Before the race, Earnhardt learned of the death of his uncle, Randy Earnhardt, brother of his late father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Randy Earnhardt passed away Sunday at age 60 after a year-long battle against cancer.
“It was really tough,” Earnhardt said after the race. “He helped me through a lot of challenges when I was trying to become a race car driver. He was there when I started driving late models. I went through the whole process of racing with Tony (Eury, Sr.) and all of them through the (Budweiser) car, Randy was always there.
“It’s just very, very sad, but I am glad his suffering is over with. He is going to be missed. He was awesome, such an awesome guy. He kept things together (at Dale Earnhardt Inc.). He was in charge of a lot of different things, mainly in charge of where every nut and bolt was. He was accountable for everything…
“He was loyal to Dad, and really looked after everything that was there and that was my father’s and what would have been important to him as far as material things. Randy really looked after that. It’s tough. It’s part of life, and it’s hard to get used to. I’m just glad his suffering is over with. He was having a real hard time. I loved him dearly and will miss him a lot.”
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