After years of speculation, eyebrow raises, and cryptic podcast slips, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally confirmed what many feared but few dared say aloud: he’s been quoting Hoobastank lyrics in interviews for nearly two decades.
The confession came on a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download, sandwiched between a tangent about Dirty Mo beer coasters and a debate over the best Bojangles combo. “I just like the way it sounds,” Junior shrugged. “I mean, ‘The reason is you’ — that hits, man.”
Fans were stunned. The NASCAR community has spent years assuming Junior’s heartfelt monologues were straight from the soul. But it turns out a shocking number were… well, just Hoobastank.
A few examples now hitting the fan forums:
- “I’ve found a reason to show a side of me you didn’t know” — post-Daytona 500 loss, 2015.
- “I’m not a perfect person” — Martinsville press conference, 2011.
- “The reason is you” — shouted into a track microphone while holding a turkey leg, Bristol Night Race, 2008.
“I feel betrayed,” said one longtime fan, who tattooed “Not a perfect person” across their bicep in 2006 thinking it was an Earnhardt original. “I should’ve known. It had too much emotional range for a guy raised in a garage.”
Others are delighted.
“This is the most on-brand Dale thing ever,” said Twitter user @AmpEnergyVeteran. “The man is emotionally tethered to a 2004 alt-rock power ballad and built a brand around it. Respect.”
Spotify immediately saw a 900% spike in Hoobastank streams within 24 hours of the reveal. NASCAR officials, meanwhile, have remained silent — though sources suggest a commemorative Hoobastank 400 Presented by Dirty Mo Media is being fast-tracked for the 2026 schedule.
As for Dale? He’s leaning in.
“You know, I always figured folks kinda knew,” he said. “But maybe it’s time to just put it out there. Like the band says — I’ve found a reason to be… me.”
And with that, he drove away in a Camaro with “The Reason” blaring, windows down, one arm outstretched into the Carolina air.
Satire from NASCARGASM.COM
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.