--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Finishing races is important, but racing…" description: "\"Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.\" — Dale Earnhardt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg" --- # Finishing races is important, but racing is more important. ![“Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.” quote by Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg) > “Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.” [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Winning a race is secondary to the passion and experience of racing itself. **In simple terms:** Racing matters more than finishing. Key Takeaway Prioritize love of the sport. Themes competition passion process Mood determined enthusiastic Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - track racing - career development - team dynamics - personal growth Key Concepts sports psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What drives your love for the activity? - How can you balance results with enjoyment? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on outcomes can ignore skill development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Finishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finishing/) [Finishing Races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finishing-races-2975338/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-racing-1396981/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Races Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/races-important-5789520/) [Racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racing/) [Racing Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racing-important-4528899/) ## Related quotes > [I am very happy because motor racing is very important outside the states, very big all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emerson-fittipaldi/i-am-very-happy-because-motor-racing-is-very-important-outside-the/) [Emerson Fittipaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emerson-fittipaldi/) > [Success to me obviously isn't having accidents or getting penalties but finishing races as high a position as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-magnussen/success-to-me-obviously-isn-t-having-accidents-or-getting-penalties/) [Kevin Magnussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-magnussen/) > [It is important for a racing driver, for myself and for the team, that we can say that we trust each other, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toto-wolff/it-is-important-for-a-racing-driver-for-myself-and-for-the-team-that/) [Toto Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toto-wolff/) > [If we think we can make winning more important and the racing more exciting, that's what we'll do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-france/if-we-think-we-can-make-winning-more-important-and-the-racing-more/) [Brian France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-france/) > [Your goal is simple: Finish. Experience your first race, don't race it. Your first race should be slightly longer or slightly faster than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-glover/your-goal-is-simple-finish-experience-your-first-race-don-t-race-it/) [Bob Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-glover/) > [I enjoy Saturday night racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-enjoy-saturday-night-racing/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I want to be up front racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-want-to-be-up-front-racing/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I need to improve my finishing. I need more goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-ji-sung/i-need-to-improve-my-finishing-i-need-more-goals/) [Park Ji-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-ji-sung/) > [Don't start shit you can't finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden/don-t-start-shit-you-can-t-finish/) [Jaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden/) > [I didn't finish high school - left home when I was 15. I moved away to Fresno and worked as a grocery clerk. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-covey/i-didn-t-finish-high-school-left-home-when-i-was-15-i-moved-away-to/) [Joy Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-covey/) > [Salah already played in England. He has high skills at dribbling, tempo and finishing and he makes defenders despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-matip/salah-already-played-in-england-he-has-high-skills-at-dribbling-tempo/) [Joel Matip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-matip/) > [“Never be afraid to offer a smile; sure the risk is that a few foolish people may misinterpret your kindness as weakness, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/never-be-afraid-to-offer-a-smile-sure-the-risk-is-that-a-few-foolish/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [A good, finished scandal, fully armed and equipped, such as circulates in the world, is rarely the production of a single individual, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-swetchine/a-good-finished-scandal-fully-armed-and-equipped-such-as-circulates/) [Sophie Swetchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-swetchine/) > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [There is usually no dreamer so unworldly as the anthologist. He wanders in a vast garden, lost in wonder, unable to decide often between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-usually-no-dreamer-so-unworldly-as-the-anthologist-he/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) ## More by Dale Earnhardt > [If we're going to run for points we need to run in the top-five every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/if-we-re-going-to-run-for-points-we-need-to-run-in-the-top-five-every/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [With 20 top-10 finishes, I feel we're on the right path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/with-20-top-10-finishes-i-feel-we-re-on-the-right-path/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [Maybe now that we have the same sponsor in Remington we can spend some time together outdoors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/maybe-now-that-we-have-the-same-sponsor-in-remington-we-can-spend/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [The thing about it is, all those races we lost, we won this race together. We won it as a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/the-thing-about-it-is-all-those-races-we-lost-we-won-this-race/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I want to be up front racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-want-to-be-up-front-racing/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I woke up this morning, and I still don't believe I won the Daytona 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-woke-up-this-morning-and-i-still-don-t-believe-i-won-the-daytona-500/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [Growing up, I've enjoyed hunting with my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/growing-up-i-ve-enjoyed-hunting-with-my-father/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [“If you're not a race driver, stay the hell home. Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/if-you-re-not-a-race-driver-stay-the-hell-home-don-t-come-here-and/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [You go back to the start of time. One cave guy was fighting another cave guy because his club was bigger than his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/you-go-back-to-the-start-of-time-one-cave-guy-was-fighting-another/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [You've got to be closer to the edge than ever to win. That means sometimes you go over the edge, and I don't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/you-ve-got-to-be-closer-to-the-edge-than-ever-to-win-that-means/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I don't want to argue with my wife about her car - or my driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-don-t-want-to-argue-with-my-wife-about-her-car-or-my-driving/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [Second place is just the first place loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/second-place-is-just-the-first-place-loser/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [Two of my favorite things are my steering wheel and my Remington rifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/two-of-my-favorite-things-are-my-steering-wheel-and-my-remington-rifle/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [As a GM Goodwrench Service Plus dealer, I understand how good service makes a difference to our customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/as-a-gm-goodwrench-service-plus-dealer-i-understand-how-good-service/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) > [I enjoy Saturday night racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/i-enjoy-saturday-night-racing/) [Dale Earnhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) [Explore all 36 Dale Earnhardt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/) ## More Finishing quotes > [There is usually no dreamer so unworldly as the anthologist. He wanders in a vast garden, lost in wonder, unable to decide often between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-usually-no-dreamer-so-unworldly-as-the-anthologist-he/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [A good, finished scandal, fully armed and equipped, such as circulates in the world, is rarely the production of a single individual, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-swetchine/a-good-finished-scandal-fully-armed-and-equipped-such-as-circulates/) [Sophie Swetchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-swetchine/) > [“Never be afraid to offer a smile; sure the risk is that a few foolish people may misinterpret your kindness as weakness, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/never-be-afraid-to-offer-a-smile-sure-the-risk-is-that-a-few-foolish/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [Salah already played in England. He has high skills at dribbling, tempo and finishing and he makes defenders despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-matip/salah-already-played-in-england-he-has-high-skills-at-dribbling-tempo/) [Joel Matip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-matip/) > [I didn't finish high school - left home when I was 15. I moved away to Fresno and worked as a grocery clerk. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-covey/i-didn-t-finish-high-school-left-home-when-i-was-15-i-moved-away-to/) [Joy Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-covey/) > [Don't start shit you can't finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden/don-t-start-shit-you-can-t-finish/) [Jaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden/) > [I need to improve my finishing. I need more goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-ji-sung/i-need-to-improve-my-finishing-i-need-more-goals/) [Park Ji-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-ji-sung/) > [So many people are good at starts and not so good at finishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/so-many-people-are-good-at-starts-and-not-so-good-at-finishing/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [I think it started with both the shows and the box set from finishing White Material. I think we were also pretty desperate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-a-staples/i-think-it-started-with-both-the-shows-and-the-box-set-from-finishing/) [Stuart A. Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-a-staples/) > [Always quit for the day when you know what you want to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/always-quit-for-the-day-when-you-know-what-you-want-to-do-next/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [You can always improve with the team. There are tactical things, finishing in front of goal, speed as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/you-can-always-improve-with-the-team-there-are-tactical-things/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It is easy to have a lot of paintings or projects hanging around that are 'almost done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kinkade/it-is-easy-to-have-a-lot-of-paintings-or-projects-hanging-around-that/) [Thomas Kinkade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kinkade/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Good shoes - they're the ultimate finishing touch. In fact, we actually joke in my family that your shoes have to be shined before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-newton/good-shoes-they-re-the-ultimate-finishing-touch-in-fact-we-actually/) [Cam Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-newton/) [Browse all 475 Finishing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finishing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dale Earnhardt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/finishing-races-is-important-but-racing-is-more-important/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Finishing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/finishing-races-is-important-but-racing-is-more-important/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/dale-earnhardt-17882_finishing_finishing-races-is-important-but-racing_2362465.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Finishing races is important, but racing is more important.” — Dale Earnhardt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dale Earnhardt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Finishing races is important, but racing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/finishing-races-is-important-but-racing-is-more-important/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt/finishing-races-is-important-but-racing-is-more-important/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```