Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed in his father's Dale Earnhardt Sr. footsteps to become a professional race car driver. Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Earnhardt Jr.won two Daytona 500s and holds 26 NASCAR series wins.
Earnhardt Jr. semi-retired from racing in 2016. During his career he experienced several scary incidents, but it is one fiery crash that he still wonders about till this day.
During a 60-Minutes interview he recounted how this incident has made him a believer in the paranormal.
In 2004, early in his career Earnhardt crashed his corvette during a practice run at the Sonoma Raceway, while preparing for a La Mans Series race. He miscalculated a turn and clipped a nearby wall. Earnhardt Jr.'s car then spun out of control.
On impact, the car's fuel line ruptured and spewed gasoline everywhere, catching fire. Earnhardt dazed managed to unbuckle his seatbelt.
As he lay on a stretcher on the field, he grabbed the collar of a PR rep and screamed at him "to find the man who pulled me from the car." This man confused told him, "Nobody helped you get out."
Earnhardt was then airlifted to California-Davis Memorial Medical Center, where he received treatment for second-degree burns.
Earnhardt still firmly feels someone helped him escape his burning corvette. He distinctly remembers someone grabbing him under his arms, and then pulling him out of the car.
Despite not seeing the man who helped him, he believes it was his father's ghost who assisted him that fateful morning.