HELPFUL ADVICE FOR KYLE BUSCH

Congratulations on your qualifying postition yesterday. Its too bad you didn't get the pole but atleast you lost to someone that most of America likes. I know he took your postion at Hendrick Motorsports but thats because people like him. He's a good driver, he has a good attitude, and bottom line he is a money maker. Now if Jr wins tomorrow, which their is a good chance, I know you will shed a lot tears. Please go to your bus to do so. Nobody wants to hear it. Thats probably why he has so many fans and you don't. You're a whiner and he's not. This a grown mans sport and the professionals involved should all realize this. You just do what you do and drive, whine in your car, cry in your bus, crash, ya know the usual. Maybe consider hiring your own camera man and getting your own tv show. We could have Busch tv, and no it wouldn't be porn. Good luck and follow the leader small infant sweet baby jesus

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Communication with pit crew problems

Let me first state, I LOVE the Earnhardt's- was a fan of Dale sr. forever and like JR. just as much. The following is an observation of the situation the JR. is in
1) JR. does not communicate with the crew as to exactly what the car is doing. I have noticed in countless races that they start off fine but never are able to keep up with the changing track conditions
2)Pit stops are marginal at best....most times loosing valuable places that took him a complete run to obtain....in my opinion the complete pit crew should be changed with the goal of always completing stops in under 14 seconds
3)Crew chief should be replaced with someone who is more educated in the dymamics of the new cars and how to set them up. The current situation will just lead to more mediocre finishes.
If you notice there is a tremendous difference in the information exchanged between Jimmy Johnson and his crew and Jr. This has to change if he is ever to achieve the goal of champion.

I root so hard for him that I am just frustrated that even with the change in teams there now seems to be a drop off every week from the previous one. I think the edition of a qualified engineer to the team would do wonders to solve the problems that I see here.
I hope no-one considers this bashing because for what its worth I just think changes are needed if he is to compete for a championship this year. He is now in forth place but I see no improvement in making his cars better during a race...Thanks for listening and let me know what you think could be done....

Any other Jr fans becoming fans of the other Hendrick drivers?

Sorry if this has been brought up before
I've always respected Jeff and Jimmy, I just never really liked them before, I now find myself cheering for them if Jr is out of contentsion (sp?) and feeling bad if something happens to them. People say I'm like a traitor or whatever, last year I did my fair share of cussing at them and now I'm actually cheering them on!
Please don't be rude, thanks.

P.S. I forgot to mention Casey, I cheer for him as well! I blame DW, he calls them the 3 J's and I do too and then completely forget him, I feel so bad about that.

Phoenix Disappointing for Dale Earnhardt Jr

Phoenix Disappointing for Dale Earnhardt Jr
You could hear the disappointment dripping from Dale Earnhardt Jr Saturday night following the Sunway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix.



Dale Earnhardt Jr. started the April 12 race at Phoenix International Raceway 13th and finished seventh. Earnhardt led 87 laps and ran 290 in the top 15.


Junior wheeled the No. 88 National Guard to a 7th place finish after leading a large chunk of the closing laps under the lights at Phoenix.

The top-10 finish lifted Earnhardt to 3rd in the Sprint Cup Championship standings -- but that was little consolation for Dale Jr.
"Me and Tony Jr. came up with some ideas and borrowed some ideas from Chad, which helped my car amazingly," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We were running good at night. Right there at the end I think I just drove the tires off of it, I guess. I was losing ground."

"We had a good finish -- I'm proud of my team, had a great car," Junior said after the race. "I don't know what our expectations truly were going in to the race."

When asked why his crew chief, Tony Eury Jr, decided to bring the No. 88 Chevrolet to pit road for gas when teammate Jimmie Johnson stayed on the track Earnhardt explained: "I don't know if we could have made it. I don't know when we stopped, or how much I was burning a lap. I can't do the math. I just do what I'm told. We did the right thing. We can't run out and finish out of the top-10. We did the right thing."

About Dale Jr.

I think that Dale Jr. is off to a great start this year he is doing better than the past 2 years. He hasn't won a race for two years. The race the other day was awesome when jimmy johnson won this year isn't going to be his year tho because he wouldn't have one if mark martin didn't pit.

JR to make 300th Sprint Start at Dega

Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Make 300th Career Sprint Cup Start In The Aaron's 499

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will celebrate a big milestone in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27 when he makes his 300th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start.

It’s only fitting that Earnhardt Jr. would reach a milestone in career starts at Talladega Superspeedway, his most successful track on the NASCAR circuit. Five of his 17 career Sprint Cup Series victories have occurred here – the most of any track – and he won a record four straight between October 2001 and April 2003.

For the upcoming Aaron’s Dream Weekend April 24-27, Earnhardt Jr. will return to the Talladega Superspeedway for the first time with his new team at Hendrick Motorsports with hopes of ending a career-high 70 race winless skid.

After driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. for his entire Sprint Cup Series career, Earnhardt Jr. is currently in his first season behind the wheel of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports are expected to be a powerful combination in the Aaron’s 499. In the 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway since 2000, either Hendrick Motorsports or Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won 12. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports has won the past four Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway.

“It’s fitting that Talladega Superspeedway is the site of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 300th Sprint Cup start,” Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey said. “This facility is a special place for both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and all of his fans. I’m sure Jr. Nation would be thrilled if Talladega could be the site of Dale’s first victory with Hendrick Motorsports.”

Active Drivers who have raced all the races in 2008

This is the top ten non-winning driver streaks that have raced all the races in 2008.

1. Robby Gordon 164
2. Bobby Labonte 151
3. Micheal Waltrip 136
4. Elliott Sadler 126
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 70
6. Kasey Kahne 49
7. Kevin Harvick 43
8. Brian Vickers 37
9. Casey Mears 32
10. Martin Truex 31

I just found it interesting, not taking shots at anyone. Remember, this does not include drivers like Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, John Andreti, Sterlin Marlin, Mark Martin, Joe Nemecheck who have all raced in at least one race this year.

Dale Jr Looking Forward to Dega!

