Dale Earnhardt Jr

11/23/09

The end of the season has come, and Dale Jr probably is glad it's over too. In what was no doubt the worst year for Jr, it can only get better for 2010.

No news to report for the rest of this year, but I will leave you with this one article for the end of the racing season, I can see it now in the future,.... "Jr wins the 2010 Daytona 500", the gremlins have left the building, and Jr, is well, being Jr again! Sweet!

NASCAR sorely needs Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s resurgence

BY LINDA ROBERTSON

lrobertson@MiamiHerald.com

It has been a brutal season for Dale Earnhardt Jr., so bad that even the National Enquirer can't resist embellishing his tale of woe.

Earnhardt has not been abducted by aliens -- although he might wish he had been -- but the life of the NASCAR superstar ``has turned into a train wreck, and pals fear he's headed for an emotional breakdown,'' according to a recent Enquirer story in which the sources are anonymous. ``Now the troubled bachelor may be turning to booze to cope, insiders say.''

Earnhardt could only laugh when asked about the story after a qualifying run at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Sunday's Ford 400, the season finale. Earnhardt's teammate, Jimmie Johnson, is just a clean race away from winning his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title, and Earnhardt will try to end a losing streak as maddening as the Enquirer article.

Earnhardt did not seem the least bit suicidal as he joked about the dark foreboding in the story, which he said was untrue. He considered suing, but thought better after considering plaintiffs' track record against the tabloid and his own inability to win lately.

``A lot of people say any publicity is good publicity,'' Earnhardt said. ``We're [24th] in the points standings, and we're still relevant to the National Enquirer.''

So that's something. He's still headline worthy despite the worst season of his career. Zero victories in 35 races with an average finish of 23rd. Last week was typical: Earnhardt spun out while battling for the lead and triggered a nine-car wreck. He spent 50 laps in the garage area while his car underwent emergency repairs and finished 35th. There were also multicar crashes in Daytona and California and upheaval when he fired his cousin and longtime crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and replaced him with Lance McGrew.

But Earnhardt isn't anxious for the season to end. He's noticed improvement in the chemistry of his team thanks to changes by McGrew.

FEELS GOOD ABOUT TEAM

``It's hard to see, and the results don't show that,'' he said. ``We're not good as a team yet. We need to race more. So I wish the year wasn't over.

``I feel good about my guys and hope that the racing gods are kind to us. I need to believe that they believe and vice versa. If they get the feeling that I don't believe in them, then we're done.''

And something else. Junior Nation believes. Earnhardt is still NASCAR's most beloved driver. He was voted Most Popular for the sixth consecutive year and set a NASCAR record for merchandise sales in 2008, and that streak should continue.

Not only does he have the lineage and the most magnetic name in the sport, but he's also the down-home Everyman fans adore (never mind that he's made $54.3 million in career paychecks).

Fans walking around the garage area this weekend could shake hands with their favorite drivers, pose for pictures and look them in the eye. These athletes aren't 6-9 or 250 pounds. They like to drive fast and talk straight. Their roots are in moonshine running and cigarette smoking. They are not sponsored by Tiffany or Chanel but by Target, Miller Lite and Taco Bell.

But NASCAR's runaway growth rate of the 1990s has hit a lull. TV ratings and attendance have been slipping for four years. Can't blame it all on the economy. Nor is it entirely coincidental that the slump has occurred during Johnson's rise to dominance. Nice, impeccable guy. But NASCAR always has thrived on its personalities, feuds and climactic finishes.

The sport could use some Rocky Road to go with Mr. Vanilla.

And it could use the resurgence of Little E.

Earnhardt left his father's company, Dale Earnhardt Inc., in 2007 after failing to resolve a dispute over control and direction of the team with his stepmother, Teresa.

He joined Hendrick Motorsports, which boasts 60 engineers working at its 600,000-square-foot headquarters and a hands-on owner, Rick Hendrick.

Finally, Little E had the equipment to match his talent. He also had a boss with whom he shares an ache and a deep understanding of why it will never go away. Earnhardt's father crashed and died in the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 as Earnhardt finished second. Hendrick's son, Ricky, died in a helicopter crash at Martinsville.

