Dale Jr.: Retzlaff is a Real Talent; Would Win in Top-Tier Equipment
In a recent interview with Racing America On SI, tied to his new ambassador role with Hard Rock, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked about the upcoming talent within the NASCAR National Series ranks. When asked to give his thoughts on a driver he'd like to see get an opportunity in race-winning equipment, one name came to his mind immediately.
"Parker Retzlaff is one, I think that he's pretty much the kind of driver that, [when] he gets behind the wheel of a race car, and not to say anything negative about the equipment, but he gets in a car and it runs better than you expect," Earnhardt said. "And you know that's kind of one of the things, that's the first glaring sort of [thing that makes you ask], hey, what's going on here? Have they changed something about their team? Have they added a new crew chief, or is there some sort of new engineering support or resources they're getting? What motor is in the car? You start asking questions about the car, you know, performing a little better than it usually does, and you have to look at the driver as well."
Since retiring from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the 2017 season, Earnhardt has remained active by competing in a race or two each season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. While Earnhardt is not slated to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a driver this season, his recent time behind the wheel in the series has allowed Earnhardt to get a firsthand look at Retzlaff from behind the wheel.
"Parker, I've raced around him, and I like his style," Earnhardt explained. "I like how he carries himself as a person, his demeanor, and I think he has real talent. I'm not sure how much, I can't be sure to know whether he's a [future] Cup champion guy, yet, but I think he's absolutely -- if you put him in a JR Motorsports car or a [Joe] Gibbs [Racing] car, he's going to win. I know that. And how far that takes him is up to him."
Earnhardt's praise of Retzlaff came prior to the 21-year-old racer notching a runner-up finish in this past weekend's NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway. The finish was the best of Retzlaff's young NASCAR National Series career, and it's the best finish ever for the Alpha Prime Racing team that the Wisconsin native drives for in the series.
The endorsement from Earnhardt is significant for Retzlaff as the NASCAR Hall of Fame racer and JR Motorsports team owner has gained a reputation over the years for having an elite eye for talent.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s History of Talent Evaluation
Among the drivers that Earnhardt has taken fliers on throughout his years as a team owner include NASCAR Cup Series champions Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, and Chase Elliott as well as NASCAR Cup Series race winners William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Cole Custer, and Josh Berry.
While Earnhardt has received the credit for being a top-tier talent evaluator, the humble team owner says there's a lot more to it than him just looking around and selecting people to go in his cars.
"Well, it's not just me looking out there and saying, 'Well, that guy is good, let's give this person a try,' often times, it's something you hear from someone else. In most cases, someone puts a bug in your ear," Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt continued, "I wish I could take full credit, be this savant of sorts, but you just gotta listen to people."
Earnhardt credits Richie Gilmore, the former Vice President of Dale Earnhardt Inc., for putting Martin Truex Jr. on his radar. After Gilmore told Earnhardt to keep an eye on Truex, Earnhardt began studying Truex, and when the time came, Earnhardt came calling for Truex to fill the seat for his Chance 2 Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series team full-time in 2004.
Truex would go on to win 12 races, and back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series championships driving the No. 8 Chance 2 Chevrolet in 2004 and 2005. Truex would go on to amass 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins, and would collect the NASCAR Cup Series championship in a magical eight-win 2017 season.
Fast forward to 2025, and Berry is the latest talent churned out from a NASCAR Xfinity Series team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is looking to make his mark on the NASCAR Cup Series.
After an up-and-down rookie campaign with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024, Berry moved to the iconic Wood Brothers Racing team ahead of the 2025 season. Many expected Berry and the No. 21 team to struggle out of the gates, as the organization had recorded just six top-10 finishes since the adaptation of the Next Gen car during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.
However, just five races into his tenure with his new team, Berry was in victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and he has shown a lot of speed through the opening nine races of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Is there a chance that we ever see Retzlaff get behind the wheel of a JR Motorsports Chevrolet? Or perhaps with a different top-tier team? That remains to be seen, but Earnhardt feels if he ever gets that chance, the young racer will be a race winner in the NASCAR National Series ranks, and at this point, I think its safe to say Earnhardt knows what a race winner in the National Series ranks looks like.
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Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.