#88 scheduled 2009 sponsor schedule
Feb 7 Bud Shootout/Daytona, National Guard
Feb 15 Daytona - AMP Energy Drink
Feb 22 California - AMP Energy Drink
Mar 1 Las Vegas, National Guard
Mar 8 Atlanta - AMP Energy Drink
Mar 22 Bristol, National Guard
Mar 29 Martinsville - AMP Energy Drink
Apr 5 Texas - AMP Energy Drink
Apr 18 Phoenix - National Guard
Apr 26 Talladega - National Guard May 2 Richmond, National Guard - Drive the Guard May 9 Darlington - Mountain Dew Special May 16 All-Star Challenge, LMS - National Guard/Dale Earnhardt Jr Foundation
May 24 Charlotte, National Guard
May 31 Dover - AMP Energy Drink
Jun 7 Pocono, National Guard
Jun 14 Michigan - AMP Energy Drink
Jun 21 Infineon - AMP Energy Drink
Jun 28 New Hampshire, National Guard Jul 4 Daytona, National Guard/Camo/Serving America
Jul 11 Chicago - AMP Energy Drink
Jul 26 Indianapolis - AMP Energy Drink
Aug 2 Pocono - AMP Energy Drink
Aug 9 Watkins Glen - National Guard
Aug 16 Michigan - National Guard
Aug 22 Bristol - AMP Energy Drink
Sept 6 Atlanta - National Guard
Sep 12 Richmond - AMP Energy Drink
Sep 21 New Hampshire - AMP Energy Drink
Sep 28 Dover- National Guard
Oct 4 Kansas - National Guard
Oct 11 California - AMP Energy Drink
Oct 17 Charlotte - AMP Energy Drink
Oct 25 Martinsville - AMP Energy Drink
Nov 1 Talladega - AMP Energy Drink/JR Nation names
Nov 8 Texas - National Guard
Nov 15 Phoenix - AMP Energy Drink
Nov 22 Homestead - National Guard
At this year's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, thousands of members of JR Nation will see their names on Earnhardt's #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevy as part of the AMP Energy "Get on the 88" promotion. Race fans can enter by simply logging on to www.AMPEnergy.com. The first to sign up will see their names on Earnhardt's car and others will appear on the team's pit wall banner. Participants will be notified before the Nov. 1 race with a confirmation of where their names landed. This marks the second year of the hugely popular program. A brand new AMPEnergy.com Web site has been launched. The site features an online magazine with the latest content, events and experiences surrounding Earnhardt and AMP Energy Racing. Its dynamic content is constantly changing, and the integration of Twitter, YouTube and Flickr feeds provides up-to-the-second updates. Check out the new site, including the "Shotgun" video directed by Stacy Peralta, at www.AMPEnergy.com.
Move to Cup unlikely for JR Motorsports: You can't cross JR Motorsports totally off of Brad Keselowski's list for a fulltime Sprint Cup ride in 2010, but it doesn't seem likely. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns JR Motorsports with Rick Hendrick, said on Friday it would be "quite a challenge for anybody to find the kind of financial support you need" to make the move from the Nationwide Series to Cup. He also talked more of Keselowski, who drives the JR Motorsports Nationwide car, as though he would be somewhere else after this season and how he looked forward to preparing another driver for the Cup series. "The way I see it Brad has a ton of opportunities and the doors are wide open for him,'' Earnhardt said. "We have to look at what our chances are for moving into the Cup series before we can put that before Brad."(ESPN Insider)(7-4-2009) Comment here
Special scheme for Dale Jr. at Daytona: To honor the National Guard and celebrate Independence Day, the #88 Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr. will run a special hand-painted camouflage ACU (Army Combat Uniform) scheme this weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports body shop needed two days and 14 coats of DuPont paint to finish the job. Earnhardt will unveil the paint scheme to National Guard soldiers and fans at Daytona's Bandshell on Wednesday. The Nationnal Guard "Serving America"/AMP Energy Chevy is a special paint scheme to honor National Guard soldiers who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation, state and local communities. Since first muster in 1636, National Guard soldiers have brought glory and honor upon themselves and the Guard through quiet and selfless service. Approximately 363,000 soldiers strong, the Army National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and celebrated its 372nd birthday in December 2008.
Earnhardt has 12 wins at Daytona International Speedway. He won the 2004 Daytona 500, the 2001 Pepsi 400, two Budweiser Shootouts (2003 and 2008) and five NASCAR Nationwide Series events. Earnhardt also won his Gatorade Duel qualifying races in 2003, 2004 and 2008. At this year's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega, thousands of members of JR Nation will see their names on Earnhardt's #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevy as part of the AMP Energy "Get on the 88" promotion. More info at www.AMPEnergy.com.(HMS)(7-1-2009)
Danica Patrick to Hendrick? Dale Jr. to.....UPDATE denied: If Danica Patrick does jump from the Indy Racing League to NASCAR, as increasingly appears likely, the battle for her, according to sources close to the negotiations, is down to car owners Rick Hendrick, of Chevrolet, and Jack Roush, of Ford. According to these sources, Hendrick and General Motors' Chevrolet division are now suddenly the heavy favorites to sign Patrick. And the key would apparently be Hendrick's willingness to put her in a Sprint Cup ride for the full 2010 season. Roush has said he would like to see her run some NASCAR Nationwide and/or Truck events, along with six or seven Cup events, to get her accustomed to stock car racing. Hendrick reportedly is willing to go further. Patrick might take Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s spot on Hendrick's official four-team Cup roster, with Earnhardt moving to an expanded JR Motorsports operation. JR Motorsports, Earnhardt's own operation, run in partnership with Hendrick, would thus be stepping up to a full Cup program; Hendrick has already been talking with Talladega winner Brad Keselowski about Keselowski's future in NASCAR, with indications he could get a Cup ride with an expanded JR Motorsports venture, with Hendrick engines and Hendrick engineering. It is not clear how far along any Patrick-IMG-Hendrick negotiations have gone, but sources tell mikemulhern.net that the Patrick-Hendrick deal is very close to being a 'done deal.'(Mikemulhern.net)(6-28-2009) UPDATE - denied:been told by Hendrick Motorsports reps that there is absolutely no truth to this.(6-28-2009) Comment here
Sponsor search for 2010: We've been hearing for months that sponsors, including those at top teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, won't fully commit past this season. Team owner Rick Hendrick made that clearer on Sunday when he indicated that Kellogg's and Carquest may not return in their full capacity in 2010. "Our sponsors are coming back," Hendrick said after Martin won at Michigan. "We don't know to what extent. That's the question. As you go along with this economy companies are taking longer to get their budgets in line. They're not a year out, or not even eight months like they have been in the past. We're in good shape. We have a lot of sponsors inside our company that we're talking about, you know, splitting up the car. So look for the guys that are on it to be back, but there will probably be someone new along there with them." That not only goes for the #5, but the #24 of Jeff Gordon and #88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. also could have more partners next season. Jimmie Johnson and Lowe's appear solid on the #48. The same sort of restructuring is going on at other organizations such as Roush, which is trying to find multiple partners to lessen the load of DeWalt [of #17 Matt Kenseth].(ESPN Insider)(6-18-2009) Comment here
