Dale Jr’s Rising Underdog Takes Inspiration From Rick Hendrick’s Ageless Truck Phenom

It’s a race against time in the world of motorsports. By the time a driver hits their 20s, they’re either expected to sign national sponsorship deals or fade into obscurity after failing to make their mark on the local short tracks. From driver development programs to simulator training at an early age, the clock keeps ticking in the world of stock car racing. Teenagers are expected to secure a full-time seat, and cutthroat competition means the pressure to succeed is always high.

But that’s beginning to change. Shane van Gisbergen made his NASCAR debut at the age of 34, proving that age is just a number, even at the highest level. There are plenty of other examples like the Kiwi racer, a prospect that gives comfort to CARS Tour driver Landon Huffman.

Landon Huffman is optimistic about his future

Landon Huffman’s motorsports journey has been different. While others were making a name for themselves in ARCA or the Xfinity Series, the North Carolina native was rising through the ranks at the grassroots level, tearing it up on short tracks. He was also building his brand through YouTube, posting videos about his racing career and short track program. Huffman didn’t just beat the odds overnight; he carved out a name for himself by staying in the fight all along.

At 29, Landon Huffman isn’t exactly young, and despite his ‘underdog’ status, the racer is rising as per his timeline. Taking inspiration from a Truck Series driver, he wrote on X, “Jack Sprague was a successful short track racer who made a career in the truck series from age 30-46. He won 25+ races in that span and 3 championships. If you can hang on and continue racing until you can find some financial support, you can make it at any age! That’s motivation for me, I hope it is for you all too ”

Jack Sprague is a familiar name in the NASCAR community. The Michigan native was a short-track veteran who didn’t make a name for himself until his thirties. Driving the No. 24 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, he won three Truck Series championships from 1997 to 2001, securing more than 25 race wins in the competition. His success proved that not every driver is like Connor Zilisch, who can take the racing community by storm at the tender age of 18.

I’m 29 years old, and my entire time driving it’s been all about youth.

It’s engraved in our heads that if you don’t “make it” by your early 20s, then a career driving isn’t attainable

I think that landscape is changing. Young drivers out there who may not have the $$, do not…

— Landon Huffman (@LandonHuffman) April 21, 2025

Over the years, NASCAR has seen a shift in giving opportunities to veteran racers. Frankie Muniz got his NASCAR breakthrough in his late 30s and is now a full-time Truck Series driver for Reaume Brothers Racing. Geoff Bodine also entered the Cup Series at the age of 30 and went on to secure 18 wins, including the 1986 Daytona 500. Perhaps that’s why Landon Huffman said, “I think that landscape is changing,” and if recent trends are anything to go by, he’s not wrong.

Dale Jr. is working on making the CARS Tour more financially viable

Few people care as much about short-track racing as Dale Earnhardt Jr. The format is considered the lifeblood of stock car racing and connects the lowest levels of the sport to NASCAR’s premier Cup Series. The CARS Tour, which was purchased by Junior in 2023, has now partnered with FloRacing to promote “the biggest single night in pavement late model racing history.” They are offering a payout of $200,000 for The Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway on August 2nd, important steps to make the series financially viable to its racers.

Sharing his thoughts in an interview, Dale Jr. said, “We have a lot of work still to do to try to continue to create and allow the opportunities to sustain themselves. We don’t want this race to come and go. We want stuff like this to start becoming the norm, so we have to do some things on our end, change some things about how we were doing things to allow that opportunity.”

As things stand, the winner of the Late Model Stock race will earn $50,000 while the Pro Late Model winner gets $30,000. That’s a significant bump in prize money for racers, at a level where low four-figure paydays are a norm. By making grassroots motorsports more financially sustainable for drivers, talent will not be under pressure to look for greener pastures elsewhere. Perhaps that’s why Landon Huffman said, “Young drivers out there who may not have the $$, do not get discouraged.”

The post Dale Jr’s Rising Underdog Takes Inspiration From Rick Hendrick’s Ageless Truck Phenom appeared first on EssentiallySports.