ONE WIN FOR NO. 88

Yet Earnhardt has only one victory in his No. 88 Impala. It's doubly frustrating because Hendrick's three other drivers have won 13 this year and are 1-2-3 in the standings.

``He is the strongest man in NASCAR, and he proves it every day with the load he carries on his shoulders,'' teammate Mark Martin said of Earnhardt. ``I've encouraged him to keep his chin up. Things will change.''

Earnhardt, 35, realizes he can't make any excuses. He's got the name, the muscle, the support. Now he's got to win.

``I got a long ways to go to get back my confidence,'' he said. ``We sort of live and die by how each day goes. Every lap -- if it goes bad, it's hard to stay positive.

``The thing I focus on most is maintaining my attitude.''

Little "E"

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Early life and career:

Born in North Carolina and raised in Kannapolis, Earnhardt, Jr. is a son of Brenda Lorraine (née Gee) and Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. His maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, Sr., was a NASCAR car builder.

He began his racing career at the late age of 17, competing in the Street Stock division at Concord (N.C.) Motorsport Park. His first race car was a 1979 Monte Carlo that he co-owned with older half-brother Kerry. Within two seasons, the young Earnhardt, Jr. had honed his driving abilities to the point of joining the Late Model Stock Car division. There he developed an in-depth knowledge of chassis setup and car preparation, while racing against Kerry and Dale's sister Kelley Earnhardt-Elledge.

Junior ran 9 Busch Series races between 1996 and 1997 for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ed Whitaker, respectively, before driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Busch Series full time in 1998, in which he started the season in an amazing blowover after contact with Dick Trickle and Buckshot Jones at Daytona. Earnhardt, Jr. won consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Championships in 1998 and 1999 barely edging Matt Kenseth. In 1998 he made his first start in the Winston Cup, at the exhibition race held in Motegi, Japan. Also in 1999 he drove in 5 Winston Cup races in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., then in 2000 he went full time in the Winston Cup series.

2000:

Earnhardt, Jr. racing the #8 at the Coca-Cola 600 in 2000.Earnhardt, Jr. competed for the Raybestos NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 2000. His primary competitor for the award was Matt Kenseth. Kenseth outran Junior in the season-opening Daytona 500. Earnhardt, Jr. scored wins at the Texas Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. He also became the first rookie to win the All-Star exhibition race. Kenseth ultimately scored a 42-point victory in the rookie race.

Dale Jr. did have a part in recreating one Winston Cup milestone in 2000 when he competed with his father and half-brother Kerry in the Pepsi 400 at Michigan International Speedway. That occasion was only the second time that a father had raced against two sons. Lee, Richard and Maurice Petty had previously accomplished the feat.

Dale Jr. also "wrote" a non-fiction book based on his rookie season titled DRIVER #8.

Dale Jr. during the Pepsi 400 in 2002.Dale Jr also attended college and earned a 2 year automotive degree in Mooresville, North Carolina

2001:

In 2001, Earnhardt, Jr. came into the season hoping to avoid a sophomore slump, but the year proved to be one of the most tumultuous and memorable seasons the young driver would experience.

The major event of the season occurred in the final corner of the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. As Earnhardt, Jr. finished second, to his teammate Michael Waltrip, his father had crashed in turn four. Dale Earnhardt Sr. did not survive the wreck. He was pronounced dead at 5:16 p.m. that Sunday. Junior raced at Rockingham the following weekend, but finished in 43rd-place after a wreck that looked eerily similar to his father's wreck just one week earlier. Earnhardt, Jr. rebounded and scored victories at Dover and Talladega, as well as an emotional win in the return to Daytona in the Pepsi 400, finishing eighth in points for the year.

The Talladega victory earned Junior a Winston No Bull 5 $1 million bonus. This season of emotion produced nine top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes, as well as two Bud Poles.

2002-2003:

In 2002, Junior had a roller-coaster season. He struggled after enduring a concussion at Fontana in April - an injury he did not admit to until mid-September. In the three races following Fontana, Earnhardt, Jr. finished no better than 30th. Still, Junior rallied to score two more wins at Talladega, a pair of Bud Pole Awards and an 11th-place finish in the standings.