"Serving America" scheme for Earnhardt Jr at Daytona: Next month at Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will run the #88 National Guard "Serving America"/AMP Energy Chevy. It is a special paint scheme to honor National Guard soldiers who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation, state and local communities. Since first muster in 1636, National Guard soldiers have brought glory and honor upon themselves and the Guard through quiet and selfless service.(HMS), see an image of the car on the #88 Paint Schemes page.(6-17-2009)
Crew chief McGrew takes over for Dale Jr. at Dover: The interim crew chief for #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is taking over for the Sprint Cup race at Dover, a week earlier than originally planned. Lance McGrew was scheduled to work with #25-Brad Keselowski on Sunday, but he failed to qualify, freeing up McGrew to call the shots on Earnhardt's slumping #88 team. McGrew said after the driver's meeting that that the decision was made by owner Rick Hendrick and Hendrick competition director Ken Howes on Saturday night. "The powers that be decided to go ahead and give us a week head start," McGrew said. McGrew had been scheduled to start next week at Pocono Raceway. Team manager Brian Whitesell, who was scheduled to be the crew chief, will assist McGrew. Earnhardt starts 22nd at Dover International Speedway. Former Hendrick driver Kyle Busch took a shot at Earnhardt on Friday about the perception that his poor finishes were never his fault, always the crew chief. Earnhardt left his seat next to McGrew at the driver's meeting and took one in the front row for a brief chat with Busch. The two spoke for a little more than a minute before Earnhardt returned to his original seat.(ESPN.cpm/AP)(5-31-2009)
Tony Eury Sr. Q&A about Eury Jr and Dale Jr by Steve Richards of Performace Racing Network at Dover: Q: How is Tony Jr doing? A: “Tony Jr will be fine...he's just beat down...he's worn out. Everything that happened on that team is magnified four or five times from what any other team is and he's a guy that races to win and they haven't been able to do that. It's just dragged him down...beat him down. They got to trying so much different stuff and everybody's pullin' this way and pullin' that way and I think he just got totally confused and off his game. For the last four or five weeks they've been so frustrated trying to get the car to run and knowing that the pressure is on him, and everybody's lookin' at him. You can't turn the TV on...you can't turn the internet on but everybody's blasting him. They tried everything in the world to make Dale Jr happy and they haven't found it. He'll be fine..it may be a good thing for both of them." Q: How much has he talked to you about his situation? A: “We talk every week...if not a couple times a week. I try to help him and he tries to help me, but the guy is really beat down. The media has killed him, the fans have killed him...and I thought he handled it pretty good when it first started, but after a certain time it starts getting to you. I honestly believe things happen for a reason and they'll be better off apart I think.” Q: How does the situation affect you on a personal level? A: “Well, you know, I'm kind of in the middle here. I work for the guy (laughs) that he was working for, so I'm kind of in the middle. I love Dale Jr to death...I love Tony Jr to death but I'm telling you this business is a cutthroat business. You've gotta stay on your game and if you're not on top of your game, their gonna make a change. That's what makes it harder when you are family or are related in a way, so that's why I say honestly I think they'll be better off. Q: How do you think Tony Jr will take to his new role in Hendrick's R & D shop? A: “Right now I think he's gonna take it fine because he needs a big breath of air. He does. There's nobody in that garage that's worked harder than Tony Jr has. He's there at 7:30 every morning and if you walk in his house at 10 o'clock at night he's still running programs and sims and everything else. He just needs a breath of air. I told him you just need to go work in your yard...do your four cup races and do your testing. I think Chad Kanaus has got some stuff for him to do and think he and Chad work good together while they were crew chiefs. I think he'll probably learn something helping Chad and hopefully Chad will learn something, but I don't see Tony Jr staying at an R & D team where they just race five, six or seven times a year. He's a racer and he wants to be at the race track every week and he's a winner. Q: Could you ever see Tony Jr back on the box as Dale Jr's crew chief again someday? A: “No, I don't think that will ever happen. I don't think they have any hard feelings between each other...they knew something had to be done, and definitely we knew who it had to be. I just don't think Tony Jr will ever put himself in that situation again and I don't think Dale Jr would want him in that situation either. It's just tough when you work for family. My whole racing career I've been involved in this Earnhardt deal and never had to really work anywhere else. It's a tough deal and family deal and when you're not running good, it's hard to fix when it's blood.”(Performace Racing Network)(5-31-2009) Comment here
Earnhardt Jr's crew chief history: Although #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. struggled this year before Eury was replaced Thursday, out of the five crew chiefs Earnhardt has worked with in his Sprint Cup career, he's put up his second-best average finish with Eury Jr. Besides that, Eury Jr. is the only crew chief besides Tony Eury Sr. who has won with Earnhardt multiple times. Earnhardt won with Eury Jr. twice and had a 16.4 average finish. With Eury Sr., Earnhardt won 15 times and had a 15.7 average finish in 65 races. Check out Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Cup career with Tony Sr. calling the shots: Category -- Tony Eury Sr. -- All others
Races -- 183 -- 156
Wins -- 15 -- 3
Top-5s -- 52 -- 35
Top-10s -- 79 -- 61
Average finish -- 15.7 -- 17.0
(ESPN) Other Crew Chiefs:
Pete Rondeau for 12 races [2005 Daytona 500 thru Coke 600 best finish 3rd]
Steve Hmeil for 13 races [2005 Dover thru Calif 2005 winning at Chicago]
Tony Gibson for 6 races, Eury Jr was suspended in 2007 [Coke 600 thru NHMS best finish 4th]
(5-31-2009)
Eury to oversee road course testing for #48 team next week: Tony Eury Jr. is getting off to a quick start in his new role with Hendrick Motorsports' research and development group. On Tuesday, Eury will accompany the #48 Chevy team to Carolina MotorSports Park in Kershaw, S.C., to supervise road course testing with three-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. The private two-day session is closed to the public and the media. Eury will lead the effort and refine the #48 team's setup for the June 21 Sprint Cup event at Infineon Raceway -- the first road race of the 2009 season. In addition to his research and development duties, Eury will crew chief Hendrick Motorsports' #25 GoDaddy.com Chevy Sprint Cup effort with driver Brad Keselowski for the remainder of 2009. "Having someone of Tony's caliber in this role is an asset," said Doug Duchardt, vice president of development for Hendrick Motorsports. "He will be partnering with our lead chassis engineer on various projects, and his experience will make him a great fit with Brad. Having that veteran leadership is important for a young driver." Keselowski and the Eury-led #25 team will next attempt to qualify at Chicagoland Speedway in July.(HMS)(5-30-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. responds about Busch's dig: from a Team Chevy Driver Press conference transcript with #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.:
