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Dale Earnhardt Jr. explains his actions, comments in recent days

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 - Qualifying

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 22: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 22, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that “I care about the way the sport looks’’ and it is that passion that led him to be vocal on a multitude of issues recently.

Earnhardt discussed his actions the past week, including his tweet about peaceful protests that cited former President John F. Kennedy, during his weekly Dale Jr. Download podcast.

Earnhardt’s tweet came after a weekend of controversy about NFL players protesting during the national anthem that was stirred when President Donald Trump said such players should be fired.

Before the NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, car owners Richard Petty and Richard Childress were vocal in their feelings of what they’d do if anyone on their teams kneeled during the anthem.

Earnhardt said in his podcast that he felt he needed to speak up.

“I kept seeing a lot of negativity about NASCAR on social media,’’ he said on his podcast. “It’s just the same tired stigma that we’ve dealt with for many, many years. So, I didn’t feel like that Richard’s comments and Richard Petty’s comments were the way the entire sport felt. I think that Richard was talking for himself and through North Carolina law they have the right to do the things that they would do.

“They have the right to their opinion. I just didn’t want anyone speaking for me. I felt like that you could assume that those were my own personal feelings as well. I wanted to make that clear.

“With that said, I stand for the flag during the national anthem, always have, always will. We have an incredibly large military presence at our races. We go above and beyond to show our patriotism and what it means to be Americans and how proud we are of that and how proud we are of the flag and what it stands for.

“No surprise to me everyone at the track stood and addressed the flag during the anthem, which I think will continue. But I also understand that the man next to me, if he wants to do something different, that’s his right. I might not agree with everything somebody does, but it’s their right to have that opportunity to do that. I can’t take that away from them, and I don’t want them taking it away from me.’’

Earnhardt addressed many other topics on the podcast.

— He discussed the penalty after the Chicagoland race to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and the role social media might have played in that.

— He talked about his comments about burnouts.
— He discussed a tweet he published last Saturday that included a cuss word and his thoughts about what he should have done in reaction to Joey Logano’s penalty of having to sit in his car for all of the final practice session on pit road without getting on the track.

— He discussed drivers who bring sponsors to rides.

— He also said where he sees himself in five to 10 years.

You can listen to Earnhardt’s podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, here.

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