Earnhardt won in February in his debut for Hendrick Motorsports in the non-point Bud Shootout, and then took victory in a Gatorade Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500. Since then though, he has yet to win a points' race driving for his new employer.
In fact, Earnhardt has not won a race since May of 2006, when he took victory at Richmond driving for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.
He hopes Talladega will break the winless drought and send him back to victory lane.
But despite being nearly two years without a win, he says he doesn't feel the pressure to visit victory lane again.
"You know, it's definitely something you recognize," Earnhardt says. "It's definitely a stat that you are aware of and reminded of. It's not a whole lot of pressure. I still drive for a good team, I still have a great opportunity to win every time I show up.”
In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt returns as a strong favorite for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499. He trails only teammate Jeff Gordon in Talladega victories by active drivers (five), his highest win total at any track on the series schedule.
"We obviously had a lot of success at Talladega, there is no denying that,” Earnhardt said. “And I feel like, you know, we're going to have a good chance this weekend, and I'm motivated by that.
"But I've felt that way all year, really. Before there were probably four or five years ago I definitely went into these races with a little more confidence than I would carry into the other events. But this season I've felt like we've had a shot every time we show up."

Dale Jr Cribs Show

I saw the show finally, I saw it on CMT and it also had Jamie and Casey, but those two when it was taped, it was old, sinced Jamie saud he was the driver of the 42 and casey said he was the driver of the 41. Dale didn't say he was a driver of a ceartin car. But it was good, don't know when it will air again, Just want to say that it was finally on TV,

Sup with those fantastic HMS teamates???

What a load of crap that was. Jeff Gordon was just being a whiner baby. At least JGR worked some together. Jimmie was just hanging out in the back. Jr said on the radio where were all his teamates at??? He wanted to see how they stacked up against the other teams. It was like an important test session that never happened. He was thinking about all the teams. At least he cares. I think it's funny how Jr's damaged car passed by them in the end. Had to vent on this one.

Just wanna know what you think !!!!

Me and a couple buddies were getting to talking about whether Junior is more popular now that he is at Hendrick or whether he had more fame when he was at DEI. I for one think he is more popular now then ever before but what do u think.... is he more maybe the same or has he lost some???

Dale Jr. in Jacksonville to Promote Navy Partnership

NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt, Jr. traded his car for a jet and landed on the First Coast to meet with standout sailors and prepare for a ride on an aircraft carrier.

Trading his Chevy Impala for a private Learjet, Dale Jr., the driver of the Number 88 car in NASCAR's top-tier Sprint Cup series, landed at NAS Jacksonville at around 9:55 Thursday morning.

After meeting with reporters, Earnhardt received a plaque and two NAS Jacksonville baseball caps from the base's commanding officer, CAPT Jack Scorby.

Inside the air terminal, near the place where his Learjet was parked, Earnhardt met with 25 specially selected sailors, chosen from the 116 units located at NAS Jax.

The NASCAR star signed autographs and carried on conversations for about 20 minutes. It was a true thrill for Petty Officer Adam Linton.

"I got a hat for my senior chief. He's about to retire on the 6th, so I got him a hat signed by him," GM2 Linton said.

Earnhardt is gearing up to kick off a new recruiting drive with the US Navy, which sponsors the Number 88 car he owns that competes in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide series.

"It's a tangible sponsorship, if you will, you're not really kinda just running around hawking a product," Earnhardt said. "I'm glad that they chose me to help them."

Still, Earnhardt says his pairing with the Navy is not just about allegiance to the red, white, and blue -- it's also about good, old fashioned green.

"Our relationship mainly stems from that service that they provide us financially," Earnhardt said.

The regular driver of that Navy-sponsored Number 88 car, Brad Keselowski, was along with Dale Jr. during his hour long stopover at NAS Jax.

After meeting with sailors, the two drivers headed into a safety briefing to prepare for their flight to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Earnhardt and Keselowski were scheduled to spend a day onboard Theodore Roosevelt in the Atlantic off the First Coast and then return to dry land Wednesday night.

But as Earnhardt boarded a plane bound for the carrier, it seemed he'd much rather be back in his usual machine -- riding not on air, but on four rubber tires.

The Navy's new recruiting effort will officially kick off on May 24th, when Dale Jr. is scheduled to drive the Navy "Accelerate Your Life" Number 83 car that he owns during a race in NASCAR's Nationwide series.

After that kickoff event, new Navy recruits will be able to sign up for a special Dale Jr. Division when they ship off to boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois.

The boot camp company will be made up of 88 new recruits, patterned after Earnhardt's Number 88 Sprint Cup car.

During the recruits' two months of training, Dale Jr. will visit them at boot camp and attend their graduation.

The Navy says the campaign is costing taxpayers about $800,000 and is aimed at both meeting its recruiting goals and also raising general awareness of Navy recruiting.

Junior spurns Gossage's offer to ride in Texas IndyCar race

Dale Earnhardt Jr. laughed at Eddie Gossage's offer of $100,000 to drive in the IndyCar series race at Texas Motor Speedway on June 7.

"Well, he thinks I'm a cheap date, I guess,'' NASCAR's most popular driver said before Friday Sprint Cup qualifying at Richmond International Raceway.

Even if the TMS president upped his offer, Earnhardt didn't appear interested.

"My conscious wouldn't let me,'' said Earnhardt, worth more than $20 million a year according to Forbes Magazine.

Replied Gossage, "But did he say no? The way I see it the door is still open. We'll work on it. I'm open to negotiations.''

Gossage made the offer, his latest in a series of publicity stunts involving Earnhardt, after IRL driver Danica Patrick went on Earnhardt's Thursday night XM Satellite Radio show and said "if he ever wanted to swap cars and run in an open-wheel race, Texas would be the place to give it a shot.''

Gossage said the offer was not a publicity stunt to sell tickets, that he might increase it to $125,000.

"Obviously, he's interested or he wouldn't have brought it up,'' Gossage said.

Earnhardt didn't exactly bring it up. He simply was responding to a question during his hauler chat.

That Gossage would put the onus on him doesn't come as a surprise to the son of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.

"I know his intentions well,'' Earnhardt said. "We had that discussion with the billboard thing. I totally understand what his approach to advertising is now.''

Earnhardt was referring to Gossage's publicity effort to help fill the stands for the April Cup race. He put up a series of billboards for why fans should by tickets.

