Learn About The Infamous Dale Earnhardt Water Bottle Incident

Everyone knows Dale Earnhardt not only loved practical jokes but was also fiercely competitive on the track. What they might not know is why Rusty Wallace once threw a water bottle at the man after a NASCAR race, hitting him square in the head before the two traded insults right in front of reporters and cameras.

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Back in the day, NASCAR was some pretty wild, raw stuff, nothing like what we get in the motorsport today. Earnhardt reveled in all that chaos, enjoying plenty of success before his tragic, untimely demise. But the water bottle incident stands out as one of the most memorable Dale Earnhardt moments.

It was 1995 and the titans of NASCAR descended on Bristol Motor Speedway, which itself has an infamous past. Earnhardt was cooking something up for Jeff Gordon, a young star of the motorsport, all to knock the kid off his perch.

Today's #DailyDale is a set of Pics from the 1995 Goody's 500 at @BMSupdates. Wallace spins, Labonte wins and Dale gets a water bottle off the head!! Great race! Dale started P7 and finished P2 (one more lap and he would have been P1). Do not who took the pics and screen shots. pic.twitter.com/moTunyGQbC
— The Dale Earnhardt Archive (@ArchivesDe) August 16, 2019

Dale approached Rusty Wallace and the two came up with a scheme, which started coming together beautifully. The pair were able to force Gordon up high, then they claimed the fourth and fifth positions.

That’s when Earnhardt rammed the back end of Wallace’s car on the fourth lap, sending him hard into the wall. It was the ultimate betrayal to Wallace, who said he was furious for the rest of the race.

Ultimately Wallace came in 21st and was mad as hops at Earnhardt, who finished second. Terry Labonte was able to edge Dale out on the last lap, even though the two tangoed fiercely, which is another controversy for another day.

Happy with his performance, Earnhardt was in the middle of an interview when Wallace acted out his rage. After finishing the race, Wallace’s son handed him a partial water bottle. The man marched off toward Dale to tell him what he thought of his dirty trick.

Today from @TheSceneVault: Rusty Wallace Throws a Water Bottle at Dale Earnhardthttps://t.co/L5yLNd6nJV pic.twitter.com/R1NOiXdlVU
— Jayski (@jayski) June 29, 2020

After yelling to get the other man’s attention to no avail, Wallace hucked the water bottle like it was a grenade, hitting Earnhardt square on the forehead, shocking everyone crowded around him. But he got Dale’s attention and the two began arguing about Talladega.

The two men later patched things up, but in the heat of the moment, multiple witnesses were concerned the water bottle incident would come to blows.

Winston Kelley was front and center for Rusty Wallace's water bottle throw at Dale Earnhardt. 💦 pic.twitter.com/qggwnwXRZa
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) July 17, 2024

These days, drivers far too often take to X or Instagram or whatever social media platform to whine about what happened in a race. Back in the glory days of NASCAR, drivers worked things out like real men, hucking water bottles and yelling at each other.

Image via ArchivesDe/X