ARE YOU SURPRISED ABOUT KYLE BUSCH’S COMMENTS EARLIER TODAY ABOUT YOUR CREW CHIEF SITUATION?: “Not really, that doesn’t really surprise me what Kyle (Busch) says. He’s always had a chip on his shoulder for me. I expect anytime he gets an opportunity to throw a jab in there he’s going to do it. That’s just his personality. We’re working toward trying to figure out how we can make our deal work and that has nothing to do with Kyle (Busch). We’ll see how this weekend goes and then move forward next week.”(Chevy Racing)(5-30-2009) Comment here
Sour Grapes? Kyle Busch takes dig at Dale Jr.: #18-Kyle Busch said it point-blank: "It's never Junior; it's always the crew chief." Busch fired that opening volley of driver reaction Friday morning to Hendrick Motorsports' dismissal of Tony Eury Jr. as #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief on Thursday. Asked about Eury's replacement, Lance McGrew, with whom Busch worked in the Nationwide Series at Hendrick in 2004, Busch expressed pity for McGrew. "He's got his hands full, I guess, having to deal with what's going on," Busch said. "And if Junior doesn't run well, then he [McGrew] is going to be the 'problem' again." Still, Busch said he understood the move to bolster the driver who replaced him at Hendrick last season, both because of Earnhardt's star power and Busch's salary issues. "You've got to make the most popular driver in the sport competitive, so you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess," Busch said.(ESPN)(5-29-2009) Comment here
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on crew chief change: When Rick Hendrick announced he was replacing his cousin Tony Eury, Jr. as crew chief of the #88-National Guard/AMP Energy Drink Chevy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was up in Michigan helping to promote the June 14th Sprint Cup Series race at MIS. Measuring his words carefully, Junior was clearly saddened by the split, but also said he understood why the move was made. “It was a very difficult situation. Obviously, when me and Tony Jr. went to work with Rick we expected to have a lot of success and be in a totally different situation than we are now. It's really disappointing, I guess, that we aren't making that happen. It's a situation, it's a relationship that's very important to me, the one with Tony Jr. We are family and it was a pretty big risk, I guess, for me and him both to make the move. We really wanted it to work. Unfortunately, we didn't succeed. Being this is a business, Rick and the guys decided we needed to go in a new direction. I'm supportive and confident in the decisions that they make. They have a lot of great success. Obviously, there is no arguing they know how to run a race team. I want to be in a good position where I run as well as I can. We have a lot of sponsors and a lot of responsibilities to put ourselves in that situation if we want to be able to race every weekend. I'm pretty confident. I still have a good resolve and a good initiative and motivation to get up and get to the race track every weekend and try to see when we'll turn this thing around. Rick and the guys are positive about the decision that we've made to make the change in crew chief. They seem confident about the decision. That kind of makes me feel pretty good about it. It makes the team feel good. At least their aware of situation and they're willing to make changes and do whatever it takes.”
Junior also went out of his way to say that Hendrick had shown plenty of patience. “To Rick's credit, they waited a lot longer to make this change than they probably would've considering me and Tony Jr. have a relationship like brothers. They gave us more time than anyone else probably would have gotten to try to make this work. To Tony Jr.'s credit, he tried everything he knew to try to give me what I needed at the race track. He worked and has always worked harder than anybody I know in the sport. The guy has devoted his entire existence to working on race cars. He's sacrificed extensive amounts to be where he is today. So it's really, really disappointing that it didn't work out, because we gave everything we have to be there. I think me and him deserved to have it work out, so it's really frustrating, but I've been through a lot tougher things. Situations like this come and go and you move forward. You've got to go out and perform under the circumstances the best we can this weekend. We'll band together and go do the job the best we can. I feel confident, I told Rick, me and Tony Jr. were aware of how delicate our situations was over the last several weeks. We knew we needed to step up our performance somehow, someway to be able to keep our situation intact. Me and Tony Jr. both told Rick throughout the last six to 10 weeks when they were looking at us closely to make the decisions they needed to make as a company and we would both support them whichever decisions they made. So that's what's happening.” Listen to full interview at PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show.(5-28-2009)
New crew chief for Dale Jr.: Hendrick Motorsports today named Lance McGrew as interim crew chief of the #88 Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. beginning with the June 7 event at Pocono Raceway. Team manager Brian Whitesell will lead the team this weekend at Dover. "Our performance hasn't been where it should be," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we're going to move forward with it." Whitesell and Rex Stump, Hendrick Motorsports' lead chassis engineer, have been assigned to support McGrew on a full-time basis. Whitesell, who won two of seven races as Jeff Gordon's interim crew chief in 1999, will join McGrew and team engineer Tom Stewart on the #88 pit box to assist with race strategy. "We're going to put our full resources toward improving the situation and winning races," Hendrick said. "It's going to be a collective effort that includes all of our drivers, all of our crew chiefs and all of our engineers. Everyone in our company will be involved on some level." Tony Eury Jr. will move from the crew chief position into a key role with Hendrick Motorsports' research and development group. Eury posted one victory, one pole position, 19 top-10 finishes and 11 top-fives in 48 races with the #88 team. "I have mixed feelings, and that's just natural," Eury said. "But I enjoy working at Hendrick Motorsports, and this is where I want to be. I'll do whatever I can to help all of our teams and try to be a part of another championship. I think a new challenge will be good." McGrew, 41, earned the 2003 Nationwide Series championship with driver Brian Vickers. He won the October 2006 Sprint Cup race with Vickers at Talladega, and most recently led Cup rookie #25-Brad Keselowski to a seventh-place finish May 9 at Darlington.