The one involving Earnhardt said, "Reason #88: Step-Mom," taking a shot at Earnhardt's tumultuous relationship with stepmother Teresa Earnhardt.

The billboard drew objections by Earnhardt's sister and business manager, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge. Gossage changed it to say, "Reason #88: New Car Smell.''

Earnhardt said Gossage would have gotten more mileage out of his latest stunt if he'd offered $5 million to $10 million. "He's kind of like Austin Powers' Dr. Evil,'' Earnhardt said of the fictional character in a series of comedy movies. "His first estimate of holding the world ransom [for $1 million] was a little underfigured.''

Gossage doesn't know about that, but he's certain Earnhardt thinks too much of himself to ask for $5 million.

"He's really lost a sense of reality if he thinks he's worth $5 million,'' he said. "Boy, I think highly of Dale Jr., but $5 million? He really thinks highly of himself, doesn't he?''

Regardless, Gossage still is willing to talk.

"I'm serious,'' he said. "I'm waiting on him to call me.''

Shame on you, Denny Hamlin!

I am a huge Junior fan, but after being an official in a sim racing league and even watching an identical incident take place in front of me at Phoenix (sim racing again) I can't in good conscience blame Kurt Busch, and I hope no other Dale Junior fans will either. That incident was caused by Denny Hamlin's selfish decision to park on the track to force a caution. Junior had broken away from KB, and was well on his way to a win. It was Hamlin attempting to stay on the lead lap that brought those two back together, not a boneheaded move by either Kyle or Dale. So hopefully the rest of Junior Nation will understand and not issue any death threats to KB. He raced Junior clean until he got loose after being pinched down.

This was Hamlin's doing, and he should take full responsibility.

Kyle Busch: Dangerous at any speed

When will Kyle busch get it?

He's been hailed by some in the NASCAR media as a great driver this year, his first with Joe Gibbs Racing, and indeed, he's had some solid results, having won two Cup races, three Nationwide series races, and two Craftsman truck already in 2008.

But the wins have routinely come as the result of reckless driving. Now, I'm not talking calculated agression, as we used to see practiced by Dale Earnhardt. Like him or not, you had to know "Big E" knew exactly what he was doing, and got the finishes he wanted by driving the way he did.

You don't get that sense of purpose from 23-year-old Kyle Busch. Week in and out, he drives a car that's so loose, he nearly loses control lap after lap, until he finally wrecks, or the car breaks. Sometimes, wrecking someone leads to a win, sometimes it doesn't.

............................... Even Fox announcer Darrell Waltrip, whose unabashed excitement over Busch's performance early this season was becoming tiresome, has toned down his cheerleading in the wake of several events that demonstrate Busch isn't just a "checkers or wreckers" racer, he's sloppy and doesn't care who he hits in the process of making his run.

Bulls-Eye on Busch

Add "most hated man in NASCAR" to the growing list of nicknames for Kyle Busch.
He can try to run, but Busch cannot hide from what went down in the closing laps of Saturday night's Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Just when it looked like Dale Earnhardt Jr. was finally going to snap a 71-race winless streak – the longest of his Cup career – Busch's right-front fender got into Earnhardt's side, spinning him into the wall.

At the time, Earnhardt was leading the race, and with only four laps to go things were looking oh so promising for him and his millions of minions.



But instead of ending up in victory lane, Earnhardt wound up in the wall. And his following wasn't happy.

What should have been a short delay in the race turned into a sizable intermission as the Junior Nation went wild, lobbing anything they could find – beer cans, cups, trash – onto the track.

Busch, fresh off a dust up with Steven Wallace in Friday night's Nationwide race and already viewed as, ahem, less than popular, was their target – a real-life Grinch that all but stole an early Christmas from hopeful Junior fans.

Junior wound up 15th, while Busch cruised home in second to Clint Bowyer, the benefactor of Junior's misfortune.

Adding insult to injury, Busch's runner-up finish was enough to move him into the points lead.

And so if it wasn't clear before, it most certainly is now: Jeff Gordon is no longer the most hated man in NASCAR. Kyle Busch is.

"For me, there's nothing you can say, absolutely nothing," Busch said. "If I apologize up and down, even though it may or may not be my fault, it would not make a difference. Dale got wrecked, he should have had a win tonight, quote, unquote. But I'll say it again, it's just unfortunate circumstances for him because he didn't get a win and for me because now I've got to put up with it."

Of course, it doesn't matter what Busch says or that it wasn't entirely his fault. Earnhardt readily admitted he came down slightly on Busch going into Turn 3, meaning Junior is at least partly to blame.

The two were fighting for the same piece of race track. Just because he's Junior doesn't mean he wins by default, at least not in theory. But in reality, well, that's a different story.

"If I went out there on that final restart and just gave way to the 88 car, then that would not be a true race car driver," Busch said. "I had to do what I had to do to win for my team. That's what I was out there for and to do, to try to get a win. Unfortunately, circumstances happened."

For the most part, Earnhardt has handled this winless streak without showing much frustration. If he harbored any, he did a good job of keeping it inside. But it all poured out Saturday night as the dejection of coming close again only to lose was almost painfully obvious.

"The worst part about it is that I've been priding myself on running good all year and I was in a position for a win," he said. "I ran hard and got wrecked. I had a top-three car and should have finished in the top three. I was going for the win and just ended up on the hook today. I'm just disappointed."

Earnhardt Jr. didn't do Busch any favors following the race. Junior certainly didn't let Busch off the hook. And so come next weekend in Darlington, expect Junior Nation, which takes its cue from its leader, to be on Busch like he's Barry Bonds.

"Whether it is fair or not, he is going to need some security," a dejected Earnhardt Jr. said afterward. "I wouldn't say (the wreck) was intentional because if he wanted to, he could have just thrown me in the fence off (Turn) 2. I got back side-by-side going into (Turn) 3, tried to run him pretty tight running up top, and he just ran into me or got loose or whatever."

I asked Busch in his post-race interview how he thinks he'll be viewed by the Junior Nation. In typical Busch fashion, he shrugged it off like it's no big deal.

"Well, for some reason, they were awfully confused, because they were giving me the No. 1 sign the last 10 laps of the race, and I was in second place still," Busch quipped. "So, I don't know whether that's too many Dale Jr. Budweisers or they were Amped up or what."

