Figurehead in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity series career start passed away

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a solid Xfinity series record as he had won two titles and scored 24 wins in just 144 starts.

Figurehead in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity series career start passed away

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most recognizable faces in NASCAR. The semi-retired racer had to earn the admiration he is now getting with his on and off-track accomplishments.  Being Dale Sr’s son helped him on his path to stardom, but he had to prove his worth on track first to earn fans’ respect. The two Xfinity series titles and multiple Cup and Xfinity series win was more than enough for him to expand the Earnhardt family legacy.

But unlike many other sports, an athlete singlehandedly can not achieve glory in motorsports. The crew and vehicle he has at his disposal play a major role. Dale Jr. had the best cars and crew at his disposal throughout his NASCAR day, and they deserve the same amount of admiration he gets for his accomplishments.

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One of the Key figures in Dale’s accomplishments is car builder Rick Townsend, who passed away at age 67. He built the No:3 car Jr., made his Xfinity Series debut, and was the backbone of his maiden Xfinity Series season in 1996. Townsend built chassis that helped young Dale Jr. to learn and understand the sport in the second tier before winning back-to-back titles with his father’s Dale Inc. team.

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Many NASCAR drivers have used the cars that were rolled out of Townsend’s garage in Hanover, Virginia. “God’s gift to him was race cars, and building them to go super-fast. The other gift was people skills because everybody loved him, and he was super funny,” Townsend’s business partner Dennis told local media about his death.  

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rodney Childress join the mourning of Rick Townsend’s death

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rodney Childress
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rodney Childress

Kevin Harvick’s No:4 Stewart Hass Racing team Crew Chief Rodney Childress was the first key figure to send his regards to Townsend’s family. He shared a wholesome message on his official Twitter handle.

“Really hate to hear about the passing of Rick Townsend. If you were a racer growing up around here you always knew about Townsend Race Cars. And you also knew what kind of person he was. He would help absolutely anyone,” he wrote on Twitter.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister, and JRM co-owner Kelly Earnhardt also expressed their love for the late legend. Kelly’s late-model racing ventures were on Townsend-built cars. Jr’s had just five powerful words to appreciate the legend’s greatness. “Rick was a great man,” wrote Dale Jr. “Awe hates to read this. He was such a good man.  My late models were his,” Kelly wrote on Twitter.

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