Dale Earnhardt Jr
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Hendrick engines have mixed results at Michigan Instead of gathering for a Victory Lane celebration on Sunday, members of the Hendrick Motorsports engine shop will huddle in North Carolina on Monday to figure out what happened at Michigan International Speedway. The Pure Michigan 400 was the culmination of a difficult and frustrating weekend, with at least four Hendrick engines having gone sour. Two belonged to Jimmie Johnson, who seemed destined to overcome adversity. Despite starting at the back of the field after changing engines prior to Saturday's practice, Johnson had a fast car and appeared to have the race in hand. Brad Keselowski was impressed when Johnson roared by him to take the lead on Lap 191 of the scheduled 200. "When Jimmie pushed the trigger, when he passed me, it was clear he had been holding back a lot," Keselowski said. "Obviously, he wasn't going 100 percent. When he did, he was clearly the class of the field. That was quite a sight to see." But with six laps to go, Johnson, who had taken his first lead by Lap 39, began struggling. A small puff of white smoke was the telltale sign. Then Johnson's engine blew. Gone were Johnson's chances of recording his fourth win of the season and, with it, the becoming the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The concern at Hendrick is that Johnson's engine trouble was not an isolated incident. Jeff Gordon, desperately needing a win to have a shot at making the Chase, completed 167 of 200 laps because of engine issues. Tony Stewart, racing a Hendrick-prepared engine, got only 109 laps out of his motor and finished 28th, one place behind Johnson. "We've got some issues to straighten out," said Alan Gustafson, Gordon's crew chief. "Everything [in NASCAR] runs on the edge, and sometimes we step over it." With three races left until the Chase, this is no time to doubt the power train. Gordon said he thinks a faulty valve spring was the issue for both his and Stewart's cars. His problem appeared out of the blue. "[I was] just running along there and, all of a sudden, dropped a cylinder," Gordon said. "The No. 14 [Stewart] had that same issue. This is a tough place on engines. We rarely have these issues. ... When you come to Michigan and you turn these kinds of sustained RPMs on this fast of a track, it's always of concern here." Gustafson was unwilling to disclose specifics about the failures but had an inkling that Gordon and Stewart suffered similar problems. Johnson's in-race issue occurred too late for him to have a read on it on Sunday. "The information relayed to me was that [Stewart's problem] was pretty similar," he said. "We have some signs and a good idea of what we have todo to fix it. Nothing's ever easy, but I'm confident we can do it." Stewart, who slipped to ninth in the standings, 34 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne, remains in great shape to make the Chase because his three victories would trump other wild-card contenders. He said he's not concerned going forward. "It's just a bad day, not the norm, for sure," said Stewart, who radioed that it felt like his car was running on seven cylinders early in the race. "We have the best engine department in the world, in my opinion. We had three engine tuners down there [in the garage] trying to get it fixed for us. [Sunday's result] wasn't for lack of effort." Dale Earnhardt Jr. turned in a solid fourth-place run after also starting at the back of the field in a backup car. But Earnhardt's crew chief, Steve Letarte, wasn't breathing easy. "Without a doubt [I was worried]," Letarte said. "One [failure] doesn't bother you. That's part of racing. But when the 24 [of Gordon] had their issue, the concern went up. "I'm disappointed for the motor guys. I know they work tremendously hard. This is one of those places where, as fast as we're running, it's just hard on equipment. We'll get back to the shop, look into them all, and I'm sure we'll have good direction coming to the Chase." Making the Chase remains Gordon's immediate concern. He is 77 points out of 10th place and likely will need a win in the next three races to earn a wild-card spot. "We're professionals. We've got to shrug it off and go fight next weekend [at Bristol]," Gustafson said. "There's still a lot to fight for. We still have a chance to win some races and get in, whether we're frustrated or not." While Team Hendrick couldn't solve its engine problems, it could take pride in getting Kasey Kahne's car back in competitive shape after he went spinning, along with Mark Martin, on Lap 65 and suffered damage to his right front. "They patched it up pretty nicely," said Kahne, who finished third to solidify his hold on a wild-card berth. "It didn't drive perfect after that, but it did drive pretty closely to how it was, which was really nice. To get back to third was a pretty good day after all of that." Earnhardt confident despite move to backup car Dale Earnhardt Jr. came from the rear of the field to win at Michigan International Speedway in June, when he fell back with handling issues before rallying to snap a 143-race skid. He feels he can do the same thing again Sunday, when he'll try to prevail in a backup car. Earnhardt crashed his primary car -- the race-winning vehicle from two months ago -- when he spun into the wall in Turn 2 late in Saturday's final Sprint Cup practice. He'll start the race at the rear of the field in a backup car that hasn't yet turned any laps on the 2-mile oval, but was used in a test session at Michigan prior to the race weekend here in June. "We tested it here when we first came, so we know a lot about the car here at this particular track, where in most cases you don't," Earnhardt said. "We have that going for us. We have a lot of information, and I feel like we should be able to put a car out there that's relatively in the ballpark. ... Other than just starting at the back, I don't think it's hurt our chances too much. I mean, you hate to wreck the primary car, but the consequences and the situation really couldn't be more favorable with the backup than it is here for us." Bidding to become the first driver in 17 years to sweep both races at Michigan in a single season, Earnhardt spun in final practice and backed his No. 88 car into the wall. "We were making some changes on the car, and got the car too loose, and it just came out from under me in the corner," he said. "A little bit of being too free, and probably running harder than I should have been in practice." The crew immediately began unloading the backup, which meant saying goodbye to a vehicle that Earnhardt said his team hadn't made any changes to since it visited Victory Lane here two months ago. The backup car was tested at Pocono in addition to Michigan, and raced twice this season, in a rain-shortened event at Auto Club Speedway -- a 2-mile oval very much like Michigan -- where Earnhardt finished third, and at Darlington where he finished 17th. Earnhardt will be joined at the rear of the field by Hendrick Motorsports stable mate Jimmie Johnson, who changed an engine Saturday and will have to vacate his third-place starting position. Johnson regrouped to post the second-fastest lap in final practice, whereas Earnhardt didn't have time to get his backup car on the race track. "He'll probably cut up through there pretty quick compared to us, but we'll be patient," said Earnhardt, who qualified 22nd Friday. "When we won here in [June], we fell all the way to the back having some trouble with the balance of the car, and made some changes. So we've come out of a hole before here and won the race, so I feel pretty good about our chances still. We've just got to make sure we do all our homework up in the front of the hauler here, and when they put it out on the starting grid, it's close. It needs to be close. We don't want to have to deal with the car being way off balance-wise at the start of the race. Because that could make it tough for us to finish well." If the balance is there, Earnhardt believes his team can use cautions and pit strategy to get him to the front. "We can take no tires, two tires, whatever, and gain a lot of track position throughout the first part of the race if we get the opportunity under yellows," he said. "If we don't have yellows, we're going to have our work cut out for us." Earnhardt, Johnson start at back in Michigan Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s return to Michigan isn't off to a great start. Earnhardt, who won at Michigan International Speedway in June to snap a four-year losing streak, will have to start from the back Sunday in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. He rubbed against the wall in practice Saturday and will need to go to a backup car. "We were making some changes on the car and got the car too loose, and it just came out from under me in the corner," Earnhardt said. "I probably was running harder than I should have been in practice." Series points leader Jimmie Johnson also will be in back because of an engine change. Earnhardt tested his backup car at MIS, back in June. "We know a lot about the car here at this particular track, where in most cases you don't. So we have that going for us," Earnhardt said. "We should be able to put a car out there that's relatively in the ballpark. Other than just starting in the back, I don't think that it's hurt our chances too much." Johnson said his team discovered an issue before practice Saturday and decided to change the engine. "We probably could have run some of this practice, but I think we had to change the engine regardless," he said. "We didn't want to oil the track or create an issue and crash our car." Johnson was third in qualifying Friday. Earnhardt was 22nd. Earnhardt broke through at this track in June, winning for the first time in 144 Cup races. He's fourth in the points standings and has nine top-five finishes, but lately he has had his share of problems. He led the points race even after finishing 32nd at Pocono two weeks ago -- he was forced to the garage at one point because of a busted transmission. Then last weekend at Watkins Glen, he was in the top 10 before a late spin sent him on his way to a 28th-place showing. The last driver to sweep the two Cup races at MIS was Bobby Labonte in 1995. Earnhardt has nine top-10 finishes in 26 starts at the track. "Getting over that hurdle, getting that first win does a lot to relieve you," Earnhardt said. "It reassures you that your team can win. I think if we were still winless, we would still feel a bit snake-bitten, or somewhat cursed I guess in a way. That might mess your psyche a little bit, mess with you mentally. But once you do break through that barrier, it definitely gives you a reason to believe that you can do it again." He'll have his work cut out for him Sunday after his practice mishap, but the victory two months ago has helped Earnhardt's confidence. "To me Dale has been really focused and really into everything that I have been part of this season with him," said Kasey Kahne, Earnhardt's teammate with Hendrick Motorsports. "He's into the racing thing as much as I've seen him. I haven't been really close with Dale over the years, but I've known him and been friends with him. I think he's as passionate and into the racing as I've seen him right now, so that's good to see." Earnhardt had some good news Friday when the Army National Guard extended its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports. The National Guard will stay on as a sponsor of Earnhardt's No. 88 Cup team. That took some of the focus off his recent struggles. Another good showing at MIS would help too. "There is a little bit of added pressure to go back out and have the same performance and run the same," he said Friday, before qualifying. "I know that is not always likely." Dale Earnhardt Jr. re-ups with National Guard for 2013 A month after the military sponsorship of professional sports and teams survived a close vote in Congress, the Army National Guard extended its sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr. through next season. NASCAR's most popular driver, who has been aligned with the National Guard since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, will be backed by the Guard in 20 races in 2013, including the Daytona 500. "I was real happy to have the Guard sign. I expected them to be a part of the program," Earnhardt said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "We've had a real positive relationship, and they've been excited about what we've been able to do." On July 17, an amendment to ban military sponsorship of sports and teams narrowly was defeated 216-202. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., sponsor of the defeated amendment has indicated he intended to continue pursuing the legislation. But Earnhardt felt the Guard's sponsorship wasn't in danger of being revoked. "I feel comfortable that we're set and we can move forward," Earnhardt said. "I think that the legislation will always be around. The opposition to that will always be there fighting the fight. It is part of their job I suppose. "But I feel pretty comfortable with the agreement. I think it is pretty concrete." The amendment by Kingston and co-sponsor Betty McCollum, D-Minn., would have removed $72.3 million from the Department of Defense's appropriations. There was much debate over the return on investment from the $26.5 million that the National Guard spent this season to sponsor Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet. A National Guard official told USA TODAY Sports in May that the Guard had been contacted by 24,800 individuals about joining because of the sponsorship, and that none joined out of 20 qualified candidates. The National Guard Association president and retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett Jr. disputed the validity of those statistics, though, and said the Guard must do a better job of measuring the value of the sponsorship. "I don't think anybody has the right numbers," Hargett said. "I don't think we have tracked those numbers correctly." The National Guard actually will be increasing its investment from this season when it had 18 primary paint schemes. "National Guard Citizen Soldiers represent the more than 3,200 communities across the United States in which they live, work and serve their state and the nation," Lt. Col. Michael Wegner, marketing branch chief of Army National Guard, said in a statement. "What NASCAR gives us is a national marketing platform that also can be leveraged at that local level, touching recruiters, potential recruits and influencers. With our all-volunteer military and rigorous enlistment standards, it plays a key role in increasing the awareness of what the Guard does and the many career opportunities and benefits it offers." Earnhardt is ranked fourth in the standings with one victory this year. He will carry the National Guard paint scheme on his Chevy this weekend at Michigan. Earnhardt Jr. looks to recreate Michigan magic For Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michigan International Speedway figures to be the right track at the right time. Following disappointing results at Pocono (32nd) and Watkins Glen (28th after a last-lap crash), Earnhardt is back at the track where he snapped his 143-race winless streak in June, the track at which he's captured the past two of his 19 career Sprint Cup victories. Sitting fourth in the standings, 17 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt, 37, says his victory in the June 17 Quicken Loans 400 established his team as threat to not only win races but also to win the Chase. "Getting over that hurdle, getting that first win, reassures you that your team can win," said Earnhardt prior to Friday's first practice for the Pure Michigan 400. "I think if we were still winless, we would feel a bit snake-bitten or somewhat cursed. That might mess with your psyche a little bit. But once you do break through that barrier, it definitely gives you reason to believe you can do it again at any moment." Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne thinks the win was a "great confidence boost for the 88 team" and helped transformed Earnhardt. "I think he's as passionate and into the racing as I've seen him," said Kahne, who now views Earnhardt as a legitimate Chase contender. "I think any one of [our Hendrick] teams can be really strong in the Chase," he said. "I would say Dale, as consistent as those guys have been this year [and] as well as they're working with the 48 [of Johnson], I can see the 88 running strong through the Chase and having an opportunity to win it." Kahne will get no argument from Johnson, who has three victories this season and leads the standings by a single point. "I think in the Chase that you clearly need to win races," Johnson said. "Tony [Stewart] had to win half of them to win the championship [last year]. With what we've seen from Steve [Letarte, Earnhardt's crew chief] and Junior and how consistent they've been and all the laps they've led, they're [looking] real close to being on a hot streak with the victories. We're not light years different from them in the win category." Matt Kenseth, third in the standings and two points behind Johnson, said he could see Earnhardt's Michigan victory coming. "You knew it was only a matter of time," Kenseth said "Those guys, all year long, had been running up in the top three or four, leading laps, challenging to win. When you see somebody run like that, you know it's only a matter of time. I think it had to be a relief and somewhat of a weight off his shoulders." Victories remain the primary item lacking from Earnhardt's resume, and he knows it. "We feel like we've been so strong this year," he said. "We're just a little shy in the win column [given the way] we have performed. "If the wins want to wait and come in the Chase, that's fine with me, too. But we want to win every opportunity that we get out at the race track. We don't show up to lose. We want to win more races because we need more bonus points so we can lead the points once we go to Chicago [for first race of the Chase]." Earnhardt thinks his team is "better and faster" than it was in June at Michigan, when he overcame a 17th starting position to lead 95 of 200 laps, including the final 30. His car was the fastest on 39 laps that race. "No one was even close to him," Kahne said. "There's a little added pressure, I guess, to go out and have the same performance and run the same," Earnhardt said. But tracks differ week to week. Goodyear is beginning the weekend with a different tire than it brought in June, and NASCAR has tweaked the rear sway bar requirements. "Out setup is pretty much the same," Earnhardt said. "All we did was wash the car. I don't think we even touched it since [June]. That's what I was told." It's already been a productive week for Earnhardt off the track. His team signed a new sponsorship deal with the Army National Guard for 2013. It will be a primary sponsor for 20 races next season, two more than this year. "I was real happy to have the Guard sign," said Earnhardt, whose negotiations skirted Congressional examination of armed services sponsorships. "I think it's good for our team and good for our sport. I feel pretty comfortable with the agreement and think it's concrete." Earnhardt also entered a deal with Rick Hendrick to become owner of two auto dealerships in Tallahassee, Fla. -- one a Chevrolet franchise, the other selling Buicks, Cadillacs and GMCs. Becoming an auto dealer provides a touch of "back to the future" for Earnhardt, who intends to be "hands-on" "It's something I've always been interested in doing," he said. "That was going to be my profession if I hadn't been a race-car driver. I was going to work in a dealership as a mechanic or something. It's what I did to pay my power bills for four years." Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch looking for jolt at Michigan The past two Sprint Cup winners at Michigan International Speedway return to the 2-mile oval this weekend on opposite ends of the NASCAR title race but with similar objectives. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch are seeking a jolt to their Chase for the Sprint Cup championship bids, and Michigan seems as good a launching pad as anywhere on the circuit, particularly for NASCAR's most popular driver. Earnhardt's past two wins have been at Michigan, and though the triumphs were four years apart, it's proof the superspeedway in the Irish Hills always has suited the No. 88 Chevrolet. Earnhardt managed to finish third at Michigan even during an abysmal 2009 season. A repaving before the June race has narrowed the groove, but the track's relatively flat banking and sweeping corners still holds sway over the Hendrick Motorsports driver. "That's the kind of race track you hope and pray to build," said Earnhardt, who is a secure Chase bet, sitting fourth in points. "I think over time the surface will age and get back to widening up quite a bit and be the great race track it's always been. So, I really enjoy it. Even had I not won any races there, it's just a really fun track." Since he ended a 143-race winless streak at Michigan two months ago, Earnhardt's results have been mixed. While he notched fourth-place finishes at Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there have been mediocre showings at Sonoma Raceway (23rd), Pocono Raceway (32nd) and Watkins Glen International (28th) that have been less indicative of the championship-caliber consistency he has flashed in 2012. It's been a mini-swoon mostly driven by circumstances. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are road courses where he traditionally has struggled, and late-race spins at both tracks negated potential top 10s. His car was strong enough to lead 17 laps at Pocono before suffering its first mechanical problem of the season. All of it can be wiped clean with a strong showing at Michigan, which traditionally has been a telling precursor for the Chase. Though it's not a 1.5-mile track, it places an emphasis on the aerodynamics and horsepower that are necessary ingredients for excelling at the intermediate-style ovals that comprise half of the 10 races in the Chase. In addition to becoming the first driver to sweep Michigan in 17 years (Bobby Labonte won both races in 1995), a win Sunday by Earnhardt would reaffirm 2012 as a breakthrough season and pre-emptively nip the "Can he win again?" questions that are sure to arise soon for a driver without a multiwin year since 2004. Earnhardt, who has refortified his mental game under Steve Letarte (in his second season as Earnhardt's crew chief), seems to be anticipating such scrutiny by noting he no longer ranks tracks by personal preference. "I used to have a list of tracks," he said. "I don't have a favorite anymore because I have figured out that if I had ones I didn't like, and when I would go to those, I didn't run good because I would go in with a bad attitude about it. You have to really do a lot of soul-searching on Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday about trying to put yourself in a positive frame of mind. Put in the work and make something happen." Busch would be pleased to make something happen anywhere, so long as it course-corrects his star-crossed season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver often has had a supersonic No. 18 Toyota with nothing to show for it, leading laps in half the races and posting an average finish of 15.8. It's been similar to the 2009 season in which Busch also missed the Chase. Sometimes, Busch has been better than his equipment, and when the team has produced cars worth its driver's ability, they haven't been reliable. Four finishes outside the top 25 can be traced to mechanical failures, including at a 32nd at Michigan. Leading five of the past six races has yielded only one top-five, but Michigan begins a favorable stretch leading into the Chase for Busch, who has scored 11 of 24 career Cup victories at the next four tracks (Michigan, Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway). If his team can deliver a car Sunday that is worthy of outdueling five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson the way he did a year ago at Michigan, it will answer plenty of questions about JGR's quality control while also fulfilling Busch's vow for making the Chase. Ranked 14th in the standings, Busch is six points behind Ryan Newman for the final wild-card spot, but he's paying more attention to the win column. Another victory would put him ahead of Jeff Gordon (whom Busch considers his biggest threat for a Chase berth), Newman, Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano. "It's win or bust, basically," Busch said at Watkins Glen. "Finishing second or third or fourth isn't going to get us anywhere." Dale Earnhardt Jr. now co-owner of Florida auto dealerships Dale Earnhardt Jr. has his hand in several businesses. He owns Hammerhead Entertainment, a video production company. He operates JR Motorsports, which owns two cars in the Nationwide Series. He owns country-themed bars named Whisky River in Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla. And now he co-owns a couple of automobile dealerships. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Buick GMC Cadillac opened Monday in Tallahassee, Fla., after the Hendrick Automotive Group bought the dealerships from Larry Strom. The properties will be managed by Hendrick Automotive Group, whose chairman Rick Hendrick also owns Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt is a nine-time Sprint Cup Most Popular Driver award recipient and currently fourth in the Sprint Cup standings. He has driven for Hendrick since 2008. This is the first time they've partnered for dealerships. "This is something Rick and I have talked about doing ever since I came to Hendrick Motorsports, but we agreed it had to be the right situation," Earnhardt said in a news release. "I'm honored to work with everyone at Hendrick Automotive Group and have this opportunity in a great market like Tallahassee. "I was a mechanic in a Chevy store before I started racing, and I've always loved General Motors products and been interested in the dealership business. So it's exciting for me." Hendrick Automotive Group operates 84 dealerships around the United States. Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. cry foul over spilled oil Spilled oil on Watkins Glen International's 2.45-mile circuit drew the attention (and ire) of several Sprint Cup drivers Sunday. Among them was Jeff Gordon, who was sent spinning on the final lap of the Finger Lakes 355 while chasing a top-10 finish. He later complained that NASCAR should have thrown a caution flag. "I guess somebody was laying oil, and NASCAR doesn't want it to end under caution," said Gordon, who was relegated to 21st. "They talked about it the whole lap but never wanted to throw a caution. "We were coming. It's just unfortunate that that gets taken away from you because NASCAR doesn't want to end the race under yellow." NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said race control only heard reports of smoke — no fluid — coming from Bobby Labonte's No. 47 Toyota. "We got a report of smoke on the 47 and not any dropped oil," Pemberton said. "And basically that's it. It looked to me that everybody made it through OK. One car went around. And the rest of it was good hard racing coming to the checkered (flag)." One after another, drivers confirmed after the race there was indeed a slick presence on the track. Race winner Marcos Ambrose said there wasn't a black streak like you would normally see with spilled oil, but noted "it was almost like a fine spray." Dale Earnhardt Jr., who lost a top-10 finish with a late spin (he wound up 28th), said the oil "was everywhere. You couldn't see it, but it was everywhere. So you didn't know where to run. "It was a bad deal, I think. The track shouldn't have oil on it. … It was a bad, ugly finish at the end." On the final lap, Kyle Busch was spun from the lead by Brad Keselowski. His crew chief, Dave Rogers, blamed oil from Labonte's car for slowing Busch's No. 18 Toyota through the corners. Third-place finisher Jimmie Johnson tweeted that "those last 2 laps were slick with all that oil down!" Pemberton said that NASCAR would have thrown the yellow if it thought there was a safety issue. "If we thought it would put people in harm's way, we would have had to address that," Pemberton said. "We didn't get a confirmed report that there was oil on the track." Ambrose, who outdueled Keselowski to complete a charge from third to first on the final lap, thought NASCAR's no call was the right call. "No one wants to see these races finish under caution or bunch back up in these two-by-twos and making a random finish," Ambrose said. "We had the three fastest cars duking it out for the win, and that's the way it should be. I think they made the right call." Gordon conceded Ambrose's point, but lamented the result that dropped him out of a Chase for the Sprint Cup wild-card spot. "I understand. You want to keep it entertaining and give the winner a shot at it," Gordon said. "But there are a lot of other things going on out there, too. I think they completely disregarded that." Dale Earnhardt Jr. smiling, even at a road course You can't wipe the smile off the face of Dale Earnhardt Jr., not even at a road course. With five races before the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship begins, Earnhardt is in unfamiliar territory as the series gets set for the second and final road race of the season at Watkins Glen International on Sunday - he's perched atop the points standings. A year ago at The Glen Earnhardt was 10th, just one point ahead of eventual champion Tony Stewart. The top 10 drivers in the points and two wild-card teams qualify for NASCAR's version of a postseason. ''Coming here in 10th place just trying to hang on to a spot in the Chase is really, really tough, especially for someone like myself who is more cold than hot (here),'' Earnhardt said Friday as he waited for a steady rain to stop so Cup practice could begin. ''We've had good tests. We're feeling positive about our chances of having a good run. ''We struggled at Sonoma and we struggled in our test earlier in the season, too,'' said Earnhardt, who qualified 19th and came home 23rd on the circuit's other road course in June. ''We kept working at it and made a lot of gains, gained a lot of speed. I'm excited to see how it's going to pay off this weekend. I feel pretty confident we'll be able to put up an effort we can be proud of.'' Earnhardt, who has nine top-five finishes and 15 top-10s, leads Matt Kenseth by a scant five points, with Greg Biffle another point back and five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson only eight points behind. Because of his impressive consistency this year, Earnhardt finds himself in a unique spot. ''We can take gambles. It is real tight,'' Earnhardt said of the top four in points. ''We could walk out of here in fifth pretty easily if things were to go bad for us. I know that going in. I've prepared myself mentally for all things. You have to.'' In 12 starts at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt has qualified in the top 10 three times but still is seeking the first road course win of his career. He has two top-five finishes and three top-10s at The Glen. The rain forced NASCAR to push back Cup practice until late afternoon and Earnhardt was only 28th fastest. Qualifying for Sunday's Finger Lakes 355 is scheduled for late Saturday morning. ''This race you can kind of just throw it all out there,'' Earnhardt said. ''We were really conservative all year long, and we feel like we can definitely, in the position we're in, gamble a lot more ... to try to win races like a lot of these guys do. We just kind of played it safe to make sure we were going to make the Chase. That's the first thing. You don't want to miss the Chase being foolish. ''If we fall back in points because we made a few mistakes or a gamble that didn't pay off, it's no big deal. We know the kind of season that we've had. We've got a lot to be proud of. I think mentally we can go into the Chase pretty excited about our chances. Hopefully, we can make some of those gambles pay off.'' Earnhardt left Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago with the points lead after a fourth-place finish. It was his best career finish at the venerable track, where he often has struggled. Earnhardt said he was proud of that and called it symbolic of how well the team has done. His enthusiasm appears unbridled. When Earnhardt's consistency was stopped last week at Pocono by a faulty transmission, as soon as he pulled into the garage for repairs he jumped out and began jacking up his No. 88 Chevy before his crew arrived. ''I've always worked on cars,'' Earnhardt said. ''I got back to the garage first and I knew my guys were moments away, but they weren't there just yet. I thought that we needed to get back out as fast as we could. I thought I could cut some time off that process by getting the car up so that when they got there they could get right under it. I know my way around the shop, so it felt natural to me.'' Earnhardt, who had finished on the lead lap of every race this season to tie Jeff Gordon's NASCAR mark of 21 straight, finished 32nd, 18 laps behind winner Gordon, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. The four-time champion didn't see Earnhardt's expertise with the jack. He was impressed, nonetheless. ''I would never have done that,'' Gordon said. ''It just tells you he knows enough about the cars that he felt like it was a linkage that could get fixed quick and the team wasn't prepared for it. He was just trying to give them a little head start.'' To be considered a legitimate championship contender, it's all about wins, especially in the Chase. Earnhardt is well aware of that, and those special moments have been scarce since he won a career-high six races in 2004. Earnhardt had lost 76 races in a row when he won at Michigan four years ago, and his victory at Michigan this year snapped a winless streak of 143 races. Still, despite that lone victory this year, he figures to be a factor until season's end. ''Barring any catastrophe, as long as we don't have the same thing that happened last week happen every week, we should find our way into the Chase,'' Earnhardt said. ''That's been a big load off our shoulders ... and not have to worry about anything too far out into the future. We can just forget about the Chase for a moment, concentrate on being fast, concentrate on what we're doing ... try to find more speed and enjoy it. ''I've had fun all year. That's a good feeling.'' Earnhardt not as wary of being road weary Despite last weekend's season-worst 32nd-place finish at Pocono, Dale Earnhart Jr. has plenty of reasons to feel good these days. He's atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings and he snapped a 143-race winless streak that dated to 2008 with his victory at Michigan International Speedway in June. A more surprising reason for a positive frame of mind for NASCAR's most popular driver is he's looking forward to driving on the road course at Watkins Glen International this weekend. A test session at Road Atlanta last week helped change Earnhardt's road-course mindset following a disappointing effort in June at Sonoma, Calif., in his Rick Hendrick-owned No. 88 Chevrolet. "We showed up at the Road Atlanta test last week with the same problems as Sonoma and the same disappointment with the car," said Earnhardt, who ran 23rd at Sonoma. "Then we made a lot of changes, and a few of the changes in particular revolutionized the way the car drove and the way it felt. "The stop watch was way faster, so I'm excited. I've been real happy to go to all the racetracks this year. I particularly don't look forward to going to Sonoma and Watkins Glen as much as I do the ovals. But I'm excited about Watkins Glen this trip. Hopefully, we can go there and be competitive." Earnhardt and the 42 other Cup drivers will hit the course for the first time this afternoon for two practice sessions. Earnhardt's Watkins Glen resume may not compare with the likes of five-time race winner Tony Stewart, four-time winner Jeff Gordon or defending champion Marcos Ambrose, but it's not as bad as one might think considering his previous lack of enthusiasm for the two road courses. He has two top-five finishes in 12 Sprint Cup starts at The Glen and three top-10s. Earnhardt, 37, also won the track's Nationwide Series race in 1999. "With me and a road course, it's a lottery," he said. "I've had some good runs at Watkins Glen and had some fast cars there. When we went there in 2008 with Tony (Eury) Jr., we rained out qualifying, so we started up front and we led quite a good portion. We were really fast. "I know I can go around there. It's just straightaway, turn, straightaway, turn, and that's really what I've been doing my whole life." Junior gets lucky despite transmission woes For 49 laps, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had one of the cars to beat in Sunday's Pennsylvania 400. He led 17 of the first 38 laps and appeared to have one of the few cars capable of giving Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson a run for the money. Then his transmission, which already had been swapped out once during he weekend, failed him. "We put it in [Saturday] and during qualifying it was fine," said Earnhardt, who managed to retain the Sprint Cup Series points lead despite his 32nd-place finish at Pocono Raceway. "When we restarted [on Lap 23], it was kind of aggressive, and then [we experienced] a bit of a vibration. The car was just really out of time, and it just kind of started missing some shifts and [was] difficult to get in gear. "Finally, in third and fourth [gear] coming out of the tunnel, it didn't have any fourth. Then I didn't have third." Then, Earnhardt didn't have any choice. Seeking his sixth top-five in a nine-race span, he took his No. 88 Chevrolet directly to the garage. He fell 19 laps off the pace as his crew replaced the gear box and was 18 laps down when the race was halted by rain. Earnhardt entered the race with a 14-point lead over Matt Kenseth. He left Pocono leading Kenseth by five points, Greg Biffle by six and Johnson by eight with five races to go before the Chase field is set. A late race crash by Johnson and Kenseth, who were leading on what ended up being the race's final restart, enabled Earnhardt to hang onto the points lead. It's a lead Earnhardt has built with consistency. Sunday's race marked the first time that Earnhardt failed to complete every lap this season. It was his worst finish of the season and only the second time he finished lower than 17th. Transmission issues aside, Earnhardt, who started eighth and rocketed to the lead by Lap 11, was quite happy with his car. "We had a good run going," he said. "This Chevrolet was pretty fast. Jimmie [Johnson had] the quickest car out there. But we felt like we might be able to work on ours and get a little better." When the tangle between Johnson and Kenseth was followed by a torrential downpour, it was Earnhardt's other teammates who benefitted. Jeff Gordon claimed his first victory of the season, with Kasey Kahne finishing second. Kahne admitted being somewhat spooked by Earnhardt's transmission failure, fearing he had similar trouble. As Kahne's crew chief Kenny Francis put it, Earnhardt's problems had Kahne "seeing ghosts." "I don't think I really had much of a problem," Kahne said. " I think I was worried because Junior broke one or broke something with the transmission, I'm not sure what. I was struggling with mine a little bit when that happened ... so I just quit shifting for a while, and I was a lot slower. "[Earnhardt's crew chief] Steve Letarte said it wasn't a big deal. What happened with them was not what I feel was going on with mine. So from that point on, I focused on shifting again and didn't even have an issue. Once I quit worrying about it, we were flying." Earnhardt's points lead is attention-getter Dale Earnhardt Jr. has ascended to the top of the Sprint Cup points standings, and it seems everyone has taken notice. An elementary school supported by his foundation and located near his home in Mooresville, N.C., hung a large sign congratulating him on the achievement. Texas Motor Speedway, never one to miss a promotional opportunity, is selling two fronstretch tickets for an amount that mirrors his car number as long as NASCAR's most popular driver holds the series lead. And Pocono Raceway will hold a drawing that awards one fan $100,000 if Earnhardt wins Sunday's race. "That would be good for whoever gets the money, and we'll be enjoying the trophy in Victory Lane," Earnhardt said Friday. "Everybody wins, I suppose." Jimmie Johnson may have claimed last weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it's clear that the big winner this week is Earnhardt, who parlayed a best-ever finish at the Brickyard into his first points lead in nearly eight years. No, it's not a championship. And, unless he wins a few more races, he'll be outside that top spot when positions are reseeded in advance of the Chase. But, for now, there's clearly some contentment over seeing his name at the top of the standings, which in the driver's mind is a validation of all the work it's taken to get there. "I think a lot of people downplay it," Earnhardt said of being the points leader. "I think it means the same to the other drivers, probably, but they downplay it obviously because the guys that are saying that may find themselves in the points lead or battling for it more often than I have been. It's been a long time since I was in the points lead. It's been forever -- I can't even recall the last time we were in the conversation for the championship. These things are really validating the effort and the work we've done." That work ethic was on display at a test Wednesday at Road Atlanta, in oppressively hot conditions that Earnhardt said left everyone gassed. "It was as miserable as it could be," he said. But he and crew chief Steve Letarte still managed to find something that might help them next week at Watkins Glen International -- the kind of road course that's historically been a weak link on Earnhardt's resume. "We worked hard, and we found some speed," he said. "We've been having those type of deals all year long where we're working hard, and there are some gains that are made. I've worked my tail off most of my career for little gains -- or, at times, no gains. So this year it's been awesome to go to the race track on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, and work with Steve, and come away really happy with what happened. ... The points lead is sort of the symbolic piece to all that effort. The points lead recognizes all that hard work, for me." This week marks Earnhardt's first time atop the standings since October 2004, when he seized the series lead after a victory at Talladega -- and then promptly lost it days later to eventual champion Kurt Busch after being penalized 25 points for cursing in a post-race television interview. Unlike that season, when Earnhardt won six times, his current advantage comes from grinding out a series-best 15 top-10 finishes and completing all 5,648 laps contested so far this year. He's gotten there the hard way, winning just once thus far, and to onlookers that process seems to have built a degree of resolve. "I think his confidence is up," said Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports. "I think he believes in his team and Steve. Their personalities and confidence in one another was built. It's a great team over there, and it's a great facility. They really know how to step things up, but I think that it took a little while for those two to say, 'All right, I believe in you and you believe in me -- let's go work on this, and these are some things we've got to step up and do to be successful.' Whatever they've done is obviously working, and then you back that up with performance. There's no doubt those guys are going out every weekend, their cars are strong, they're running up front -- it's not a fluke. They are the real deal this year." Even so -- with only six races remaining until the Chase field is determined, Johnson showed no hesitation when asked if he'd rather possess the points lead or his current tally of three race victories, which puts him in line to claim the top spot before the first event of the playoff. "Three wins," he said. Still, holding the points lead at the moment can pay dividends down the road, according to the five-time series champion. "There's something there that helps you, that has helped me in the past," said Johnson, whose No. 48 team shares a facility with Earnhardt's program at the Hendrick complex. "And I think the team, once the Chase starts, any type of exposure to pressure from the crew guys, the over-the-wall guys, the driver -- that's all helpful. Because the Chase is so important, and the emotion -- you might dodge it for a week or two, or you might get deeper into the Chase before it finally hits you, but at some point it will. And the more exposure you have to that pressure, I think the better." While it's lasting, though, many are certainly enjoying it. A Texas spokesman said the track has seen a 142-percent jump in ticket sales in the section where the two-for-$88 deal is available, compared to a year ago. And 80 laps into Sunday's event, Pocono president Brandon Igdalsky will draw the name of a spectator who will take home $100,000 should Earnhardt go to Victory Lane. Fans can register at souvenir stands, and the track has a giant-sized check ready to go. "I want to give it away," Igdalsky said. "I want to give the money away. It would be so much fun." It's all fun right now, with the sport basking in the glow of its most popular driver holding the points lead. But finishing the season in that same position will require more work, and no one is more aware of that than Earnhardt himself. "We're running well, but we need to win more races. We need to show up and be the fastest car more often," he said. "We've been quick, but in my opinion we've been the fastest guy only once or twice this year, and I don't know if that's good enough. I'm going to say it's not good enough. I know our team would like to win more races, and to be able to contend for the championship, our team needs another 10-15 percent." On a career pace: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s numbers through 20 race speak for themselves • Nine top-five finishes, matching his previous best in 2004. He finished with 16 top-fives in '04. • Fifteen top-10s; his season high is 21 set in 2003 and '04. • Average finish of 8.1; his best full-season average finish is 12.1 set in 2004. • Twenty lead-lap finishes. Dating to last season, he has a record-sharing 21 consecutive lead-lap finishes. • Second-best career Driver Rating of 102.0 that trails only the 102.6 of 2008. Earnhardt on top of NASCAR standings and loving it Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back on top in NASCAR in something other than a most popular driver poll. Junior holds the Sprint Cup Series points lead entering the race at Pocono Raceway. He just hopes he ends the season in the same spot and with his first Cup championship. No driver has been as consistent over the first 20 races as Earnhardt. He snapped a four-year losing streak this season and has finished fourth in three of the last four races. It's been years since Earnhardt was a legitimate championship contender. This could be the year he's in it until the end. Jimmie vs. Junior?: Hendrick stable mates shaping up as combatants for Sprint Cup championship It all started 20 months ago, when Rick Hendrick made sweeping changes throughout an organization he thought had become complacent in the wake of Jimmie Johnson's fifth consecutive Cup Series championship. Drivers, crew chiefs and crewmen on three of Hendrick's four racing programs were reshuffled in an attempt to bolster an operation that wasn't showing the depth at which the owner had become accustomed. In the process, he made the somewhat daring move of splitting up two teams that had become almost synonymous with one another, and matching his best and most underperforming outfits under the same roof. The next week, cranes were at work, pairing a large 48 and a large 88 aside one another on one of the buildings on the sprawling Hendrick Motorsports complex. It was a move that raised more than a few skeptical eyebrows, given that the programs of Jeff Gordon and Johnson had been joined at the hip since the latter was founded, a union that helped the No. 48 get up to speed very quickly and allowed both to maintain a high level of performance. But now -- pairing the teams of Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Making roommates of a five-time champion and a driver who had finished 21st in points? It was easy to see why some viewed the arrangement as an anchor tethered to Johnson's right leg. Fast forward to this past Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when Johnson claimed his fourth career victory on the Brickyard's oval to knot Gordon, Rick Mears, Al Unser and A.J. Foyt for most all time. And then there was Earnhardt, quietly enjoying the best finish he's ever recorded at a track that had never been particularly good to him, and assuming the lead in the Sprint Cup point standings at the same time. Earnhardt is on top of NASCAR's premier series now; Johnson is in position to be on top when title contenders are reseeded for the Chase opener in six weeks. Suddenly, it looks very much like the championship will go through that 48/88 building, and that Hendrick knew was he was doing all along. "We would actually rather us two to fight for the championship at the end, knowing one of us is going to get it for the company," Earnhardt said. "If I could line that up right now, I would. That is how I'd have it." To be fair, that grand restructuring in November 2010 was less a move of teams and more a move of drivers, who inherited support systems that had been shifted intact. Earnhardt was the lone new addition to what previously had been Gordon's old crew, just rebranded in No. 88 colors. Even so, the previous setup had netted five consecutive championships for Johnson, and the inconsistencies throughout the rest of the Hendrick organization notwithstanding, it wasn't uncommon to hear questions about trifling with a system that clearly worked. Last season, when Johnson plummeted to a career-low sixth place in the final standings, did little to assuage that argument. Even if there was Earnhardt, back in the Chase and in seventh place, right there behind him. But this year? There can be no quibbles. Sunday at Indianapolis was the kind of effort that Johnson has built a career on, a dominating performance that left the competition with no hope of catching him. It also was the kind of day that showed how much progress Earnhardt, who notched a career-best fourth at the Brickyard, has made since being paired with crew chief Steve Letarte. Within the 48/88 shop, things have changed dramatically from a season ago -- now both programs are race winners, and both are pulling information from one another, and both have improved as a result. "Clearly, Junior's win was huge and put that stamp, that seal of approval on what they're doing in their minds," Johnson said. "Stevie and Junior have really brought a lot to the table. I have to say, from Pocono to now, the stuff that Junior has liked in the car and what he's felt has opened up doors for us to pursue, and a road for us to go down where we've made our stuff better. There's a lot of confidence in our shop with both teams, and the communication is as good as it's ever been. I'm happy to see Steve as confident as he is, and Junior both, because we can really lean on them and pull from them, and it's a two-way street. That's something that's new this year, and I'm proud of both of them for where they're at and where our whole team is." That growth was evident not just in Earnhardt's finish at Indianapolis, but the confidence he carried into the weekend. Indy is a place where Earnhardt previously had scored only one single-digit result -- that a sixth place in 2006 -- and his average finish had been in the 20s. And yet: "I think I could come in here and probably have my best finish here in quite awhile," he said the day before the race. He did just that, despite the fact that he prefers tracks where drivers can be a bit more creative over the line-sensitive Brickyard. Still, he adjusted. Another top-five in the books, another brick in the foundation. And after Matt Kenseth's crash, a vault to the top of the point standings, where he hadn't been since October 2004. He'll hold it longer this time -- his last points lead disappeared days later because of a penalty he incurred for cursing in a televised post-race interview. Now it's on to Pocono, where Johnson won twice before the recent resurfacing, and Earnhardt was a contender for the victory in June until he had to pit late for fuel. It's one more step down the road to these two Hendrick stable mates potentially becoming combatants for the championship, a scenario Johnson said won't compromise either one. "If both cars are in the hunt, it doesn't impact what goes on with the 48 team," the five-time champion said. "I mean, the tools that Rick gives us, the way our shops are set up, if one, none, four [teams are in contention], it doesn't matter. And it's great. ... I've been in that position before with Jeff, and not in the same shop necessarily, but with the 5 car with Mark [Martin]. It's great. What it does, especially for our company, it far exceeds any type of competitive spirit that exists. And from a technical standpoint, we all go to the race track with the same equipment. No one gets favorites. There isn't any favorites. We all have the same equipment." Besides, Hendrick has been through this more than a few times. Terry Labonte and Gordon in 1996, Johnson and Gordon in '07, Johnson, Martin and Gordon with an unprecedented sweep of the top-three positions in points in '09 -- intrasquad battles for NASCAR's biggest prize are something the car owner has long been accustomed to handling, as much a part of the Hendrick way as those white buttoned-down-collar shirts or the caps bearing a slanted H. They weren't disruptive before. Hendrick can't imagine such a thing would be again, even if it pitted the two tenants of his 48/88 shop, the sport's most-popular driver against the sport's greatest modern champion. "I'm beyond that nervousness trying to get the teams together and say, look, what got us here is working together and sharing information," Hendrick said. "I think by having those two cars where they are in the points will give us a better shot. A lot of organizations, it tears them down when they have that kind of competition. I think it makes us stronger. But I think we all have bought in. We live by it and we die by it, and we've been there since 1994. So I think that gives us a better opportunity to win the championship." Earnhardt Jr. gains from Kenseth's misfortune If it's true that "one man's loss is another man's gain," Dale Earnhardt Jr. was easily the biggest benefactor of Matt Kenseth's misfortune Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When Kenseth couldn't avoid smacking into Joey Logano's out-of-control car with 26 laps remaining -- and Earnhardt went on to finish fourth -- it resulted in major implications at the top of the Sprint Cup points standings. The resulting 30-point swing meant Earnhardt left Indianapolis with a 14-point lead over Kenseth, the first time he's led the points this late in the season since 2004. It also left Kenseth frustrated with the way things played out once he wound up deep in the field after losing track position on a pit stop. "We got back there and some guys were driving pretty crazy," Kenseth said. "I guess at the very end of it, [Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith] were mad at each other and running into each other and then [Logano] was trying to pass [Bayne] and just lost control of his car." Kenseth went to the high side in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 in a valiant but ultimately futile attempt to avoid Logano's spinning car. He climbed from his damaged car, put on his ball cap, angrily tossed his gloves and shoe heel protectors inside the cockpit and waited for the mandatory ride to the infield medical center. "Yeah, it is frustrating," Kenseth said. "I got hung out on the restart, which is one thing. I was trying to get through there, and [Tony Stewart] wiped the whole side off my car in the straightaway for no reason and that kind of made me mad. "I was in front of [Marcos Ambrose] and saw he had a run, so I went down to block and he went across