2003 saw Earnhardt, Jr. become a true title contender. He scored a record-breaking 4th consecutive win at Talladega, but people were beginning to say that Earnhardt, Jr. could only win on the restrictor plate tracks, as his last win on a non-plate track had come at Dover in 2001. He put that talk to rest as he scored a victory at Phoenix in October, recording a career best 3rd place effort in the standings. He would also take home the NMPA Most Popular Driver award for the first time in his career.

2004-2006:

.In 2004, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500, six years to the day after his father won his only title in the "Great American Race (and 3 years after his father was killed in the 2001 race)." On July 18, during an off-weekend from NASCAR, Dale Jr. crashed a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R during a practice for the American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. The car slid off course and hit a concrete barrier during warm-up the day of the race, rupturing a fuel line and causing the car to burst into flames with Earnhardt, Jr. still inside. He suffered second and third degree burns on his neck, chin, and legs partially due to not wearing a protective balaclava with his helmet. The burns prevented him from finishing two races where he was replaced by Martin Truex Jr. and his DEI teammate John Andretti in the middle of the races. In the fall, Junior became the first driver to sweep a weekend at Bristol by winning both the Busch race and Cup race in the same weekend.

He was able to qualify for the NASCAR ten-race playoff, and had his fifth NEXTEL Cup win of the season (a career high) at Talladega. However, he was penalized 25 points for use of an obscenity during the television broadcast, in violation of a NASCAR rule prohibiting participants from using obscene language. That incident, combined with two consecutive DNF's in the playoffs, eventually dropped him out of the running, and he finished fifth in the 2004 NEXTEL Cup chase despite a career-high 6 wins at Daytona, Atlanta, Richmond, Bristol, Talladega and Phoenix. He also picked up his 2nd consecutive Most Popular Driver Award.

At the close of the 2004 season it was revealed that Tony Eury, Sr. would be promoted to the team manager position for the DEI corporation, while Tony Eury, Jr. became the crew chief for the DEI #15 driven by Michael Waltrip for the 2005 season. Peter Rondeau, a Chance 2 employee who also helped Earnhardt, Jr. win the Busch Series race at Bristol in August, became the crew chief for Earnhardt, Jr. in 2005. Rondeau served as Earnhardt's crew chief until the Coca Cola 600 weekend when he was replaced with DEI chief engineer Steve Hmiel, who helped Jr. score his lone win of 2005 at Chicagoland in July. Earnhardt, Jr. was eliminated from any possible competition for the NEXTEL Cup championship after suffering an engine failure at the California Speedway. Earnhardt, Jr. was reunited with cousin Tony Eury, Jr. after the fall Richmond weekend, and results improved immediately. For the 3rd straight year, Earnhardt, Jr. took home the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.

.Meanwhile, Earnhardt's proficiency as a car owner continued. His race team outside of DEI, JR Motorsports, in 2005 fielded a car in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series, winning once and qualifying for the Four Champions playoff. Mark McFarland moved to the Busch Series in 2006, driving the #88 JR Motorsports US Navy Chevrolet, with Richard Childress Racing providing assistance; however, he was fired before the fall Michigan race, the Carfax 250. He was replaced by Robby Gordon and Martin Truex, Jr. for the rest of the year. Long-time short track racer Shane Huffman drove Earnhardt's USAR Hooters ProCup car in 2006.

In 2006, during the spring weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Junior and other DEI drivers drove with special black paint schemes on their cars, intended to be reminiscent of his late father's famous #3 paint scheme. On Father's Day 2006, Dale Jr. drove a vintage Budweiser car at Michigan International Speedway to honor both his grandfather (Ralph Earnhardt) and father, who at one point in both their careers used the number 8 car. After rain caused the race to be ended early, Dale Jr. finished 3rd with Kasey Kahne winning the race. After 17 races in the 2006 season, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. sat 3rd in the championship standings with one win, coming at Richmond in May 2006.

During the race at New Hampshire, Junior experienced the second engine failure of his 2006 season, ultimately leading to a 43rd place finish. Following New Hampshire was the race at Pocono, where Junior was running in the middle of the pack when he crashed in turn

2007:

Earnhardt, Jr. began the 2007 NEXTEL Cup season by finishing 32nd at the Daytona 500. His first top ten came at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500 when he finished 7th. His first Top 5 came at Martinsville Speedway in the Goody's Cool Orange 500. He led 136 laps and finished 5th. Jr. collected his third top 10 of the season and his 8th at Talladega Superspeedway with his 7th place performance in the 2007 Aaron's 499.

