Jr 88 Rules!

Dale Jr is by far the Current Most Popular Nascar Driver there is, period.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Information:

Born in Concord, North Carolina, on 10/10/74 Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a stock car driver and son of Dale Earnhardt, and Brenda, (Gee), Lorraine. He now lives in Kannapolis North Carolina.

Earnhardt was twice champion of the Nationwide Racing Series, then moved up to the Winston Cup circuit for his first full season on in 2000. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in the 2001 Daytona 500, the race in which his father was killed. Three years later, Earnhardt took the checkered flag to win the 2004 running of the Daytona 500.

Dale, Jr. became one of the most popular NASCAR drivers, and he stayed that way despite rocky seasons in 2005, 2006 and 2007 . Jr has been voted Most Popular Nascar Driver, for the 9th year in a row!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his second straight disappointing season on the track but he has not lost the adoration of his fans as Earnhardt Jr. won the voting for the NASCAR NMPA Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award for the ninth consecutive time.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver was given the award during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon on Thursday afternoon at the Bellagio Ballroom in Las Vegas.

Earnhardt Jr., winless in the last two years with career-worst points finishes of 25th in 2009 and 21st in 2010, is third all-time in the number of Most Popular Driver awards behind Bill Elliott (16) and Richard Petty (nine). Elliott also holds the record for most consecutive years winning the award with 10 from 1991-2000.

Although the most popular driver on the Sprint Cup circuit, Earnhardt Jr. said he never assumes he is going to win the award.

"There's the performance factor that we've suffered from on the race track, there's the new guys coming in the sport all the time, new personalities," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Your fan base - ours is always very strong but it definitely is a living thing so it is always kind of changing and growing.

"You never take it for granted. You really don't. I take a lot of pride in it. I get really excited about the opportunity to come here and speak about it and appreciate the fans and thank the fans. Since we aren't winning other awards, it's a good opportunity to get on stage and thank our partners and everybody involved, but the fans mainly."

In some ways, winning the award for the eighth time means more than the others because the fans keep voting for him, he said.

"The first year that we won the most popular driver award, I was just blown away," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I didn't expect it. The fans are real loyal. I have a sense of what that's like in the sports that I follow and the teams that I follow and the loyalty and that factor and no matter what happens, you stick with them.

"Each year that I've won it just means more and more."

Fans voted throughout the regular season to determine 10 finalists. Voting throughout the Chase For The Sprint Cup determined the winner of the award, administered by the National Motorsports Press Association.

The other finalists, in alphabetical order, were Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

The 36-year-old Earnhardt Jr. is one of only two father-son combinations to have won the award. Earnhardt Jr.'s father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., won it in 2001, the year he died in the Daytona 500. Petty's father, Lee, won the award in its first two years in 1953 and 1954

He also has had success as the owner of his own racing team, JR Motorsports. In late 2009 he relinqushed ownership, in part to Tony Eury Jr, and his sister Kelley Earnhardt, Jr still does own a part of it. He managed to get, along with help from his sister Kelley Earnhardt, a popular driver from the Indy car Series, Danica Patrick.

Only time will tell if this works, but indications are if nothing else this will be huge for Nascar! So far this is looking good with Danica getting better every race, and with her thinking maybe all Nationwide Series in 2012, who knows?

An Interview With Dale Earnhardt Jr, NASCAR's Most Popular Driver

What's the best race you've ever driven?

DEJ: I was racing at Richmond in either '98 or '99 (actually Sept. 1999), and I beat Mark Martin in the Busch Grand National race. I passed him on the outside to win. He was in the Winn-Dixie car and was almost unbeatable every time he showed up. That was when I first really thought to myself, 'D**n, I might be able to make a living out of this.'

Who is the most talented driver in NASCAR?

DEJ: Most talented in the sport? The most talented driver in the sport is...(thinks for a moment)...it's either Jimmie (Johnson) or Kyle (Busch), probably. Jimmie, I've been around him and in certain situations and seen his car control. Same thing with Kyle.