As a crew chief, McGrew has posted victories in all three of NASCAR's major touring series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck. He has won races with drivers Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Ricky Hendrick, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and most recently Tony Stewart Feb. 14 at Daytona Beach.(HMS)(5-28-2009) Comment here
More rumors on #88 crew chief change UPDATE 2: a reliable source tells [Sports Illustrated] that Tony Eury Jr. won't be the crew chief of the #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. as of Dover this weekend. Whether that actually happens or not remains to be seen, but the two weeks in Charlotte made it obvious both driver and team need a change.(Sports Illustrated)(5-26-2009) UPDATE: Team owner Rick Hendrick, who has previously said he doesn't plan to make changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #88 team, wasn't as definitive on Tuesday. "Could it change?" Hendrick said Tuesday following a meeting with NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center. "We're talking about things. We're going to make decisions as the days go by, but we haven't made any decisions as it stands now." Earnhardt Jr. finished 40th in Monday's rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600. Hendrick did not specifically address breaking up Earnhardt and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. But in the past when discussing changes he made it clear that wasn't a consideration. He wasn't so clear on Tuesday with Earnhardt 19th in points, 203 behind Mark Martin for the 12th and final Chase spot. "We're always concerned when we have a car not run well," Hendrick said. "We're always meeting and trying to figure out how to make it better. We've got to come up with a plan and we've got to work toward that. We thought we had a pretty good plan coming to Charlotte. I was fairly pleased with the All-Star race and thought we would do better Sunday. We weren't."(ESPN)(5-26-2009) UPDATE 2: this weeks Hendrick Motorsports pre-race press release says: This weekend, the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-526. This chassis ran at......
curious as every other week, going back to the Daytona 500, this was posted: This weekend, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the #88 engineers will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis........
No more Eury Jr. mentioned and no quotes in the pre-race press release as usual.(5-27-2009)
Comment here
Hendrick to appear on Oprah: Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, will make an appearance on the Tuesday, May 19 edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The episode is entitled "Heroes in Hard Times."
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions Inc. and syndicated to 214 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution Group and to 143 countries by CBS Paramount International Television. It has been the No. 1-rated talk show for 22 consecutive seasons. Visit www.oprah.com for local listings.(HMS)(5-18-2009)
Hendrick set to return from illness: Sidelined the past several weeks by a fast-spreading sinus infection, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick plans to return to the track this weekend after a five-race absence. Hendrick has not been to the track since Jimmie Johnson helped his boss celebrate his 25th anniversary in NASCAR with a March 29th victory at Martinsville Speedway. He skipped the next two events, races in Texas and Phoenix, for personal and business reasons. Then he was stricken with a sinus infection that spread to both his chest and ears, keeping him away from the track another three races. He needed tubes inserted in both ears to fight the infection. "They say the tubes are for kids, so I guess I'm a 59-year-old kid with ear infections," he said Tuesday. "I've got a weak immune system, and this infection just jumped on me. I was a sick puppy there for about three weeks. But I am much better, feeling more like myself." Hendrick's immune system was weakened by a long, but successful, fight with leukemia 12 years ago. "If I am not careful, I get knocked on my butt," said Hendrick, who spent more than four hours with employees Tuesday passing out the championship rings from Johnson's third title. The illness kept Hendrick away from wins by Jeff Gordon at Texas, and Mark Martin in Phoenix and Darlington, S.C. Hendrick watched all the races he missed on TV, admittedly screaming at his set and often second-guessing strategy through text messages to team vice president Doug Duchardt. He then called his drivers in Victory Lane, a scene often caught on live television that drew attention to his absence. Hendrick said he'll ease back into at-track activities with the All-Star race this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he traditionally celebrates Charlotte Speedweeks by treating employees from both his motorsports and automotive programs to weekends at the track.(ESPN/AP) AND: The Hendrick Motorsports Museum and Team Store has updated its exhibits and extended its hours for fans visiting during the upcoming race weeks. More info at hendrickmotorsports.com.(5-13-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. Foundation Unveils All-Star Suite Fundraiser Event: The Dale Jr. Foundation, in recognition of its special primary paint scheme that will be featured on the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy during the Sprint All-Star race [see an image of the scheme on my #88 Team Schemes page], announced it will host an All-Star suite fundraiser to benefit several area charities. With the purchase of a Dale Jr. All-Star suite ticket, race fans can experience a variety of VIP activities surrounding the race, including an appearance by both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty. The money raised will benefit The Dale Jr. Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities. Fans that purchase an All-Star suite ticket get a reserved seat in a luxury box overlooking the 1.5-mile Superspeedway, complete with complimentary food and drink throughout the race. Also included are a cash bar, souvenir gift bag and eligibility for raffle prizes. Prior to the start of the 100-lap race, tickets holders will receive a pre-race pit tour and an appearance from Earnhardt Jr. himself, and NASCAR Legend Richard Petty, in the VIP suite. Dale Jr.’s All-Star suite tickets are still available for $288 a piece. Visit dalejr.com and click on the All-Star banner to purchase. To learn more about how you can help Dale Jr. make a difference, go to thedalejrfoundation.org.(JR Motorsports)(5-8-2009)
Special AMP/Dale Jr. Tradin' Paint can: AMP Energy has announced the launch of Tradin' Paint, a new limited time only Dale Earnhardt Jr. themed energy drink. The beverage is a collision of three flavors: Orange, Lime and Berry, with all the energy ingredients and great taste that consumers expect from AMP. Featuring the same paint scheme as Hendrick Motorsports' #88 AMP
Energy/National Guard Chevy, Tradin' Paint has all the marks, dings and paint streaks that show up on cars during a hotly contested race,
which fans refer to as "tradin' paint." Tradin' Paint is currently available in a 16-oz can nationwide through the end of the summer.(Pepsi PR)(5-7-2009)
MtnDew scheme for Dale Jr. at Darlington: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a special #88 Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevy this weekend at Darlington Raceway. The #88 machine will display on its hood the new Mountain Dew logo unveiled earlier this year. The car will be painted in a metallic silver, black and "Mountain Dew" green. Mountain Dew has been a part of the sport since 1981, when Darrell Waltrip won his first of two championships in the Dew car. Last year's paint scheme had an "old school" retro feel, and this weekend's car will have a "new school" look. AND Later this month, Earnhardt's #88 machine will have a different look at the May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The 34-year-old driver chose white as the primary color for his Chevy, which will sport a paint scheme showcasing the Dale Jr. Foundation that weekend. Hendrick Motorsports' next top-five finish will be the organization's 700th in Sprint Cup competition. Since 1984, Hendrick drivers have scored 178 wins, 699 top-five finishes and 1,154 top-10s.(HMS PR), see images of the schemes on my #88 Team Schemes page.(5-6-2009)
Special National Guard scheme for Dale Jr at RIR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a special #88 National Guard "Drive the Guard"/AMP Energy Chevy at Richmond International Raceway. Get paid, get trained and get moving in the right direction with the National Guard. The "Drive the Guard" program was developed to assist National Guard applicants in obtaining full-time employment by assisting them in completing truck driving training at an approved school. Graduates will be guaranteed employment with a motor carrier related to the Commercial Vehicle Driver Training Foundation Inc. Qualified applicants will receive a pre-hire commitment at the time of application to the commercial driver training program (CDTFI). Participants can get their commercial driver's license, a monthly paycheck and a full-time job with a reputable trucking company while serving part-time in the National Guard, without the need to relocate. Visit www.cdtfi.org for more information. See images of the scheme on my #88 Team Schemes page.