On May 14 Earnhardt, Jr. was docked 100 driver championship points, car owner Teresa Earnhardt was docked 100 owner points, and his crew chief Tony Eury Jr. was fined $100,000 and suspended for 6 races due to the use of illegal mounting brackets used to attach the wing to his car. During the April race at Texas Motor Speedway he drove the last 10 laps in the #5 car of Kyle Busch owned by Rick Hendrick. Although it was gracious of Earnhardt to do so, the circumstances of the situation, (Busch stormed out of the car past his crew, believing his car to be damaged beyond repair), and that both Busch's and Earnhardt's contracts expiring at the end of the season, the experience was life changing!

On May 27, 2007, Dale Jr. rode a camouflage #8 car in the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day to raise money for the families of military troops. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Ward Burton, Denny Hamlin, Casey Mears, Shane Huffman and Jon Wood also changed their paint schemes for the occasion. Earnhardt, Jr. finished eighth, after leading with seven laps to go, but Casey Mears finished with the win.

Jr.'s #8 Sharpie Busch car at the Sharpie display at the 2007 Ford Championship Weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.On August 5, 2007, Dale Jr. earned his first pole position in a race since 2002 at Pocono Raceway. Although Kurt Busch won the race, Earnhardt had a dramatic comeback to finish second after spinning out and experiencing shock troubles. Earnhardt led for eight laps before Busch took over.

On August 12 at Watkins Glen International, Dale Jr. was making the push into the Top 12 of the Nextel Cup standings from his #13 position. After being at the #2 position during the race, Jr. had engine problems on lap 64 and had to end his race day. After the Glen, Junior tried furiously to reach the 12th spot in standings. However, a resurgence by Kurt Busch and a blown engine during the final race at Richmond ended his Chase hopes.That was Dale's last chance to participate for the Championship at Dale Earnhardt Inc.(DEI). After the 2007 season, Earnhardt Jr. won the NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award for the 5th consecutive time.

The big announcement
Jr's move to Hendrick Motorsports:

After much speculation, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. announced on May 10, 2007, that he would leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company founded by his father, to drive for another team in 2008. Earnhardt expressed that his decision was based entirely on his desires to achieve his career goal of a Sprint Cup Championship, and his apparent belief that he would not be able to attain that objective while driving for DEI. He said that unless he could gain majority ownership, and therefore control, of DEI, that he was not confident in the organization's ability to field the elite level equipment that would yield the elusive title.

.On June 13, 2007, he announced at a press conference that he had signed a five-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports, replacing Kyle Busch. He has joined Hendrick which at the time consisted of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears (Mears would be replaced in 2009 by Mark Martin).

On July 13, 2007, it was announced that his long-time primary sponsor Budweiser would not be with Earnhardt Jr. when he made the move to Hendrick. Other contractual agreements in place at Hendrick Motorsports are said to have prevented a relationship with Bud.

On August 15, 2007 it was announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would not be taking his familiar #8 with him to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. His late grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, used that number and Earnhardt Jr. picked it when he entered the Cup Series in 1999. Earnhardt's father also used #8 early in his career. Earnhardt Jr. blamed his stepmother for not allowing the #8 to move with him to Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt Jr. said negotiations broke down when Teresa Earnhardt asked for part of the licensing revenue, along with wanting the number back after he retired! (The #8 team, after a successful season in 2008 with co-drivers Mark Martin and Aric Almirola, would end up being shut down in 2009 after DEI's merger with Ganassi Racing.)

Earnhardt Jr. moved to the #88 car with Tony Eury, Jr. coming to Hendrick to remain as his crew chief. On September 19, the official announcement was made that Earnhardt Jr. would be driving the #88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevy for the 2008 season.

