Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t push his future children to become NASCAR drivers

Dale Earnhardt Jr. may be a third-generation NASCAR driver, but that doesn’t mean he necessarily wants his future children to follow a similar career path, he said during his weekly podcast Tuesday.

Earnhardt had his wife, Amy Earnhardt, co-host The Dale Jr. Download with him this week as two were vacationing in Texas, and during the show they took questions from listeners. One of the questions was whether the couple, who don’t yet have any children, would want their kids to pursue a career as a NASCAR driver.

“It’d be hard for me,” Dale said. “I’ll just say this: I definitely will not push that on them at all. I’d rather them probably not be race car drivers. It’s freaking expensive!”

“What did your dad pay to be a racecar driver?” Amy asked

“My dad paid a lot,” Dale said. “I think I would be super proud of them if that’s what they wanted to do.”

First and foremost, Dale said he would prefer if his future offspring go to college and get a degree. Amy then explained that as a mom she would naturally worry about the safety aspect and her child’s wellbeing.

The risk associated with racing is something Dale has experienced firsthand. His father, seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., was killed after a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. And Earnhardt Jr. missed 18 races last season with a concussion, his third concussion in four years.

“There’s a lot of good and bad about racing,” Dale said. “And I think, that it’s hard on your psyche and yourself. So I would be super proud if they went to college and got an awesome degree, get a super great job. That would be really cool.”