A few minutes later, Bowyer walked in for his interview session, accompanied by a police escort.

"The cops were out there," Bowyer said, "and I said, 'I don't know why you need to escort me. You need to be escorting Kyle Busch out of here.' "

It was funny but also true.

nascar needs to hand out some fines and take away some points this week

what is with denny and kyle. denny stops on the track to bring out the caution so kyle can catch up to jr ...just stops!!! then * * *oon as the caution comes out he takes off like nothing happened...like nascar fans are stupid or something and we wont notice. then kyle spins out jr on purpose!!!!! yes i watched the replay over and over and over in slow motion and yes kyle you did turn your wheels right in to jr to spin him out on purpose!!! and where was the other gibbs racer who is suppose to be jr's friend when all this was going down...why didnt he say something to his team mates not to do it to jr. i have lost all respect for all the gibbs drivers and thier crews and owners. shame on you joe gibbs for allowing this to happen...is this how you won your superbowls too...by cheating!!!!!!!!! wake up nascar officials and take away kyles points that put him in the point race lead and throw some penalties down on joe gibbs and denny too

Who Got The Better Deal: Hendrick or Gibbs?

A long season yet, but what if Kyle Busch wins the Cup and Dale Jr. comes in second..*. *.*.*. *ally came out with the better deal... Rick Hendrick or Joe Gibbs?

Rick Hendrick has shown lately he doesn't take people throwing tantrums on his team very well since the removal of Brian Vickers and then Kyle Busch. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson tried several times to reach out to Kyle, but he made it clear he was unhappy at Hendrick's. So he goes to Joe Gibbs with a possible season-long grudge against Dale Jr. and wins the championship. Should Hendrick be hitting himself in the head for the missed chance for adding to his trophy cases? No. Here's why...

Kyle was not fitted for Hendrick's. He's happier at Gibbs' and he's made that more then obvious. Obviously when you're happier you're going to run better. Kyle might have won a Cup for Hendrick, but I doubt it. Also, while Kyle has the talent... he's kinda rude. He throws insults around without thinking about the words truly.

Sooo... Rick Hendrick gets Dale Jr. solidly in the Chase with a chance to win the cup and legions of fiercely loyal fans who buy enough merchandise for them to build a whole another Hendrick "campus" if they wanted. Dale Jr. will win and he will please fans, plus he seems to watch his words more.

So I think the move was necessary. I don't think if Kyle gets the Cup that Rick Hendrick will have to say "Man, I should have tried harder with that kid"... it wasn't meant to be with Daddy Rick. I just hope this doesn't come true and the roles are reversed with Dale winning the Cup personally.

why you can't blame kyle busch

All of Jr. nation, sheeple,,*, *,*ome people here at IP call us, are upset this morning. Most are mad at Kyle for spinning Jr. out. I was too, but I think Kyle was just getting into the corner really hard, got loose, corrected and got into Jr. I hate it too. But the vidoe shows it, plain it and simple.
However, the real blame should be on Denny Hamlin. He stopped on the track ON PURPOSE!!! Someone in another thread said the radio chatter from his car was that Mike Ford, his crew chief, told Hamlin to bring to pit road repeatedly. And that Hamlin just kept responding, " I have an idea" over and over.
This my friends, is just like CHEATING. I can take getting beat fairly. But what I can't stand is for someone to gain an advantage with crap like that. Jr. was walking away, and Hamlin wanted to give Kyle a chance to win. If Kyle could have run him down and gotten by him then so be it, but don't do crap like that. That's just down right dirty. Nascar should fine Hamlin and take points from him cause he cost Jr. a win, and about 50 points or more. Going from an obvious win to 15th.
Save your anguish for HAMLIN, Jr. NATION, he's the real bad guy here!!!

KY Busch vs. Dale Jr.

Well from the beginning I knew Busch and Junior would tango. Underneath both cool exteriors are rivalries, since Jr drove the 5 car in Texas last year, after Kyle left the track.
ya sometimes need to look at Jr's expressions to see his real thoughts... his right now expression. Kudos for being gracious. Sure we at Junior Nation wanted a win....and rightfully,,it was Juniors....Kyle just proved his haughtiness and "I will do anything," atttitude, to win...His head has certainly grown with his wins in all 3 series,,,,but he surely can't play all 3 for very long,,,,,,it will take its toll on him... And not only Junior,but other drivers are beginning to see the real Kyle Busch....so I expect more than Junior will be sniffing his tail for the next few races......Like some of the older ones have said about younger,,,and sometimes too eager drivers....they will learn sooner or later.....
And let me also reply when push comes to shove,,no driver wants Junior to win,,,Junior may get some drafts,,,,but basically,,he needs to pull off his dad's, "feel the wind and do it on your own"........and he will get to that place,,,,and probably sooner than we expect....

Just my opinion...

I feel like I needed to get this off of my chest because it really bothers me... I can't believe how low Kyle Busch can be. No one will ever convince me that he didn't wreck Jr on purpose last night. I think we all know that this is definately not the first time that he has done this but yet Nascar lets him keep doing it. He is very talented, I will give him that but sometimes you have to deal with getting 2nd and knowing You can't win the lottery every week. Also, I feel Denny Hamlin stopped on purpose on the racetrack so the caution would come out. Did anyone notice besides me that * * *oon as the yellow came out, he started moving? Did my eyes mistake me? Obviously Jr. is my favorite driver but i have others that I pull for and.... Kyle and Denny are absolutely off that list. Ok, Im off my soap box now and Im bout to go blow some steam off playing softball. Anyways, hope everybody has a great day and God Bless!

When is Kyle going to get penalized?

How many guys are getting rough driving penalties while Kyle is getting overlooked for his? Not only that, but he's getting laughed at and getting approval from the FOX broadcasters. Yeah, sure accidents happen but then this little jerk has to open his mouth and spill nothing but pure ignorance. Everything he says indicates that he has absolutely no remorse for what he's done, and shows he might even be a little proud of it. I am sick of his sarcastic, "I'm better than everyone" comments. Did NASCAR not hear him say he would wreck whoever he had to in the Nationwide race? This is someone who does not belong in a racecar, he is using it as a weapon. Why is he allowed to do this??

