Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always been a straight shooter in NASCAR, the kind of guy who speaks from his heart. After hanging up his full-time helmet in 2017, he didn’t sideline himself from the spotlight. Instead, he built a content company named Dirty Mo Media, where many podcast channels are under its umbrella, making it a go-to spot for honest takes on the sport he loves. But even a legend like Junior has a corner that he kept under the carpet, waiting for the right moment to surface.

Those quiet passions often tie back to his roots, like digging through old race tapes that capture the raw grit of early 2000s battles. It’s that Dale Jr. unfiltered passion that blends nostalgia with fresh energy. And when one social media post pulled back the curtain on a hidden gem, Dale Jr. whispered, “Let’s all keep it between us.” So let’s find out what Dale Jr. is still trying to keep low-key.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals his secret

Fans started piecing it together in a Reddit post, where they spotted a low-key YouTube channel named JRuploads, run under the handle @Rizzode38, uploading rare in-car footage of full races through car cameras. And it turns out it was none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself sharing rare in-car VHS footage from his closet archives, dating back to 2000.

He stunned everyone by confirming it himself: “When I made my first AOL account back in the 1990s, I was simultaneously listening and enjoying the Jerky Boys prank calls, and my favorite personality was Frank Rizzo. So I was Rizzo with some numerical addition that related to our racing. Rizzo has just always stuck as a decent alias.” This nod to the comedy duo’s Frank Rizzo character, mixed with racing ties, explained the “Rizzo” part perfectly, which was a fun, low-profile choice from his teen years.

And for the “DE38” part, it is speculated to be a blend of his dad, Dale Earnhardt‘s iconic No. 3 Chevy, with Junior’s own No. 8 Budweiser ride at Dale Earnhardt Inc. from 1999 to 2007. According to YouTube, the user ‘Rizzode38’ joined the platform on January 8th, 2009, and the first video uploaded was in-car footage from a mid-December 2007 V8 Supercars test at Queensland Raceway in a Holden owned by Paul Morris.

Dale Jr. later shared more about his tape collection: “I got a closet full of random in-car on VHS. As far back as 2000. Not all of them. Wish I did a better job of storing them over the years. Hadn’t uploaded one in a while. Sorry for the lack of quality.” These clips, from NASCAR’s VHS era, which started with the 1979 Daytona 500, offer raw views of races like his first Cup win, pulling fans right into the cockpit chaos without any dramatic artificial background noise or graphics.

This reveal hit like a checkered flag surprise, leaving the community buzzing on social media with memories of the Earnhardt family legacy.

Fans light up over the hidden archive

One fan couldn’t hide the thrill, saying, “Really love these videos showing the history of the sport! PS I wonder if the colors and clarity could be improved by applying the latest video processing.” It echoed the goldmine feel of unpolished videos from NASCAR’s in-car cam, which was introduced in 1979, when Benny Parsons’ Daytona ride first presented cockpit action live on CBS. And by upgrading that blurry VHS video, it could give fans nostalgia for forgotten duels, like the 2000 Texas pack racing that shaped modern strategies.

Talk quickly turned to off-season gems: “Holy shit, interesting off-season content! Slow down, boys, it’s only been 2 weeks!” Just two weeks after the 2025 season wrapped, these raw video uploads filled the void that fans were feeling without any weekend races. This is much like how Dale Jr.’s 2007 Aussie test bridged his DEI days and Hendrick era.

The everyday alias twist drew a deeper nod from another fan comment, who said, “I’m always fascinated when a prominent figure in popular culture has an everyday, borderline anonymous social media account.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s low-key YouTube presence, despite his content media empire, mirrored his grounded style. He honed that character since he subbed for his late dad in the 2001 Pepsi 400 win, a heartfelt charge that boosted safety talks and earned him 26 Cup victories.

One fan almost guessed for years that it was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s channel, but could not prove it. “I always thought it was Dale Jr, but there is so little information on this, so I figured to ask this sub.” That hunch was tied to subtle clues, like the channel’s first 2008 clip showing his test drive in Queensland in a V8 Supercar.

The channel’s most recent upload is headlined as ‘Texas 2000, First Cup Win,’ which in itself gives the clue. As many sharp-eyed fans spotted the title and instantly made the connection, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. secured the win that day.

Finally, the pure drive pulled at heartstrings: “The best part of these is watching the race with no audio, no video overlay, and the experience from just the car and its position. I found myself watching every driver who passed, who was passed, and figuring out who they were. You can see firsthand Kenseth, Rusty, and Labonte were strong and persistent in that race and how the 8 car picked it up late.”

Spotting Matt Kenseth’s steady lines or Rusty Wallace’s charges in raw ’00s footage revived the era’s door-to-door intensity, before HD cams in 2007 changed views forever.