Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ward Burton recall their 2002 incident at Bristol

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ward Burton took some time to recap their incident from the 2002 Bristol night race ahead of this weekend’s iteration.

It may be a moment over 20-years old, but it remains fresh in the memories of NASCAR fans everywhere. Burton was unhappy with the young Earnhardt Jr. wrecking him at Bristol, and let him know about it as he exited the race, chucking his gloves at the No. 8 Chevrolet.

On this week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download, the veteran racers took some time to recount their memories of the incident.

'@DaleJr and @WardBurtonWBWF looked back at their 2002 run-in at @ItsBristolBaby.

Catch the Dale Jr. Download on Peacock or wherever you get your podcasts. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/umdBuTmDSZ

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 14, 2023

“I’m trying hard to get by Ward, and I had a run up to his bumper,” Earnhardt Jr. started. “I think I had about three inches. He went down. We went down in the corner, and he’s coming down.

“I was like, ‘We’re gonna hit.’ … I was like, that never happened to me before. Where somebody was that mad at me. I hate conflict and hate arguing and fighting. I was just disappointed.”

While Earnhardt Jr. was disappointed, Burton was madder than ever at the time, and it’s evident Earnhardt Jr. was lucky Burton couldn’t get back in his car at the time.

“I liked my helmet. If I can get a helmet to fit, the last thing I’m going to do is mess that helmet up,” Burnt responded, asked why he didn’t throw his helmet instead of his gloves. “If my car would have cranked up, that No. 8 car wouldn’t have finished. I can tell you that, that’s how pissed off I was.”

Regardless, NASCAR fans still received an iconic moment at Bristol that fateful night in 2002. We’ll see what 2023 has in store for us at the track come Saturday night, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ward Burton watch on.

Brad Keselowski hopes that Bristol Dirt doesn’t come back

Meanwhile, it’s Bristol Night Race week in NASCAR and Brad Keselowski is excited. This is a track that many drivers love, including the 2012 champion. No dirt, no gimmicks, just The Last Great Colosseum and a whole lot of NASCAR racing. ARCA, Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup this weekend. But what about the future of Bristol? 

I’m not sure if you needed drivers to come out and say it, but Bristol Dirt has about overstayed its welcome. It was fun, it gave the series a little touch of its roots back. However, it’s Bristol. Everyone wants to see the high banks, the concrete track, and the PJ1 on the bottom lane giving these drivers all the grip they need and all they can handle.

While speaking with Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, Brad Keselowski made it obvious how he felt about Bristol getting two nights – on concrete. 

“Yeah I think a lot of intrigue over what’s going to happen with Bristol with the spring and the fall race, things going on at the fairgrounds, North Wilkesboro, but if we end up with two races on the concrete at Bristol, I don’t think you’ll hear many complaints,” explained Keselowski.

His reason for wanting two Bristol dates on the original track?  “I think Bristol is an iconic track and one serving a year doesn’t feel like enough.”

Last season, Brad Keselowski collected a sword, as a team owner. Chris Buescher was the big winner and now he has three wins in 2023 heading to Bristol. A lot can change in a year, but Brad is still looking to break his winless streak. 

On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.