I am not completely convinced that what he did to Dale Jr last night wasn't intentional. He has had nothing nice to say about him since he was let go from HMS, just a lot of cheap shots. Everything that he has said after the race just screams at me that he knows it was his fault, and that he has no remorse. Besides that, you can see his wheels turning to the right in the replay.

I'm so glad he didn't win. Congrats to Clint.

Junior Nation: Wherever He Goes We Will Follow

"If I were Teresa I'd be a little bit concerned. Dale Jr. is the biggest name in the sport."
~ Bobby Hamilton Jr.
As he himself is disappointed that things didn't work out at DEI, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects the fans to be disappointed.

Indeed we are. But one thing's for sure ... Earnhardt Nation--at least the Junior region--supports his decision and is sticking by the sport's most popular driver.

Comments from the Fanhouse:
We will follow him wherever he should go but man, I am gonna miss that #8!!

Being a Dale Sr. fan for as long as I can remember. I can think of no better way for Jr to honor his Father's memory than to drive the ole' #3 to another championship. But no matter what Dale Jr decides I support him 100%
And tons more like it.

Putting Their Money Where Their Heart Is
NASCAR fans at Infield Parking, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s social networking site, got creative and charitable with their support and started an eight-day campaign to donate to Junior's favorite charities.
With donations ranging from $5 to $50 each, they are claiming just under $700 donated to Victory Junction Gang Camp and The Make-A-Wish Foundation in just over 24 hours. Updates here.

A proud day in Junior Nation. Being a member myself, I can't say I'm surprised by any of this. I have to wonder, though, if Teresa Earnhardt really had any idea what she'd be losing when she let Junior go.

Now if she'd only lose the #8 ...

Dale Jr.: Busch has Intimidator's style

Kyle Busch just might have a little "Intimidator" in him.

And that's from someone who'd know best, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It was only a few days ago Busch and Earnhardt Jr. collided chasing victory at Richmond International Raceway. Dale Jr. admitted with a smile that Busch's racing style reminded him of his old man's earlier, hard-charging stock-car days.

"On the racetrack, there may be some comparisons there," Earnhardt Jr. said Thursday. "He's fast. He's running well. He's quick. He's aggressive."

"That's the way dad raced and Kyle has that same style," Earnhardt Jr. continued. "Very aggressive."

Does Busch match his father's personality off the track? Not a chance, Earnhardt Jr. said. "Personality-wise, they are polar opposites," Earnhardt said. "Give me a break."

Earnhardt Jr. was at Darlington Raceway on Thursday, preparing for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500.

Dale Jr. fans everywhere thought their hero's two-year winless drought -- Earnhardt's last victory came at Richmond in May 2006 -- was about to end as he fought Busch for the win less than two miles from the checkered flag.

The cars hit and Earnhardt spun into the wall. Busch, with little damage, recovered to take second behind Clint Bowyer.

Earnhardt wound up 15th -- a finish that unleashed the full wrath of "Little E" fans on Busch, the 23-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

Earnhardt could've stoked the flames more with a few incendiary words. Instead, he chose to put the crash and lost opportunity behind him this week at Darlington.

"I've got more important things to worry about," Earnhardt said. "If I let that get under my skin, everything I do this week is going to be a pain in my butt, make for a long week."

Earnhardt wants to concentrate on conquering Darlington, where his father is second all time with nine victories at the track "Too Tough To Tame."

Earnhardt Jr. has four top 10s his last five times here. His new team, Hendrick Motorsports, has won 10 times here since the 1995 Southern 500.

"The team's been great. The car's been good," Earnhardt said. "I'm very confident."

All the drivers will have to handle Darlington's repaved surface. The track used $10 million in capital improvement funds give the track a new coat of blacktop for the first time since 1995.

Earnhardt's Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman took part in a Goodyear tire test here in March that saw speeds on the fastest part of the track hit 200 mph -- unheard of at Darlington since NASCAR took steps to slow their machines for safety's sake.

The 10 fastest racers in Thursday's first Sprint Cup practice session surpassed the 12-year-old track qualifying record set by Ward Burton in 1996. A later practice after the sun went down brought out even more speed with 31 cars bettering Burton's speed of 173.797 mph.

Burton's record lap came in the first race after the track's last repaving.

Newman doesn't think the new surface will change the way drivers race on the quirky, 1.366-mile layout.

"We never saw much side-by-side racing here," he said. "I don't expect that will be different this weekend."

Maybe that'll mean no round two for Earnhardt-Busch.

Earnhardt put things behind him when he returned to work this week. He was impressed by Busch's response, although the two had not spoken since Richmond. "There ain't no big rush," Earnhardt said.

Plus, Earnhardt couldn't deny the high drama of a budding rivalry thrills race fans: Busch the rising star cast aside in the Hendrick garage to make room for Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver.

"It was a big deal," Earnhardt said. "It was a bad deal for me and I was pretty frustrated by it. But it's exciting for the sport and whether I want to deny it or not, there a lot of people out there who enjoyed it."

Sounds as if Junior's got his father in him, as well.

Tony Eury Jr...

I wanted to change the subject here and give a BIG thanks to his work and talent so far he has shown with HMS. He is showing he is just as good as any crew chief in Nascar. He is only going to get better in time with the info and notes they gain every week. Tony Eury has been doing better with their setups so far this year than any of the other HMS teams. Tony Eury and Jr are out performing the other HMS teams every week in the same equipment. There is no denying that I just wonder how many cups and races Jr could have won by now if he had been with HMS for some time. If Dale Earnhardt were still alive today and DEI was up to par I believe we would be seeing the same thing as well. I think it is safe to say Jr is just as talented as any driver in the sport even though the stats don't show. We are seeing it every weekend now. Expect to see the 88 running up front for a long time in the coming years.

The incident last night was just one of those bad racing deals to me. It happens. I do not like Kyle one bit. He is an outstanding driver but...he has a ton of growing up to do. Jr is a man and has alot more class when he speaks. Seems to me Kyle has alot of jealousy towards Jr and his team. His comments justify that plain as day. There is no need to act like a little * * * *y baby especially with the great team he has now. Kyle is going to get straightened out. Someone is going to take him out sooner or later. When he is headed for that wall... Kyle better hope the COT holds up as well as it has shown so far. He might just end up like Franchitti or worse. The sad thing is that this might be the only way to wake this boy up.

Dale Jr has never won a Cup race at Darlington

Dale Earnhardt Jr has never been to Victory Lane at Darlington – a fact he’s looking to change Saturday night.

He’e led 135 laps around the speedway – just never the last one. Dale Earnhardt Jr has posted two top 5 finishes at Darlington, and six top 10s.

After posting strong runs nearly every race so far this year Junior stands a strong chance of winning Saturday night – especially now that he’s teamed with Rick Hendrick, who has 12 wins at the South Carloina speedway.

Dale Jr on Trackside

Be sure to tune in to Trackside Live on SPEED Friday night at 10 pm. Dale Earnhardt Jr is making a guest appearance with host Darrell Waltrip – and Junior’s special paint scheme is sure to come up. "Dale Jr. has always been one to look back and honor the history of NASCAR,” said Waltrip. “For him to want to run my old Mountain Dew paint scheme at Darlington means a lot. It might not mean a thing to anyone else, but to me it means the world."

Old School No. 88

Dale Jr is driving a retro styled Mountain Dew paint scheme on the No. 88 this weekend – just like the one Darrell Waltrip drove to back to back championships in 1981 and 1982. Waltrip won 24 races during that time – including the 1981 spring race at Darlington. That’s a feat Earnhardt is looking to duplicate this time around.

Dale Jr will be introducing Amp Energy’s “Old School New School” promotion as part of the festivities surrounding the retro paint scheme. Fans will have a chance to win a Corvette – either a 2009 or a vintage one – winner’s choice.

Besides having history on his side, Junior also has a fast car – it’s the same one he finished 3rd with at Atlanta earlier this year. Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-443 is the one chosen by crew chief Tony Eury Jr for this race.

Dale Jr seemed pumped about the vintage paint scheme. "I think the Mountain Dew retro paint scheme is very fitting for the history at Darlington,” Earnhardt said.

“The car itself is an old paint scheme on a new car, and we've got an old racetrack with a new surface. It's going to be very interesting. It's going to be fun to see how to get around that track and where the fast grooves are -- where to find the grip and speed. It's a real good-looking race car so I can't wait to get some good photos, old school type photos, when I get out there."


Eury's Take

Tony Eury Jr thinks the vintage paint scheme will work for Earnhardt. "Junior is real old school. He loves old stuff. And I do, too,” said Eury.” I admire the people that have put the sport out there for us. Probably one of my biggest heroes in the garage is Leonard Wood. He's a very intelligent man. I talk to him at least twice a weekend. Those guys, the experiences that they've had, the things that they've done in the past. It's overwhelming. With so little, they've done so much. Me and Dale Jr. talk a lot about it.”

Darlington Raceway is ready for Earnhardt and the rest of the Sprint Cup drivers. The 50 year old track has new pavement on the racing surface and newly installed SAFER barriers. A new turn 3 tunnel also provides easier access for fans and safety vehicles alike.

Race Facts

The Race: Dodge Challenger 500
The Place: Darlington Raceway
The Date: Saturday, May 10
The Time: 7:20 p.m. (ET)
The Track: 1.366-mile oval
The Distance: 501 miles/367 laps
TV: FOX, 7 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio
2007 Winner: Jeff Gordon
2007 Polesitter: Clint Bowyer

Unapologetic Busch riles Junior Nation

Kyle Busch has been the villain before. But he’s about the feel the wrath of the biggest, baddest fan base NASCAR has ever seen. He’ll have to answer to Junior Nation now.

With two laps to go in Saturday night’s Crown Royal 400 Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway, Busch made an inside move on fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. entering Turn 3. Busch was pushing for the lead when he made contact with the left side of Earnhardt’s car.

Junior spun out. The contact slowed Busch down. Clint Bowyer, who started 31st, darted underneath both of them to take the lead. Bowyer, a two-time Sprint Cup winner, led the final 13 laps, two under green flag, and escaped with one of the most dramatic wins ever witnessed at RIR.

“I mean, if I went out there on the final restart and just gave way to (Earnhardt), then that would not be a true race car driver,” said Busch, who now leads the Sprint Cup point standings by 18 points over South Boston, Va., native Jeff Burton.

“I had to do what I had to do to win for my team ... so that’s what I set forth to do was to try to get a win. Unfortunately, circumstances happened.”

Busch, who got in a spat with Steven Wallace on Friday night after the Nationwide Series race, now has to face the rage of Earnhardt’s large fan base. He insists he was not out to get Earnhardt, though some might say he had good reason.

Earnhardt replaced Busch at Hendrick Motorsports in the offseason, forcing Busch to find a new ride with Joe Gibbs Racing. The two drivers also had some run-ins last season.

“You know, last year we got wrecked twice by (Earnhardt) ... and I feel like those were the situations that took us out of the running for the championship, and that had nothing to do with (Saturday night),” Busch said.

Earnhardt was devastated after the loss. He didn’t blame Busch, but one of his crew members, Rick Pigeon, confronted Busch after the race.

“I wouldn’t say that was intentional going into (Turn 3), because if he wanted to, he could have just thrown me into the fence off of (Turn 2),” Earnhardt said. “We had been racing each other earlier and had no problems. I have done that before. That is what happens if he got loose underneath me.”

Bowyer beat Busch across the finish line by 0.439 seconds. Mark Martin, driving Earnhardt’s old No. 8 DEI Chevy, finished third. Tony Stewart was fourth, and Martin Truex Jr., another DEI driver, finished fifth.

“They were putting on a show for a while,” said Bowyer of Busch and Earnhardt. “They were racing hard. That’s what racing at Richmond is all about, in my opinion. It just didn’t work out.

“I told the cops (who were guarding me as I entered the infield media center): I don’t know why they were escorting me in here. I told them they better get on and escort Kyle Busch out of here.”

The outcome won’t be soon forgotten by hard-luck drivers Earnhardt and Denny Hamlin, or the two drivers’ massive fan bases.

Earnhardt’s losing streak has now reached 72 races. He hasn’t reached Victory Lane since winning at RIR on May 6, 2006.

“The worst part about it is that I have been priding myself on running good all year, and I was in position for a win,” Earnhardt said. “I ran hard and got wrecked. I had a top-three car and should have finished in the top three.”

