At 2:32 a.m. ET on Feb. 24, 2014, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shook up the NASCAR and social media world.
He finally joined Twitter.
Earnhardt announced his presence with a tweet from victory lane after winning his second Daytona 500. Twitter has never been the same and we’re all better for it.
All “NASCAR Twitter” seems to be missing two years later is Carl Edwards and Paul Menard.
It’s hard to imagine anyone topping Earnhardt’s Twitter announcement. That would change if Edwards wins his first Sprint Cup title on Nov. 20.
“I have committed that if we win the championship I will join Twitter or participate,” Edwards said Tuesday during a test at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the track Edwards would claim the title at. With one race left in the Round of 12 Edwards is fifth on the Chase grid, 24 points above the bubble spot.
When the Chase began last month, every Chase driver’s nameplate across the top of their windshield was changed to show their Twitter username.
Except Edwards. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s nameplate read #CarlEdwards.
But Edwards, who has finished runner-up in the Chase twice (2008, 2011), has recently dipped his toe into Twitter.
“I actually sent out my first tweet via Randy Fuller, my PR guy the other day,” Edwards said. “But I couldn’t get a picture of it because I was using his phone.”
The tweet, on Oct. 6, memorialized the death of Dwight Laxton, who was Edwards’ team owner when he won the Baby Grand Stock Car Association title in 2002.
We lost a great man in Dwight Laxton this week. We won a lot of races together. Let's win at CMS. R. I. P. - carl and crew
— Chillin' with Randy (@RandyFuller_) October 6, 2016