the grass and shot me up out of the groove there. It is crazy there at the end. You could see the wreck happening, and I was just hoping I wasn't going to be in it." As frustrated as Kenseth was with his day, Earnhardt's elation was evident in the way he described his ninth top-five season of the season. That leaves him just one behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. And it was his 21st consecutive lead-lap finish, which ties the all-time record held by another Hendrick teammate, Jeff Gordon. That's pretty good company, when you consider those two have combined for nine Cup championships. "I'm proud of that because it says a lot about our body of work," Earnhardt said. "All season long, we've been working hard and finishing well. That is symbolic of how well we've done. I'm proud of that. I have felt that way about our position in points all season long." Earnhardt's goal in 2012 is to add his name to that list. Leading the points right now is all fine and dandy, but you don't have to be a student of history to realize how race wins trump consistency. All you have to do is look back to last season, when Stewart won five times in the Chase to overcome Carl Edwards, who strung together nine top-10 finishes during that same span. Earnhardt certainly paid attention, and that's primarily his focus as this year's Chase looms in the distance. "We need to win more races," he said. "If we want to win the championship, we have to. I imagine we can win a couple races in the Chase. I don't know if finishing fourth or fifth is going to do it. We'll just have to see. We'd like to step it up just a little bit more." He definitely stepped it up Sunday at a track which has been difficult for him, to say the least. His previous best finish was sixth in 2006. That was clearly on Earnhardt's mind all weekend long. With the improvement on the track, there's a new-found desire to achieve where achievements previously have been lacking. One place where he felt he could make major improvement was at the Brickyard. "We were looking forward to this race," Earnhardt said. "I want to run well here, want to win this race, want to get a trophy here and go to Victory Lane." He didn't qualify particularly well, starting 20th. But it was evident from the drop of the green flag that his No. 88 Chevrolet was something special. He gained 10 positions before the first round of green-flag stops. "We were really excited about our car the first run, happy with how it was driving," Earnhardt said. "I don't know how fast the leaders were, but I thought the car had excellent speed and drivability." "We messed with the balance a little bit throughout the race. It wasn't perfect at the end. I think we got the best we could with the car and the speed that we had. I'm happy with that. My teammate got the win. We had a good run. I would like to win here, but I'm going to have to wait until next year." Dale Earnhardt Jr. can earn $100,000 for lucky fan if he wins at Pocono Pocono Raceway president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky wants to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. win the Pennsylvania 400 on Aug. 5. He wants to see him win so bad that he has pledged to give $100,000 to a race fan if Earnhardt wins the race. “While watching the 2012 Presidential races, I decided it was time to make a campaign pledge of my own,” said Igdalsky, the grandson of track founder Dr. Joe Mattioli. “My campaign strategy is simple. Pick a driver with a legitimate shot of winning the Pennsylvania 400 and give $100,000 to a race fan if he wins. “The fans visiting Pocono Raceway each year are the greatest fans in all of motorsports. Without them, nothing we do would be possible. It is time to give back to the people. We will all be watching anxiously on August 5 to see if Dale Jr. can win. If he does, I will gladly cut one of them a check.” Earnhardt led 36 laps in the June race at Pocono, but wound up finishing eighth after pitting late in the race. Fans can enter at www.poconoraceway.com/100k or by visiting a track souvenir stand during the race weekend. The winner will be selected at the halfway point of the race. NASCAR military sponsorships allowed to continue following House vote When Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Michigan last month, much of the talk surrounding that victory was how it was good for NASCAR to have its most popular driver win a race. On Wednesday, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, his name was thrown around again regarding the success of another business—the Department of Defense. And just like at Michigan, the National Guard-sponsored Earnhardt could be considered a winner as the House voted 216-202 to continue allowing military sponsorships of NASCAR teams. Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn., championed the cause to forbid the Department of Defense from spending money on sports teams and events in the name of recruiting. Kingston and McCollum proposed an amendment Wednesday to the 2013 defense appropriations bill that would ban military sponsorships of motorsports events and other sporting events (such as fishing and mixed martial arts). The amendment was predicted to produce savings of $72.3 million in the $608 billion defense spending bill. A 30-minute debate on the House floor pitted Kingston and McCollum against seven House members who spoke against the amendment. But some NASCAR fans–and certainly Ryan Newman–believe McCollum and Kingston already had won. The U.S. Army and The National Guard have the two most prominent NASCAR sponsorships, and the Army already has announced it would end its $8.4 million program—what it spent to sponsor 12 races for Stewart-Haas Racing’s Newman as well as for at-track displays and other promotions—following this season. “It delivers results,” Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said. “The fact is no matter the size of the military, you’re still going to need recruits. … Why the Army didn’t continue with that program—it didn’t design it appropriately, apparently.” The National Guard, however, has indicated it wants to continue its program. It has budgeted $26.5 million to sponsor Hendrick Motorsports’ Earnhardt for 16 races, and to produce at-track displays and other promotions associated with the sponsorship. The Army also plans to continue its drag-racing team sponsorship. McCollum said the National Guard program did not produce recruits. “It would be just irresponsible and outrageous that Congress would go ahead and continue to borrow money from China to pay for one racecar driver’s team $26 million for delivering zero recruits,” McCollum said on the House floor during a 30-minute debate. McHenry and other opponents of the bill called it micromanaging. “Our military deserves access to the most qualified potential recruits available,” said Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., adding that technology born in NASCAR race shops have been used on military vehicles. “A vote in favor of this amendment would handicap our military’s recruiting efforts. Starting in 1999, marketing the military through sports opened the door for the DoD’s efforts to brand and showcase their services to a specific target audience.” NASCAR officials, obviously, were pleased with the vote. "Sports sponsorships work," Marcus Jadotte, vice president of public affairs, said in a statement. "They remain a critical part of the marketing mix for a host of other big, consumer-facing brands like the U.S. Armed Forces. "Leaving marketing decisions like these in the hands of a select few members of Congress is misguided. Today’s vote continues to protect the ability of our nation’s military to have access to the same sports marketing platforms as other leading brands." NASCAR sent a letter, co-signed by the NBA, NFL, MLB and the IndyCar Series, to Congress in opposition to the amendment. “Given the success of the military’s use of professional sports to reach out to the American people, we encourage you to support the U.S. Armed Forces and enable them to continue to have the same access to media and venues as world leading businesses and nonprofits,” the letter stated. McCollum responded to the letter on the House floor. “Over the past few days, the professional sports lobby has come out in full force to protect their taxpayer-funded subsidy,” she said. “For the purpose of the 2013 defense appropriations bill, those pro teams are military contractors that have failed to deliver.” Technically, the provision was already in the appropriations bill, but it was stricken, as expected, Wednesday night on procedural grounds. That is why Kingston earlier offered the amendment, which specified the $72.3 million amount of savings. Kingston said the NASCAR fans in his district support removing military sponsorships from NASCAR teams. “It’s not effective. … The demographic of NASCAR is 69 percent of the people are over (age) 35,” Kingston said. “When they go and they’re pushing their brand or advertising at NASCAR, nearly 70 percent of the people aren’t eligible. That is not their target group.” Republicans voted against the amendment (and in favor of sports sponsorships) by a 156-81 margin Wednesday night, while Democrats voted for the amendment (and against sponsorships) by a 121-60 margin. This vote was much closer than two taken last year, when the measure failed 281-148 and 260-167, respectively. “This vote was an important test for Republicans and Democrats as to whether they have the stomach to cut wasteful Pentagon spending at a time when Washington is facing trillion dollar deficits," McCollum said in a statement. "Unfortunately, a majority decided taxpayer-funded race cars and bass fishing were more important than deficit reduction. "The good news is a broad bipartisan group of 202 conservatives, moderates, and progressives came together for the good of our children’s fiscal future." Junior integral part of Nationwide success story Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't remember exactly where or when he shot his first commercial for a NASCAR sponsor, but he does remember how he felt about it. "When I first started, I was really, really nervous," Earnhardt said recently, after wrapping up a commercial shoot that will introduce Nationwide Insurance's new campaign to viewers of the July 28 Indy 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first time the Nationwide Series will compete on the vaunted 2.5-mile track. Earnhardt is anything but nervous now. In fact, he's the consummate professional, working through more than 15 takes of a 30-second introductory spot called Invitation, shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Matt Jauchius, Nationwide's chief marketing and strategy officer. It helps that the production crew is full of familiar faces. "After a couple of years, I realized that the same companies used the same directors and same production company and group, so every time we shoot a Nationwide commercial, it's the same group, and I get this rapport with those people and get real comfortable around 'em," Earnhardt told the NASCAR Wire Service. "They do a good job of making you feel like you're doing a good job and making you feel comfortable. If it weren't the same people every year, then I'd be nervous -- I'm shy anyways, and I'm real nervous around people I don't know." Earnhardt may consider himself shy, but he's also authentic, and that's what registers with the focus groups that screen the Nationwide ads. "We do all kinds of analytical tests, scientific tests and surveys and focus groups," Jauchius said. "What you and I see here -- this authenticity -- it's absolutely what tests when we do all or our professional tests. "It's just him. What you see is what you get. That authenticity is the critical part of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s brand. That's part of the Nationwide Insurance brand, and that's why it works so well for us both." The 30-second spot featuring Earnhardt and Jauchius is part of a broader "Join the Nation" campaign that will succeed the "World's Greatest Spokesperson" campaign, starting with NBC's broadcast of the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The campaign's overarching spot, titled Anthem, is voiced by actress Julia Roberts. The campaign underlines Nationwide's status as a mutual company, and promotes the concept of customers as members. In addition to Earnhardt, Danica Patrick and father-and-son Cup champions Ned and Dale Jarrett are featured in the commercials. "Having Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick as our partners gives us a chance to showcase what we're all about, hopefully in a manner that's consistent with their brands," Jauchius said. "Those are the two biggest stars in the sport. They are charismatic. ... Danica is also authentic and genuine. You get a personality from her that's a fiery competitor, and we like that. "If you see the ads, we allow her personality to come through, and we allow Dale's to come through, which makes them natural and comfortable. ... Our challenge is just to get that chemistry to show on camera, because it's very real, and that's exactly what we go for, to let their personalities shine through." Part of Earnhardt's authenticity where Nationwide is concerned stems from his very real experience with the company. Earnhardt family members have been Nationwide customers for more than 30 years, and Earnhardt has availed himself of the company's services. "I got me a red [Chevrolet] S-10 -- and this was the first vehicle that I was making payments on and paying for the insurance and everything, and I rolled it on the highway on Christmas Day, going to my Meemaw's house for a family reunion," Earnhardt said." I flipped it over pretty bad, and I had to call my dad at the reunion and tell him where I was. "He came and pulled the truck out of the ditch on a flatbed truck and took it back to the shop. He wasn't too upset, because he had had the same accident when he was about that same age, so he kind of laughed a little bit. I learned a lot about insurance and was thankful to have it at the time, because I was able to get back on the highway and have the vehicle back in a couple of days." Earnhardt has no difficulty representing Nationwide because of his familiarity with and belief in the company, but that doesn't mean he's going to commercial shoots fully prepared. "Most of the time when I shoot a commercial, it's good that it lasts all day, because it takes me about half a day to get into it and get going," Earnhardt said. "I'm not really good at getting a script and reading over all that stuff and putting myself in the role before I get there, so I know what we're going to do and what we're going to talk about and how I'm coming at the consumer. "I should do that more, but I just showed up today, really raw, with no idea what the lines were or anything, but I feel like I can jump right into it, because I feel like I fit right into the Nationwide deal and our relationship, and I know it's going to be a great commercial. I know it's going to look good, because I've been so happy with what we've done in the past, and it's easy to get excited for it." It's easy for Nationwide to get excited about the product, too, given the metrics from the company's NASCAR program. The addition of Patrick to the mix has helped produce a critical mass. "Our NASCAR track sales in 2012 at the end of the first quarter were up 40 percent versus Q1 for 2011," Jauchius said. "What we're seeing is, it's kind of like a flywheel turning. This is year five of our NASCAR partnership, and what you're seeing is momentum building. Frankly, it didn't start as quickly as we wanted, but it's been building and building every year since." Much of that has to do with Nationwide's multifaceted approach to the series sponsorship. "At Nationwide, it's not just about writing a check," Jauchius said. "It's about a relationship. So for NASCAR specifically, we take the investment in television media very seriously -- print media, digital media and also on-site track activation. "There are 75 million NASCAR fans, and these fans test very well with who we are as a company. They have cars and homes, they're brand-loyal, and they look for a company like Nationwide. So you just don't want to write a check to hear 'NASCAR Nationwide.' You want to have television, digital, on-site, everything. Otherwise it doesn't work." Earnhardt upbeat about National Guard sponsorship Dale Earnhardt Jr. is optimistic about his sponsorship relationship with the National Guard despite the U.S. Army's decision to end its association with another team, Stewart-Haas Racing, next season. The runner-up in NASCAR's Sprint Cup standings said Friday he was ''disappointed'' by the Army's decision announced last Tuesday. Ryan Newman, who drives for SHR, attributed the decision to end the sponsorship to ''true politics.'' Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia are backing an amendment that would prohibit military sponsorship of sports. McCollum lost a House vote a year ago to end military sponsorships of NASCAR, professional wrestling and fishing, but is trying again to have about $80 million in sponsorship cut from the defense budget. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s streak in tact despite last-lap crash The box score of the Coke Zero 400 told the story of almost everyone, but an unusual one for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Aside from winner Tony Stewart, each of the next 24 finishers had the word "OFF" under the column that usually lists the timed margin behind the winner. At 15th, with the same "OFF" distinction, was Earnhardt. In spite of the crash and the "OFF" distinction, Earnhardt was credited with the full 160 laps, which kept alive his streak of completing every lap this season. He remains the only Sprint Cup driver to have completed 100% of all laps run this season. All this in spite of a 15-car pileup at the end of the race that likely cost him a top-five finish. Earnhardt, second in the Daytona 500, began the final restart with two laps to go in the third row. As Denny Hamlin's spin started the mayhem, Earnhardt looked like he would clear the trouble and finish fourth behind Matt Kenseth, but Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford clipped him and sent him into the wall. "Going into (Turn) 3, it looked like everyone come apart," Earnhardt said. "The 16 either came down or got shoved in the nose of (Kevin) Harvick's car. I was getting shoved and lifted off Harvick and turning left and got clipped by the 16." Earnhardt, who's second in the Sprint Cup standings (25 points behind Kenseth), has completed all 5,187 laps in the 2012 Sprint Cup season. "It was pretty wild," he said of the crash. "We were all running into each other. It was crazy at the end." Derby oddsmaker likes Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth in Kentucky Kentucky is known worldwide for thoroughbred horse racing, and the Kentucky Derby in particular. In more recent years, it's also gained notice for a different kind of horsepower. Kentucky Speedway welcomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series back this week for the second running of the Quaker State 400 on Saturday. For the first time, at the request of The Enquirer, renowned Kentucky Derby oddsmaker Mike Battaglia created a morning line for a race at the Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth are his choices as the co-favorites at 5-1. "It was just a fun thing to do," Battaglia said. "It's going to be a great race. Let's see if we picked the winner, if one of our 5-to-1 shots win it." The longtime Edgewood resident has set the morning lines for Turfway Park, Keeneland and Churchill Downs for more than three decades, including every Kentucky Derby since 1975. He also calls the races at Turfway Park and contributes to NBC's coverage of the Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown. "When you make the line, you try to get into people's heads. It's kind of like mind reading," Battaglia said of the process. "What you're trying to do is correctly figure out what odds the horse is going to go off. And to do that, you have to get in the minds of the bettors. Who are they going to bet on and why? And there are just so many variables to the why." To set the line for the Quaker State 400, Battaglia said, he consulted with industry insiders and looked at the numbers. "It was a lot more guesswork than it is with the horse racing," he said. "A lot more guesswork." Battaglia's odds: 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5 to 1) — Winner in Michigan comes in on a high, 12 top-10s, Hendrick cars have won four of last six on Cup circuit. 2. Matt Kenseth (5 to 1) — Points leader, mile-and-a-half track ace, now has race over the track, dangerous. 3. Jimmie Johnson (6 to 1) — Almost won last year first time racing at Kentucky; five-time champ on a roll. 4. Greg Biffle (7 to 1) — Won at this distance in Texas, successful in Kentucky, great form. 5. Kyle Busch (7 to 1) — Last year's champ bids to become "Kyle Have Another," but JGR cars have struggled lately. 6. Tony Stewart (8 to 1) — Won at similar track (Vegas) in March. Kentucky one of only two tracks where he has not won. Too close to home for that to last. 7. Denny Hamlin (10 to 1) — Toyotas finished 1-2 at Kentucky last year, and he has already won at Kansas 1.5-miler. 8. Kasey Kahne (12 to 1) — Terrible early luck seems to be evening out. Can't hold him down for long, especially for red hot team. 9. Kevin Harvick (12 to 1) — Successful and experienced at Kentucky. Will run Nationwide for extra seat time. 10. Carl Edwards (12 to 1) — Lots of experience at Kentucky. Memories of his first NASCAR victory in trucks are sweet. 11. Brad Keselowski (12 to 1) — Last year's Nationwide winner here, and Penske standard bearer is tough and knows Kentucky … and he tweets, too! 12. Joey Logano (12 to 1) — Win at Pocono and five Nationwide wins signal great form at the right time. Three-time Nationwide winner at Kentucky. 13. Ryan Newman (12 to 1) — Solid veteran was a quiet fourth last year in Kentucky Cup race. Past Kentucky winner in ARCA series. 14. Jeff Gordon (15 to 1) — One of these times it will all go right instead of wrong for legend. Is this the time? 15. Clint Bowyer (20 to 1) — Sonoma winner. Michael Waltrip Racing having a big year, and Toyotas ran well here last year. 16. Martin Truex Jr. (25 to 1) — Ditto teammate Bowyer. Been very tough all year. 17. A.J. Allmendinger (30 to 1) — Kentucky GM Mark Simendinger handing the trophy to Allmendinger would be the rage in Germany! 18. Paul Menard (30 to 1) — Indiana native should have extra incentive close to home. 19. Michael Waltrip (40 to 1) — Only thing better for Kentuckians would be if Ashley Judd or Coach Cal raced and won. 20. Field (15 to 1) — Ambrose, Burton, McMurray, Montoya, Kurt Busch… still some value here. Dale Earnhardt Jr. steams: 'We're better than this' With the front end of the No. 88 Chevrolet shredded and its left rear mangled, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stopped in the garage and tossed his steering wheel on the dashboard. A crash with two laps left in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 cost NASCAR's most popular driver a shot at his first top-10 finish on the Sonoma road course, but that wasn't the only reason for Earnhardt's frustration. "I'm this mad because we didn't run better," said Earnhardt, who finished 23rd after starting 19th. "We're better than this. I've run better here. We weren't good all weekend. We've got to put a better car on the racetrack. "I ain't the best road-course racer out there, but I can damn sure do better than that. I've got to pick up the race car a little bit. That's on my shoulders (and) this whole team to do that. We just have to do a better job." In the wake of ending a 143-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway, Earnhardt entered Sonoma with realistic expectations. He and crew chief Steve Letarte both said this week they would be satisfied with a top 10. Despite struggling with his car's handling in practice and the race, that goal still was attainable on a green-white-checkered finish. Earnhardt restarted 13th with fresher tires than the top 10 cars. But a traffic jam in Turn 3 resulted in Earnhardt spinning after contact with Jeff Burton's Chevy. "We got run into coming over (Turn) 3," Earnhardt said. "We didn't have real good speed in the race. We hung around and were going to finish in the top 15, and the green-white checkered, there's going to be some victims on that deal. I was the one today. "(Burton) got into me, but I think he had people pushing him. Everybody just runs into each other on them deals. Me and Jeff ran around each other all day. I've raced him before, he's a good driver as far as respect. "If it'd been somebody else getting wrecked at the end, maybe we'd have finished top 10." The result dropped Earnhardt from second to third in the standings, 14 points behind Matt Kenseth. Clean and green The caution flag flew twice, setting a record low in 24 Sprint Cup races at Sonoma. The previous mark was three yellows in four races, most recently in 2002. It was a surprising development considering some drivers had labeled Sonoma as the most rough-and-tumble track on the circuit. Runner-up Tony Stewart said he wouldn't have predicted the lack of mayhem, "but I was happy about it. It was a fun race because the field is typically so tight, and there are so many corners that you go from high speed to really low speed on entry that once you're about the fourth or fifth row back on a restart, if you can just find an empty spot, you can gain some easy spots. "Unfortunately that's what leads to guys trying to take advantage of that, and it puts a lot of guys in bad positions. So not having all of those cautions made it fun because you could actually race guys one-on-one a lot vs. having to worry about getting those big packs and having to worry about whether you're going to get run over " Kurt Busch said a new tire that had more wear might have helped separate the cars and led to fewer cautions. "It was a tire designed to give you speed in the beginning and then drop off," he said. "Maybe that helped us all get strung out. (It) felt like a genuine gentleman's road race, but I wasn't in the back." Cautions also have decreased on ovals in the first 16 races this season. "That's been the thing this year," Earnhardt said. "I wasn't surprised. That's just been the way the season's been going." Right turn Running the 24 Hours of Le Mans last week apparently was a good warmup for Brian Vickers, who finished fourth in his third Sprint Cup start this season. "The stuff I learned this summer in Europe, racing the sports cars at LeMans, I think helped me," said Vickers, who is running an eight-race schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing this year. "But it also took me a few runs to get back to the heavy car, no traction control, a lot of horsepower." With skid over, anything seems possible for Junior Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s brother-in-law, modified driver L.W. Miller, has a friend whose father is in failing health. In recent days, he hasn't been able to recognize his own sons. And yet this week, he couldn't stop talking about Earnhardt's skid-busting victory at Michigan International Speedway. Stories like that make NASCAR's most popular driver aware of just how impactful his win last weekend was. "That really kind of brings it home, and makes you realize how something like that affects a lot of people, makes a big difference in a lot of people's lives," Earnhardt said Friday at the Sonoma road course. "It was pretty amazing to hear a story like that, and hear other stories like that. And just the amount of people -- you don't ever take it for granted that people are tuned in that much." Earnhardt's first triumph in four years, which snapped a skid of 143 winless race weekends, generated a cavalcade of response, from a mention on NBC's nightly news program to a congratulatory message from musician Charlie Daniels. The reaction to his breakthrough has been bigger than he imagined, right down to the teammates, competitors and series executives who paraded into Victory Lane last weekend to share the big moment with him. Although Earnhardt has done that kind of thing himself, he didn't realize quite how much it meant until he found himself on the receiving end. "All kinds of cool stuff