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Now with Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he's aligned with the right team and right car to start winning. (J. Pat Carter/Associated Press) |
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed up for NASCAR media day a year ago clearly conflicted about his future with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the three-car stable his late father built with his stepmother, Teresa. After contract negotiations with DEI seemed to reach an impasse, Earnhardt entered the 2007 season facing many questions.
One of the biggest: What do you want out of your next DEI contract?
Financial stability? Job security? What was it, exactly?
"Majority ownership," Earnhardt said.
Did that mean 51 percent? "Yup, 51 percent," he replied.
That led to Earnhardt's defection from DEI and the familiar red No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, and culminated with an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports' four-car championship stable as driver of the green No. 88 Amp Energy Drink Chevrolet in the 50th Daytona 500 Feb. 17.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about it, coming here to media day," Earnhardt said yesterday at Daytona International Speedway. "I feel like I'm in such a better position right now. I don't have to go through what I went through last year. That was a hard day. I'm just glad we can come in here today and not have to answer a lot of those same old questions."
Earnhardt will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of all that went into the biggest decision of his racing career in an ESPN2 documentary, "Shifting Gears," which airs the first of three episodes tonight at 7.
"It's pretty cool to be able to look back and to see all that happened," he said. "So much happened - so much. I can't even begin to express how busy this offseason was, not just for me, but for everybody. There's so many different people preparing us for this season, preparing everything. It's just been such a workload for everybody and we're proud of it, we're proud to be in this position, and it's a great way to tell the story."
It evolved into a soap opera when Earnhardt and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who is her brother's business manager, engaged their stepmother in a power play for control of the family business. When it became clear Teresa Earnhardt was not about to give up the shop, Junior put himself in play as the biggest free agent in NASCAR history, despite winning just 17 races, including the 2004 Daytona 500, for DEI.
Earnhardt failed to reach Victory Lane in 2007, and won only once in each of the previous two seasons. When he announced his intention to leave the family business last May, Earnhardt's frustration with DEI seemed to boil over, making it a point of emphasis to declare he "needed to start winning championships - now."
One month later, Earnhardt took a bold step toward that objective, signing with one of the sport's most dominant organizations, Hendrick Motorsports, which last season won 17 Cup races and fielded championship cars for Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup champ, and Jimmie Johnson, the two-time defending champion.
Now, it seems, Earnhardt is on the hot seat.
With so many expectations, Earnhardt faces even greater pressure to contend for a championship now that he is aligned with the right team, and has the right equipment and right people.
"Isn't that why he's here?" Gordon said. "I thought that's why he came to Hendrick. I don't think he came to Hendrick to [say], 'Oh, boy, the pressure will be off me; I won't have anybody looking at me and having expectations on me anymore.'
"He's at one of the best organizations that's synonymous with championships. It just won back-to-back championships. And the pressure has never been higher on him, in my opinion. Everybody is waiting to see. They're going, 'OK, here's his time. He's in one of the best cars and with one of the best teams out there. Now he's really going to show what he's capable of.' And I think he's going to have a great year.
"In this sport, if you don't have the team behind you, I don't care how good of a driver you are, you're not going to stand out."
Everything will be new for Earnhardt. Green (of Amp Energy Drink and Mountain Dew) and blue (of the National Guard) has replaced red (Budweiser) as the primary colors of his primary sponsors. He will drive the No. 88, which belonged to former car owner Robert Yates, after failing to secure the rights to the No. 8 from DEI.
Mark Martin will pilot the No. 8 car this season and Kasey Kahne will carry Budweiser as the primary sponsor on his No. 9 Dodge.
"Yeah, it's definitely part of my life and I'll always appreciate that and those memories," Earnhardt said, when asked if he still had warm feelings for the No. 8 and its rich family legacy. "I've got all of those memories, whether they are on video or film. Sometimes you just forget what the emotions are like when you won a race or whatever. Sure, man, it's always a great time for me. I had a lot of fun in that car while I was racing in it."
As for now? Earnhardt says he's in a better place, especially since he's no longer conflicted about his future.
"We got a good car and we've got a good team," he said. "I feel good and relaxed, I feel ready, I feel excited, and I'm looking forward to getting some laps on the racecar and getting to work."
Daytona 500
What: NASCAR's season-opening race
When: Sunday, Feb. 17
Where: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
TV: Ch. 25, 2 p.m.
Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