The #88, according to NASCAR archives, was driven by Ralph Earnhardt, his paternal grandfather, in 1957. His maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, was one of the first employees of All Star Racing, initially a Late Model Sportsman (now Nationwide Series) team with Gee as Hendrick's partner, which is now Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick said about Earnhardt and his uncles, "I can look at Robert Gee Jr., or Jimmy Gee, or Dale Jr., and all I see is Robert Gee. They're the spitting image of him. I go back and look and pictures from when we did things together, and I have to say, I owe Robert a lot".

2008:

Dale Earnhardt Jr started the season by winning the 2008 Budweiser Shootout,] a non-points paying exhibition. It was his first race for Hendrick. He led for a total of 47 of 70 laps, a Budweiser Shootout record. He followed that up five days later with a win in the Gatorade Duel. This was his third career win in the duels, however he was unable to follow it up with victory in the Daytona 500, finishing 9th. Ryan Newman was the winner of the event.

Dale Earnhardt Jr was docked 50 points because his rear spoiler didn't meet the specified height in the Nationwide Series. His crew chief Chad Walter was fined $35,000, suspended for 6 races and was placed on probation until December 31, 2008. Team owner Rick Hendrick was also docked 50 owner points along with Jr.

Dale Jr. started 15th for the Auto Club 500 because qualifying was rained out and the lineup was determined by owner points from last season. However on lap 21, teammate Casey Mears went up into the wall due to water on the track. When he came back down the track he took out Jr. When the cameras caught up with Earnhardt in the garage, he was irritated about the fact that they were even out on the track in those conditions. It had been raining all weekend and water was "weeping" out of the cracks on the track causing slick spots in the corners. The race was later rain delayed until Monday and Earnhardt finished the race 40th.

A string of four top-5 and top-10 finishes over the following weeks improved his position in the points standings from 23rd to fourth.

Despite winning the pole for the Samsung 500 at Texas, Junior finished the race a lap down in 12th position.

Earnhardt Jr. made his 300th career Sprint Cup start at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Despite running a strong race (including leading 12 times), his involvement in a late-race collision left him with a 10th place finish in the race.

A string of three top-5 finishes in the next four races continued Earnhardt Jr.'s consistency, and maintained his 3rd place position in the points standings.

At Michigan, Dale Jr. broke his 76-race winless streak, managing to stretch his fuel mileage enough to allow him to win under a caution on the last lap of a green-white-checkered (overtime) finish.

Dale Jr couldn't find much success after the Michigan win. He then went back to Talladega Superspeedway for the AMP Energy 500 where he was en route a possible win before being caught up in "The Big One" late in the race. He headed to Martinsville Speedway where he finished second to teammate Jimmie Johnson.

He ended the season in the garage area at Homestead Miami Speedway in The Ford 400 after losing his brakes with just a few laps to go in the race. Earnhardt Jr in 2008 won his 6th consecutive Nascar most popular driver award after he set a Nascar record for merchandise sales.

2009:

In the season-opening Daytona 500, Earnhardt, Jr. began well, even leading for a lap. However multiple mishaps including a missed pit stop and a 1-lap penalty for pitting outside of his pit box sent him far into the back of the running order. Earnhardt, Jr. was then directly involved in a controversial crash on lap 124, when, while fighting to return to the lead lap, he turned into Brian Vickers, causing a ten car pileup which included Denny Hamlin,Scott Speed, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon, Jamie McMurray, and Carl Edwards. Both Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers later criticized Earnhardt, Jr, who denied purposely clipping Vickers. Earnhardt in turn criticized Vickers for blocking him on the inside. When the race concluded early due to the rain, Earnhardt, Jr. ended with a 27th place finish. After a blown engine at California and falling to 35th in the owners points, he finished 10th at Las Vegas and reached 29th place in points. Earnhardt Jr. finished 8th at Martinsville. Unfortunately, Earnhardt Jr. had a string of poor finishes including 20th at Texas, and 31st at Phoenix after being spun out by Casey Mears. Earnhardt Jr. gained confidence in his team after he finished second at Talladega. However, two weeks later at Richmond, Earnhardt Jr. finished 27th. He was again spun out late in the race at Darlington and ended the race in 27th place. He then finished 10th in the All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Dale's poor performance continued as he finished in 40th place in the Coca-Cola 600, also at Lowe's.

