Q&A: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Saturday, 11th February 2006

After missing last year’s Chase for the Championship, Dale Earnhardt Jr has a more familiar back-up crew for the 2006 season, a season in which Earnhardt Jr says he will definitely be a contender.

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DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:
Well, he is. He was good in the Busch Series, plate tracks. Had some success there. If they can get his cars where he can get up through there, he'll be fine. We'll work together without a problem.

Q.
What are some of the lessons you took from last year that you can apply to this year?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:
I can't be specific. They're just personal -- you know, just personal adjustments in personality, in respect for people, how you look at somebody and how you feel about 'em.

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I got more respect for Tony, Jr. than I had before because I seen how he works being on the other side of the fence. That's a totally different view than I've had over the last several years.

Q.
You said mid-season last year he was really out to prove something to you over there on the other side. Have you talked about that at all?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:
No, not really. I mean, that's not been anything I guess we wanted to talk about. You know, he was out to prove that he could make it happen. Prove it to everybody really, not just me.

Q.
Can you even begin to describe how much your life changed in the last five years?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:
You could probably do a better job than I could.

Q.
You've lived it.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:
Yeah, but it's just a blur, you know. I don't take many mental notes as far as that goes.

But, you know, I just want to get in the race car and race and have fun, get out of the race car, tend to my Busch team, tend to other activities we have going on, enjoy the experiences that I get from those, win a Winston Cup Championship, win more races, win those Daytona 500s, those type of races, those meaningful races, and be proud and satisfied what I'm doing.