Dale Earnhardt Jr. says romance won’t influence Danica, Ricky on track

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn’t expect Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse JR. to behave differently on the track just because they are dating.

Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t think their romance will be that big of a deal when it comes to racing. “I think it’s fine — whatever people want to do to make themselves happy. They’ve got a lot in common. They enjoy racing. I don’t think it was a big deal to be honest with you,” Earnhardt was quoted as saying by Sporting News.

Earnhardt added he didn’t think their relationship would influence how Patrick and Stenhouse race against or with each other. “They’ve been racing together with no problems so far,” he said.

Stenhouse and Patrick publicly announced their relationship last Friday. For Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s 10-time most popular driver, living in the spotlight is not something he enjoys, as his private life has been covered by both the tabloids and traditional media.

„As long as it’s not hurtful for someone to go through — you don’t want to read sad stories about people. You don’t want people to have to go through the exposure of that. I think there’s a gentleman’s agreement among everybody at what’s fair and what’s not,” Earnhardt Jr. added.