On Thursday, 28 May 2009, Tony Eury Jr. was fired as crew chief of the #88 team. Lance McGrew was named interim crew chief, and was scheduled to take over starting with the June 7, 2009 Pocono Race with team manager Brian Whitesell calling the shots at Dover the previous week. McGrew was scheduled to work with Brad Keselowski at Dover, but after a failed qualifying attempt by Keselowski, was able to take on his duties for the #88 team a week early. Earnhardt, Jr. managed to finish 12th at Dover for the Autism Speaks 400 with his new crew chief after contending for the lead. At Pocono Raceway, however, he again ended with a 27th-place finish. Since the change in Crew Chiefs, Earnhardt, Jr. has been consistantly better, finishing tenth at Chicagoland Speedway; during that time he had one DNF at Daytona International Speedway where he was taken out of the race early in a large pileup.

At the Carfax 400 at Michigan, Earnhardt, Jr. charged to the front near the end of the race and managed to finish third; he also earned his second top five finish this season in the same race. One week later at Bristol Earnhardt, Jr. finished 9th in the Sharpie 500. Recently, Earnhardt Jr. has run in the top 10 almost every week but overall, either due to mistakes by the pit crew or being wrecked on the racetrack, his finishes have not been very good and have not fairly reflected his performance. His bad luck continued at Auto Club Speedway, when he was involved in a multi-car incident triggered by Elliot Sadler. After a 39th qualifying run at Lowe's Motor Speedway, he said "I'm about to the end of my rope"[citation needed] and he had finally had it with the disappointments and the bad luck that he had all season long. At the fall Talladega race, Earnhardt, Jr. had a solid run, including leading several laps, before finishing in 11th place. Lance McGrew had the "interim" taken off of his title, and he will continue working with the #88 team through 2010. He ended 2009 winless and fewer top 5's and top 10's and finished a career low 25th in the standings.

Races Won

Sprint Cup (18 wins)

2009:
Really Bad year! (0)

2008:
Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway - June 15, 2008

2007:
Bad year, (0)

2006:
Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway - May 6, 2006

2005:
USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway - July 10, 2005

2004:
Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway - February 15, 2004
Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - March 14, 2004
Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond International Raceway - May 15, 2004
Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway - August 28, 2004
EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway - October 3, 2004
Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway - November 7, 2004

2003:
Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway - April 6, 2003
Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Havoline at Phoenix International Raceway - November 2, 2003

2002:
Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway - April 21, 2002
EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway - October 6, 2002

2001:
Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway - July 7, 2001
MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400 at Dover International Speedway - September 23, 2001
EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway - October 21, 2001

2000:
DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway - April 2, 2000
Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway - May 6, 2000

Dale Earnhardt: Through the eyes of his son
By Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The following column originally was published Oct. 18, 2000.

I know a man whose hands are so callused that gloves aren't necessary. Once, while cutting down a tree, he cut the back of his hand to the bone with a chainsaw. He didn't even stop to look until the job was done.

I've seen him get thrown from a tractor. The tractor, as large as a small home, was flipped by the trunk of a stubborn oak tree. His first thought was not fear, but how quickly he could get the tractor back on its tracks to complete the task. He has suffered broken bones and never had one complaint. Not to anyone, not even to himself.

This man could lead the world's finest army. He has wisdom that knows no bounds. No fire could burn his character, no stone could break it. He maintains a private existence. One that shelters his most coveted thoughts from the world.

His upbringing was no controlled creation. His hard-working family was like many from that era. He gained his knowledge in hard dirt and second-hand tools, from his toys as a child to the trucks he drove in his 20s. From that natural upbringing, he has an incredible sense of good and bad. He sees it before it sees him, in people, in anything imaginable. Where did he learn this? How does he know so many things?

I've seen this man create many things. With no blueprints, he has carved and produced wonders upon wonders. His resume shows he has created major companies. He has hammered out deal upon deal -- always being as fair as God would have it. He has taken land with thick shrub and deep valleys and molded them into a frontier fit for heaven. He has built homes that kings couldn't fathom.

Solving problems is as easy as breathing for him. They are thrown his way like the morning paper. People surround him daily, wanting solutions. He hands them out with pride and passion. Each solution is a battle won. He calculates his every action, demanding the same from everyone else. He is honest in letting you know your end of the bargain.

