Racing at 7500 feet can be pretty challenging. The air is noticeably thinner, making drivers feel winded despite minimal exertion. In mid-May, Kyle Busch traveled to Mexico City and felt tired just walking around, forcing him to say, “I might have to be ready with some extra cardio.” While Dale Earnhardt Jr., at the age of 50, is no spring chicken, the JR Motorsports co-owner was also noticeably out of breath in a recent interview.

Watching Junior gasping for air left many fans amused and puzzled, with many wondering about the underlying reasons for it. However, any sort of physical exertion at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez takes a lot more effort, a lesson the veteran racer learned the hard way.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. feels the effects of Mexico City

High altitude can have a strange effect on the body. After any kind of exertion, cooling the body down becomes difficult, breathing issues are common because of the low air density, and dehydration, as well as inner ear and central nervous system functions become impaired. That’s why Toyota Performance Center in Mooresville, North Carolina, provided its drivers with the opportunity to train and sleep in a hypoxic environment. Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe were among the drivers who made use of it to acclimatize themselves.

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be racing in Mexico City, he also experienced the effects of high altitude at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. After Daniel Suárez’s historic win in his home country for JR Motorsports, Dale Jr. was seen talking at the press conference after the Xfinity Series race and was noticeably out of breath while praising Daniel Suárez. Fans immediately latched on to this and flooded the comments with concern, and Bob Pockrass had to clear the air. Pockrass revealed that Junior did run to the room, and perhaps the high altitude took its toll, writing, “Yeah, Dale ran over to the press conference area. Maybe a little high altitude after the steps too lol.”

But it wasn’t just Junior feeling the effects of the high altitude. Ahead of the Viva Mexico 250, Chase Briscoe noticed that his brakes were wearing out quickly, getting hotter than usual. He said, “Just the lack of air up here with the altitude, like, my brakes just faded really, really quick compared to what they typically would.” The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is not the only one worried about mechanical failures. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said, “Definitely, all the engine manufacturers are worried about overheating.”

Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick enjoyed his time in Toyota’s hypoxic environment, going on to say, “It is different sleeping in a hypoxic environment but it’s really cool to see the changes so far, and I’m excited to see what it’s going to be like when I get to Mexico City.” Unfortunately for Dale Earnhardt Jr., he didn’t have access to such facilities going south of the border, which may go on to explain why he was out of breath in the press conference. And of course, fans had to weigh in with their curious and hilarious responses to the video.

Trending

1

Denny Hamlin Told to Bench His Driver as Diabolical Maneuver in Mexico Leaves Everyone Infuriated

2

NASCAR Announces Penalties for Cheating Cup Series Driver

3

NASCAR Faces Shocking Fallout From Fans as Everyone Is Fuming Over Mexico Debacle

4

“That Was Pretty Intentional:” Dale Jr.’s Star Accuses Joe Gibbs’ Grandson of ‘Dirty Move’ After Mexico Race

Puzzled fans weigh in on Dale Jr’s breathlessness

As one would probably expect, fans jumped to their own conclusions after seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggling to breathe in Mexico City. After seeing the video uploaded by FOX’s Bob Pockrass, one fan asked the journalist, “Did he run into this press conference?” Echoing that sentiment, another X user made a tongue-in-cheek comment, going on to say, “Did the presser coincide with a 5k?”

Showing concern towards his health, one motorsports enthusiast expressed their worry on social media after seeing the interview, writing, “@DaleJr sounds winded at the start of the interview. 🥺” Another fan understood immediately the underlying reasons behind the veteran racer struggling for breath and went on to explain, “the altitude is f—– everyone up. Very hard to get oxygen if your body isnt adapted to it.”

One X user joked that “Junior needs one of those special restrictor plates like NASCAR used to give him at Talladega and Daytona so he can get more air.” While the comment was meant in good humor, it was factually incorrect, as restrictor plates reduce the amount of air that enters the engine, which in turn reduces the horsepower and speed. It’s a safety measure implemented by NASCAR on superspeedway tracks, which this fan lightheartedly used to poke at Dale Jr.

Jokes aside, we hope Dale Jr. feels better soon, as we can’t wait for him to call the Cup Series’ first-ever international points race since 1958, this Sunday on Amazon Prime Video!