May will be busy for the paint bay in the #5/88 shop as the #88 team prepares to run three special paint schemes in a row this month. After the Drive the Guard car this weekend at Richmond, Earnhardt plans to race a Mountain Dew scheme at Darlington Raceway. Finally, Earnhardt's Dale Jr. Foundation will take the hood during the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway with a special design created by the 34-year-old driver. This is the final week that AMP Energy is giving fans a chance to win unique Earnhardt merchandise and VIP trips to the AMP Energy 500, which will be held in October at Talladega Superspeedway. To play, fans should enter the code found on the bottom of their AMP Energy beverage can.(HMS PR)(4-29-2009)
Dale Jr. and Mears are 'cool': from a GM Racing Dale Earnhardt Jr. Press Conference Transcript:
TALK ABOUT YOUR OPINION ON THE PROBATION AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER LAST WEEKEND’S RACE. “I don’t really have one. Me and (Casey) Mears are cool. We’ve been buddies. What happens on the track stays on the track. It’s good to be on probation every once in a while I guess.”
HAVE YOU TALKED TO CASEY ABOUT IT? “Yeah, me and Casey are real good friends so we definitely wouldn’t go the week without having a discussion about it. He’s having a better season this year but is still not satisfied and I’m definitely in the same position he is and we’re just trying to run better. It’s just frustrating. I knew that he had made a mistake because Casey doesn’t run over people but I just lost my cool. It happens.”
WAS SOME OF THAT YOUR FRUSTRATION COMING OUT? “Well not really. I just hated leading the race and running good and then getting wrecked running 20th. That’s all that was.”(GM Racing PR)(4-25-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. doesn't comment on rumors: asked about the rumor about swapping Hendrick Motorsports swapping crew chiefs between the #88 and #5 teams, all Dale Earnhardt Jr. would say: "I don't comment on rumors...that's all it is. A rumor is a rumor and I don't wanna get in the middle of that. I've got a job to do and I do it and shouldn't listen to rumors."(http://www.goprn.com>PRN's Garage Pass Radio show)(4-25-2009) Comment here
Current longest-tenured driver/crew chief pairings:
After the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Saturday, Richard Childress Racing will swap crews and crew chiefs on the #07 & #29 teams, bringing and end to the second longest current driver/crew chief combination.
Driver / Crew Chief: Start Date
#48-Jimmie Johnson / Chad Knaus: October 2001
#29-Kevin Harvick / Todd Berrier*: March 2003*
#24-Jeff Gordon / Steve Letarte: September 2005
#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. / Tony Eury, Jr.: September 2005
#11-Denny Hamlin / Mike Ford: October 2005
#31-Jeff Burton / Scott Miller: November 2005
* - Ending after Sunday's race at Talladega
(Sports Illustrated)(4-24-2009) Comment here
Drivers on CMT Cribs: Martin Truex Jr. will join Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch as the featured celebrities on CMT Cribs when the latest episode airs this Saturday, April 25th. Packed with the latest in luxury living, top of the line toys and the wildest whips on the road, this season takes us to new levels of country living. Martin’s segment will focus on his new garage. Be sure to tune into to CMT (Country Music Television) this Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 4:30pm/et/pt and re-air at 7:30pm/et/pt on that same day.(EGR PR)(4-23-2009)
Hendrick drivers win three in a row: #5-Mark Martin's win last week at Phoenix International Raceway came on the heels of two other Hendrick Motorsports wins -- #48-Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville and #24-Jeff Gordon at Texas -- and marked the third time Hendrick Motorsports has won three consecutive Cup events with three different drivers. Hendrick, the only team in NASCAR's modern era to have three different drivers win in three straight races, accomplished the feat in 2007 -- with Johnson, Gordon and Casey Mears -- and in 1989 -- with Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader and Geoff Bodine. In 1956, Carl Kiekhaefer's drivers won three in a row twice. Buck Baker, Speedy Thompson and Herb Thomas contributed to the first streak, while Baker, Jack Smith and Thompson were part of the other.(HMS PR)(4-23-2009) Comment here
Hendrick to swap #5 and #88 crew chiefs? UPDATE no truth to it? Sources within Hendrick Motorsports confirmed to Captain Thunder that discussions were held over the Easter break regarding the possible switching of crew chiefs between the #5 and #88 teams. Mark Martin's crew chief Alan Gustafson was said to be on the block and was willing to move to the #88 team and Martin was willing to support the move. The discussions over Easter ended with an agreement between the two teams and Mr. Hendrick to keep their current teams in tact for at least three more weeks to see if both teams could improve on the slow start they have endured through the first part of the 2009 Sprint Cup season. Sources said Tony Eury Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin, and Gustafson all agreed that if Mr. Hendrick wanted a change, they would be willing to swap Gustafson for Eury Jr. However, with Martin's win Saturday night in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix, any switch is now out of the question for the foreseeable future. Hendrick and Martin have no desire to take Gustafson away from the #5 team after the way they dominated the Phoenix race. Now, the timetable is set for the All-Star race at Charlotte on May 16th. If both teams continue to perform poorly, expect a change the week of the All-Star race. However, if Martin's team continues to gain momentum following their Phoenix win, and the #88 team continues to struggle, sources said Eury Jr. could be replaced by car chiefs Ron Malec of the #48 team or Jason Burdett of the #24 team.(CaptainThunderRacing.com and reported on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show by Capt Thunder)(4-22-2009) UPDATE: Will rumors of a Hendrick Motorsports separation of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. ever end? Ever? Ever?
