How Dale Jr. wants to be like Peyton Manning

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. emotionally announced his plans to retire at the end of the NASCAR Cup Series season, he threw in a couple jokes to lighten the mood.

He thanked his team and family for their support, but teased it wouldn't be a proper NASCAR event without some sponsor recognition. Quite right.

In his 19th Cup Series season, Earnhardt has a lot of sponsors to thank, and Nationwide got a special nod for having worked with his family in racing for more than 30 years. But, as perhaps the second most famous athlete to work with the insurance company, Junior took a second to mention its work with the first.

Addressing Jim McCoy, director of sports marketing for Nationwide, around the 7:40-mark of the video, Earnhardt said:

And by the way Jim, I know you're in the room, I'm just going to say what everyone else her ein the room is thinking. Your brilliant use of the retired Peyton Manning is to be commended, if not replicated.

Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Junior could definitely do something like this.