like that was happening all week long," he said, "and made it pretty special." Yes, it's been a week of very good feeling for both NASCAR and the driver of the No. 88 car, who may need it as he carries momentum from his victory into what might be his worst track on the Sprint Cup tour. The Sonoma circuit is one of only two venues on the schedule longer than a year (along with Homestead-Miami Speedway) at which Earnhardt has never recorded a top-10 finish. But this season has revealed a more confident, more content, and more focused Earnhardt, one who has spent less time racing online and more time on his real race car, one who stands second in points and has emerged as a serious contender for the championship. So yes, admittedly, he doesn't have much of a track record here. His best finish at Sonoma is 11th, recorded most recently two years ago, and last season he got caught up in a wreck not of his own making and wound up 41st. He ran off course once in opening practice Friday, where his top speed ranked 16th on the chart. But Earnhardt already has shaken one burden off his back this year. What's one more? "We've had such a good season, and we come in here and we want to continue that," said Earnhardt, who stands four points behind series leader Matt Kenseth. "If for any reason we have some problems or trouble, we won't really dwell on it too much. But we'd like to have a good run. We come in here with a positive attitude. But we know the reality of the situation is I don't have a top-10 here. We'll just have to see what we can do. We'll just have to try our best." Any other season, that might sound like a smokescreen. But those who know Earnhardt have seen a difference in him this year, and it's not just because he's getting outside and taking cuts against Lowe's or 84 Lumber as part of the JR Motorsports company softball team. This is the same driver who earlier this year said he considered himself the best in the powerful Hendrick Motorsports stable -- a group that includes multiple-time champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in addition to superstar Kasey Kahne -- and since then has proceeded to back it up. "When he came out and said, 'I'm getting the job done, I'm the A horse in the stable right now,' and felt good about saying that, that just showed me that he was at max confidence," owner Rick Hendrick said. "That's what he needs. When he gets that little stride, that little smile, that kind of notch in his step, he's starting having fun with it, and he starts playing with the guys on the radio when he's leading the race, that kind of reminds me of his dad. I love to see that. I'm really excited, because I think he's having fun and looking forward to the races. And that's all about your confidence. You've just got to get in a rhythm where you can run good every week when you feel that way." And that was before he shed the four-year yoke of getting back into Victory Lane. Even Earnhardt's teammates rave about how consistent he's been this year, with a series-leading 12 top-10 finishes thus far. Given the circumstances, why not feel good about running well at a place where you've rarely run well? Why not focus on a much bigger goal? Unshackled from his winless skid, second in the point standings, riding a wave of confidence and momentum -- right now anything seems possible for Earnhardt, including NASCAR's biggest prize. "We've been doing this a long time, and haven't really competed for a title yet. But this seems to be my best opportunity," Earnhardt said. "So I expect to be in that conversation or answering questions related to that, as long as we can keep up our consistency and keep being strong." Championship numbers? • Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all drivers with 12 top-10 finishes in 2012. • His average finish of 7.4 is his best through the first 15 races. • He's the only driver to complete every lap this season (4,648). Military spending on sports sponsorships under fire A ban on military spending on sports sponsorships is in a defense spending bill that will come up on the floor of U.S. House in coming weeks. The military will spend about $80 million on sports sponsorships, meant to spur recruiting, this year. Critics like Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican who co-authored the ban, question whether sports spending is an efficient use of marketing dollars. He's cited a National Guard official telling USA Today that the Guard's $26 million sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr. produced 28,715 "qualified leads" but only 20 of those qualified and none actually enlisted. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes Earnhardt's response to Kingston's efforts to ban millitary sports sponsorships: "The Republican from Georgia, he hasn't even been to a NASCAR race." The milliary, facing broad future cuts, has already cut sponsorship spending $16 million this year. Besides motorsports, military spending on sports has gone to the NFL, ultimate fighting and bass fishing. Hendrick credits Letarte for rebuilding Earnhardt Rick Hendrick gave little warning to his crew chiefs when he decided to make widespread organizational changes after the 2010 season. Among the swaps? Moving Steve Letarte away from four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon after five full seasons for a daunting job - guiding Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of his lengthy slump. ''I walked in one day unannounced and said, 'Next year, you're not going to have Jeff Gordon, you're going to have Dale Earnhardt,''' Hendrick said. ''No one knew what was going to happen. When I told him, within 15 minutes he was in his car driving to Dale's house, and he said, 'I'm going to sit down with Dale and we're just going to talk about racing, about life, about each other, what each of us want to accomplish.''' It was a critical moment for NASCAR's most popular driver, who in his 51st race with Letarte finally broke a four-year losing streak with his victory Sunday at Michigan. Earnhardt had been through the wringer. It started in 2007, when he made the difficult decision to leave his late father's race team and chose Hendrick Motorsports after the most frenzied free-agent pursuit in NASCAR history. The first season with Hendrick in 2008 was OK as Earnhardt won a race and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The next two years were terrible, and Hendrick had to fire Earnhardt's cousin, Tony Eury Jr., when the two could no longer function as driver and crew chief. Then came Lance McGrew, who couldn't get the No. 88 team turned around. So it was up to Letarte, a Hendrick Motorsports lifer who had started as a part-time employee as a teenager in 1995. Hired full-time as a tire specialist, he'd risen through the company ranks to crew chief working only with Gordon. Starting over was going to take some relationship-building, and Letarte went right to work. ''They were together all the time. That created that trust ... Dale does not trust everybody,'' Hendrick said. ''Chemistry is so important. Sometimes you never hit the right combination. But, man, I look back and I think we're very fortunate - didn't have any idea it was going to be this good. But I think that the chemistry between these two guys, and I've been doing this for 30 years, is as good as or better than any I've ever seen.'' Letarte's biggest responsibility was rebuilding Earnhardt's confidence, shattered during his slump. He coached Junior outside the race car, and cheered him over the team radio, and it didn't take long last season to see Earnhardt starting to believe in himself again. Only that's not where Earnhardt believes Letarte made the biggest difference. Letarte's best work, the driver said, was in setting some rules for NASCAR's biggest superstar. ''He didn't really have to sell me on anything, I just did whatever he said,'' Earnhardt said. ''And the first thing he said was, 'Man, this is going to be a little different. I'm going to need you to be accountable.' He gave me all kinds of little restrictions and things he needed me to do, and places he needed me to be. ''That structure and accountability was good for me. This team has been successful for years, and I knew he's got to have a pattern for it to be that way, so I just did what he told me.'' Letarte has grown up in the Hendrick organization, and much of his approach in dealing with people he learned from the team owner. He also worked for years under Ray Evernham, who guided Gordon to three championships, and he's been side-by-side since 2002 with Chad Knaus, who won five-straight titles with Jimmie Johnson. What Letarte learned over the years is that accountability in the workplace is as critical as the car itself. He needed Earnhardt engaged, and to be available when the team engineers needed feedback. It was non-negotiable. ''This is how this building has always operated. It operated that way when Ray was here, I think Chad and I learned a lot from him, how he ran his race team,'' Letarte said. ''There are expectations set forth for every employee whether you're the tire man, engineer, engine man or the driver. The driver isn't a subcontractor, he's a team member. ''I think those expectations were laid out, they've been met 110 percent. It's not what people say in life that makes a difference, it's what people do. I think those actions have spoken louder than any words that could have been said within the team to get everybody fired up and pulling on the same side of the rope.'' It's hard to question Letarte's methods considering the turnaround Earnhardt has made. Although he didn't win last season, he returned to the Chase field for the first time since 2008. This year, the losing streak has finally ended, and Earnhardt leads the Sprint Cup series with 12 top-10 finishes through 15 races. He is the only driver to complete every lap this season. Earnhardt heads to Sunday's road course race at Sonoma, where he's never notched a top-10 finish, ranked second in the standings and a legitimate championship contender. Hendrick, two days after Earnhardt's dominating win at Michigan, couldn't praise Letarte enough for the job he's done. ''Stevie has a unique way of putting his arm around him and saying, 'Look, Bubba, we're in this together, together we're going to do this, this is what I'm going to do, this is what you need to do,''' Hendrick said. ''To go from doubting what he had, to feeling like he has the best (team) in the garage, that's a tremendous job. I think it's probably the hardest job out there.'' During drought, Hendrick never lost faith in Junior Blame it on the rain. Rick Hendrick had been at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, but he was unable to stay after the scheduled start of the Sprint Cup event was pushed back more two hours because of rain. He had a meeting scheduled for the next morning in Atlanta, and had to have his pilots back on the ground in North Carolina by 6:30 that evening. So the car owner headed back home to Charlotte, N.C., where he watched Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominate the Michigan event to snap a winless streak that had stretched to 143 races over four years -- but not without a few anxious moments in front of the television. "In one way I'm glad I wasn't there, because nobody got to put the camera on me and see how nervous I was those last 20 laps," Hendrick said Tuesday. "Because I was climbing over chairs, around chairs, about to go nuts -- because it had just been so long. After this year I was just saying ... something's going to happen. Somebody's going to break, somebody's going to blow, something's going to happen." But nothing happened. There was no late caution to allow the field to catch up to Earnhardt, whose Batman-themed car cruised to a victory that ignited a celebration in the grandstands. Earnhardt had barely pulled into Victory Lane when he was handed a cell phone with a congratulatory call from the boss. "I just told him, 'I knew we were going to get it done,' " Hendrick said. " 'I'm so proud of you. Enjoy this. The world's been looking at you, and now you can take a deep breath and go have fun.' " The driver wasn't the only one savoring the moment. Throughout the long winless streak, Hendrick never lost faith in Earnhardt, whom he awarded a contract extension last season. Despite all the battles Hendrick's drivers had through the years with Dale Earnhardt, the car owner has always enjoyed a strong relationship with the Earnhardt family -- the elder Earnhardt once drove a then-Busch car for Hendrick, who also employed Earnhardt Jr.'s grandfather, Robert Gee, as a fabricator. That connection extended to Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley, who runs the day-to-day operations at JR Motorsports, of which Hendrick is a co-owner. Hendrick tried several different personnel combinations on the No. 88 car, determined to find one that worked. He finally did in Earnhardt's current crew chief, Steve Letarte. "Dale and I have a real bond. I look at him not like a son, but close to it. I've known him since he was a kid. He and Kelley and I have been tight for a long time. The fact that he had faith in me, and I saw him run good and knew he could drive, knew he had the talent, to come to our organization and then to fail -- I mean, I did not want that on my résumé, because he had faith in me," Hendrick said. "I was going to do everything in my power to give him what he needed to get the job done because I knew it was inside those walls. What we were missing was a coach and a quarterback. We finally got the best coach and quarterback with him, then things started to happen. So it was like, I just didn't want to give up on something. We had talked, he had faith and confidence in me to come over there. I was not going to quit trying until we hit on something that would work, because I know he can drive a race car." Earnhardt Jr. sets sights on winning at Sonoma Turns out the victory party for Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn't much of a party at all. Earnhardt snapped a 143-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway, then celebrated at home in North Carolina with friends and family. He says they played music and stood around talking about the Sunday race late into the night. It wasn't the wild party people expected for NASCAR's most popular driver. Although the nightclub he owns in downtown Charlotte reportedly gave away free drinks for an hour, Earnhardt says he preferred the private celebration. He said Tuesday he's got to manage his excitement, along with the No. 88 team, to prepare for this weekend's road course race at Sonoma. His career-best finish there is 11th. Earnhardt Jr.'s win caps career revival Dale Earnhardt Jr. had finally reached Victory Lane again, ending one of the longest stretches between wins in Sprint Cup history. He had gone 143 races without finishing first - but not all of those defeats ended in failure. Over the last couple years, Earnhardt has methodically worked his way back among NASCAR's elite, to the point where his victory at Michigan International Speedway seemed almost inevitable. It really was only a matter of time. ''I feel like we are getting stronger,'' Earnhardt said. ''This year, we have gotten faster throughout the year. We started off pretty quick and we have gotten quicker, and quicker, especially these last couple weeks. So that's been a thrill for me.'' Earnhardt's first Cup victory since 2008 came in convincing fashion when he beat Tony Stewart by 5.393 seconds Sunday. When the black Chevrolet with the green No. 88 crossed the finish line, Earnhardt could stop answering questions about when he was going to win again. Now, he's a legitimate contender for the overall series championship. Earnhardt is second in the points standings and has been consistently impressive all year. ''We have a conference meeting on Tuesday with all of the drivers and crew chiefs and that will be a thrill since we won,'' Earnhardt said. ''But we have got to start talking about the next race. We need to keep our eye on the goal and, like I said, we'll enjoy this, but we are ready for the next opportunity to win one, because this is fun.'' It was Earnhardt's 19th Cup victory and his second in 159 starts for Hendrick Motorsports. He had 17 victories in 291 races for Dale Earnhardt Inc. In 2009, he averaged a 23rd-place finish, but by last year, that average was up to 14.5. Sunday was his 12th top-10 finish in 15 starts this season. He's second to Matt Kenseth in the standings. The victory came almost exactly four years to the day after his previous win in a Cup race. That also was in Michigan on June 15, 2008. He led for 36 laps a week ago at Pocono but made a late stop for gas instead of trying to stretch the fuel to the end. On Sunday, it wasn't even close - but Earnhardt was still sweating out the finish, waiting for the other shoe to drop during the final moments of the 200-lap race. ''I was in there just going crazy,'' he said. ''I just knew I was going to come around the next corner and see a piece of metal laying in the racetrack. I just was waiting on something to happen. That was terrifying.'' Earnhardt's 143 races between wins was the sixth-longest streak in Sprint Cup history. ''Dale had the fastest car all day,'' Stewart said. ''It's not a national holiday, guys. This morning they were celebrating his fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, because he's broke that string now, so I don't know what we're all supposed to think.'' Like his last victory in Michigan, this one came on Father's Day - fitting for the driver whose father is so revered around NASCAR circles. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. ''Junior'' is now stock-car racing's most popular driver. ''They stayed loyal,'' he said. ''As soon as I got out of the car, that was my initial thought - was about how many people were in their living rooms screaming at the top of their lungs, or running out in the yard, or whatever they do. I just wish I could see it all at once.'' Earnhardt moved past pole winner Marcos Ambrose on lap 70 to take the lead, and although Stewart would lead for a bit, Earnhardt was in front again not long after the race's halfway point. Earnhardt led on lap 171, after a pitting cycle. With 25 laps remaining, he was ahead by 1.978 seconds. With 10 remaining, he had built a 5.468-second cushion. The end was almost anticlimactic, and it gave the team a measure of vindication after Earnhardt played it safe at Pocono. ''It just proves to us that our strategy is correct,'' crew chief Steve Letarte said. ''If you bring fast enough racecars, you don't have to get outside your comfort zone too far.'' After finally winning, Earnhardt stopped in front of the grandstand and spun his wheels in front of thousands of fans who were on their feet screaming. Kenseth finished third in the 400-mile race, which included eight cautions for 39 laps and a rain delay of a couple hours at the beginning. After practice and qualifying speeds soared over 200 mph on the newly paved surface at MIS, teams switched left-side tires for the actual race. Earnhardt seemed agitated after a special practice session Saturday night following the tire switch. ''I was desperate in that last practice to get something to work,'' he said. ''When it ended, I still wasn't really sure if we were where we needed to be. I woke up this morning, just antsy, not knowing how this was going to play out.'' It worked out just fine for Earnhardt. ''This is incredible,'' Earnhardt said. ''I just didn't know when it would happen. I knew it was going to happen, just didn't know when.'' Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares victory-lane kiss with girlfriend Shortly after kissing his 143-race winless streak goodbye, Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered another smooch that had Junior Nation buzzing. Intensely private and a self-described introvert, NASCAR's most popular driver didn't hold back in front of cameras as girlfriend Amy Reimann approached him Sunday in Michigan International Speedway's victory lane. The celebratory kiss was a rare peek inside Earnhardt's personal life, though he has been more open in the past year with the news media. He brought Reimann down the red carpet in December for the season-ending awards ceremony in Las Vegas, their first public appearance together. When asked about the kiss, Earnhardt said, "We're doing pretty good. I'm glad Amy was here to celebrate with me. It means a lot. She's a good girl, and we've had a good relationship. I've got a lot of good people around me right now, and I feel like the people that I do spend my time around make me a better person – definitely a lot better person than I was years ago." Reimann was beaming in victory lane (her first appearance there) as TNT cameras rolled. "I couldn't be happier for him and his team," Reimann told the Sporting News through a spokesman for Earnhardt. "I know how much it means to Dale. He is a bad---, and I know there is definitely more to come." Video of the kiss is here (fast-forward to 6:55 mark). Adulation follows Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s drought-snapping win (Video) More than an hour after taking his first checkered flag in four years and two days, Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn't escape the throngs of well-wishers at Michigan International Speedway. As six police officers escorted the champagne-drenched driver from victory lane toward a postrace interview in the media center, Earnhardt still was being mobbed by autograph seekers. A few hundred fans cheered and snapped photos from behind the frontstretch catchfence 100 feet away, where many hadn't moved since the Hendrick Motorsports driver captured his 19th career victory. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon stopped by the postrace celebration to offer congratulations, and rivals such as fourth-place finisher Greg Biffle gushed about how excited they were that the No. 88 Chevrolet was first again. "I guess it means I'm an alright dude," Earnhardt, 37, said with a chuckle. "When people are happy for you and want to see you do good, that's the way I feel about people. I want to see good people do good things and have success." His victory in the Quicken Loans 400 could be the harbinger of a wave of success for NASCAR's most popular driver. Beyond marking just the end of a 143-race winless streak (the sixth-longest drought between wins in Sprint Cup history), the dominating performance also signified Earnhardt's emergence as a prime threat for his first championship in NASCAR's premier series. "We just whooped them really good," he said. Earnhardt's win was a contrast to his last when he stretched his gas tank to the limits at Michigan in a fuel-mileage race. On Sunday, he led a race-high 95 of 200 laps in a race delayed almost two hours by rain, including 80 of the final 96, ceding the lead only on pit stops. His 5.393-second margin of victory over Tony Stewart was the second biggest of the Cup season, and it came on a 2-mile oval whose breakneck speeds and aerodynamic finickiness often bring out the best in title-contending teams. After missing the Chase for the Cup in two of the past three seasons, Earnhardt trails Matt Kenseth by only four points and leads the circuit with 12 top-10 finishes — matching his total for 2011. "Really, they have been the guys all year," said Kenseth, who took third. "That 88 has had a ton of speed and have been up there battling in the top five each and every week. You could see they kept knocking on the door, and today they were able to kick it down and dominated the race. I definitely think they are one of the (title) favorites." It's what has been predicted for Earnhardt since he joined powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. "He's just switched on," said team owner Rick Hendrick, who called Earnhardt in victory lane from his Charlotte home. "Every week, they're the best by far. I think he's sitting in the catbird seat to win his first championship." Earnhardt took a while savoring the moment, making an extended burnout down the straightaway to Turn 4 and then whipping his car around down pit lane. As he rolled toward victory lane, several crew chiefs and crewmembers ran to his car for high-fives in a scene that was somewhat reminiscent of the congratulatory receiving line after his father won the Daytona 500 for the first time in 1998. But Earnhardt Jr. said the seven-time champion, who died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, wasn't on his mind after notching his second victory on Father's Day. "As soon as I got out of the car, my initial thoughts was about how many people were in their living rooms screaming at the top of their lungs, running out in their yard," he said. "I just wish I could see it all at once. That was the one thing I kept thinking about." Stewart: 'Not a national holiday' The victory certainly was on the minds of Junior Nation, Earnhardt's fervent supporters who stuck with him throughout the drought. Within 20 minutes of the race's conclusion, #DaleJr was trending worldwide on Twitter as ebullient celebrities (pro wrestling personality Shawn Michaels was among those who weighed in) and fans posted their exultation over the breakthrough. Perhaps the only person who wasn't interested in joining the lovefest was Stewart, who groused that "this morning they were celebrating the fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we all are in a state of mourning now" because Earnhardt had finally won. "It's not a national holiday, guys," the three-time series champion said. "For me it is," Earnhardt said with a laugh when told of Stewart's comments. "I'm sure his running second wouldn't be a holiday for me, either." A day earlier, Earnhardt seemed as if he might have been happy with second. He was fast throughout nearly nine hours of practice Thursday and Friday on Michigan's new lightning-fast pavement. But because of concerns about tire degradation, Goodyear and NASCAR made a last-minute change to the left-side tire. In an emergency practice Saturday night, Earnhardt was 17th and unhappy with his car after being unable to run more than 26 laps because of worries about overtaxing his engine. "My car ain't as good as I want it to be, but I can't run more laps," he said. "This ain't cool." The outlook changed significantly during a caution on lap 11 Sunday. Crew chief Steve Letarte brought Earnhardt into the pits and made two significant suspension changes that brought the Impala to life. Earnhardt restarted in 37th with 183 laps remaining. Within 40 laps, he was in the top five. "I saved a little in the last 50 laps and ran only as hard as I thought I needed to," Earnhardt said. "At the end of the race, this thing was a rocket. I couldn't slow it down, it was so fast." Letarte relationship key It was the latest example of his symbiotic partnership with Letarte, who took over as Earnhardt's crew chief last season after 10 victories and a 2007 runner-up points finish with Gordon. The meticulous Letarte instituted a regimented schedule at the track for Earnhardt, an admitted free spirit who embraced the more structured approach to his job. "I was very optimistic about the relationship from the beginning," Gordon said recently. "I told Steve, 'You can't treat him like Dale Earnhardt Jr., you have to treat him like a race car driver, figure out what makes him tick and get the most out of him. Steve has done a great job with working very hard on the personal connection first and then how to understand what (Earnhardt) needs to make the car go faster. "And Junior might not always understand this, but it takes a very unique person to be his crew chief, because you have to go through a lot. When things aren't going well, you get abused like nobody. When thing are going great, you look like a hero. To be under that kind of scrutiny is not an easy task. Steve does a great job." Letarte and Earnhardt were a successful pairing from the get-go, making the Chase last season, but there were many near misses. Four of Earnhardt's seven runner-up finishes since his last win had come since last season. The most agonizing loss came when Earnhardt ran out of gas within a half-lap of a victory in the 2011 Coca-Cola 600. Letarte was more emotional than Earnhardt after Sunday's win, needing to compose himself before a TV interview. "There've been a lot of close calls," Letarte said. "A lot of seconds. To finally win one, it's off our back. He's done everything I asked him to do. I know he takes a lot of criticism in his career, but I can't see one ounce he deserves from me. He's driven the wheels off every lap." Said Earnhardt of Letarte: "He's hard to compliment, because he doesn't take it very well, but they can have all the credit. My engineers and Steve make the car go. If this is where we are hurting, they get together and they fix it. Steve is just really sharp. He called a great race. I trust in him to do that every week, and I know he will. He looks out for the entire team and puts great people around himself to be able to do the job right. We have a good group." Junior: Bigger prizes ahead Earnhardt said he thought the victory "would be all relief, but it wasn't relief at all. It was all excitement." It also was affirmation that he belonged on a team with Gordon and Johnson, who have nine championships between them. With the victory, Earnhardt qualified for the Sprint All-Star Race and also made his team eligible for a NASCAR contingency program that awards extra cash to race winners. In the preseason, he fretted he had cost Hendrick at least $1 million by not being on the Winner's Circle plan last season. In addition to bringing a trophy to a shop that is filled with them, Earnhardt got to carry around a "victory bell" the team awards to winners. "I'm going to ring that damn thing as hard as I can," Earnhardt said. "It's a big deal for me. I like seeing the smiles on everybody else's face. It's so awesome to see how many other people it affects and how many people are affected. It feels good to be able to bring those guys what they deserve. All the employees will get bonuses from this win." Earnhardt planned to share in that fun when he returned to his sprawling estate near Mooresville, N.C., though he had no definitive party plans. "I'll probably lead by example, but I'll probably just see what everybody else does and just kind of jump in the pool if the water is warm," he said. "We will enjoy this and I cannot wait to go home and see my family and my friends. I know that they are dying for me to get there." There were no predictions, though, of the all-night debauchery that followed Earnhardt around 12 years ago as a rookie who once built a nightclub in his basement that he dubbed "Club E." "He has come so far personally," Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip said. "He acted like a kid for a long time, but over the last couple of years, I've seen a young man who really has focused on trying to be a winner and focused on trying to win a championship. We all know those opportunities to win championships and races don't last forever, so I think he's really trying to take advantage of where he is now." Mindful of that, Earnhardt said Sunday night's party wouldn't last into Tuesday when Hendrick does its weekly debriefs with its drivers. "I don't want to get carried away," said Earnhardt, noting the next race on the schedule is at the Sonoma, Calif., road course where he has struggled. "We have a great thing going. I want to be sharp when we go to the next race. We have got to start talking about the next race. We need to keep our eye on the goal. "We'll enjoy this, but we are ready for the next opportunity to win one, because this is fun. I feel like we were close, you know, so maybe we can get us a couple (wins)." Ring The Bell: After long-awaited win, parade of admirers say Junior has sound of a champion The stream of well-wishers and congratulatory hugs and handshakes kept coming Sunday in Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway. If Dale Earnhardt Jr. could have embraced everyone who cheered for him not only in the Quicken Loans 400 he had just won but through every heart-breaking moment of the past four years, he no doubt would have. Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet with a logo from the movie The Dark Knight Rises on the hood, Earnhardt had just captured Sunday's race in dominating fashion to break a four-year winless drought in Sprint Cup points races that had stretched to 143 events. In doing so, Earnhardt worked not only the crowd in attendance and many watching on television into a bona fide frenzy, but also apparently those who work with and around him, or even race against him. Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, stopped by briefly to hug Earnhardt. Helton later told Sirius Radio that it's his belief that Earnhardt -- who sits second in the point standings, only four points behind leader Matt Kenseth -- now is the man to beat for this year's Sprint Cup championship. Jimmie Johnson, who has won five of those, also dropped by to offer congratulations. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet team shares a Hendrick Motorsports shop with Earnhardt and the No. 88 Chevy team that includes crew chief Steve Letarte. "This is so great. I'm just proud of Junior. He's been chipping away at it for a while -- especially this year," Johnson said after congratulating his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in Victory Lane. "The communication and the camaraderie between he and Stevie and throughout our shop, I should say, has been amazing. Internally, we've seen this coming. I'm just happy for him to get this off his back now. "That will shut anybody up who has had anything to say. There's only one way you really want to win -- and that's by kicking everybody's ass. And that's what he did today." Indeed, he did. This time no fuel-mileage gambit was necessary -- as it was four years ago almost to the day when he last won at the same 2-mile track. This time there was no doubt. This was no fluke, and no one was snickering when Helton joined points leader Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and others in declaring that this season is shaping up as Earnhardt's best chance of winning his first Cup championship. Earnhardt won by nearly six seconds over second-place finisher Tony Stewart and led a race-high 95 laps, more than twice as many as anyone else. As the race wound down, really the only demons he had to battle were in his own head as he steadily increased the gap between him and Stewart and the rest of the field. "That was the worst feeling, riding around there with 15 laps to go," Earnhardt admitted. "I kept wondering what was going to happen, how you were going to lose. Those last 15 laps couldn't go by fast enough. ... I was in there, just going crazy. I'm looking all around the race track, looking for debris around the next corner. I just knew I was going to come around the next corner and see a big piece of metal laying in the middle of the race track. "I was just waiting for something to happen. That was terrifying, to be honest with you. I kept thinking of Steve and the team and about how hard all of us have worked, and about how we deserved to win and how we should win -- and I was hoping it would happen for everybody." Gordon, another Hendrick teammate and winner of four championships himself, also visited Earnhardt in Victory Lane after no mysterious metal pieces emerged on the track over the final laps. "It's amazing for the sport," Gordon said. "You know it's going to be everywhere. It's going to be headlines and it's going to get a lot of attention -- as it should. I mean, he won. He did a great job, and he deserves all the credit in the world for it." Couch laps and chemistry Shortly after pulling into Victory Lane, Earnhardt was handed a cell phone. Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, was on the other line. Earlier, when Earnhardt had learned that Hendrick did not plan to be at MIS on Sunday, he had joked that Hendrick had better have a good excuse. "I told him he'd better be on a boat somewhere in the Florida Keys," Earnhardt said. Actually Hendrick was back at home in Charlotte, N.C., but he hardly found it a restful Father's Day as the afternoon wore on. After waiting out a two-hour rain delay before the dropping of the green flag, Hendrick gradually adopted the stance of a nervous father awaiting the birth of a child in the hospital waiting room. "I was doing laps around my couch -- trying to end this race, man," Hendrick said. "Batman was in a hurry. I was too nervous to stand still. [Wife] Linda and I were just watching it, [saying], 'Come on, no problems.' I was so afraid there was going to be a caution, or something was going to happen." Maybe now that this win is behind them, Earnhardt and Hendrick and Letarte can all begin to, well, not relax a little bit -- but at least eliminate some of the stark fear that obviously crept in toward the end of Sunday's race. But really, who could blame them? After running out of gas on the final lap at Charlotte last year, after running second at Martinsville and Kansas last season and again in this year's Daytona 500, only to come up short of Victory Lane every time, it was understandable that they had to wonder what bad thing might happen next. This time, no gremlins blocked the path to the checkered flag. Afterward, Hendrick was added to the list of Junior fans who think this could be the 88 team's year. "I think the chemistry is the best I've seen with any crew chief and driver," Hendrick said of Earnhardt and Letarte. "You just look at the way they've been running and how they had a lot of speed, you knew this was going to come. And you just try to say, 'Dale, don't worry about that stuff, man. You're almost leading the points here. You've got more top-10 [finishes] than anybody. When you run second, third and fourth, you're going to win races.'" Gordon agreed, and noted the reaction of the throng at the Michigan track to Earnhardt's popular win. "I mean, you heard the crowd," Gordon said. "We all know the pressure that's been on Junior. Not just on him, but on his entire team and Rick. This is an awesome accomplishment. Those guys have been so solid all year. It's hard to luck your way into one of these things these days. To be as high up in the points as they've been, to be as solid as they've been, it's a well-deserved win overall." Staying power Earnhardt brought a small bobblehead of Hendrick into the media center for his post-race winner's interview, plopping it down next to him in front of a microphone. Then he positively beamed out at the media gathered in front of him, able to bask in the glow of a Sprint Cup victory for the first time since Father's Day in June of 2008 at the same venue. Asked what it meant to have so many fellow competitors and others rejoice in his latest victory, Earnhardt said: "I guess it means I'm an all-right dude, when people are happy for me and wanted to see me do good. That's the way I am about people. I want to see good people do good things. I want to see good people have success and be happy." The bobblehead nodded its approval, and Earnhardt continued. "I feel like we're getting stronger. One of the things we did last year throughout the season was kind of just maintain," he said. "Even though I was happy as hell to be with Steve and to be able to run well and be competitive, I was a little disheartened that we didn't progress through the year, really. We didn't find more speed as the year when on. We kind of stayed the same throughout the season. ... This year, we've gotten faster throughout the year. We started off pretty quick, and we've gotten quicker -- especially these last couple of weeks. That's been a thrill for me." It wasn't just that he won Sunday. It was how he won. "That race we won four years ago was a fuel-mileage deal, and today we just whupped 'em. That felt good," Earnhardt said. He had complained bitterly the night before the race when an extra practice was added by NASCAR after a last-minute switch to new left-side tires. He said he didn't know what to expect, and was concerned when Letarte shut down the 88 after only 25 laps in the extra practice session. "They made some changes [Friday] night that I wasn't too happy about," Earnhardt admitted. "But after the extra practice [Saturday], Steve was pretty confident. I was pretty nervous when the race started, because the car wasn't where we needed it to be. I didn't think we were in too big of trouble, but we needed some adjustments. "At that moment, I guess I worry if Steve knows exactly where I'm at and what I need with the car, how much I need. But I guess he knows me well enough -- because he made the right calls and that thing took off flying. And then he made he made some pit-strategy choices that put us toward the front, to where the car could respond if we had a fast car -- and it did." In other words, Letarte responded to Sunday's challenge and so did his driver. Earnhardt may have had the Dark Knight gracing the hood of his car, but he rode into Victory Lane like a White Knight for all of NASCAR. Where they go from here is largely up to them. But before heading to the next race track, Earnhardt already had booked a visit to the Hendrick Motorsports complex to honor a tradition that previously had left him feeling left out. "We've got this victory bell that I get to take around for the first time since we built it. I plan to ring that thing all over the complex," said Earnhardt, grinning. "I'm going to ring that damn thing as hard as I can." The drought is over! Junior back in Victory Lane At the same venue that produced his last Sprint Cup victory, four years and two days removed from his most recent visit to Victory Lane, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke the most talked-about, most frustrating streak in motorsports. Pulling away from defending series champion Tony Stewart at the end of the final 60-lap green-flag run, Earnhardt won Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway by a dominating 5.393 seconds to end a winless drought of 143 races. "I know you guys have been waiting on that one," Earnhardt radioed to his crew after crossing the finish line. "I know I have." As Earnhardt performed a wild celebratory burnout on the frontstretch, fans and crew members crowded around Victory Lane as the crowd in the grandstands stood and cheered. The victory was the 19th in the Cup Series for Earnhardt, who solidified second place in the Cup standings, closing to four points behind leader Matt Kenseth, who ran third Sunday behind Earnhardt and Stewart. Earnhardt overcame Goodyear's 11th-hour switch to a harder left-side tire, after blistering became an issue on the left sides originally supplied for the race. Earnhardt wasn't happy with the handling of his No. 88 Chevrolet during an extra practice Saturday night, but crew chief Steve Letarte found a combination that worked for the race. Greg Biffle finished fourth, followed by five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who started from the rear of the field because of an engine change before the race but worked his way back into the top five. Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Juan Montoya, pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10. Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on Lap 70, when he passed Ambrose for the top spot. From that point on, his was the dominant car -- Earnhardt led a race-high 95 laps. "Winning races is all you ever want," Earnhardt said in Victory Lane. "You work real hard to get there, and I've got to thank [team owner] Rick Hendrick, the whole organization, really, for sticking with me. "They could have picked another route, but they stuck with me, and we're back in Victory Lane. I appreciate everybody's support -- Rick, the company, the fans, my team ... everybody. The start of the race was delayed for nearly two hours by rain, but by the time NASCAR's most popular driver took the checkered flag, the track was bathed in sunshine. About the only blight on the landscape was Tony Stewart's response to Earnhardt's long-awaited victory. Apparently tired of questions about Earnhardt's winless streak, Stewart resorted to sarcasm. "It's no different than anybody else that does it -- it's not a national holiday, guys," Stewart said. "This morning they were celebrating the fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, 'cause he's broke that string now, so I wonder what we're all supposed to think." Kenseth, Earnhardt's longtime friend, was more gracious in his assessment of the breakthrough victory. "This year you could see it going to be a matter of time," Kenseth said. "They've really been the guys -- that No. 88 has had a ton of speed. They haven't always gotten the finishes [because of] circumstances, but they've been battling up there in the top five each and every week. They've finished every lap. "I'm really happy for him to get that win. The championship part, I think they're definitely a contender. They've been right up there in the mix each and every race, no matter what size or shape the race track. I think they're definitely, at this point in the season, one of the favorites." Notes-n-Nuggets: • Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his 19th Cup Series race in his 450th start. • The win ended a 143-race winless streak that dated back to Michigan in June 2008 (1,462 days between wins). He finished second seven times between victories. • This is the second consecutive week a driver broke a winless streak of more than 100 races. Joey Logano broke a 104-race winless streak last week at Pocono. • This is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s second victory at Michigan in his 26th start. and he is the 11th driver to win in 2012. • Sunday marks Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s first victory with crew chief Steve Letarte, who ended a 115-race winless streak that dated back to Texas in April 2009 with Jeff Gordon. • Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all drivers with 12 top-10 finishes in 2012. • Hendrick Motorsports earned its 203rd Cup Series victory; fourth of 2012, all in the last five races; and sixth Cup race at Michigan. All four Hendrick drivers have won in 2012. • Chevrolet earned its seventh win of 2012 and 20th at Michigan. • Tony Stewart (second) scored his sixth top-five this season and his fifth consecutive top-10 at Michigan. • Matt Kenseth (third) earned his 12th top-10 in 26 races at Michigan and remains the point leader. • Greg Biffle (fourth) notched his eighth top-five of 2012 but fell to third in points. • Jimmie Johnson (fifth) earned only his fourth top-five at Michigan in 21 starts. • Jeff Gordon (sixth) scored just his fourth top-10 this season. • Juan Montoya (eighth) matched his best finish this season for just his second top-10 of 2012. • Marcos Ambrose (ninth) tied his best finish of 2012. • Carl Edwards (11th) finished 11th after starting 42nd due to fuel issues in qualifying. • Austin Dillon finished 24th in his first Cup start this season. • Joe Nemechek finished 40th in his 600th Cup Series start. Cup Lap-by-Lap: Michigan Lap 200 -- CHECKERED FLAG: After his last win, also at Michigan, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said: "It's a special day for my family. ... And it makes me feel good. I know I can't tell my father 'Happy Father's Day,' but I get the opportunity to wish it upon all of the other fathers out there, and I genuinely mean that when I say it -- because that's what today is all about." Well said, even four years later. Happy Father's Day, everyone. Lap 199 -- WHITE FLAG: One more. Lap 197 -- He's all alone ... up to almost six seconds in front. Lap 195 -- "Five more, buddy," says a voice over the radio... Lap 194 -- It's a one-man race now. Can it happen? Lap 191 -- If Dale Earnhardt Jr. stays strong, his finish will match the most top-10 finishes he had in ALL of 2011. Lap 189 -- JuanMontoya and Marcos Ambrose looking to hold on to top-10 finishes. Good stuff, guys. Lap 188 -- Junior REALLY wide open now, pushing lead over Tony Stewart to almost five full seconds... Lap 186 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking at a near-2.5 second lead now... Lap 185 -- The field cruising by a very dinged-up Kurt Busch. Lap 183 -- Junior creeps lead near 2.0 seconds... Lap 181 -- TNT commentators talking about the winless streak ... still 19 left. Lap 180 -- Dale Jr. builds lead to 1.6 seconds... Lap 177 -- Stewart-Biffle-Johnson-Kenseth round out the current top five. Lap 174 -- Junior back up to first ... more than a one-second lead up in front. Lap 169 -- Landon Cassill up to fifth place as green-flag pits sort spots out. Oh yeah, baby. Lap 168 -- Kes does not pit, neither does Jeff Burton, and the Blue Deuce leads ... for now. Lap 167 -- Jamie McMurray does the same as he heads to pit road for right-sides and fuel. Lap 166 -- As Greg Biffle goes in, Clint Bowyer gives up his brief lead for a pit himself. Lap 165 -- Greg Biffle stay out to lead during green-flag pits by a portion of the field. Lap 158 -- Jimmie Johnson not giving up yet, coming from the back to start for a seventh-place run at the moment. Lap 157 -- Jeff Gordon still in third, followed by Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer... Lap 155 -- Tony Stewart tells crew over radio that he's not going anywhere. He closes in second place. Lap 154 -- Dale Jr. has lead 55 laps today -- best of the race. Lap 150 -- Junior leads the field with just a quarter left of racing at MIS ... what say you? Lap 149 -- Carl Edwards is in the top 10 after a rough 40th start. Nice work. Lap 147 -- Nice runs so far outside the top 10? Jamie McMurray in 13th, Regan Smith 14th, Casey Mears 20th and Austin Dillon 25th. Lap 144 -- Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are charging hard in sixth and eighth, respectively. Lap 142 -- Dale Jr. takes the lead again, but Tony Stewart moves into second with another strong restart. His secret: an extra nap, he tells his crew via radio. Life lesson. Lap 141 -- GREEN FLAG: Here they go again to green after three cautions in the last 20 laps. Lap 137 -- Junior-Gordon-Bowyer-Stewart-Biffle will restart in the top five. Lap 136 -- Pretty sure Denny Hamlin's hat he wore in that TNT interview has HIS OWN autograph on the back ... that's either the coolest or dorkiest thing ever. Thoughts? Lap 135 -- Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. get back in the swing of things under caution after just sandwiching Denny Hamlin. Lap 134 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Denny Hamlin just imploded like Lindsay Lohan's career, and even caught fire. His boys put him out, but now he's REALLY out. Lap 133 -- Junior takes the lead after a three-wide green-flag run. Lap 132 -- GREEN FLAG: Joey Logano took all the bad luck on the last restart, so Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon will re-scuffle for the lead on this restart. Lap 128 -- The lineup to restart will be Junior-Gordon-Montoya-Bowyer-Stewart. Lap 127 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: CRUNCH. Mr. Momentum, Joey Logano, just ate some serious wall. He takes Kasey Kahne with him. The driver of the No. 20 will be taken away by ambulance -- just a precaution. Lap 126 -- GREEN FLAG: Junior will battle Jeff Gordon for the lead. Bad luck stay away... Lap 123 -- Mark Martin gets the free pass, while Juan Pablo Montoya finally pits under caution -- goodbye lead. Lap 121 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Kurt Busch takes issue with the track, spinning out for his second time for the day's sixth yellow. Lap 120 -- Who's your padre! Juan Montoya leads. Lap 118 -- Kevin Harvick gets a chassis adjustment in the pits ... Dale Jr. goes for four tires in his wake. Lap 116 -- Following Kes, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman lead a big field into the pits. Lap 115 -- Brad Keselowski grabs a green-flag pit stop for a "really loose" car. "This ain't right," he says. Ugh. Lap 114 -- Ryan Newman, repping those US Army dads, has made up a whopping 37 spots (!) up to sixth place. Lap 112 -- Junior and Smoke are WAY up front in one-two. Third and the rest may need a caution. Lap 109 -- Got 'em. Junior is back atop the leaderboard. Lap 106 -- BANG! POW! ZAP! Dale Jr.'s Batman car is back up closing in on leader Tony Stewart. Holy paint job, Junior! Ok. Now, I'm really stopping... Lap 104 -- In case you were wondering, and you were, older bro Kurt Busch is still out there despite early spin ... in 32nd. Lap 103 -- Candy-colored shirts are everywhere! It looks delicious, but Kyle Busch's car look like melted chocolate in that garage. Lap 100 -- Halfway through, and it's Stewart-Junior-Bowyer(!)-Gordon-Biffle in the top five. Lap 97 -- Tony Stewart is still in the lead, seven-tenths of a second in front of Junior. Lap 92 -- Jeff Gordon pulls into fourth. Watch out for banana peels, third place and fifth! Lap 89 -- Too bad for Trevor Bayne. He is way out, by the way, and missed a good chance after some real fast practices. Lap 88 -- Boom. Just like that, Tony Stewart -- who is taking no prisoners -- makes the move for the lead after the restart. Lap 87 -- GREEN FLAG: Junior was so far ahead of the field that he could have had a sandwich before coming off pit road in the first spot. A vegemite sandwich? Ask Marcos Ambrose, who is close behind him on the restart. Lap 86 -- Remember those blistering tires? Kyle Busch knows about them now, as he's heading into the garage with a blown tire. Lap 85 -- NASCAR clean-up crew picking up debris with their hands to help get this thing restarted. Lap 83 -- Everybody comes in for yellow-flag pits... Lap 82 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: Here comes a caution for debris. Looks like a ticker-tape parade for, well, no one yet. Lap 80 -- Middle-of-the-pack cars are coming off for green-flag pits in droves. Lap 79 -- Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin aren't giving up yet, though, in two-three. Lap 73 -- The No. 88 is FLYING. Like some sort of bat man. Get it? Enough Batman puns. Seriously. Lap 72 -- Greg Biffle, dropping to third, says he can "barely hang on" to his loose car. Lap 71 -- The Dark Knight Rises! Dale Jr. takes the lead. Lap 70 -- Marcos Ambrose and Dale Jr. blow past Greg Biffle for one-two. Lap 69 -- That Dark Knight Rises car is NASTY good. The blackout look is very, very familiar on an Earnhardt car... Lap 64 -- Tweet this! Brad Keselowski has made his move into the top five. Lap 62 -- Guess who is MOVING on this track? Dale Jr. is fourth best right now. Lap 60 -- Uh oh ... it's Aussie-Aussie-Ambrose. Marcos is all up on Greg Biffle for the lead. Again. Lap 59 -- Greg Biffle making himself some room up front now. Lap 58 -- Matt Kenseth upset that he's fallen back down to seventh, and he's letting his crew know on the radio. Lap 57 -- Hola, Juan Pablo! Pride of Colombia Montoya way up to sixth. Lap 56 -- GREEN FLAG: Greg Biffle has the last laugh for now, grabbing his one-time lead back off of pit road and will restart as the leader. Lap 52 -- The field is back into the pits. Lap 51 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: The second competition caution. Lap 49 -- Wow! Matt Kenseth and Marcos Ambrose split a lapped Ken Schrader like a coconut. Lap 47 -- There's Junior at unlucky 13th. From the looks of it, he's getting luckier by the lap. Lap 46 -- Team Penske: Brad Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger are up in the top 10. Lap 45 -- Marcos Ambrose is cleaning out Matt Kenseth's trunk up front, trying for that lead. Lap 44 -- Clint Bowyer and his "Love You Dad" bumper sticker are up to seventh place and on the rise. Lap 43 -- Hey there, Greg! Biffle on the move, back up to fourth. Lap 39 -- Mark Martin is bad fast right now, pushing a top speed of 191 mph. And now he's in third. Lap 37 -- Matt Kenseth really opening up a cushion in the lead now. Lap 36 -- Mark Martin ... what a guy. He's up to fourth behind his "buddy" Joey Logano. Uh oh? Lap 35 -- On radio, Tony Stewart says he's "taking no prisoners" for the rest of the day. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em. Lap 34 -- Kyle Busch is up to seventh after that 34th-place start. Wow. Lap 33 -- Matt Kenseth says "not so fast." It's his lead now. Lap 32 -- Marcos Ambrose reclaims his lead. Lap 31 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth got off pit road first just before pole-winner Marcos Ambrose. Greg Biffle was not so lucky. He will restart seventh after leading before caution. Lap 26 -- And everyone pits... Lap 25 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: The first competition caution. Lap 24 -- Marcos Ambrose's pal Aric Almirola puts two Petty cars in the top five. Lap 23 -- Brad Keselowski up to 16th. Lap 22 -- Thanks Joey! Matt Kenseth will have third place, please. Lap 21 -- Joey Logano has been moving as well, going from his ninth-place start to third place. Lap 20 -- Greg Biffle and Marcos Ambrose have cut away for the moment. Lap 19 -- Kyle Busch has made up 20 spots already, and Ryan Newman has cruised up 27 slots. These boys are rolling. Lap 18 -- Dale Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, two of the drivers to pit under the caution in the teens, looking quick. Lap 17 -- Greg Biffle will be the one, going back to the lead. Lap 16 -- GREEN FLAG: The duo of Greg Biffle and Marcos Ambrose are going to duel it out again up front -- here they go. PS: Josh Wise's engine is toast. Lap 10 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Josh Wise is up in smoke, slow it down. Lap 9 -- Drivers working in this new track after early caution. Lap 8 -- Greg Biffle's power move has worked, as he's the new leader. Lap 5 -- Greg Biffle charging but Ambrose staying up. Lap 4 -- GREEN FLAG: They're going to try again, as Marcos Ambrose trying to reclaim his lead spot. Lap 2 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Well, Kurt Busch made his name quickly, spinning out early. Lap 1 -- Ambrose breaks free for the lead. 3:05 p.m. ET -- GREEN FLAG: Marcos Ambrose comes from a land down under, but he's up top as the field goes green for the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. 2:54 p.m. ET -- The most famous words in sports: "Drivers, start your engines!" Great job on the delivery by Jimmy Howard and his father, James. 2:41 p.m. ET -- C'mon jet dryers -- nearly all soaked up ... cars all lined up. 2:33 p.m. ET -- Nice fly over by F-16s of the 112th Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard. 2:32 p.m. ET -- Members of the US Army Chorus perform National Anthem. 2:31 p.m. ET -- Invocation under way with Pastor Doug Bradshaw, Williamston Free Methodist Church 2:30 p.m. ET -- One driver after another bringing up basically the same point in interviews: replacement tires/fast track/slick pavement equal extremely uncertain race at MIS. 2:21 p.m. ET -- That's right, rain. You better stop. Jet dryers back out, blue skies opening up... 2:12 p.m. ET -- Starting to drizzle again after driver intros... Stop. It. Now. 2 p.m. ET -- Drivers signing autographs en route to their cars ... it's almost time! 1:54 p.m. ET -- Great chats on TNT between Elliott, Petty, etc. father-son teams on this special day. 1:45 p.m. ET -- Remember to stay updated with NASCAR's Twitter feed. 1:27 p.m. ET -- Pre-race ceremonies slated to start at 1:45 p.m. ET! 1:24 p.m. ET -- Marcos Ambrose explaining what Vegemite is ... and making the TNT crew eat it. Priceless. 1:18 p.m. ET -- Jet dryers are out! 1:17 p.m. ET -- A look at the radar has this storm cell nearly past MIS... 1:12 p.m. ET -- Sir Jimmie of the Rainbow Wig up next on TNT... 1:10 p.m. ET -- That's a smart New York accent Tommy Baldwin's sporting ... the question on set is can TBR be competitive? Fuggeddaboutit! 12:55 p.m. ET -- PS: Drivers all still in tees and caps, doing funny interviews, so that 1:16 p.m. ET start time is washing away like raindrops on a windshield at 203 mph... 12:51 p.m. ET -- You'd never know about his 143-race winless streak by the confident demeanor Junior's presented lately... 12:49 p.m. ET -- Dale Jr. up next on TNT's Countdown to Green, so tune in if you haven't already. It was four years ago exactly at this race when he posted his last victory (check out a great David Caraviello column on the topic). Is another in the air today? 12:42 p.m. ET -- Ryan Newman on with daughter Brooklyn ... both dad and his lady have that same "You talkin' ta ME?!" Al Pacino face built-in come interview time. Ah, genetics. 12:37 p.m. ET -- Another tidbit to keep an eye on once they go green from MIS: two, count 'em two, competition cautions slated for both laps 20 and 45 for car adjustments. 12:33 p.m. ET -- Brad Keselowski killing it like Johnny Carson on the TNT set. This guy has a serious post-race career in the booth... 12:25 p.m. ET -- And, by the way, Happy Father's Day to all the Pops out there! Best Dad's Day quip so far goes to Kyle Petty on Countdown to Green on TNT, who says: "You've seen my career, my father never taught me anything." You don't really know how to drop a good burn unless you can put one on yourself ... kudos, Prince Ponytail. 12:21 p.m. ET -- Big Daddy Kes on the Countdown to Green set. Oh yeah. 12:10 p.m. ET -- Behind Mr. Ambrose (203.241 mph qualifying time!!!), the top five is rounded out with Kevin Harvick starting second, followed by Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth. Ryan Newman was slated to start fifth, but he and Jimmie Johnson have changed engines and will start from the back. 12:06 p.m. ET -- Light rain currently in Michigan, with a thunderstorm cell directly over the track right now. Showers are moving east and hopefully won't be a problem for too long. No change yet on the 1:16 p.m. ET green-flag time. 12:01 p.m. ET -- TNT's coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at MIS is live! 8:05 a.m. ET -- Michigan International Speedway hosts the Quicken Loans 400 this afternoon. It's currently 68 degrees and partly cloudy at the track, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 83 degrees. There are scattered showers in the forecast throughout the day (40 percent). Marcos Ambrose will start on the pole for the race, which has been marked by a last-minute Goodyear tire switch due to the scalding speeds at the repaved track. Green flag drops at 1:16 p.m. ET. Earnhardt's next victory will be worth the wait Four years ago, Americans were preparing for what would become a historic presidential election and athletes were preparing for an Olympic Games in China. The Detroit Lions were a winless football franchise, and the New York Yankees still played in their original stadium. Conan O'Brien's show still aired at 12:30 a.m., and Joe the Plumber was more famous than Justin Bieber. Danica Patrick won an open-wheel race, and Dario Franchitti was slogging through a forgettable NASCAR campaign. Tony Stewart drove for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Gene Haas co-owned a two-car team that wallowed deep in the points. Things were a little different back then; in politics, in popular culture, and on the playing fields. From a NASCAR perspective, the sport's most popular driver had recently allied with the sport's best team, and the result was a degree of potential that boggled the mind. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. did nothing to discourage that, getting off to a good start in his debut season with Hendrick Motorsports that included a victory at Michigan International Speedway which snapped a 76-race winless streak. Suddenly, anything was possible. The stars had aligned. The breakthrough was nigh. Except ... it wasn't. That was a wearying 76-race winless skid, and it wore on a driver who in the middle of it had to carry the additional burdens of a very public spat with his stepmother and a split from the race team his father created. Now? It seems like so many specks of rain on the windshield in the slog through this current 143-race drought, a dry spell almost biblical in its proportions -- so long that it's difficult to really comprehend it. Friday was the four-year mark since Earnhardt's last victory, which came at Michigan on Father's Day, the exact same conditions that will be present in the Irish Hills on Sunday afternoon. "It has to be terrible. I would think about retiring," a clearly joking Greg Biffle told reporters in Michigan this week. "I better quit teasing. Everyone is going to hate me." Jimmie Johnson remembers getting grief for his recent drought, which maxed out at 16 races before he broke through earlier this season at Darlington. "I can only imagine four years," he said in Michigan. "It's been tough on him. I think we've all paid close attention to what's going on with the 88 and the speed in the car and how competitive he is. This year and even last year, we all know a win and then multiple wins are right around the corner." Give the guy credit -- Earnhardt gets asked almost every week about when he's going to win again. He represents a massive fan base that pines desperately for that next victory, and he handles it all as well as can be imagined. His previous winless streak, despite being two years shorter, seemed much more difficult to bear because of all the personal baggage that was dragged along with it. Now it's simply about performance, and at Hendrick, there's no question the performance will ultimately be there. We saw glimpses of that last season, when Little E returned to the Chase after two long years wandering in the wilderness. And now it's at its full manifestation, with Earnhardt having his best season since his heyday in the No. 8 car, a serious threat to win every week. Up until now, though, only a threat. No question he's writing the book on consistency, better on a race-to-race basis than just about anybody but Biffle (the former Sprint Cup points leader) and Matt Kenseth (the current one), on pace to exceed a career best in top-10 finishes. Earnhardt is thriving, renewed and competitive, whether he's in Victory Lane or not. But, at some point, he will need to win both for practical reasons -- he's going to be in a hole to start the Chase without a win or two to improve his seeding -- as well as to remove this yoke that's been around his neck for a full presidential election cycle. Who knows -- he gets one win, he could go on a run like his Hendrick team did after getting over the 200th victory hump. But the dam has to be broken down first. "I feel like we're getting really close," Earnhardt told reporters in Michigan. "We've been really competing well, and have been competitive every week and at every track. And that's feels really good to say. The team is excited. We ran great last week [at Pocono]. We had a strong car. So the team is really excited. We're just kind of going to each race track every weekend and [see] what kind of car we can put out on the starting grid on Sunday. I feel like if we keep going, we're going to win some races. We've just got to keep working." Earnhardt's current run, a streak of nine top-10s in his last 10 races that has him up to second in points, both highlights and deemphasizes the skid all at once. Every week now he's running well enough to win, and each time that No. 88 car appears in the right position toward the end of a race, the question begins -- is this the week? Is this finally the week? Biffle, who snapped a 49-race drought of his own earlier this season at Texas, said skids become more prominent in drivers' minds the closer they come to breaking them. "Right now, he is in position to win and running good enough to win," the Roush Fenway driver said, "So the emphasis is there." At the same time, this doesn't feel anything like 2009 and 2010, when car owner Rick Hendrick was throwing everything he could at the No. 88 program trying to right it, and nothing worked. If you had to identify a turning point, it was when Steve Letarte came on as crew chief prior to the 2011 campaign, and instilled within his driver degrees of confidence and belief that seemed to be flagging. You almost have to draw a line there, and look at the two sides as very different chapters of the same book. The Earnhardt of now is nothing like the Earnhardt of then. The drought of now is nothing like the drought of then. That one was defined by frustration; this one is characterized by hope. "When we weren't running well and we had to answer as to why we weren't winning -- we were miles from winning, you know?" Earnhardt said. "We were so far away from being able to compete, and win a race, and be competitive enough to win a race, that that was a tough question to answer. Now, it just feels like it's right around the corner. So, I'm getting excited. I'm getting more and more excited the more we run this year." So, yes, it's been a very long time since NASCAR's most popular driver has pulled into Victory Lane. But when it happens the next time, it will have the full weight of validity behind it. Individual wins can be fleeting if they don't occur within the scope of a bigger picture, of trying to run for something greater. We witnessed that four years ago, with a triumph that's remembered only because of the dry spell that followed it. The next one will be a building block, one four years in the making, one achieved by a driver and a program that are probably better because they were broken down and built back up over such an extended span of time. And it may be the next step toward a much bigger victory indeed. "I want to try to win a championship," Earnhardt said. "That's what you run the whole season for, and our team has really, really good speed now. We ran well last year in the Chase, but we weren't in the battle for the championship. We did well. We did better than I think a lot of people anticipated us doing in the Chase. And so we've put together a lot of great and consistent races, and we're second in points right now. And so if we can put together this type of performance in the Chase, I don't see why we can't consider ourselves with an opportunity to challenge for the championship. And we've got to go into that with great confidence." Earnhardt? A championship? The possibilities are there, as plain as the number on the side of his Chevrolet. Some things, after all, are worth the wait. Earnhardt Jr. in Michigan, site of most recent win Eleven top-10 finishes. Second place in the Sprint Cup standings. That's an impressive start to the season for any driver, but for Dale Earnhardt Jr., it only makes the question more persistent. When will he finally win again? ''I feel like we're getting real close,'' Earnhardt said. ''We've been really competing well and been competitive every week, at every track, and that feels really good to say.'' Earnhardt is back at Michigan International Speedway for this weekend's 400-mile race - four years after he won at this same track. He's without a victory in 143 Cup races since, and all the steady consistency in the world isn't going to take the attention off that ugly streak. Last weekend at Pocono, Earnhardt led 36 laps in his No. 88 Chevrolet and had it positioned as the car to beat until crew chief Steve Letarte made a call for a late stop for gas instead of trying to stretch the fuel to the end. Earnhardt finished eighth. He supported the call and said he'd take a top-10 finish any time over running out of gas. ''I knew that we weren't doing the popular thing by pitting and taking the fuel,'' Earnhardt said. Earnhardt says he's fine with the questions about his winless drought because at least people still care and are paying attention to him. ''It hasn't been that incessant,'' he said. ''If you weren't asking that kind of question I would be a little worried.'' Other drivers are certainly aware of Earnhardt's dry spell. ''I feel if you go four months, it's tough enough,'' Jeff Gordon said. ''I think it all depends on the expectations. If you won a lot of races and then you go into a slump like that, it weighs more heavy on you because you came to not just expect it but you feel like you're capable and your team is capable of winning on a more regular basis. So when that all of a sudden doesn't come it's much tougher to handle.'' Greg Biffle can relate, sort of. He ended a 49-race winless streak in April with a victory in Texas. ''It wears on you,'' Biffle said. ''The other thing that is actually worse for (Earnhardt) right now is that he is running so good, that it seems like when you run as good as he is running, the pressure is even greater because you know a win is just around the corner, if that makes any sense.'' Earnhardt doesn't seem to be pressing - witness last weekend's move to pit rather than making a risky bid for a victory. This year, Earnhardt has finished second twice, third twice - and no lower than 17th. Forget winning a race. At this point, he has his sights on trying to win the overall series championship, and that's part of the reason he played it safe at Pocono. ''It's best that we made a good call, and we were good enough to get back up in the top 10,'' Earnhardt said. ''If we can put together this type of performance in the Chase, I don't see why we can't consider ourselves with an opportunity to challenge for the championship.'' But no matter how much he tries to stay the course, the focus from the outside is still on his lack of victories. When asked Thursday what he remembered most about his fuel-mileage victory at MIS four years ago, Earnhardt paused for a while. The date was June 15, 2008, and he snapped what was at that point a 76-race winless string. ''Probably just the nerves of the last few laps,'' Earnhardt said. ''To know we had a green-white checkered and not sure I had enough gas to make it.'' Earnhardt has won twice at MIS and finished 10 times in the top 10 in 18 starts. The track was repaved during the offseason, and Sprint Cup drivers have been almost routinely surpassing 200 mph during practice runs. Earnhardt surpassed 201 on Friday. ''Up until last week, I felt like they were a team that was just strong and consistent and doing a great job, but not really a team that showed like they really had what it took to win,'' Gordon said. ''Last week, they showed by dominating that race that they really stepped up their game this year and have a real legitimate shot at winning races.'' Fans still adore Dale Earnhardt Jr., 'last of good old boys' Armed with a Sharpie in his left hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr. looped his signature across seemingly endless rows of diecast cars and stacks of hero cards bearing his likeness. Meanwhile, he contemplated the chagrin of those for whom he has scribbled countless autographs. Does NASCAR's nine-time most popular driver need to win to keep his massive fan base happy? "Yeah, I feel they deserve it," he told USA TODAY Sports during a commercial shoot Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "That's what they want. I know what I expect as a (Washington) Redskins fan. "So I put myself in their shoes, and I know how they feel. I believe they deserve a driver that can win more often than I have." The evidence, though, suggests his massive following is as patient as it is loyal and perhaps eternally enamored with the son of a racing legend who often speaks with candor and has a gift for producing indelible moments at critical junctures in recent NASCAR history. Friday marks four years since Earnhardt's most recent Sprint Cup victory. Since that triumph at Michigan International Speedway, he has endured two of the worst seasons and the longest winless skid (143 races) of his career. Yet as he returns to Michigan on the cusp of a victory breakthrough (ranked second in points and among the fastest in practice Thursday on the repaved 2-mile oval), there has been little erosion in his popularity or clout among "Junior Nation," the self-proclaimed No. 88 Chevrolet devotees who spend millions annually on his merchandise and the products he endorses. According to a NASCAR survey of its fan base, 30% still name Earnhardt as their favorite driver, far outdistancing the next two stars, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. In October, Eanrhardt was ranked by Forbes as the seventh most valuable athlete brand in professional sports, ranking behind Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Phil Mickelson, David Beckham, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and ahead of any NFL or baseball player. "He is such an icon of the sport, he's become bulletproof to performance," said Michigan track president Roger Curtis, who has worked in NASCAR marketing for two-plus decades. "It's amazing. I'm not taking a shot, but so many other drivers, their popularity would be based on performance. I can't tell you exactly why it's different for Dale Jr., but from the fans I talk to, he is a bridge between generations. Attractive to the hard-core fans but the name recognition that gets Gen X and Y interested." Zak Brown, founder and CEO of Just Marketing International (which has represented numerous IndyCar, Formula One and NASCAR sponsors), said Earnhardt inherited much of his father's fan base, "which was massive" when the seven-time champion died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. But Brown said Earnhardt Jr. has created new legions of fans with a persona that often seems blissfully unconcerned with a salary estimated by Sports Illustrated at more than $20 million annually. "He comes across as a genuine, humble, nice guy," Brown said. "He seems very human and approachable. He's not caught up in his own stardom. He's a core NASCAR driver, a blue-collar guy. Even though he's a multigazillionaire, he doesn't flaunt that lifestyle, which would turn off some people." Penske Racing driver Brad Keselowski lived on Earnhardt's 200-acre compound near Mooresville, N.C., while driving for his JR Motorsports Nationwide Series team and said his former employer's sway "shows the importance at the most basic level of being authentic to who you are and just being a good guy. Dale is certainly one of those, and it resonates." "He does a great job not just positioning himself but actually being a simple man," Keselowski said. "I think our sport's fan base really appreciates that." Throwback to NASCAR of old A technophile who played about 200 hours of the Battlefield 3 video game on his computer during the offseason, Earnhardt doesn't seem like a throwback icon in a sport that was spawned by bootleggers outrunning the law. But he contrasts modern-day NASCAR, which has undergone a cultural and geographical metamorphosis in the last two decades as multimillion-dollar sponsorships have cleansed its rough-hewn roots in the South. NASCAR's Hall of Fame is based in Charlotte and the first race in its premier series was held there, but Earnhardt is the only full-time driver left who hails from North Carolina. Only four drivers in the series hail from states in the South, and none talks like Earnhardt, 37. He peppers his answers with loose grammar and the rural vernacular indigenous to the textile-mill workers who once filled his Kannapolis, N.C., hometown. In Junior-speak, it's not a 1955 Chevrolet, but a "fitty-five Chevy." Racing consultant and former Charlotte Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler said Earnhardt is "the last remnant of the old NASCAR" because he personifies it "in speech, mannerism, dress and humility. What you see is what you get. He is as much a progeny of Junior Johnson as Dale Sr." In a sport laden with sponsor identification, Earnhardt showed up for a news conference at Pocono Raceway last week in a plain white T-shirt. "His popularity is a revolt against the Ivy League culture that some in the sport are trying to artificially create," said Wheeler, who has spent five decades in racing and has known Earnhardt virtually since birth. "He is the last of the good old boys. He makes no attempt to change anything about himself. Laid-back, drives a truck and never brags. Truly the Southern version of the boy next door. He is what a lot of fans are desperately hanging onto." Many of them also are carrying an insatiable curiosity. Earnhardt is a self-described homebody who has shielded his off-track life from the public, particularly after the microscope grew large in the wake of his father's death. In his 13th season, he has built enough trust with the media to parcel out some details — last December, he brought his girlfriend to an awards ceremony in Las Vegas, and he opened up his "Whisky River" replica Western town (replete with jail, saloon and as an homage to spaghetti Westerns) to several reporters in January. But he said he is "still pretty private of where I go and what I do," making him a bit of an enigma even to those who work for him. "He's a Southern boy who is kind of shy, and he loves racing," said Danica Patrick, who drives for Earnhardt in the Nationwide Series. "You don't get this preprogrammed feel from him. People like that. There's a little bit of elusiveness because he doesn't do a ton of interviews. So people are curious, 'What's Dale really like?' So whenever you hear him talk or read something about him, you're looking to see if you can find out something new. " The revelations often have intriguing twists, too. In March, Earnhardt casually mentioned he had a "graveyard" of about 50 wrecked race cars littered around his property, and his latest addition would be the Chevrolet that Juan Pablo Montoya infamously crashed into a jet dryer at the Daytona 500. "A lot of his personal life is in the shadows, but when it does come out, the newer fans say, 'He's just a cool dude,' " Curtis said. "He's that's mysterious friend that you're attracted to and don't really know, but you like hanging with him." Saying what others can't The perks of being the son of Dale Earnhardt stretch beyond inheriting a large fan base. There's also the inherent right to speak as freely as desired while facing fewer repercussions than other drivers who might have to toe the line in a series that sometimes is bleached by sponsor-driven political correctness. Earnhardt admitted there are things he can say — recently he lobbied for NASCAR to consider cutting its schedule — that others can't, and the topics he chooses automatically gain more credence. "I've always had that, even when I was young," he said. "It cut me a ton of breaks when it comes to being myself or speaking my mind. It depends on the sponsors, too. Some of the sponsors want you on this straight and narrow path. I've been able to do whatever within reason." It was Earnhardt's interviews that made a fan for life of Dan Hodson, the owner of Sportscapes Construction in Red Oak, Texas. Hodson has followed NASCAR for 30 years but was turned off by Dale Earnhardt's arrogance. The first time Hodson. 