Dale Jr. reveals the ‘context’ of his viral throwback birthday photo shared by wife Amy Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. turned 51 this week, and his wife Amy Earnhardt made sure to celebrate the milestone in a way that caught everyone’s attention. The NASCAR legend’s birthday post went viral after Amy shared a throwback photo of him.

The post, shared on Instagram, featured Dale Jr. in a sharp suit holding a gun, striking a pose straight out of a movie scene. Amy captioned it:

“Wishing my handsome honey a very happy birthday! Cheers to 51. Love you.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped in to clear the air on the photo.

“For some context, over 20 years ago we were in a photo shoot trying to recreate an iconic promotional shot from Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry film,” he commented under the post.

Dale Jr. will be celebrating with Amy Earnhardt and their two daughters, Isla Rose and Nicole Lorraine. Isla was born in 2018, followed by Nicole on October 12, 2020.

Wishes poured in online from fans and fellow drivers alike. Meanwhile, all four of his drivers in JR Motorsports are in the hunt this postseason, entering the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates birthday week with Amy Earnhardt's family and High Rock cake

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Amy Earnhardt, and daughters, Isla (L) and Nicole, in the World Premiere of Earnhardt. Source: Getty

The on-air celebration of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 51st birthday unfolded on their Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast, hosted by Amy Earnhardt. The episode opened with Amy surprising him with a massive High Rock Vodka-themed cake.

It was followed by a mix of birthday music, confetti, and Dale Jr. talking about the plans for the birthday celebration of their younger daughter, Nicole, who turns five just a day after his own.

“Her birthday is the 12th. So we’re going to celebrate her birthday this weekend. We’re going to be home. Amy’s got some family coming in town. This is super exciting. Amy’s sister and her kids. So all the cousins will be together… and I’m taking us to Pie in the Sky,” Dale said on the show. (16:16 onwards)

The conversation turned into a debate about birthday dinners and weekend plans, as Amy teased her husband for being against parties. She said:

“I asked Dale what he wants to do for his birthday. Like we have family coming in cuz he's always very anti- birthday dinner. You like attention, but you don’t like stuffy birthday,” sparking laughter in the studio.

Dale Jr., however, stood his ground, saying his version of celebrating involved keeping things low-key, enjoying some pizza, and letting guests help themselves.

The family’s weekend itinerary includes the Xfinity race, followed by Nicole’s birthday party, and a fall outing to a local pumpkin patch. Amy’s sister and her kids are visiting from Texas, and Dale joked about his lack of enthusiasm for pumpkin-patch adventures but conceded that he’d “do it for the kids.”

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam