Final lap: Earnhardt Jr., DEI head to last race together

By SceneDaily Staff Report
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
$util.encode.html($content.photo.alt)

TODD WARSHAW / GETTY IMAGES

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is preparing for an emotional weekend since Sunday's Ford 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race marks his final event with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

After the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. will become the driver of Hendrick Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet.

Earnhardt Jr.'s team isn't going out on a high note as it had hoped. The driver has endured nine DNFs and has dropped to 14th in the standings after a crash at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has already joined Hendrick to help the team prepare for 2008, and Tony Gibson will lead the team in its final outing.

As he looks to the weekend, Earnhardt Jr. admits that he has mixed feelings.

"It's hard to imagine it was 1999 when we made our first Cup start [in May at Charlotte] with this team and with Budweiser," he said. "I'm excited about the offseason and jumping right into my new deal, but it's very, very important for me to end my time with Dale Earnhardt Inc. with integrity and with my head held high.

"When your career is over and you look back, I think that's critical: A measure of your character is more important than the number of wins you have. That kind of thing will last longer than any driving career. "

As the weeks have wound down, Earnhardt Jr. has managed to maintain his focus.

That might not be quite so easy to do this weekend.

"It's been relatively easy to concentrate and focus so far this season when it was time to pull on the helmet, but it may be much tougher to do that at Homestead," he said. "I have so many close friends and people I've gone into battle with for nearly a decade, and that type of bond will stay with me forever."

Earnhardt Jr. says that his sponsor, Budweiser, took a chance on him when he'd never even raced a lap in a Cup car.

"I'll never forget that, and we've had an amazing run since then," he said. "I never thought we'd be here in 2007 with things like four consecutive 'most popular driver' awards and having a Daytona 500 trophy with my name on it. Man, those are things I only dreamed about when I was living in a trailer and changing oil at my dad's dealership."

Mentioned Drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: All comments are subject to filtering for language, and libelous content. Comments are intended to encourage spirited debate and discussion about the subject matter contained within the articles and ARE NOT intended for personal or demeaning attacks directed at other users. We reserve the right to remove any comments deemed inappropriate. Users who violate this policy may be banned from posting comments on the site.

Comment Preview

Nov 8, 2009 at 3:27 AM
You said:

You must login before you can post comments or rate content.

If you don't have an account you can create a free one here.

2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

More by this Author

NASCAR Schedules

abc

Dickies 500

Texas Motor Speedway
03:31 PM, 11/08/2009

Poll PositionView All

Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?

Promotions

  • Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!

  • Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.

  • Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.

  • Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.

  • Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.

NASCAR Community Join the Community

In the Forums View All

Presented by

Don't have an account yet?

Insiders Guide to NASCAR

Register with SceneDaily.com and get access to the following features:

  • FREE Insider’s Guide to NASCAR (available as a PDF download)
  • Daily NASCAR news updates delivered directly to your e-mail
  • Pre-race and Post-race emails delivered each race week
  • Ability to comment on blog and news articles
  • Information on new website features and upcoming contests
Create my Account

Login

Forgot Password?
Login or Create an Account