The infamous rivalry between NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon will be examined in a new Fox Sports documentary that premieres on Feb. 14.
“Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon” goes under the hood of racing stars’ relationship both on and off the track, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Seven-time champion Earnhardt and four-time champion Gordon were polar opposites in everything, from their racing style and personal backgrounds to car paint jobs and their fanbases. While they were bitter enemies behind the wheel, the two were actually close friends.
The Fox Sports film, in collaboration with NASCAR Productions and DLP Media Group, is executive produced by Gordon, who is now a NASCAR analyst for Fox, and will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame later this month.
Earnhardt died in February 2001 during the final lap of the Daytona 500. His racing legacy continued through his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired from the sport in 2017.
“Working on this project brought back so many memorable moments,” Gordon said of the film. “Dale was such a fierce competitor, and he used his bumper plenty of times to teach me lessons on the track. Off the track — and I don’t know exactly why — he took me under his wing to teach me so much about the business side of our sport,” he added, remembering his late rival and mentor.
“The Dale Earnhardt/Jeff Gordon rivalry was one for the ages,” Charlie Dixon, EVP, content at FOX Sports said in a statement. “Race fan or not, everyone was familiar with these two and was captivated when they crossed paths on the track. Fox Sports Films is thrilled to highlight those encounters and the unexpected friendship they shared off the race track.”
Those interviewed in the film include Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, Ray Evernham, Richard Childress, Marty Smith and Kyle Busch.
“Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon” premieres Thursday, Feb. 14 on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET immediately following the network’s coverage of “The Duel at Daytona.”