Never, as long as there are upstart, cottage-industry Web-sites churning this stuff out, and others linking to it. "There's absolutely nothing to this," came an e-mail reply from high-up inside Hendrick, when the latest one was checked. The latest report appears on Jayski.com, picked up from CaptainThunderRacing.com, that meetings were held over the Easter break at Hendrick. Supposedly there was discussion of swapping crew chiefs, with Eury going to Mark Martin, and Alan Gustafson going to Earnhardt, if the two teams' performances didn't improve within three races. Here's how screwy this stuff can get. Right in the middle of the CaptainThunder report, there's a line, "However, with Martin's win Saturday night in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix, any switch is now out of the question for the foreseeable future."
Then the report goes right on to say that new deadlines have been set for a possible switch: "If both teams continue to perform poorly, expect a change the week of the All-Star race." The wackiness warranted a double-check high-up at Hendrick, which brought the firm reply, "Not a shred of truth to any of it."(ESPN Insider)(4-22-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. and Mears to be penalized? UPDATE 2: NASCAR officials will likely lower the boom on #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #07-Casey Mears for late-race and post-race antics here Saturday night at Phoenix. The two tangled several times late, bringing out the final caution that almost cost Mark Martin the win. Mears: "I didn't mean to get together with Dale Jr. I think he was trying to save fuel and make it to the end without stopping, and I wheel-hopped the car getting into the corner and ended up making contact with him. I guess he was a little bent out of shape about it because he spun me out after the checkered flag."(mikemulhern.net)(4-20-2009) UPDATE: NASCAR will NOT penalize Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears for their post-race incident at Phoenix.(Virginian Pilot)(4-21-2009) UPDATE 2: NASCAR announced that it has placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation for the next six races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of their on-track incident last Saturday at the conclusion of the race at Phoenix International Raceway. Earnhardt, driver of the #88 team and Mears, driver of the #07 team, both violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor’s car after the race had concluded) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. The probation takes effect beginning with this weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway.(NASCAR PR)(4-21-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. comments on the demise of the #8: from a team Chevy Dale Earnhardt Jr. press conference Transcript: IS IT SAD THAT THERE IS NO NUMBER EIGHT AT THE TRACK THIS WEEKEND? “I’m pretty sad, but I don’t think it will be gone for long. I read a lot of the input that you guys (media) had all week and sort of got the temperature of what the press was thinking and what the fans were thinking. The one thing that I kept thinking about when I was reading those articles was how glad I was that Robert (Yates) and Doug (Yates) and everybody at Yates -- that they were willing to work with me on the 88 because I don’t have any malice about what Teresa’s (Earnhardt) decision was on keeping that number.
“If I was in her shoes I probably would have done the exact same thing and that has been the case with every other owner in the past. That’s what the understanding is that the number belongs to them and I understood that. I really wasn’t as upset about it as a lot of people probably thought I was and it wasn’t as ugly of a situation as a lot of people felt like it was. I was glad that I found Robert (Yates) and the guys willing to talk about the 88 because that was a number with a ton of history and something that I could really wrap my hands around and get excited about. The eight will be back and someone else will add to it and do something great with it and hopefully it’s Ganassi and Teresa (Earnhardt). Hopefully they can get it back on the race track and I wouldn’t ever count them out. It’s a tough economy. I just wish them all the success and I wish that they will get that car funded to where Aric (Almirola) can get back on the race track, he’s a super guy and needs to be out on the race track with us and I think it’s small pieces to the puzzle really. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to be permanent, hopefully.” DO YOU THINK YOUR GRANDMA (MARTHA EARNHARDT) IS UPSET ABOUT THE NUMBER NOT BEING HERE? “No, not at all. She especially, we have been around this sport for a long time and you have to get used to change and I’ve worked with a lot of different people. Some I wish today I was still working with, but circumstances prevented that and you have to be able to let go of that and move on and try to do the best you can. That’s the same way in every situation in this sport. Yes I wish I would have never had to have changed numbers -- I had to under the circumstances and I am happy to have the opportunity to use the 88 and I hope I do a good job with it for all the guys that have used it in the past. That’s really the only thing that I think about right now. Having that number there’s a little bit of responsibility with it because it was pretty historic so I must concentrate on that, you know?”(Chevy/GM PR)(4-18-2009) Comment here
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Defends Embattled Crew Chief UPDATE: #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has become accustomed to the topic. It’s been one of the primary debates in NASCAR for several years, but the heat has increased this season. Is the often-volatile working relationship between Earnhardt, Jr. and his cousin, Tony Eury, Jr. conducive to winning races? Eury serves as the crew chief on Earnhardt’s #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. The two often engage in animated discussions – even arguments – over the scanner during races. Entering Sunday’s Food City 500, Earnhardt ranks 24th in Sprint Cup points with just one top-10 finish. Many of Earnhardt’s loyal fans blame Eury. Earnhardt addressed his struggles as well as his relationship with his cousin during a wide-ranging press conference Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I have said it a hundred times – and it just doesn’t seem to make a dent – but the guy that I feel bad for is Tony, Jr. because he gets criticized so badly,” Earnhardt said. “Everybody in this room – and some of you have criticized him yourselves – know how smart a guy he is. He is a good mechanic and a solid crew chief.” Clearly, Earnhardt has become frustrated with the attacks on his cousin by fans and media types. “[Eury, Jr.] just wanted to do this for a living, just like I do, but I’ll take the fall,” Earnhardt said. “I would rather be crucified than him. Every time I read in the paper that people are on his case, I feel like I am sending my brother to jail for a crime I committed, you know what I mean. I feel bad for him because he just wants to work and have fun.” As for the free-flowing chats with his crew chief, Earnhardt said it comes with the territory in a hyper-competitive and emotional sport. “There are riffs between every driver and every crew chief, and they work it out or they don’t,” Earnhardt said. “I think me and Tony, Jr. do a pretty good job of working it out. Obviously, through everything we have been through, we still love each other to death and would do anything for each other.”(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-21-2009) UPDATE: Car owner Rick Hendrick says he is fully committed to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and embattled crew chief Tony Eury Jr.