His friendship is the greatest gift you could ever obtain. Out of all his attributes, it is the most impressive. He trusts only a few with this gift. If you ever break that trust - it is over. He accepts few apologies. Many have crossed him and they leave with only regret for their actions. In every result, he stands as an example of what hard work and dedication will achieve. Even his enemies know this.

I have had the pleasure of joining him on the battlefield. I have experienced his intimidating wrath. That may sound strong, but I know what I am talking about. He roams like a lion, king of his jungle. His jungle is his and his alone. Every step he takes has purpose. Every walk has reason.

He praises God, loves his family, enjoys his friends.

I wonder what his future holds. He has so much to be proud of. To this point, he's only barely satisfied. His eyes see much more than my imagination could produce. He is Dale Earnhardt. Dad, the world's finest army awaits.

From Dale Jr's Diary:

Memories of Dad
By Dale Earnhardt Jr.
March 20, 2001
It's time again for my monthly column. I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite memories I have of my father. Since his death, these are the memories that help me through the hard times.

Learning How to Ski:

At 6 years old, I float in the murky water of Lake Norman with one ski on each foot.
Each ski seems to weigh 100 pounds, each tight like a glove to my feet. My father holds me upright as I hang onto the ski rope, which is tied to the hitch of a pickup parked on the boat ramp about 20 yards away.

This makeshift learning tool seems crude, but I felt perfectly safe with my father's idea.
Once my father gave the signal, the driver of the truck would floor the gas, pulling me out of the water and up on my skis. This probably wasn't common practice around the lake for most beginners, but at such a young age, I couldn't pass it up to prove my bravery.
After about six attempts I had it down flat -- literally. On the last attempt I was dragged up on the boat ramp, leaving me with quite a strawberry on the backside. I have this in its entirety on film somewhere. When I take my son to the lake for skiing, I will be driving the truck.

Snow, Trucks, and More Snow:

About that same age, I got the chance to do some real male bonding with my father and his friends.
Sometime that winter, I was invited to ride along with the guys in their 4x4 pickup in the dead of night. The ground was covered in snow -- the roads had not been cleared.
This was a man's road trip. Having a 7-year-old along usually meant less fun and hell raisin' for the fellas.
I took this in mind and jumped in the middle of the bench seat and kept my mouth shut. If my memory serves me correct, my father's co-pilot this night was NASCAR's own Gary Nelson.
What a sight it was to see some 20 pickups fishtailing down the windy back roads of Mooresville. I can only imagine since I couldn't see over the dash just yet.
Most of what I remember about that night is just being with my father. Although it seemed as the truck was out of control, he knew exactly what he was doing. I never experienced that same feeling again until joining him on the racetrack in Japan for our first race together.

Get Your Head On Straight:

While practicing for one of my first Busch Series races at Charlotte, I lost control and ended our weekend early.
A few friends and I went directly back to my doublewide trailer and sat in disbelief as to what had happened.
As I sat pondering the future of my racing career, the back door flung open, and in walked what seemed to be a 10-foot-tall tall Dale Earnhardt.
The look on his face wasn't pleasant. As my buddies scrambled to get out the front door he asked me to join him on the back porch.

We spent more than an hour talking about his perils in the early days of his career and how I should be looking forward to my next opportunity to race.
In that conversation somewhere, I was assured of his love for me, and the hope he maintained for me to be successful in whatever I did. From that day on, I never worried about my mistakes, only looking forward to the chance to redeem them.

Our Final Stance:

My father joined me in victory lane for many of my wins in the Busch and Winston Cup Series.
The one that stands out most clearly is the win in Charlotte at The Winston. My first Busch win and my first Cup win were enjoyable with him as well, but The Winston had a different feel while standing there with him on stage with the trophy.
The best race I saw him run was at that same event in 1987. For some reason, I felt I had equaled that performance. As if to say "look dad, the same race, the same excitement, the same result!"
I could see in his face that night he agreed. Of all the time I have spent with my father, this moment is the most valuable to me. I will never forget his smile, his expression, or anything else about those moments with him on that stage that night.
My dad and I, with that elusive Winston trophy there in front of us. It belonged to him as much as it did me that night.

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