Hamlin led 381 laps, the most since Richard Petty led 488 of 500 laps in the 1970 Capital City 500, but a slow leak in his right front tire doomed his winning effort. He slowed down just enough for both Earnhardt and Busch to pass him on Lap 383.

Earnhardt led the next 15 laps until Busch spun him out.

Hamlin was on his way to one of the most dominating wins ever witnessed at RIR. His tire went completely flat on Lap 391, and he stopped near the outside of the Turn 4 wall to bring out a caution flag.

Race officials penalized him two laps, claiming he intentionally caused the last yellow flag to benefit his JGR teammate Busch. Hamlin finished 25th, nine spots behind Earnhardt.

“You don’t have days like this. Dominating days like this just don’t happen,” said Hamlin, who won Friday’s Nationwide Series race and started from the pole Saturday night. “Usually when it does, you have an issue at the end. To me, it almost wasn’t that surprising. I’ve had these issues before at Bristol and some other race tracks.”

Where Earnhardt Jr. goes, so goes Earnhardt Nation

He told Junior Nation that adidas' three stripes were cool, and they lined up in his draft to the retail counter.

When it comes to brand partnership, the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-adidas marriage fits like a glove.

"We're used to having passionate consumers come through our doors, but when you talk about Dale Jr., how people connect with him … we've gotten thousands of letters stating, 'Because you support Dale Jr., my whole family's going to buy adidas and my kids are going to wear adidas to school,'" said Mark Clinard, business unit director for U.S. Sports and Motorsports for adidas America.

I've seen it first-hand, thanks in large part to a delirious group of everyday folks who stood in front of a sporting goods store at the crack of a Daytona Beach dawn in mid-February. This snaking line of humanity offered a rather keen perspective of Junior's selling power.

Young and old, they hooted and hollered and wiggled like nobody's watching and puffy-painted their pasty-white bellies. All for a minute slice of Junior.

Krystle Forsythe, a teenager from north of Toronto, was one of the more subdued attendees. She stood at the head of the line, bleary-eyed and clad in National Guard pajama pants. But she hadn't slept.

It was 8:47 a.m. on the Friday before the Daytona 500, and Forsythe had napped just 90 minutes overnight. She and her mother, Diana Brock, manned this post at the door of the Sports Authority store across from Daytona International Speedway at 10:30 the previous evening.

What possessed these folks to forego naps and nourishment to stand at the door of a sporting goods store for 10 hours?

"Get Junior's autograph," Forsythe said, wiping her eyes.

Not that Junior was there, mind you. When the doors opened at 9, the first 88 fans in this line received an autographed Dale Earnhardt Jr. cap. The hats were pre-signed. But Forsythe and Brock didn't much care.

It wasn't about seeing Junior this time. It was about being the first in the world to grab the latest dimension of Junior Nation: the driver's signature adidas gear.

"We won't have this stuff in Canada for a while," said Brock, who hadn't slept a wink all night. "It's worth missing sleep to get it now."

Easy for her to say. She's a pro at the no-doze thing. She works nights.

Earnhardt is just the fourth professional athlete to ink a signature deal with adidas, joining international soccer icon David Beckham, NBA star Tracy McGrady and NFL running sensation Reggie Bush.

"He fits perfectly," Clinard said.

Feb. 15 marked the official launch of Earnhardt's personal adidas line, which currently consists of T-shirts, polos, hoodies, hats, jackets and workout pants.

"We were very happy to see the adidas partnership and product line come to fruition," said Thayer Lavielle, vice president of marketing for JR Motorsports. "The product style and quality has exceeded our expectations and fits perfectly into our brand direction. The launch in Daytona was a huge success, as evidenced by fan reaction and sales. No doubt, we are off to a great start with a great partner."

The line will eventually expand to include $200 driving shoes like those Earnhardt wears on race day, and -- get this -- his racing suit, too. It will retail for $2,000.

(What, pray tell, does a guy do with a $2,000 driving suit? Bake cookies in it? It is fire retardant, after all. Might cut down on the oven mitts or something …)

The suit, or some version of it, won't be available until mid-2009, Clinard said. But there is demand. Adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso said she regularly receives e-mail inquiries from random folks.

"It's a regular thing now," she said.

Part of that, I figure, is because the helmet and driver's suit are the two pieces of memorabilia fans rarely get their hands on.

"We've had people say they want to buy the real suit, frame it and have it as a memento," Clinard said. "Then there's also so many requests from racers that want what Junior has."

These fans in front of the Sports Authority certainly did. For hours they stood in this roped-off line. Dozens of them. They chanted and danced and chugged AMP Energy drink in return for Junior-themed prizes. One of them, Anthony Binz of Port Orange, Fla., pranced around with an orange 88 painted on his belly. He won "best facial expression in response to a race car speeding by." You'd have thought he won the Power Ball.

And at 9 a.m., when the doors opened, they stormed in like a pack of locusts.

And bought. A lot. According to Corso, Sports Authority tripled its sales numbers from the same day in 2007. Overall, 2008 sales for Daytona 500 weekend doubled the 2007 numbers at the store.

Corso also said that adidas' JR Nation fan gear was the No. 2 adidas apparel item for the entire chain, which she said is substantial considering the Daytona Sports Authority location was the only store in the country to have product that first weekend.

"They exceeded what we were hoping for," Clinard said. "We aren't experts in this. We had no idea about the demand, but for our expectations for what we had down there, it surpassed what we were expecting."

And the wave didn't stop there.

"We've doubled our amount of adidas online responses from Daytona to Las Vegas, and the coolest part about it is 90 percent of those responses were first time ever visiting adidas," Clinard said. "So it allows people to see us for the first time. And seeing us through Junior, what he stands for, is just a huge opportunity for us."

Discussions between Earnhardt's group and adidas officials began a year ago. The shoemaker was already looking to inject some of its technologies -- namely its body-cooling ClimaCool system -- into NASCAR.

They felt they could truly benefit drivers from a product standpoint. Then they got word that Earnhardt was an adidas fan, and that he had, Clinard said, "thousands of pairs of adidas" footwear.

The initial meetings dealt with how adidas could assist Earnhardt inside the race car. His right pants leg bunches up. It's an annoyance.