Kyle gets in Trucks, Nationwide - several cars that drive differently - and is fast. Even going from car to car in the same weekend doesn't seem to really faze him. He just jumps into things and can make it work.

Kyle's probably the better raw talent, just pure driving. Jimmie is really intricate in his thinking process on the track. Jimmie is really clever. You know how he's kind of witty in what he says? He's that way in his driving, you know what I mean? He's smart and quick in his decisions in the race car.

What's the best time for a fan to approach you for an autograph at the racetrack?

DEJ: I don't mind at all being approached when I'm 10 or more feet away from the car. If I'm anywhere away from the car, I'm fine. That's completely expected. But when I'm next to the car or within 10 feet of it, I'm thinking about that or working in that direction. And that's just something I'd rather be able to work on than be interrupted, really, by anybody.

What's the worst track on the NASCAR circuit?

DEJ: I don't like Sonoma. I just don't think these cars were meant to go left and right. There's nowhere to pass, and we all run over the top of each other and wreck the shit out of each other to get positions. And it's fun if you get lucky and not get wrecked. But you normally get run over and get pissed off at people that are actually pretty good people, you know? It pits us all against each other. I grew up racing ovals, and I'm a purist in that form. I just think we ain't supposed to be f****n' running them kind of tracks, you know what I mean? (laughs) SBN: That's fun to watch, though. DEJ: Well yeah, I'd tune in and watch it, too, cause you know somebody's going to get dumped.

What's something people may not know or understand about you?

DEJ: I mean, I've always felt like a lot of people's misconceptions of me have to do with how I grew up. I grew up poor, and I grew up rich. I think some people who have never met me have a misconception that when I was living with my father when he was successful, that I was somehow adversely affected by his success or the money he had and was making at the time.

I think that carries on into when I started racing Late Models. Sure, it was better than most guys - some guys didn't have f*****' race cars. But people assume that I had the best car, the best motors, the best help. And it wasn't like that at all. I don't hear that a lot, but if there is a misconception, it's probably that part.

Mainly, I think people assume I had it better than what was reality. But I had it good; I don't want to complain or f**** off anybody who was providing for me back then - those people who are still around. But it wasn't all roses.

If you were in charge of NASCAR, what would you change?

DEJ: Well, there's nothing that jumps in my mind that I've been thinking about for a long time, like, 'Oh, this is something we really need to have.' I like going back to the lunchtime starts, and I think the fact that they're so f******' hardcore about it that we're going to do it at Homestead says a lot.

Everything we do needs to be geared toward making the sport more accessible to the fans - the rules of the sport, how the race plays itself out, how people qualify into the races - everything needs to be as easy to understand as possible.

One of the things I've always struggled with is how people qualify into the Daytona 500. I've been in this sport for years, and I don't know what the f***'s going on in them (qualifying) races! I'm like, 'Yeah, I want to pull for this underdog, but I don't know what he's got to accomplish!' You know?

I was thinking of some ideas of how they could actually be in a race of their own. Have three qualifying races. You have the 36 guys who make it on (points). Split them into two qualifying races, like normal, but then take the guys who have to race their way in and give them their own race. They get more exposure, their sponsors get more exposure, the fans get more bang for their buck.

Actually, you could do that with the go-or-go-home guys every week before the Busch race. Have a little hooligan race. I don't know if you were around, but the hooligan races back at Charlotte in the '80's, God almighty, they were awesome! We loved 'em, everybody loved 'em - as a fan! I was a fan, you know?

It would make it easier to understand how a car makes it into the Daytona 500 and make qualifying more understandable for every race weekend. And I think it makes it funner to watch - you've got to make it funner to be involved as a fan.

And another thing, too - this may be a stretch, but you tell me. The NFL is scoring record numbers now in TV ratings. There's 20 million people playing fantasy football. I watch every f****** game if I'm home on Sunday - every game, because I've got a player in every game.

