New Beginnings

From a long time NASCAR fan and Dale Earnhardt, Jr fan I have watched our driver form into the wonderful race car driver, business man and person he has become.

We've watched him grow from the shy young boy, who followed his fathers footsteps and dreamed of becoming just like his father, to his first win in the Busch Series, now called the Nationwide Series, twenty-two wins, and two back to back Championships.

We were there when he became the driver of the #8, the number his grandfather, Ralph, drove many years before, a Budweiser spokesperson and soon one of the most well liked race car drivers in NASCAR history.

Many watched Dale Jr drive to his first victory in the DIRECTTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, with Dale running to Victory Lane to be one of the first to congratulate his son on his first victory.

Dale Jr's first win in a non-points race and for a rookie, a tough win in the All Star race, The Winston, at Lowes Motor Speedway.

After the heartbreaking loss of his hero, mentor and his father, we watched Junior thrive in some of the hardest times of his life.

The first time he went back to Daytona after losing Dale Sr, Junior pulled off one of the most stunning wins of his career, the Pepsi 400. One I personally will never forget, the feeling of watching him come from a couple cars back, I think it was sixth to first in a matter of laps, listening to the announcers going crazy with disbelief, screaming him on, jumping up and down and crying like a baby when he hit the start/finish line with Micheal Waltrip pushing him from behind. It's a memory that I'll never let go of.


Then, in the same year as Dale Sr dying, we had another huge tragedy within a couple of months, millions of lives shattered with the unbelievable terrorist attacks in New York. We were off for a week, grieving for the lost lives, but the weekend following we had a reason to cheer. The driver we all loved, brought us another victory after the wake of a tragedy.

Junior AND Wilson had won the MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr 400 race at Dover Downs Speedway. Our favorite driver gave us a reason to smile, once again.

April 1, 2002, Junior won his first race at Talladega, marking one of the three in a row at one of the most well known super speedways in NASCAR. He became the king of restrictor plate racing. Sometimes we thought it was Dale Sr in the car, watching Junior do the same things his father did behind the wheel of the racecar was just amazing.


On February 15, 2004, Junior called it one of the greatest days of his life. He had won the coveted Daytona 500. The one most drivers live for, one that some of the greatest drivers in NASCAR had such a hard time grabbing ahold of, that elusive victory at NASCAR's season-opening track.

Junior has seventeen wins to date, but I would look for that number to increase, and very soon.

In the past year we have watched him go from the son of the man who built the company, to not knowing where he was going to end up, then a driver for Hendrick Motorsports.

We have watched him go through the motions of leaving a place he thought, and we thought he would stay with for years, to becoming one of the most sought after driver in NASCAR, and finding a place he called home, and knowing he has the equipment to be able to make his way to his first Championship down the road.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is one of the most loved race car drivers in NASCAR, and as fans we are incredibly loyal - and rightfully so. I wish him the best of luck in everything he does, and I know I'll be right there cheering him on every race day. Thank you for everything you have taught us, Dale Jr.