A horse is a horse of course

FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (L), driver of the #88 Nationwide/Justice League Chevrolet, and his wife, Amy Earnhardt (R), talk with Texas Motor Speedway president, Eddie Gossage, during a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some choice words for Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage – and the horse he rode in on Friday.

In fact, Earnhardt’s choice words were expressions of gratitude for thoughtful gifts to the driver of the No. 88 in anticipation of his last appearance at TMS in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Bedecked in a lighted cowboy suit and hat, Gossage – NASCAR’s own Rhinestone Cowboy – pranced into the TMS Media center atop a horse to deliver news of the largesse to Earnhardt.

The speedway is sponsoring a horse called “Chevy” in Earnhardt’s name at Victory Therapy Center, a ranch that specializes in help for persons with disabilities. Gossage also presented Earnhardt with the lighted top section of the scoring pylon from Earnhardt’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at Texas in April 2000.

“Texas has been so awesome to me,” Earnhardt said. “My wife Amy, she’s from Texas. I got a whole other family down here. That is a big, big bonus of being married to her. We spent all week with them, with her sister and her husband. So Texas is a place that is almost like a second home.

“I find I love more and more about it the more time I spend here. But the track… there’s nothing really unique about the place other than Eddie, (who) has been amazing as far as a promoter. The things that he does… he is always kind of pushing the envelope. And he means well, I have learned.

“Sometimes I have wondered, but I know he’s just trying to do a job and take advantage of his opportunities, and he has to deliver, and so he does what he needs to do to deliver. It reminds me of some of the older style promoters that we used to have. A lot more flamboyant and creative.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.