Don't you think that affects television ratings? I do. Well then, as silly as it sounds, doesn't NASCAR need a solid fantasy platform? I don't know what it is now, but obviously it's not effective enough to improve ratings. I mean, think about it: If 20 million people are fantasy football guys, they're home clicking from game to game to game. They're going to watch the 1 o'clock, they're going to watch the 4 o'clock, they're going to watch the 8 p.m. game. They're going to watch on Thursday - because they've got a guy.

Even though it's a pain in the a** to sit there and watch the Titans play the Browns, you want to know if Chris Johnson's going to run for 150 yards - and you're going to watch every play until you find out.

I think that's some of where their ratings come from. So that's why NASCAR needs a solid fantasy platform that draws the viewer in that aspect. Maybe you can't, because we're just one game; maybe it can't make the kind of impact it can for the NFL. But I think it has a tremendous effect on their TV ratings, because one guy is watching four games a week instead of watching one - the one your favorite team is in.

If a new driver came to you for advice, who is one driver you'd tell him to learn from and one driver you wouldn't?

DEJ: I'd tell 'em to go learn from Mark Martin, and I'd tell 'em to not do anything I ever did. SBN: Why's that? DEJ: I don't know. Well...I just don't want to name any names in that category, so I named myself (laughs).

Who is the one driver you most admire outside of NASCAR?

DEJ: Damn, that's tough to say. I don't know, man. S*****t! I wish Michael Schumacher would come try NASCAR. That'd be cool. With everything he's done and how professional he's remained through it all, I think he's an awesome role model as far as work ethic and tenacity. He just seems like he knows how to get it done. He's probably that guy for a lot of people, but I don't mind being in that big group. SBN: I heard he's an a**hole though. DEJ: Damn, that sucks to hear. I hope that's not true.

How much longer would you like to keep driving?

DEJ: Til I'm 50 or 55, that'd be awesome. SBN: Really? 55? DEJ: Yeah. Sure. At some point, I'll go to the Nationwide Series and then maybe I'll try trucks. Before you quit, you've got to try it all, don't you think? I don't think you ever get to where you can quit. I don't think you can just stop and go sit at the house. I know there are probably things I could keep my hands busy in, but they're not as fun.

What's the first thing you do when you get home at the end of a long race weekend?

DEJ: I grab my iPad and see how I'm doing in fantasy football, and then I turn on the most important game that I'm involved in. (laughs) If I get home late, I watch the Thursday running of The Office and the Sunday running of Eastbound and Down. SBN: Kenny Powers, huh? DEJ: Yeah, (the recently completed season of E&D) was good. It was not as good as the first season, but it had some good points.

Who wins Sprint Cup in 2015?

DEJ: 2015? S***! My darkhorse is going to be Brad Keselowski, but...I'm going to go for me. I think I'm going to win it. So I'll pick me, and then Brad Keselowski as the darkhorse.

Would you rather be known as a great driver or great person?

DEJ: A great person. That reaches all facets of your being, you know? Not just your job. When you say great person, that includes your family, your friends. I've already done enough to have earned 'good driver,' so if I can be known as a great person and a good driver, that's better than only being a great driver.

Edited for obvious reasons!

Career Highlights:

The 2009 season marks Earnhardt's 10th in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. Through 2008, the native of Kannapolis, N.C., has amassed more than $53 million in career winnings and 18 victories, including the 2004 Daytona 500. His 18 victories rank him tied for 36th on NASCAR's all-time race winners list. He also has six "non-points" or all-star wins, and eight pole positions.

Earnhardt is the only third-generation NASCAR champion, achieved when he won the 1998 and 1999 Nationwide Series titles. He follows his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., a seven-time Cup champion and winner of 76 races. His grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, was the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion, and in 2007 was inducted posthumously into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Both his father and grandfather were selected among NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers of all time in 1999. The three Earnhardts combine for 10 NASCAR championships.

