller is going to cease operations next year. They are the parent company of Ridgeway Clocks, which is who produces the Martinsville grandfather clocks. Citing housing costs and tariffs, the CEO, Howard J. Miller, said they are unable to continue on as a business.

“A convergence of market influences beyond our control brought us to this point,” Miller said in a statement, via Wood TV. Bad news for NASCAR fans?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has caught wind of the news and he took a very serious stance on the matter. One, the grandfather clock tradition has to continue. Two, whoever does it next is going to have to be able to reproduce the clocks to the same design of the previous ones. Or as close as possible.

“Whomever makes the next version better make them exactly like the previous versions,” Dale Jr. posted. “Don’t get cute and f--- this up.”

Dale Jr. has spoken. Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR have to find a way to keep this tradition going. It would take away part of what makes the track and the races so special there. Everyone wants a grandfather clock, and many are willing to wreck someone to get one. So, let’s not mess this up.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally won at Martinsville in 2014

NASCAR is a strange sport. There are drivers who lock in on certain tracks, and they win tons of races. Denny Hamlin at Pocono. Jimmie Johnson at Dover. Darrell Waltrip at Bristol. Dale Earnhardt at Talladega. Then there are tracks that even an all-time great will struggle with.

One of the tracks that plagued Dale Earnhardt Jr. was Martinsville. He had five straight top-five finishes without a win between 2002 and 2004 at Martinsville. It took him 30 attempts to finally win at the Paperclip. That would be his only grandfather clock in 35 career races at the track.

It is clear that Martinsville means a lot to Dale Jr. He was a driver who had to work hard and lost a few he should have won at the track. So, listen up, clockmakers, bring your best. Once Ridgeway goes out of business for good, we’re going to need someone to step up.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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