"Our product guys salivated over that, making product that makes him feel better in the car," Clinard said. "We've been in the sport since the late '40s, early '50s. There are a lot of motorsports fans within the [company]."

Earnhardt isn't just a face. He's fully engaged in developing product, both for greater performance in the cockpit and greater return at retail.

"He gives us great feedback, immediate, on the technical side, but his design sense is cool, too," Clinard said. "He talks about his race shoe, he says, 'I want it to be clean. I want it to have bold stripes. That's what I like and my fans will like it, too.'

"He helped us co-create this product. Fans have never been able to buy fan wear where the driver actually helped create it. He's connected and knows what his fans want. That's a special skill he has."

Clinard mentioned receiving many inquiries about the prominent placement of the color orange in the new gear. Simple. It's Earnhardt's favorite color.

"When we first met with him he said, 'I buy everything you guys make with orange in it,'" Clinard said. "All those little details are fun for us.

"With a lot of athletes you try to talk about product specifics and they wander in and out of being interested. But with Junior, he's dialed in. He knows what he wants and has a sense of what his fans will appreciate. That's a unique thing, even in our world."

The ardent passion of the NASCAR fan is an eye-opener, too.

Adidas held an event at its performance store on the Vegas Strip last weekend prior to the NASCAR race, and the consummate example of the Junior Factor occurred: A woman located a desirable Dale Jr. T-shirt, went to the cash register and bought it, took her shirt off -- right there in the store -- and put on the Junior shirt and walked out the door, leaving her old shirt for the store to discard.

The Pied Striper, indeed.

Junior buzz casts shadow on Daytona pole-sitter Johnson

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A crew member from Dale Earnhardt Inc. patted the driver wearing the green and white fire suit on the back as he made his way through the tight row of cars just off pit road during Sunday's qualifying for the Daytona 500.

On a sunny afternoon when Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the 50th running of the Great American Race and when Michael Waltrip captured the second spot a year after a foreign substance was discovered in his engine during pre-qualifying inspection, the buzz around this beachside town remained on Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR's most popular driver was still abuzz himself after winning Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout, his first start for Hendrick Motorsports with his new number (88) and sponsors since leaving DEI.

But not nearly as buzzed as track president Robin Braig and Mark Dyer, the president and CEO of Motorsports Authentics -- or anybody else who deals with the sport's economic struggles and sagging television ratings.

"It's huge," Dyer said. "NASCAR fans across America today are talking about Dale Jr.'s win and the ramifications of that. … I think everybody has a little more bounce in their step here. Not the other teams, but those that are in the business side of the sport."

Nobody was happier than Braig, who wants to sell all the tickets he can for Thursday's qualifying races and other events heading into the 500.

"As a track promoter, Junior sells a lot of tickets and a lot of merchandise," he said. "When he brings that many people, with him comes food and beverage and everything else. He didn't finish the year last year strong, and we saw it in our merchandise sales. Then when he switched teams, there almost felt like there was an air of uncertainty there.

"For him to bust out the first race, the first time on the track, how cool is that? Now the whole wave of the Junior Nation is back. It's so critical to have that kind of following, fan enthusiasm."

Braig said Earnhardt's impact on attendance, merchandise sales and television ratings is similar to that of Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour.

"Beyond his Sprint Cup stuff, when he announces he's going to run a Nationwide race, sales go up," Braig said. "It's like when Tiger signs up for a tournament you weren't expecting, sales go up.

"Last year, Dale was kind enough to do an appearance in the Fan Zone. We sold it out in a matter of days. And they don't get promised an autograph. It's amazing what he can do."

Five of the 27 souvenir trailers MA brought to Daytona are filled with Earnhardt's new No. 88 merchandise. Dyer said that the overnight spike in sales after Earnhardt won the Shootout was "great" and that there was potential for a record week.

"The big challenge for us is replenishment," Dyer said. "We are running trucks literally every day from our headquarters in Concord, N.C., to keep up with the demand.

"We've kind of got a little bit of a caravan going with the Dale Jr. and other driver product, and the big crowds haven't gotten here yet. Who knows how he does [the rest of the week], but I think the Junior Nation is very excited right now."

Dyer said 20 to 30 percent of MA's sales are Earnhardt-related in a typical year. He expects that to be even higher this season with a new product line.

"This sport is about a lot more than Dale Jr., but he is a big part of this sport," said Dyer, who hopes Earnhardt will help turn sales around at a company that reportedly lost more than $50 million last season. "To have him successful is good across the board for this sport."

Richard Petty, NASCAR's all-time winningest driver with 200 wins, said NASCAR can't help but benefit from Earnhardt winning.

"It helps everybody, but it helps NASCAR as much or more than it helps Earnhardt," the seven-time Cup champion said. "Last year, it was the Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon show. To have Junior up there with a chance to win helps break that up and gives the fans something to cheer for."

Rick Hendrick, who signed Earnhardt from DEI, had a better appreciation for his driver's value after watching him with the media and fans after Saturday's win.

"It's easy to see why people like him," he said. "It's easy to see why he's so popular. I watched the fans last night when he won the race. I've seen all the e-mails, the flood of calls and response from the fans. That's got to be good for the sport.

"Instead of being a boring start, we kind of got a rocket start."

And no, Hendrick hasn't checked merchandise sales back at his Concord shop.

"I'm more interested on how he runs out here and keeping my sponsors happy," he said.

Earnhardt ran all right in qualifying. He was 15th fastest, which is about where he normally is here.

"I just look forward to the rest of the week," he said of Thursday's qualifying races that will set the rest of the field behind Johnson and Waltrip. "I wish my qualifying lap had been a little better. We'll just work in the direction where it will run good in the qualifying race."

Earnhardt went to bed earlier than normal Saturday night. He didn't give much thought to what his win meant for the sport.

"I don't think I want to know that," he said. "It's probably best that I'm oblivious to that and go do my job."

Businessmen such as Dyer and Braig hope he continues to do his job so well. They can hardly imagine the impact should Earnhardt win the 500.

"That would be huge," Braig said. "It would be a big start for our merchandise sales, our Daytona golden [anniversary] logo. I'm a money man. I'm a promoter. I'm in this business for the money. The emotional piece is what really pushes that.

"Junior is a big emotional piece."