Until 2008, Earnhardt's career as a full-time driver was solely within the confines of the family-owned business, Dale Earnhardt Inc., in which he accumulated 39 victories in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series from 1998-2007. But the 2008 season marked one of significant change, as Earnhardt made the boldest decision of his young career by signing with renowned team owner Rick Hendrick to drive the No. 88 Chevrolets for Hendrick Motorsports. High-powered sponsorship deals soon followed, as Pepsi-Cola's AMP Energy brand and the Army National Guard agreed to a co-primary sponsorship with Hendrick Motorsports to partner with Earnhardt and the No. 88 team.

With a successful driving career in motion, Earnhardt's role as team owner and businessman has enjoyed its own ascent. In 2002, JR Motorsports consisted of only six employees and a street-stock Camaro raced at the local short tracks. Today it encompasses a full stable of cars that compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and local weekly late model divisions. In July 2007, Earnhardt announced a partnership deal with Hendrick Motorsports -- under the JRM banner with Hendrick Motorsports engines, chassis and vehicle engineering support -- to field two NASCAR Nationwide Series race teams. In 2009, the No. 88 Chevrolets will run a full schedule, and the No. 5 Chevrolet is schedule to compete in 10 events, with Earnhardt behind the wheel for two races.

Earnhardt's first turn at ownership began with Chance 2, a team started in 2002 and jointly operated with Dale Earnhardt Inc. With that team, Earnhardt was co-owner of the 2004 and 2005 Nationwide Series championship teams with driver Martin Truex Jr. Truex's accomplishments mirrored those of Earnhardt, who dominated the 1998 and 1999 Nationwide Series seasons, winning two championships, 13 races and more than $3 million. As a driver, he has an additional nine Nationwide Series victories in 34 starts since 1999, and his 22 total victories tie him for seventh on the all-time Nationwide Series win list. Fans and media selected him as one of the top-three Nationwide Series drivers of all-time in a 2006 NASCAR poll.

Earnhardt's business savvy extends beyond the track. In 2006, Earnhardt started Hammerhead Entertainment, a one-stop-shop production company that has produced shows for ESPN, SPEED Channel and other notable clients. Located in downtown Charlotte, N.C., Earnhardt opened a popular nightspot called Whisky River in April 2008.

From magazines to television, Earnhardt garners worldwide attention. He has appeared on more than 150 magazine covers and has been featured in high-profile publications such as "Rolling Stone," "GQ," "Men's Journal," "Sports Illustrated," "People" magazine and "TV Guide." He has been a guest on "60 Minutes," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Today Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Jimmy Kimmel Show," "Good Morning America," "Live with Regis and Kelly," and "Larry King Live."

In October 2008 issue, BusinessWeek magazine named Earnhardt to their Top 100 most influential people in sports, ranking him 38th overall. The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer listed him among the top-10 most powerful people in NASCAR in 2007. In recent polls and surveys, he received a top-five "Q" rating among all athletes, and rated among the top-five athletes in corporate endorsements by "Forbes" magazine.

With crossover appeal unmatched by any other athlete, his eclectic taste in music is reflected in the diverse list of artists that have featured him in their music videos, including Jay-Z, Staind, Sheryl Crow, Three Doors Down, Trace Adkins, O.A.R., the Matthew Good Band and Nickelback. He has played cameo roles in major motion pictures "Talladega Nights" and "Cars," and was the subject of an episode of MTV's "Diary" and VH-1's "Driven." In 2001 he added best-selling author to his résumé with "Driver 8," a documentation of his rookie season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The book landed on the New York Times best-seller list for 17 weeks, and online retailer Amazon.com named "Driver 8" the top-selling sports book of the year.

With fellow NASCAR driver Ken Schrader, Earnhardt is part-owner of a dirt track in Paducah, Ky., and a new multi-purpose motor sports complex being developed near Mobile, Ala.

He enjoys hanging out at home and working on his ever-growing collection of street cars and race cars. His hobbies include music, computers and computer gaming. He has a small golf course, go-kart track and a vintage Western-style town on his property near Mooresville, N.C.

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", 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.

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".

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.

Races Won

Sprint Cup (18 wins)

2011:
Still no wins, but at least got into the Chase

2010:
Yup, you guessed it, (0)

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.