Dale Earnhardt Jr. Throws Shade at Richard Childress’ Loyalty to Austin Hil

 It looks like someone else is finally saying what everyone else is thinking. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed disgust with the whole Austin Hill fiasco. The NASCAR legend recently weighed in on Richard Childress Racing’s unwavering support of their driver amid all the controversy, and let’s just say Junior sees some familiar patterns here.

If you’ve been taking a break from the recent NASCAR drama for five minutes, Austin Hill has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. The guy managed to get himself suspended for a race after some questionable comments about NASCAR officials, and instead of throwing him under the bus, Richard Childress doubled down on his support. Sound familiar? According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it absolutely should.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

During a recent episode of the “Dale Jr. Download,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t help but draw parallels between Childress’ current stance and the loyalty he showed to Dale Sr. back in the day. It’s kind of beautiful in a twisted, motorsports soap opera kind of way.

“There were times in the 80s and 90s where there was a little bit of that where dad would get penalized for rough driving and boy you know Richard would be like you know NASCAR’s wrong, they, you know, they screwed us,” he explained. It’s almost poetic in a sense, or at least that’s what it seems like based on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s perspective.

Here’s Childress, decades later, still playing the same tune but with a different driver wearing the helmet. The man has been consistent, I’ll give him that. Whether it was defending The Intimidator’s aggressive driving style or standing by Austin Hill’s recent outburst, Childress seems to have a “my driver, right or wrong” mentality that’s both admirable and slightly concerning.

The Richmond Effect Still Haunts RCR

 Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks this whole situation with Austin Hill has been amplified by what went down at Richmond last year. Remember when Austin Dillon basically turned into a wrecking ball on the final lap, taking out Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to steal a win? Yeah, that didn’t go over well with NASCAR, and they stripped the victory away faster than you could say “intentional contact.”

“What I’m seeing ain’t nothing new, but it’s just really aggravated. I think in this instance because of that Richmond result and how that was handled, they didn’t love, and it just seems like ever since then Richard feels like that they’re out to get them,” Earnhardt Jr. observed.

 He might have a point. When you feel like the sanctioning body has it out for you, every penalty starts to feel personal. Every call goes from being questionable to being part of some grand conspiracy. It’s like when you’re already having a bad day and then someone cuts you off in traffic suddenly, they’re not just a bad driver, they’re personally attacking your entire existence.

The Childress Philosophy: Loyalty Over Logic?

Richard Childress has always been known for his fierce loyalty to his drivers, and in many ways, that’s exactly what you want from a team owner. But there’s a fine line between having your driver’s back and enabling bad behavior, and sometimes it feels like Childress might be doing a tightrope walk on that line.

Back in 2011, Childress told ESPN about the racing philosophy he shared with Dale Earnhardt Sr.: “That’s race as hard as you can, run up front all day to give these fans a show.” It’s a noble sentiment, really. Race hard, give it your all, let the chips fall where they may. However, when that philosophy starts extending to defending every questionable decision your drivers make, well, that’s when things get complicated.

The man retired the legendary No. 3 after Dale Sr.’s death and didn’t bring it back until his grandson Austin Dillon was ready to drive it in 2014. That’s the kind of loyalty and respect that makes you believe in humanity again. But defending a driver’s right to publicly trash NASCAR officials? That’s something else entirely.

The Bigger Picture: Is NASCAR Really Out to Get RCR?

Here’s the million-dollar question based on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s synopsis of the never-ending Austin Hill saga. Is NASCAR actually targeting Richard Childress Racing, or is RCR just really good at finding trouble? It’s like that friend we all have who always seems to have drama following them around. At some point, you start to wonder if maybe they’re the common denominator.

Since the Richmond incident, it does seem like RCR can’t catch a break. But then again, when you’re consistently pushing the boundaries and making headlines for the wrong reasons, maybe those breaks become a little harder to come by. NASCAR isn’t exactly known for its sense of humor when it comes to public criticism.

The fact that Hill received a one-race suspension under the new 2025 regulations indicates that NASCAR is taking a tougher stance on driver conduct. Whether that’s specifically targeting RCR or just applying the rules equally across the board is probably a matter of perspective.

Moving Forward: Can Austin Hill Redeem Himself?

Despite all the drama, Austin Hill did manage to score a top-5 finish at Watkins Glen after returning from his suspension. Of course, thanks to the penalty, he won’t earn any playoff points for his efforts, but at least he showed he can still drive when he’s not busy putting his foot in his mouth.

NASCAR granted RCR a playoff waiver for sitting out Iowa, suggesting they’re not completely out to destroy the team. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it’s more like they’re the stern parent who still loves you but really needs you to learn your lesson and stop acting up in public. And he’s right.

Final Thoughts

The truth is, Austin Hill has the talent to be successful in NASCAR, but he needs to learn that sometimes the best response to adversity is to let your driving do the talking. Save the commentary for after you’ve won the championship, not while you’re trying to make the playoffs.

At the end of the day, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s observations about the situation are spot-on. Richard Childress is doing what Richard Childress has always done. standing by his drivers through thick and thin. Whether that’s the right approach in this particular situation remains to be seen, but you can’t fault the man for consistency.