Las Vegas rivals pay homage to NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Nascar drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, and Brendan Gaughan, right, wave to fans prior to the start of the Ford 400 race at the Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, Sunday Nov. 21, 2004. (AP Photo/David Adame)

Dale Earnhardt Jr, right, bumps fists with Kyle Busch, left, as they are introduced before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, (88) listens to Kurt Busch (41), as they talk in the garage at Pocono Raceway during practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Long Pond, Pa., Saturday, June 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) wreck during the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) races driver Kyle Busch (18) during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 6, 2014. (Amber Searls/USA TODAY Sports)

He was giving people rides around a soggy Pocono Speedway in a pace car Tuesday when Brendan Gaughan was asked about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s unexpected retirement announcement.

But first, somebody in the Pennsylvania press asked about his relationship with Junior.

Gaughan, driver of the South Point Xfinity Series Chevy, chortled. He let that stand as his answer.

This is what he said about Junior’s decision to hang up his helmet (except for two Xfinity Series races next season) at the end of 2017:

“It’s kind of like Carl Edwards. I’m proud he goes out the way he wants to go out,” said the racing son of South Point owner Michael Gaughan. “People always expect us to do things that are in their image. No. I loved the way Carl Edwards retired (in his racing prime). I think that was fantastic.”

Gaughan said ditto for seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt’s wildly popular offspring, who suffered from concussion-like symptoms during much of last season and married longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann on New Year’s Eve.

“What he’s doing is the right thing for himself, the right thing for his team,” said Gaughan, 41, who has mentioned the ‘R’ word a time or two himself recently. “He knows he didn’t want to race. He didn’t want to make people worry all year. He’s given Mr. (Rick) Hendrick the rest of the year to work on sponsorships, on drivers. It gives everybody time to put pieces in place.

“It gives (Junior) time to be at peace, to maybe enjoy a couple of these races — to maybe look at ’em retrospectively and introspectively. I’m proud of him. I wish him peace and the best.”

Earnhardt Jr. and Gaughan have raced each other often, including in the Cup Series in 2004 when the latter was teammate to Rusty Wallace. Both were considered at their best on the big tracks, in restrictor plate races such as Talladega, where Junior won six times and Gaughan finished fourth in 2004.

As for Junior’s current Las Vegas Cup Series rivals, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch took to Twitter to express their thoughts about his pending retirement.

Wrote Kurt: “Will miss running with @DaleJr next year. Always genuine, always a class act on and off track. Will enjoy our last 29 races together. #KB41

Added Kyle (with a heavy dose of social media shorthand): “Congrats on a great career @DaleJr, finish strong! Thx 4 all u have given this sport. All the best to u n Amy w the next chapter n ur lives.”

Big rigs roll

To show that guys who play ice hockey without helmets aren’t the only crazy Canadians, one named Isaac Harder beat 10 others in a 40-lap North American Big Racing feature race on Big Rigs Night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.

“This is the biggest adrenaline rush you’d ever had, times two,” Harder said after breathing lots of diesel fumes from the massive 3,000-horsepower big rigs.

Winners in the more sedate classes were Aaron McMorran (NASCAR Bombers, Grand American Modifieds), Kaden Honeycutt (US Legends Showdown), Sam Mayer (US Legends Young Lions), Ron Reed (USLCI Thunder Cars), Cody Kiemele (USLCI Bandolero Bandits), Camden Larsen (USLCI Bandolero Outlaws) and James Brazzeal (Skid Plate Cars).

Racing at the Bullring returns with Gaming Industry Night on May 6.

White flag

Profound Dale Earnhardt Jr. quote that bears repeating this week:

”I’ve already done enough to have earned ‘good driver,’ so if I can be known as a great person and a good driver, that’s better than only being a great driver.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.