The team has been under fire for its slow start this season. Earnhardt last week asked for relief from the constant criticism Eury has faced from fans and media. Hendrick says the driver and crew chief were part of a three-hour meeting Wednesday to figure out what's wrong with the #88 team. He says the team is under great pressure, but everyone is committed to turning this season around. After five races, Earnhardt has just one top-10 finish and is 19th in the standings.(Associated Press)(3-25-2009) Comment here
JR Motorsports headed to Cup? On the surface the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Scott Wimmer would share a 21-race schedule for JR Mortorsports in the Nationwide Series was all about luring sponsorship. Not really. JR Motorsports announced on January 16th that Fastenal would be the primary sponsor for the No. 5 for 14 races before the driver lineup was nailed down. But having five drivers with 91 career Nationwide victories and a pair of titles doesn't hurt during tough economic times when sponsorship, particularly outside of NASCAR's primary series, is hard to find. It's also good for the series, which needs top Sprint Cup drivers to attract fans. Success in the series also could fast-forward JR Motorsports transitioning to a Cup team. Earnhardt said last season that with costs the way they are it makes sense to consider such a move if he can find the right sponsor and drive combination. He's said little about it since, and for now he's focused on the Nationwide program. "This #5 team carries a strong tradition and a lot of expectations and we are fortunate to attract such quality talent to help carry on that tradition," Earnhardt said. "We had a similar setup with this team last year and we were able to go to Victory Lane twice. Obviously with this driver lineup there's no reason we can't exceed last year's win total."(ESPN.com)(3-19-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr Foundation scheme: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to run a special Dale Earnhardt Jr Foundation scheme in the Sprint All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 16th. See an image of the scheme on my #88 Team Schemes page.(3-17-2009)
Dale Jr. leads BMS pts last 10 races: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored the most points in the past 10 Sprint Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway (1,468), 50 more than his closest competitor Kevin Harvick. He has posted seven top-10 finishes, including one victory, in the 10-race span.(3-17-2009)
Special scheme for Dale Jr at Richmond: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to drive a special scheme at Richmond in May, the National Guard "Drive the Guard" Scheme. See an image on my #88 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2009)
Hendrick engine problems caused by bad parts: Hendrick Motorsports officials say a bad batch of parts led to engine failures by #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #5-Mark Martin in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. "Both cars had valve train failures that were related to a specific batch of parts from a vendor," said Doug Duchardt, HMS' vice president of development. Duchardt said the parts were not restricted to use by Earnhardt and Martin, whose cars are prepared out of the same building. He said they also were used by Hendrick drivers #24-Jeff Gordon and #48-Jimmie Johnson, as well as lease programs such as Stewart-Haas Racing. Earnhardt finished 39th and Martin 40th after both lost their engines within 25 laps of each other. Gordon finished second and Johnson was ninth, combining to lead 138 of 250 laps. #14-Tony Stewart was eighth and led three laps. "So we're glad it wasn't more widespread," Duchardt said.(ESPN)(2-24-2009) Comment here
Dale Jr. running out of time for championship? #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is approaching a dangerous statistical marker as he enters his 10th season as a Sprint Cup driver. Only two Cup champions -- Bobby Allison in 1983 and Dale Jarrett in 1999 -- raced as long as Earnhardt has before they won their first title. It took Allison 18 years racing full time before he won his only championship, two weeks before turning 46. Jarrett did it in his 13th season, five days before he turned 44. Earnhardt is only 34, so time is on his side, but history isn't. Of all the drivers who have suited up as full-time competitors for 10 years or more, Allison and Jarrett are the only ones who became champions in their second decade of racing.(ESPN)(2-14-2009) Comment here
Get Well - Martha Earnhardt: Martha Earnhardt, mother of the late Dale Earnhardt and grandmother of Dale Jr., fell last Thursday in her Kannapolis, NC home and broke her left leg above the knee. Been told Mrs. Earnhardt is doing well but is in long for a long recovery. Martha and Carol Gordon Bickford [Jeff Gordon's Mom] are coming out with a new cookbook. For more info on the book, see my Racing Book News page.(2-2-2009)
Gossage and Dale Jr bury the hatchet: Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said he and #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. have buried the hatchet. The two men had a two-week disagreement and exchanged barbs over who needs to do more for the fans in tough economic times -- speedway executives or drivers. "Dale Jr. is doing all he can and we're doing all we can," Gossage said. "I talked to Junior's representatives [Saturday] and learned some things they were doing that most people don't know about." One of those things is lowering prices on some of Junior's merchandise items. Gossage said Friday that Earnhardt should be willing to reduce prices on his souvenir products after insisting speedways reduce tickets prices, which most have done. "I want to commend Dale Jr. for taking that step," Gossage said. "That shows a real commitment on his part, and I respect him for it. I learned they already had reduced prices on merchandise, just as we have reduced ticket prices and concession prices." During the NASCAR media tour in Charlotte two weeks ago, Gossage and other speedway executives suggested some Cup drivers should do more to help promote the sport. On Thursday, Earnhardt pointed out to my colleague, Ed Hinton, several examples of how he does more than his fair share, and said other drivers also go the extra mile. But he suggested speedways needed to do more. So Earnhardt and Gossage were accusing each other of not doing enough. But Gossage said they both have a new understanding now of their respective positions. "Earnhardt and I realize everyone has to do more to get through this," Gossage said. "He's setting an example for others to follow and being a true leader in the sport."(ESPN)(2-10-2009) Comment here
Hendrick presented with first chassis 'Dusty': Before "Blacker," the most successful car in Hendrick Motorsports history, and before "T-Rex," the Chevrolet that prompted NASCAR's sanctioning body to rewrite its chassis rules: There was Dusty. The Chevrolet Lumina was an original, integral piece in the chassis-building history of Hendrick Motorsports. But the rustic car is more than a footnote in the company annals. It represents the innovative approach and optimistic spirit that team owner Rick Hendrick still infuses into his employees. To commemorate the organization's 25th anniversary, the restored Dusty was presented to Hendrick at the company's season kickoff luncheon on Jan. 20. The car was painted silver and bears the single letter "H" in lieu of a number on the side. A small metal plate stamped with "HMS 001 Dusty" sits on the crossbar that goes through the passenger seat. When Dusty first was built in 1989, it didn't have a chassis number anywhere on it. The precise craftsmanship served as the signature mark on Hendrick Motorsports' initial stab at car building. Under the direction of Gary Dehart, the Lumina -- originally identified as "HMS 89-1 test" -- was to be used for testing purposes. See full story at the Hendrick Motorsports site.(1-28-2009) Comment here
Mountain Dew scheme for Dale Jr: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to run a Mountain Dew paint scheme at Darlington Raceway on May 9th. See an image on my #88 Team Schemes page.(1-20-2009)
Memphis offers Dale Jr. Ribs for Life UPDATE: Make no bones about it. Dale Earnhardt Jr. likes Memphis ribs. So much so that he has a steady supply FedEx’d to his new home in North Carolina. His affinity for the city’s most sought-after cuisine was obvious during a repeat episode this month of MTV’s Cribs. It is unclear, however, when Earnhardt Jr. developed this indulgence for Memphis barbeque.
