Remember When Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was in a Trace Adkins Music Video?
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. retired at the end of the 2017 NASCAR season, leaving behind a vast legacy — including an appearance in a country music video.
Trace Adkins released "Rough & Ready" as the second single from Comin' on Strong in 2004, and though it wasn't one of his biggest hits — "Rough & Ready" peaked at No. 13, and receives very little continuing airplay today — it was accompanied by a video that featured Earnhardt in a blink-and-you-missed it cameo role.
Directed by Michael Salomon, the clip features Adkins driving on a dirt road in a battered pickup. As Adkins sings, "Earnhardt racing sticker on the window / Banged up fender," the NASCAR driver himself pulls up next to the country singer in a convertible and flashes him a victory sign before pulling away.
Earnhardt followed in the footsteps of his legendary father not only in his racing career, but in his country video stardom; the elder Earnhardt featured in Brooks & Dunn's video for "Honky Tonk Truth." Both father and son were featured in classic footage in a touching video tribute NASCAR released in April ahead of the Daytona 500, set to the music of Zac Brown Band's "My Old Man."
Earnhardt. Jr. announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2017 NASCAR season at a press conference in April 2017, NASCAR.com reports. "I accomplished way more than I ever dreamed, way more than I ever thought I'd accomplish," he said.
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