Amy Earnhardt, wife of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently shared information about her husband’s health as he was dealing with a severe fever right in time for the Daytona 500 – the 2025 NASCAR season opener at Daytona International Speedway. During a conversation on the couple’s newly launched podcast, Bless Your Hardt, Amy revealed that Dale Jr. is living up to the image of a “sick man” – a humorous way to describe his state when he is sick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a household name in the American racing scene, is currently co-owner of the JR Motorsports team with his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller. His racing team recently achieved a remarkable achievement when it entered the Daytona 500 for the first time with the No. 40 car driven by Justin Allgaier. However, while the team was enjoying this historic moment, Dale Jr. had to stay home to rest due to poor health. He had to watch the race remotely on TV instead of being present at the track as originally planned.

Amy said Dale Jr. began feeling unwell the weekend before the Daytona 500, even running a high fever that required him to stay in bed the entire race day, Sunday, February 16. “He had a fever all day,” Amy shared in the podcast that aired on Dirty Mo Media’s YouTube channel on Wednesday. She also humorously added that Dale Jr. tends to “overact” when he’s sick, which is a “manly disease” that many people joke about.

Despite not being able to be at Daytona to cheer on his team, Dale Jr. remained optimistic. Just days before the podcast was recorded, he posted a social media post on February 13, expressing his regret that the team was unable to qualify for the Daytona 500, but also his excitement to see the team compete in the Duels. “It would be great if we could qualify tonight. But we’re back tomorrow to race for the Daytona 500 in the Duels. It’s a dream come true,” he wrote.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., now 50, is a major figure in NASCAR, not only as a driver with 26 NASCAR Cup Series victories but also as the host of the Dale Jr. Download podcast. He married Amy in 2016 in Childress Vineyards, North Carolina, and the couple has two daughters – Isla Rose and Nicole Lorraine. Despite being sidelined due to illness, Dale Jr.’s enthusiasm is evident. with racing still unabated, and fans are hoping he will recover soon to continue his journey with JR Motorsports.