In his only race in Memphis, Earnhardt Jr. drove the #3 ACDelco car to a runner-up finish behind Jeff Green in the inaugural Sam’s Town 250 on Oct. 31, 1999. He returned in 2003 for a Cup test session in the #8 Budweiser car. And his JR Motorsports teams have competed in the Nationwide Series event here for three years in a row, with a best finish of fifth by Shane Huffman in the #88 in 2006.
In an attempt to entice Earnhardt Jr. back to the track, Memphis Motorsports Park is extending a standing offer of a lifetime supply of Memphis ribs in exchange for a one-time competitive run in the city’s fall Nationwide Series race. With two locations in the Memphis area, Pig-N-Whistle is the Official Barbeque Restaurant of Memphis Motorsports Park. The NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to Memphis Motorsports Park on Oct. 23-24. For more information or to order season tickets, call toll-free 1-866-40-SPEED or visit MemphisMotorsportsPark.com.(Memphis Motorsports Park PR)(1-17-2009) UPDATE: from the 2009 NASCAR Preseason Thunder Daytona Fan Fest: Saturday news conference transcripts:
Q. I have some oddball questions. Number one, how much do you like Memphis barbecue, and the second part of that is are you aware of their offer to you of a lifetime supply and have you thought at all about taking them up on their offer?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Well, I don't really have that much use for that much barbecue, but the who do you work for?
Q. NASCAR Scene.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Just making sure you don't work for Memphis (laughter). I don't know, those kind of deals kind of get under your skin a little bit because obviously I haven't raced there since 1999, and I probably won't be going back there any time soon, and they just use my name to try to sell tickets and try to start some gimmick. They were saying in their press release that they watched a television show called Cribs where I talked about Memphis barbecue and I specifically pulled out the package of barbecue that I liked, and it's called Rendezvous and I mentioned that on the show. So they knew that Rendezvous, if anybody has ever been to Memphis and ate there, they know it's great barbecue ribs, so they know that that was my favorite. But they mentioned their track sponsored barbecue place so they got a plug for no damn reason, and Rendezvous who has been there forever doesn't get a word in.
Q. Now they will.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Now they will (laughter). Well, if they give me some Rendezvous ribs and up the ante just a little more than just ribs, we might talk about it. I don't know, it was a little frustrating. I should probably just take it easy because I know they're just trying to do their job. But I would have it would have been cool to get a heads up that they were going to do that; hey, man, we're going to use your name in this instead of getting it sprung on you. Vegas did the same thing. What was the deal a couple years ago, Mike? Some ridiculous deal for them to try to get people to buy tickets. I told everybody to go buy tickets to Talladega. It's a hell of a better race (laughter). I don't want to sound like a jerk about it because I know that it's tough times right now, and we're they're definitely in between a rock and a hard place trying to get people to come out there and watch races, but I was really more upset for the guys at Rendezvous that have been around for years, and everybody knows that's the best place in Memphis, hands down. Everybody can read right through that article. Who here has been to Memphis? And you guys never ate Rendezvous ribs? All right, then you can attest. They are consistent.(NASCAR PR)(1-18-2009)
Hendrick drivers to pop up on Kellogg's breakfast pastry: Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are coming to a breakfast aisle near you during the 2009 Sprint Cup season. The Hendrick Motorsports drivers will be featured on Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavored Limited Edition NASCAR Printed-Fun Pop-Tarts. In addition to the drivers, the team paint schemes and hauler designs will be printed on the individual Pop-Tarts pastries, which are Kellogg's most popular morning food product. The limited edition Pop-Tarts also will include NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and driver trivia questions. The Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavored Limited Edition NASCAR Printed-Fun Pop-Tarts will be available throughout the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season at major retail outlets nationwide.(Hendrick Motorsports PR) Martin is scheduled to run special Pop Tart's paint schemes at Las Vegas, Bristol in Aug, Richmond in Sept and Charlotte in Oct.(1-15-2009) Comment here
Earnhardt Jr.'s Big Mo' Chocolate Bar Hits Store Shelves:"Dale Jr.'s Big Mo' " chocolate bar was created specifically for NASCAR's mega star driver through the R.M. Palmer Company. The name Big Mo' is a play off Earnhardt Jr.'s hometown of Mooresville, N.C., and the longtime moniker used for he and his closest friends, the Dirty Mo' Posse. Weighing in at an impressive 2.5 ounces for only .99 cents, the king size milk chocolate filled bar is currently available in two popular flavors- creamy caramel and peanut butter. The exclusive recipe of the Big Mo' bar included numerous taste-tests by Earnhardt Jr., and was tailored to please his pallet. "We went though a few rounds of taste tests with the team at RM Palmer, and I was very happy with the final result of the Big Mo'. I'm excited it's available now so I can share it with racing and chocolate fans," Earnhardt Jr. said. For more information in RM Palmer Company please visit www.rmpalmer.com.(PR)(1-22-2008)
Dale Jr. Sports Century on DVD: ESPN’s Critically Acclaimed SportsCentury Series Profiles One of NASCAR’s Most Popular Drivers – SportsCentury Greatest Athletes: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on DVD. Two Hours of Candid Bonus Features and Interviews Provide Insight into Dale Jr.’s Relationship With His Legendary Father Dale Earnhardt Sr. and More. ESPN Home Entertainment, in conjunction with Genius Products, LLC, to release the much-anticipated SportsCentury Greatest Athletes: Dale Earnhardt Jr.; on DVD Tuesday, December 11, for $16.95 SRP. SportsCentury Greatest Athletes: Dale Earnhardt Jr. provides fans with a unique and rarely seen look into the life of the man who continues the Earnhardt legacy. The DVD includes in-depth interviews providing insight into his relationship with his father, the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr.; also featured - the press conference announcing Dale Jr.’s departure from DEI, updates since his departure and its impact on NASCAR.(more info at espnshop.com)(12-9-2007)
Born to Win Print..by Garry Hill:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. In The #8 Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Chevy Takes The Checkered Flag In The
46th Running Of The Daytona 500
“The Great American Race” February 15, 2004
It is with great excitement that we [Garry Hill] present “Born To Win”. The artwork captures Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s historic victory in the 2004 Daytona 500,“The Great American Race”. 500 prints and 50 artist’s proof prints have been produced, each signed and numbered by NASCAR licensed artist Garry Hill. 100 Prints And 50 Artist’s Proof Prints are Being Hand Signed By Winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. More info and to see the print, goto garryhill.com.(2-16-2005)