42. heard Earnhardt Jr. talk he found him "extremely genuine, honest, a bit awkward and socially inept. He was shy but when asked a question, he didn't dodge it. He answered truthfully. "He's the only guy on that circuit that has as much money and clout, but 100% of his fans think he's a regular guy who wants to buy discount beef jerky and eat at the local restaurant," Hodson said. "It resonates that he probably would fit right in as the No. 2 oil guy at the Grease Monkey. It comes across as he's got convictions and morals. I've seen drivers change because of public pressure, sponsor pressure. He doesn't do that." Earnhardt seems to embrace his infallibility. After finishing eighth at Pocono, he joked that he intentionally slowed down in the pits when others were busted for speeding because his fans and the news media give him grief for his mistakes. Many others drivers probably wouldn't have admitted to being cognizant of the criticism, and Earnhardt said it took two years in Cup not to take things personally. "I don't want to be perceived as a complainer; I just know when I miss my pit stall or get popped for speeding, I hear about it," Earnhardt said. "I don't read every story on the Internet or go to every fan forum. It gets to me through friends (and the media). "I don't want to be on television because of those things, because I feel I'm a good, smart race car driver and shouldn't make mistakes often. But when I do make mistakes, it gets a little attention. I just try to minimize that attention. So I don't know if I'm thinking about that at the exact moment I'm pulling onto pit road every time, but I know the repercussions I face are no fun." Performance ultimately does matter If Earnhardt were to win Sunday on Father's Day, it would evoke memories of his July 2001 victory at Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR's return to the track where his father died. It stands as the most memorable in a career of larger-than-life highlights. He won the first race at Dover International Speedway after Sept. 11, 2001. When the 2004 Daytona 500 kicked off the era of a new title sponsor Sprint (then Nextel) with a visit from President George W. Bush, Earnhardt was the victor (and the recipient of a postrace call from the president, which he ended with, "Take it easy, man."). In a Nationwide race two years ago at Daytona, he won again in a one-off Chevy adorned with the No. 3 his father made famous. "There are people who become legends because of what they did in one or two games," JMI's Brown said. "He's won at pivotal moments when everyone is cheering for him, and that keeps the buzz going for a long time. That does help carry his brand further." Performance, though, does matter, particularly with Earnhardt driving for powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. After ending a two-year absence from the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, he has 11 top-10 finishes in 14 races, putting him on pace for a personal record. "He's competitive; he just doesn't win races," Brown said. "If he was running around in 35th, I don't think he'd be able to maintain the fan base." That fan base, though, would like a win after a drought that's almost twice as long as his previous winless skid — a 76-race streak that ended four years ago at Michigan. Curtis said Earnhardt's "persona will explode" if he exudes as much emotion as he did after the 2008 win. "He was so happy when he won here, and I can't imagine the glow a few races after that," Curtis said. "I don't think he'll become this all-access, 24/7 personality, but I can't imagine all the new fans who'd be attracted." Earnhardt admitted he's allowed himself to wonder about the day he wins again. "We're getting closer and closer, so I daydream about it all the time," he said. "I just think it'll be a lot more release, a lot more relief and happiness. The guys I'm with and the team I'm with, we haven't experienced that together, and that'll be a great feeling to win for the first time with these guys. It'll just be an amazing experience." No win, but more consistency from Junior If any driver was going to extend the Hendrick Motorsports streak of Sprint Cup victories to four, then surely that destiny was ready to fall on Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wasn't it finally time for his own streak of 142 races without a win to end, too? No driver had been more consistent this season than Earnhardt, who came into Pocono with a Cup-best 10 top-10 finishes this season. And no other Hendrick Motorsports race team was both strong and mistake free Sunday, as Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet was in the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR. Earnhardt had raced with the frontrunners at Pocono Raceway all day. He had led three times for a total of 36 laps -- the only Hendrick driver to lead a lap. But, in a race that came down to a gamble, Earnhardt's bet didn't pay off. When he dipped onto pit road for fuel to avoid the chance of running out of gas in the final laps, he was left behind by the drivers who stayed out and saved enough fuel to race to the end. Joey Logano wound up passing Mark Martin for the win, ending his own 104-race streak without a victory. As for Earnhardt, he finished eighth. It was another top 10. Still, the streak continues. "We had a really, really good car,'' Earnhardt said. "That was fun. That was the funnest car I've had all year and the best car I've had at Pocono in a long, long time. So, I'm just really trying not to be too upset about it because we did a lot of good things today and we've got a lot to look forward to." One of the best things Earnhardt did on Sunday was actually what he didn't do. He made sure not to get caught speeding on pit road on a day when the NASCAR police handed out 22 pit-road speeding penalties including two to teammate Jimmie Johnson and one to Jeff Gordon. It was one mistake Earnhardt refused to make this time. "I was really ridiculously slow coming onto pit road,'' he said. "But I just don't want to get popped. I get burned on TV and by the fan base whenever we do anything stupid on pit road, such as miss our stall or something. It takes me about a year and a half to get over that in a lot of people's eyes, so I can't make too many mistakes on pit road. We have to be pretty careful." There were no such blemishes on Sunday, and Earnhardt was running in first place when he led the field to pit road during a caution for debris after Aric Almirola's No. 43 hit the wall on lap 124 of the 160-lap race. That was short of the fuel window for the race teams, and all were trying to save gas to avoid a final pit stop. "Don't you run me out of gas,'' Earnhardt told his crew chief Steve Letarte on the radio. "I don't care what we have to do. ... I ain't going to forgive you for running me out of gas." When Kasey Kahne's No. 5 hit the wall with 23 laps to go, the decision was easy. "Our bed is made,'' Letarte told Earnhardt. He was third at the time when he headed to pit road for fuel. He was 16th when he returned to the track with 17 laps to go. Another caution for debris allowed the leaders to save just enough gas for that final green-flag run of eight laps. While Logano battled with Mark Martin for the victory, Earnhardt could only make it back to eighth. "I think we could have won if we had made it (without refueling),'' Letarte said. "Just too short." Earnhardt did not second-guess the decision. "I back his call that he made today,'' Earnhardt said. "I don't like running out of gas. I ran out of gas here one year and that pisses me off so bad that it's just hard to recover from it, mentally, you know, in the next couple of weeks. "There's just no excuse in running out of gas. You put fuel into it and you go run." Earnhardt now has 11 top-10s in 14 races this year and he moves up to second in the points standings, 10 behind new leader Matt Kenseth. That includes 10 top-10s in the last 11 races. "Dover is usually the first race that starts off where we usually start to go south or where I tend to go south,'' said Earnhardt, who was fourth at Dover last week. "It's been nice to run good. Our team is strong. We've really been strong enough all year. I expect it to keep going." It will keep on at least until Michigan, which is where the Cup series heads to next weekend. Remember, it was at Michigan in 2008 when Earnhardt won his last race. Destiny, anyone? Dale Earnhardt Jr. backs Letarte's fuel call at Pocono As an unruly fan loudly berated a member of his team several feet away, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stopped shortly after answering the first question he was asked after the Pocono 400. "Can we start over?" Earnhardt said with a smile, not realizing the interview was on live TV. "There's somebody arguing back there." That blip was the only time NASCAR's most popular driver lost composure Sunday after coming agonizingly close again to ending a winless streak that was extended Sunday to 143 races in the Sprint Cup Series. Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet, which led 36 laps, was in first with 35 laps remaining when a caution flag flew that essentially left his team in a no-win situation. The Hendrick Motorsports driver pitted but still was about five laps short of fuel if the race stayed green. While other drivers (such as winner Joey Logano) gambled there would be enough caution laps to stretch it to the end, crew chief Steve Letarte brought Earnhardt back into the pits during a lap 138 caution to refuel. Earnhardt restarted in 15th and settled for an eighth. "It's frustrating, and it really changed the way we had to call our race," Earnhardt said. "The guys at the end gambled, and a few of them beat us. It's all right." Mindful that running out of gas on the mammoth 2.5-mile oval can cost a driver dozens of positions, he backed Letarte's decision. "I ran out of gas here one year, (and) that pisses me off so bad it's hard to recover from it mentally over the next couple of weeks," he said. "There's no excuse in running out of gas. I'm not going to give up 30 (or) 20 points in a race. Not just yet. I like the call. Didn't win the race (but) might not have won the race." There was plenty of consolation for Earnhardt, who advanced a spot to second in the standings (10 points behind Matt Kenseth) with his 11th top-10 finish. He said the car was the best he'd had this season, and it brought him confidence heading to the next race at Michigan International Speedway— the site of his most recent win four years ago Friday. "Just really trying not to be upset about (Pocono) because we did a lot of good things and have a lot to look forward to," said Earnhardt, who has notched three consecutive top-10s and remains the only driver in Cup to have completed every lap run this season. "Dover usually starts where I tend to go south, so yeah, it's been nice to run good. Our team has been strong all year, and I expect it to keep going. I'll be terribly disappointed if we don't continue to run like this at all the ovals." If Sunday had stayed green, Earnhardt thought the battle for the win would have been between him and Matt Kenseth (seventh) instead of between Logano and Mark Martin. "We were going to run first or second," said Earnhardt, who has finished second seven times since his last victory. "But the way the cautions fall in these races, that's the way it goes." Dale Earnhardt Jr. says Hendrick dominance due to shop pairings, 2011 changes Hendrick Motorsports has dominated the Sprint Cup Series in the past month, winning the past three points races and the Sprint All-Star race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. says there’s a good reason for that. Hendrick not only has the best four teams it has had in years, but Earnhardt says the organization has the teams paired correctly at the Hendrick Motorsports compound in Concord, N.C. Two years ago, Earnhardt’s No. 88 team was housed in a shop with the No. 5 car driven by Mark Martin while the teams of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon shared the same building. When team owner Rick Hendrick made wholesale driver and crew changes prior to last season, he paired Earnhardt’s team with Johnson’s, while the teams of Gordon and new driver Kasey Kahne are now housed together. Earnhardt, who is third in points and is having his best season in years, says that move has made all of Hendrick Motorsports stronger, and it’s starting to show. “I think everybody is really running the same and their performance is really close,” Earnhardt said Friday at Pocono Raceway. “In year’s past, there was a difference in the performance of the two shops, but Rick and whoever else had involvement in the decisions to move things around, to bring in Kasey, bring in (crew chief) Kenny Francis and put Jeff with (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) together and put me in the other shop, those changes seem to be working out. “They have really done a good thing as far as putting the right people in the right places to succeed and it seems to have made both shops equally as healthy.” Though he hasn’t won a race since 2008, Earnhardt is third in the standings with crew chief Steve Letarte, 10 points behind leader Greg Biffle. Johnson, the five-time champion, is fifth in points and has won two of the past three points races and the All-Star race. Kahne is 14th in points, but has seven straight top-10 finishes and won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Gordon is mired in 21st in points, but that is due primarily to misfortune on the track. “I feel like both (shops) are equally as strong and I feel like this year especially the other shop has shown what they are capable of doing,” Earnhardt said. “Jeff has had some poor luck. He’s had really fast cars, really, really fast. (And) Kasey has been equally as quick. “When it comes down to pure speed, the 5 and the 24 have actually had more than the 48-88 group. Jimmie has a great team that has for years put together full events and full races and can get to the checkered flag and win races, and we’re doing pretty good on our end with the 88 team. “We just need to get a couple of wins to really solidify what we’re doing with our consistency and to really put the icing on the cake to how well we’re running.” Earnhardt leads the series with 10 top-10 finishes in 13 races but his winless streak has now reached 142 races. Dale Earnhardt Jr., team encouraged by big gains, top-five finish at Dover To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, it wasn’t that big of a deal that their driver finished fourth Sunday at a track where he had not had a top-10 finish since September 2007. Instead, it was a big deal because the team had what crew chief Steve Letarte said was a 15th-place car in practice Friday for the FedEx 400. To turn that car into a solid fourth-place finish just two days later at Dover International Speedway means that the team is capable of making significant improvements in a short period of time. “We had about a 15th-place car at best Friday,” Letarte said. “I’m really proud of the guys. … To be more competitive and run the way we did is a confidence booster.” For Earnhardt, it was another consistent run in a year of consistency. He scored his series-high 10th top-10 finish in 13 races this year. He also is the only driver to complete every lap this season. “I wanted to finish good,” Earnhardt said. “We haven’t really run good here in a long time. I’ll take a top-five here after how we’ve run over the last couple of years.” Earnhardt started the day in 17th and reached the top 10 in the first 100 laps. By the middle of the race, he was in the top five and ran there the rest of the day. “We needed a little bit more grip in the front end,” he said. “We had to run it so loose that to get the thing to turn, I really couldn’t get the speed out of it. We had a good car.” Earnhardt might have had the third-best Hendrick Motorsports car in the race. Jimmie Johnson won while Jeff Gordon had a strong car but was stymied by a loose wheel. Johnson has always been strong at Dover, but his strength hasn’t always translated to Earnhardt. “You have to have someone who is very good to help you build your cars better,” Letarte said. “Jimmie is very, very good here, so he allows us to build our cars better. … It helps you have confidence in your car and what you need to do. “It’s not exactly like (Johnson’s car). But it’s based around a lot of what they have. I was proud of Dale. He drove a great race.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. likes Dover's banking, but not the surface Dale Earnhardt Jr. has enjoyed one of his most consistent seasons to date, as he leads the Sprint Cup Series with nine top-10 finishes in 12 races. He also is the only driver to have completed every one of the 3,888 laps this year. But if he earns a top-10 finish Sunday in the FedEx 400 at Dover, the Hendrick Motorsports driver should consider that a significant accomplishment. Earnhardt has not posted a top 10 at Dover since September 2007. In the last 15 races at the 1-mile track, he has only three top-10 finishes and failed to finish on the lead lap 11 times. He did win at the track in 2001 (in the first race following the Sept. 11 attack), so it would not be a stretch to say he has a love-hate relationship with the track. “I’ve had good cars here and I’ve had some tough runs here,” said Earnhardt, who is fourth in the Cup standings. “This place has definitely been up and down for me for my career. It’s a unique track.” Not a big fan of concrete tracks, Earnhardt seems to struggle getting a feel for the surface, which he said gets some rubber built up during green-flag runs but then under caution, the tires pick the rubber back up. That changes how the car handles as it goes from less grip to more grip to less grip throughout the day, depending in part on the length of green-flag runs. “I don’t really like concrete tracks at all,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about the surface, and you just kind of come in here and try to make the best of what you don’t like about it. “I like the banking and the speed. I really like the banking. I love the shape of the track. If it were asphalt it would probably be one of my favorite tracks.” The key is keeping a driver from getting frustrated throughout those track changes. Last fall, the team probably had a 10th-place car but ended up 24th after a broken sway bar arm and then a loose wheel required Earnhardt to pit under green. “There are just certain tracks that they’re not going to drive good—at some point, they’re going to drive bad,” said Earnhardt crew chief Steve Letarte. “I just make sure Sunday morning right before he gets in the car I remind him that, ‘We believe in you, just give us the best feedback you can, don’t worry about being polite and drive it the best you can.’” Letarte brought a car this weekend that last ran at Charlotte in October 2011. Earnhardt finished 19th in that race. “(Earnhardt) expects to be good, and that’s what I love about him,” Letarte said. “We never come to a racetrack and we’re 15th in practice and we’re OK with that.” Earnhardt was third in the final practice Friday. “We haven’t performed that great here over the last several years,” Earnhardt said. “We feel like it’s a good opportunity this year for us to change that.” Earnhardt looks to put winless streak behind him Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hoping to pick up the next memorable victory for Hendrick Motorsports. First, Jimmie Johnson raced to owner Rick Hendrick's 200th win. Then Kasey Kahne earned his first victory with Hendrick in the Coca-Cola 600. Next? Well, Earnhardt brings his bewildering 141-race winless drought into Sunday's Sprint Cup stop at Dover International Speedway. While his teammates take turns playing hot potato with the checkered flag, Earnhardt is stuck wondering when his time will come. ''I'm not competitive on the race track with my teammates at all,'' he said, ''but when you see those guys win, you do wish it was you going to Victory Lane.'' He can stop the streak with his first win on Dover's 1-mile track since 2001. Much like the overall arc of his career, his more recent runs on the concrete have been cruel. He did post a third-place finish in the May race last season, but otherwise failed to finish better than 20th in four of the last five races at Dover. Earnhardt takes some solace in the fact he's been consistently strong this season and is parked in fourth place in the points standings. He has two runner-up finishes in the No. 88 and nine top 10s in 12 races - after he had 12 top 10s all of last season. The cable channel Speed posted, ''Dale Jr. inching closer to first win this season,'' during Friday's Cup practice. He's getting close. But no one connected with the sport has to tell Earnhardt close is not enough. He has to win. Earnhardt has dissected the streak over the last four years and knows everything from bad luck to strategy to ability have played a role in keeping his career win total stuck on 18 since 2008. Earnhardt, who had the third-best speed at 155.966 mph in Friday's final practice, boasts the confidence of a champion this season because of the strong finishes, great cars, and a healthy relationship with crew chief Steve Letarte. Plus, he's the top Hendrick driver in the standings. Earnhardt is 18 points behind leader Greg Biffle, Johnson is fifth, Kahne 15th and Jeff Gordon 22nd - not quite the Hendrick dominance that's often expected from a sterling organization with 201 wins in their rearview mirror. Hendrick would love all four of his cars in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. ''I felt like all four cars have been really strong from the start of the year, and once Jimmie broke through at Darlington and won that race, we've been able to go on a little roll,'' Kahne said. ''So I think our cars are great. The teams are working really well together and I've enjoyed being part of that.'' Earnhardt sees this season as the one where he can make a serious run at winning his first championship. Earnhardt's career-best finish in the Sprint Cup standings was third in 2003. Under the Chase format, he finished fifth in 2004 and 2006, and made the field in 2008 - his first season with Hendrick - and last year when he finished seventh. ''We're trying to make one,'' he said. ''We're trying to put ourselves in the Chase, and we are going to try to be one of the strongest teams when that time comes. I wouldn't call ourselves a contender, but we got a chance to be one this year the way we are doing it.'' NASCAR's most popular driver has felt close to winning before and satisfying his massive and supportive fan base. Instead, he's the one offering handshakes and congratulations to his teammates. ''We've been wanting to win for so long,'' Earnhardt said. ''It's a good thing. I think it motivate you to work harder, and try to find Victory Lane that much harder if at all possible. It doesn't have really a negative effect on me or the team when those guys go out and win. But, you do wish it was you.'' Dale Earnhardt Jr. a proponent of shorter NASCAR season, but admits it's a 'daydream' When Rusty Wallace said last week that the Sprint Cup season might be better off at 32 races instead of the current 38-race schedule, not many people expected that to actually happen. Tracks value their dates and none would want to lose one. Also with television contracts the way they are, a change in the number of races would likely require those deals to be revised. Still, the idea that maybe there are too many races isn’t lost on Dale Earnhardt Jr., an avid NFL fan who roots for the Washington Redskins. He thinks the 16-game NFL schedule is perfect. “I do know there isn’t enough demand at the current time and the model that the NFL uses is a pretty productive model,” Earnhardt said Friday prior to practice at Dover International Speedway. “They seem to have it about right. When you’re a football fan, you can’t wait for the season to start. It seems like an eternity before it does and when it’s here, it’s gone just as fast and you can’t wait for the next one.” Earnhardt admitted that it’s a “daydream” that the NASCAR season would be shortened. “I would think that shortening up the schedule is probably the last thing that I would expect to happen,” he said. “I can imagine a lot of crazy things happening before that would. There’s too much money involved, too much money moving around and changing around for a half-dozen dates to be cut from the schedule. “The impact on the economy in those areas per race that would be removed—the politics are too thick for anything like that to ever probably occur.” Wallace brought up the idea of a shorter season when talking about the state of the sport last week. The current ESPN analyst was asked his thoughts on NASCAR following the announcement he would be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next February. He suggested a 32-race schedule as an idea that might help with attendance and television ratings on a race-by-race basis. “There’s a thought in the back of my mind that thinks we have too many races,” Wallace said. “I remember when this sport was so popular—and it still is very, very popular—but when I first came, there were 28 races. “When it hit 32, this sport was really rockin’ and rollin’. … Sometimes I think that just a classic case of supply and demand kicks in—we’ve got too much supply and not enough demand.” Earnhardt said the publicity generated by recent NFL organized team activities (OTAs) of non-contact summer practice shows the benefit of fewer competitive events. “Even when it’s OTAs and there’s nothing really going on, you’re just trying to get all the information you can get,” Earnhardt said. “They have a good model and shortening the season would be a good thing and definitely change things for the better. “But I don’t even think that’s a possibility. That’s more of a daydream than anything else.” Johnson-Earnhardt Jr. collaboration paying off Two cars, one roof. That's been standard operating procedure for Rick Hendrick since 2002, when the championship car owner expanded to accommodate a fourth Sprint Cup program headlined by a then-unknown driver named Jimmie Johnson. Hendrick paired the new outfit in a building with the more experienced team of Jeff Gordon, and the result was an explosive progression that netted 71 combined victories for the stablemates during the ensuing eight years. So three seasons ago when Hendrick faced the prospect of rebuilding a No. 88 team that was languishing deep in the standings, he used the same approach. This time the intended beneficiary was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was mired in 25th place while his teammates swept the top three positions. Hendrick paired a now-multiple-time champion Johnson with Earnhardt in a rechristened 48/88 building, hoping the success of one would rub off on the other. It took time, the development not occurring nearly as rapidly as it had during the first days of the 24/48 building years earlier. But this Memorial Day weekend, the fruits of that union are obvious -- Earnhardt and Johnson both enter Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 with top-five standings in points, they're both coming off strong runs in last weekend's Sprint All-Star Race, and they're both seen as favorites to claim NASCAR's longest race. "In the No. 48 and No. 88 shop, there is a lot of excitement," Johnson said, and with good reason. A six-time winner at Charlotte, Johnson claimed last weekend's non-points event by running away from the field in the final 10-lap segment. He backed that up by qualifying third for the Coca-Cola 600, then posted one of the top-five speeds in final Cup practice Saturday. Although Earnhardt qualified 12th for the race and didn't fare as well in final practice, he's back in the same car that won last weekend's Sprint Showdown preliminary race and took the fourth and final segment of the main event. "Every time we come to the race track this year, I feel like just judging on the performance at that particular track the year before that we've been better, faster and have had more speed. And I feel like I got that again this past weekend at the All-Star Race," Earnhardt said. "Had a good judge of how much better of a race team we are. So I feel like we should come in and compete this weekend, and if we're fortunate and do the right things as far as pit strategy goes, to put ourselves up toward the front like we did last year." And hopefully, have enough fuel to get to the finish line. Perhaps the most agonizing moment of Earnhardt's 140-race winless skid came in this event last season, when he held the lead off the final corner but ran out of gas. Kevin Harvick won, while Earnhardt coasted home in seventh, among much gnashing of teeth in the grandstand. At the time, Earnhardt took the close call as a positive sign. Over time, though, it began to eat at him. "It was tough to come so close last year and not win the race," he said. "My initial reaction was that I was happy that we actually rolled across the finish lane in seventh. ... I was really relieved that it wasn't worse than that. And then after a while you start thinking about, oh yeah, we really came close to winning a race. It was really unfortunate there wasn't just a little bit more gas in the car or whatever to get us to Victory Lane, because that would have been a great way to cap off a pretty good weekend. So it was a bit frustrating over time. But we ran good, and ... I've said it all year long, that I think we're a little bit better team than we were last year." That much is evident in the standings. A tough night at Darlington two weeks ago snapped a run of six straight top-10s in points events, and Earnhardt's car on All-Star night was clearly one of the best in the field. That same chassis is back for the 600, which the driver sees as unfinished business. "If the car is good enough, and we're good enough and do everything we need to do, we'll be right there with an opportunity to win a race," Earnhardt said. "And that's what you have to concentrate on." Johnson is using a car different from the one he drove to victory last weekend -- given that 600 qualifying is held on a Thursday, he said it would have been a push for his team to have the same car ready for this week. His 600 car also is different in terms of setup, and judging from qualifying and practice, whatever changes crew chief Chad Knaus made were the right ones. Now Johnson, who snapped a 16-race winless streak two weeks ago at Darlington, aims to reassert himself at a track where he's won six times, but just once since it was resurfaced in 2006. "We are really pleased with where our cars are right now," Johnson said. "I have been sitting up here telling all of you [in the media] that we are close, and it is coming, and look at the laps led and all that stuff. I'm glad to be able to back up what I have been talking about over these last few months. It really just boils down to the hard work that has come through the engine shop, chassis shop, our engineering staff and the crew chiefs. We have a better product this year. We have been able to be close to Victory Lane a few times so far this year, and then we got it done the last two weeks." Strangely enough, the resurgence of the two cars coming out of Hendrick's 48/88 shop come as the organization's other two vehicles -- the No. 24 of Gordon and the No. 5 of Kasey Kahne, which also are housed together -- are trying to shake rough starts. For now, though, Johnson and Earnhardt are the clear standard-bearers on what recently has been NASCAR's best team. And there's no rivalry between them, which perhaps helps foster their combined success. "We're good teammates," Earnhardt said. "I think we work really well together. I think we complement each other. The two teams complement each other quite well. They've been together for a couple of years, so there's a real great bond in that shop. It's kind of like one whole group. It's really hard to see the line between the two teams." Earnhardt hopes to put last year behind him At first Dale Earnhardt Jr. was relieved he didn't fall further back than seventh at last year's Coca-Cola 600. Then he realized what he had lost for just about a gallon of gas. ''After a while, you start thinking about, 'Oh, yeah, we really came close to winning a race,''' Earnhardt said this week. ''It was really unfortunate there wasn't just a little bit more gas in the car.'' If there were, Earnhardt wouldn't have faced an additional year's worth of questions about why he hasn't won a Sprint Cup race since 2008 at Michigan. The drought has grown to 140 races and is a focal point at every track or appearance by Earnhardt. ''I've said it all year long,'' he says, ''that I think we're a little bit better than we were last year.'' It looked like Earnhardt was the best at Charlotte Motor Speedway a year ago when he broke free on a late restart to take the lead. He got the white flag just fine, then ran out of gas on the front straightaway and coasted through he final turn before Kevin Harvick passed him for the win. Harvick said afterwards he ''felt so stinking bad'' for Earnhardt because he knew how much the Hendrick Motorsports driver wanted to win. The fans roared when Earnhardt, voted the sport's most popular driver the past nine years, moved in front and were equally stunned when his tank ran dry. Earnhardt was grateful to hang on to seventh as he thought about his position in the year-end championship chase. Then the disappointment of what happened swept over him. ''I was really unfortunate there wasn't just a little bit more gas in the car or whatever to get us to victory lane because that would've been a great way to cap off a pretty good weekend,'' Earnhardt said. ''So it was a bit frustrating over time.'' Martin Truex Jr., who hasn't won since 2007, finished 26th in last year's race and understood what his fellow driver was going through. It takes so much, Truex said, to get into position that to have it snatched away so close to the finish line is maddening. ''Coming off turn four and running out of gas is about the absolute worst way to lose a race,'' Truex said. ''I definitely felt for him there.'' Earnhardt, who'll start 12th on Sunday night in Sprint Cup's longest race, feels he's in a strong position to contend again. He said he's been faster at nearly every track he's gone to this season and doesn't expect that to change in Charlotte. Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon has seen things building with Earnhardt's No. 88 team. A year ago, Earnhardt came close to winning because of fuel mileage strategy, Gordon said. This time, Earnhardt's got one of the fastest, most consistent cars in the garage and is capable of outrunning anyone. ''All that builds confidence,'' Gordon said. ''And it just makes your team that much stronger and allows you to go to the next race with a shot at winning,'' Gordon said. That could apply to all Hendrick Motorsports teams. The longtime Sprint Cup program has been on a major roll the past few weeks. Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson won owner Rick Hendrick's 200th race at Darlington two weeks ago. Johnson followed that with a win in the All-Star race here last Saturday night. Even Earnhardt picked up a trophy last week, winning the Sprint Showdown to get into the All-Star race. Johnson starts third behind the Richard Petty Motorsports duo of Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose, who finished 1-2 in Thursday night's qualifying. Johnson's won nine times at Charlotte, including three Coca-Cola 600s. The race marks the second straight - and third overall - Sprint Cup appearance for Danica Patrick. She was 31st at Darlington two weeks back, but running at the end on the quirky oval - something that made her car owner Tony Stewart proud. ''if you can get through Darlington weekend you can get through this weekend. Those extra hundred miles here aren't near as hard as it is at Darlington, I believe,'' Stewart said. Usually, Patrick's spending her Memorial Day weekend prepping for the Indianapolis 500. But she says she's excited about the NASCAR challenge and hasn't spent much time longing for the Brickyard. ''I was ready to leave IndyCar. I wanted to be here,'' she said. ''When you are not missing something, longing for something, you don't really think about it that much.'' Earnhardt's tried not to think too much about his late-race flame out at Charlotte last year. He channels any remaining frustration into working hard to make sure nothing goes wrong Sunday night. Earnhardt expects his team to make the right calls and get himself up front when it matters most and ''we hopefully have enough fuel to get to the finish line,'' he said. Dale Earnhardt Jr. says there's no rivalry with Jimmie Johnson When Hendrick Motorsports rearranged its driver-crew chief pairings two years ago, it put the cars of Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the same building because crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte were used to working together. The new combination of Letarte and Earnhardt produced immediate results as Earnhardt improved from 21st in the standings in 2010 to seventh in 2011. That was just one spot behind Johnson, who for the first time in six years didn’t win the Sprint Cup title. Now the two drivers are close again, with Earnhardt third in the Cup standings and Johnson fifth. Johnson has won the last two Cup events—the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington and the non-points Sprint All-Star Race. Earnhardt, amid a 140-race winless streak, had a strong car in the all-star race as well, winning the Sprint Showdown and a segment of the main event before finishing fifth overall. The two Hendrick drivers are expected to be contenders in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 as well. But Earnhardt said that he doesn’t have a budding rivalry with his in-house Hendrick teammate. “Me and Jimmie don’t have a rivalry going,” Earnhardt said Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We’re good teammates. We work really well together. We complement each other. The two teams complement each other quite well.” Having nearly won the race last year at Charlotte, Earnhardt is itching for a victory. His No. 88 team wants to win, too, but as part of the Hendrick team concept, his crew goes to victory lane when Johnson wins a race and the same would happen when Earnhardt wins. The same would happen with the teams for Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon crews as well. Despite their success on the track, don’t expect Earnhardt and Johnson to become engaged in a heated rivalry like Johnson and Gordon did a few years ago. Earnhardt’s crew with Letarte has a tight bond with the Johnson-Knaus team. “They’ve been together for a couple of years, so they’ve grown a great bond in that shop,” Earnhardt said of the two crew chiefs. “It’s like one whole crew. It’s really hard to see the line between the two teams.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. has fast car, soaring confidence heading into Coca-Cola 600 Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearly won the Coca-Cola 600 a year ago as he ran out of fuel while leading on the final lap, but he might have an even better chance this year. Earnhardt had a fast car last week at the Sprint All-Star Race, where he won the preliminary Sprint Showdown, won a segment of the main event and finished fifth overall in the non-points race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Sprint Cup Series returns to the track this weekend for NASCAR’s longest event—the 600-mile marathon on Sunday. “I think the All-Star Race showed what we are capable of doing for the 600,” Earnhardt said. “We are bringing the same car, and we have a couple of ideas on how to make the car even faster—especially for qualifying—that I hope will work out.” To perform well Sunday, Earnhardt will have to run well for 400 laps and not just the 130 he ran last Saturday. Crew chief Steve Letarte wasn’t initially going to bring the same car because he already had a car prepped and ready for the 600. But Earnhardt liked the car so much—and there was no damage to it—that it will now race again this Sunday. “If we can repeat that sort of speed, we should have a great 600,” Letarte said. “What I like the most about it is we really didn’t adjust it all night from when our race started at 7 until it finished (around 11 p.m. ET), and that’s the last two-thirds of the 600. “So I hope that will give us a good benchmark to get going.” While he has won an all-star race at the track (in 2000), Earnhardt has never won a points race on the 1.5-mile oval. He has five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 25 career starts at the track. He is third in the Cup standings with eight top-10s in 11 races this year. “We just get more and more confidence with each other and in each other week in and week out,” Earnhardt said about his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team. “And the engineers that put the setups together are seeing parallels and patterns in what I like and what the car likes, what makes the car fast and we’re sort of taking those certain things track to track and improving on our runs from last year.” About the only thing missing this year is a victory as his pesky four-year winless streak has reached 140 races. That streak almost was snapped a year ago before the deflating finish. “I try not to think about it,” Letarte said. “That one hurts. Last year, we had an OK car, we worked a really good strategy and we ran out of gas trying to win one on fuel. “I think we have more speed this year, which hopefully will open up more strategies.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. confident after strong showing in Sprint All-Star Race Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t win the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night, but he can look at his performance as an all-star worthy outing. Earnhardt dominated the Sprint Showdown, leading all 40 laps of the heat race to qualify for the main event. He then won the fourth of the five segments in the all-star race before finishing a respectable fifth in the 10-lap final shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We just ran really hard and tried the best strategy we could and put ourselves in the best position to win,” Earnhardt said. “We did the best we could. “We showed what we’re capable of doing for next weekend (in the Coca-Cola 600). … My car drove the best it’s drove here in a long time.” Restarting fourth for the final segment, Earnhardt got a bad restart as Matt Kenseth, who was in second, spun his tires and Earnhardt had to lift in order to avoid hitting him. Jimmie Johnson, on the pole for the restart, easily won the race. “You’ve got to start on the front row to beat cars as good as the 48 (of Johnson),” Earnhardt said. “Starting fourth was a little tough. We just didn’t have enough laps to mount any kind of challenge. They were gone after two or three laps.” Earnhardt had one of the best cars throughout the race, which featured four 20-lap segments and then the final 10-lap segment. Having to start near the rear of the field as the winner of the preliminary event, Earnhardt finished 15th in the first segment. He didn’t pit and finished second in the second segment. He then placed third in the third segment and won the fourth 20-lapper. “These races are little sprints—you really depend on the team to put the car out on the line ready to go, ready to take off,” Earnhardt said. “You can’t really wait for the car to come in or anything like that. The guys did that all night. They built a great car.” So all in all, it was a solid night. “Coming to the green for the final 10, we were one of the four cars that had a great shot at it,” crew chief Steve Letarte said. “That’s all we could ever ask was to put ourselves in that position. To put it through (in the Showdown) is a feather in these guys’ caps and Dale drove an amazing race.” From fifth-place finish, a favorite for 600 emerges Dale Earnhardt Jr. was coasting under caution, about to start the third segment of the Sprint All-Star Race, but he couldn't prevent his mind from drifting to another event. "Don't let me forget to tell you," he radioed to crew chief Steve Letarte, "how much I'm looking forward to the 600." That would be the Coca-Cola 600, next weekend's marathon at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and a year ago perhaps the best chance Earnhardt had to snap a winless streak at NASCAR's highest level that now stretches back 140 points-paying events. Last season he led off the final corner, trying to stretch a fuel run to the end, but ran dry through the last few turns and suffered perhaps the most heartbreaking defeat of this four-year dry spell. But after Saturday night's $1 million-to-win exhibition, one thing became as clear as the fireworks bursting in the sky above this 1.5-mile facility. Next week, Earnhardt is the favorite to win. Jimmie Johnson may have claimed his third all-star victory Saturday, but no driver or vehicle was as impressive as Earnhardt in that No. 88, which won a preliminary event just to get into the big show and then charged to the front of a star-studded field again and again and again. Earnhardt was a sitting duck at the end, winning a segment but winning the wrong one, and starting the final 10-lap dash with more miles on his tires than his chief competitors. He wasn't helped when Matt Kenseth's car was slow in front of him on the last restart, giving NASCAR's most popular driver almost no chance to catch the drivers starting in front of him with so few laps remaining. "We just didn't have enough laps to mount any kind of a challenge," said Earnhardt, who came in fifth. "They were gone after about two or three laps." No matter -- in the All-Star Race, when it's all about winning and the big bag of cash at the end, almost anything short of a victory is a disappointment. Unless it's placed in the context of next Sunday, and one of the most prestigious events in NASCAR, when the knowledge attained from this exhibition will be put to use. And you look at that No. 88 car, which ran away and hid in a qualifying race held in waning daylight and then contended for the victory in a main event held at night, and it's hard to not believe it's capable of being equally as potent under what should be similar conditions next week. "I think if we can repeat that sort of speed, we'll have a great 600," Letarte said. "The thing I liked about it the most is, we really didn't adjust it all night. Our race started around 7 and with when things finished -- you're looking at not quite early enough for the start of the 600, but you get in the bulk, the last two-thirds of the 600. So hopefully that will give us a good benchmark to get going." The signs were evident from the beginning of the Sprint Showdown, a preliminary event for drivers not otherwise qualified for the All-Star Race, where Earnhardt led all 40 laps and was never really challenged. This time he had raced his way into the big show, just as he had hoped to, rather than rely on the near-certainty of being voted in by the fans, "You spanked 'em hard tonight," car owner Rick Hendrick said over the radio after Earnhardt won the qualifier. "Yeah," the driver answered. "Pretty good car." "Pretty good?" Hendrick responded. "How about real good?" It was. Starting near the rear of the field for the All-Star Race, Earnhardt needed a little pit strategy to gain track position. But unlike the winners of the first three segments, he didn't have the luxury of coasting around at the tail end of the lead lap, buying time until the pit stop before the final 10-lap dash -- a stop for which the four segment winners would line up in the top four spots. Earnhardt won the fourth segment, but it concluded just after a caution period that allowed Johnson to take fresh tires, since as the first segment winner his place at the front of the field was guaranteed. Kenseth's slow restart, which came right in front a No. 88 car lined up in fourth place, didn't help. In truth, Earnhardt probably wouldn't have been able to catch the leaders anyway, especially given that Johnson used his fresher rubber to scoot away from the field and win with relative ease. But coming out of a qualifying race, starting from near the rear of the field, racing from the back to the front over and over to try and gain track position -- through all of it, the Chevy with the special Dale Jr. Foundation paint scheme never wavered. And next week there are no segments, no automatic passes to the front of the field, no coasting around in the back. Next week, it's 600 arduous miles of going fast and turning left. "I think we showed what we're capable of doing here next weekend," Earnhardt said. "We're probably going to bring the same car. We've got a couple of ideas on how to make the car even faster, especially for qualifying, that I hope will work out. But I'm real pleased with our effort." Understandably so. Earnhardt's 2000 victory in NASCAR's all-star event stands among the most notable of his career, capped by a celebration that included a now-famous embrace by his father. But last year, his No. 88 team didn't put much of an emphasis on the race. It is an exhibition, after all, despite all the fireworks the blown engines and big money doled out at the end. Letarte, then in his first season in the sport's highest-profile crew chief position, wanted to focus on righting a foundering program and getting off to the kind of start that would land them in the Chase. He did all that, though the price was an afterthought of an all-star event in which the sport's biggest star finished 14th. At the time, Earnhardt wasn't aware of it -- Letarte only told him sometime in the past year, he said. But given the hole his No. 88 program had fallen into, and the expectations that always surround him, he understood the approach. "We didn't bring our best bullet to the fight," Earnhardt said after winning the Showdown. "He told me this year they were going to put a little more emphasis on this event. I think last year ... in defense of Steve and his decision, we were a young team. This was early for us in our relationship. He was concentrating really more on the 600, trying to make the Chase. We had a lot of pressure on us to do well. We were still sort of coming out of the box. This was pretty early in the season last year. In defense of his decision there, I don't have a problem with it at this point. Obviously now ... it's easy to look back and say it's not a big deal. But it was a challenging time for us, and our priorities were quite a bit different then." Now, the priority is clear: win the Coca-Cola 600, end the streak, claim the one that got away in the final laps last season. The memory of it, of the No. 88 car coming off Turn 4 clear of the field and then slowing agonizingly to a crawl, still stings. "I try not to think about it. That one hurts," Letarte said. "Last year we had an OK car, we worked a really good strategy, and we ran out of gas trying to win one on fuel. I think we have more speed this year, which will hopefully open up more strategies. But [tonight] was a really fun night. Looking forward to next week without a doubt." Saturday night, Letarte said he still hadn't decided which car to use in next weekend's event. His team makes a lot of good cars, he said, as Earnhardt's third-place position in Sprint Cup points will attest. But in the immediate aftermath of the Sprint All-Star Race, the crew chief may have revealed a clue. Feel free to give Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson a congratulatory tap, he told his driver. Just be careful. "Don't dent it, though," Letarte radioed. "We might bring it back." With good reason. Because as late Saturday night turned to early Sunday morning, that battle-tested No. 88 was the favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600. EARNHARDT JR. WINS SHOWDOWN TO RACE HIS WAY INTO ALL-STAR RACE Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't need the fan vote this year. Earnhardt won the Sprint Showdown on Saturday night to pick up a transfer spot into the $1 million All-Star race. His exemption from his 2000 victory expired last year, and NASCAR's most popular driver needed fans to vote him into the All-Star race in 2011. This time, he just dominated the 40-lap qualifier to take a spot in the main event. Pole-sitter AJ Allmendinger had a flat tire headed to the green flag, and was forced to pit at the start of the race. But he drove through the field and passed Jamie McMurray right before the white flag to earn the second transfer position. Bobby Labonte then won the fan vote to get the third transfer spot. Junior looks to recreate Magic of 2000 Like so many other aspects of his early racing career, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made winning the Sprint All-Star Race look all too easy during his first attempt at it in 2000. That was 12 years ago, and Earnhardt wants to clear up one misconception. "It wasn't easy," Earnhardt said Friday as he relaxed in his No. 88 hauler. "We started the last segment and we were running maybe in the top 10, but not really all that good. We didn't look like we were going to win." So the then-rookie Cup driver and his crew chief, Tony Eury Sr., made a critical decision. "We ran maybe four laps and they had a crash or something," Earnhardt said. "The car was real tight and I told Tony Sr. we weren't going to win the race the way the car was -- and that if he wanted to win the race, he needed to do something and we needed to do it now. So he said, 'OK, bring it on in and we'll put four tires on it.'" It may not have been a cold and calculating decision, but it ended up being a crucial one. "We didn't feel like we were making that decision so that we were going to win the race. We just felt like we were doing everything we could to give ourselves an opportunity. I know you hear it so often, but it's so true. If you can't win that race, it doesn't matter if you're second or last. Just do everything you can to see if you can get up there and go for it. "So we were like, 'OK, let's put four tires on it and see what that does.' Tires were kind of big back then, I guess, and it made a big difference." If Earnhardt had no misconceptions then about the ease with which it took to get to Victory Lane back then, he surely has none now. He last won a Cup points race in June of 2008. To have a shot at the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of Saturday's All-Star Race, he'll want to make the right decisions that can get him in as one of the top two finishers in the preliminary Sprint Showdown race. But that's not his last chance at entry. A third driver will also advance to the main event via fan vote, which most figure Earnhardt will easily lock up to appear in his 13th consecutive All-Star Race. "And there's nothing wrong with that -- that's just the way it is," fellow driver Regan Smith said. Considering Earnhardt has been voted Most Popular Driver by NASCAR fans for nine years running, Smith makes a valid point. But Earnhardt admitted Friday that he would much rather race his way in versus getting voted in by his legion of loyal fans. "I know my fans put a lot of effort into voting -- whether it's getting me into this race or voting me Most Popular Driver," Earnhardt said. "They do a lot of campaigning for me on the Internet. I appreciate it, I really do. But even for them, I think it would mean a lot more if I could race my way in. "It's nice to have the votes as a safety net -- but if I could legitimately get in this race by driving my way in this weekend or by winning a race (to qualify automatically for next year's All-Star Race), it would mean more." Such brazen talk takes him back to the days of 2000, when he wasn't pestered so much by folks wanting to know when he's going to get to Victory Lane next. "We just were excited to be in the race. I remember when we won in Texas (to qualify for the event). That's what we talked about in Victory Lane probably more than anything, that we were in the All-Star event," Earnhardt said. "We hadn't even considered ourselves that fortunate as a team, and we were sort of rising up through the ranks so quickly. "So, when we got to the All-Star race itself, we were just enjoying the whole experience. Being able to compete against the upper teams, the qualifying, and just being out on the track with that group, that puts you in another tier and gained us a lot of confidence and respect. We were just happy to be a part of that." Some members of his team simply had bigger plans than even the driver himself. "I know Tony Sr. and (car chief) Tony (Eury) Jr. were thinking about winning the race as soon as the gates opened, but I really didn't imagine that being a reality until that last segment," Earnhardt said. "I think we started off a couple of laps and the car wasn't going to get it done and we made the choice to come and get those tires and it took off. It was a wild evening and just storybook for me. It's one of the great memories for me." Earnhardt would love to forge another one Saturday night. He's one of 22 drivers who first will have to compete in the Showdown because they failed to automatically qualify for the All-Star Race by either winning a points race in the previous year, or by being a winner of the All-Star Race within the previous 10 years. Earnhardt's decade-long exemption for winning it in 2000 expired last year. So, while spoils of that victory have pretty much disappeared, the memory still remains. And that's a motivator. "It was a really fun experience, really similar to what I would imagine a football player experiences getting to go to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl for the first time," Earnhardt said. "The invite alone, or the ability to be in the race alone, is a proud thing by itself. To go through the pageantry and experience of it, and the buildup of it, it's fun for you and your team. For you and your guys to even be in the race is a bit of a confidence-booster that you're part of that elite group. It does a lot of good things for you. "Then, to win it, that's just an awesome feeling. ...Winning this kind of event this weekend would do wonders for our race team." Dale Earnhardt Jr. invites congressman to NASCAR race to learn more about military sponsorships Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a message for U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, the Georgia Republican who would like to take away Earnhardt’s National Guard sponsorship. “The Republican from Georgia, he hasn’t even been to a NASCAR race,” Earnhardt said Friday. Would Earnhardt be willing to play host to Kingston at a NASCAR race? “Yes, because he’s a Republican from Georgia. He ought to have seen a NASCAR race by now,” he said. Kingston and Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, are sponsoring an amendment to the 2013 defense appropriations bill that would prohibit the military from funding sponsorships of professional sports or sporting events. The amendment was approved Thursday by the House Appropriations Committee. McCollum said the bill would not prevent military recruitment at sporting events but added, “It does prohibit racecar drivers from being paid $20 million.” Earnhardt and his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Cup car are sponsored by the National Guard while Ryan Newman and his Stewart-Haas Racing team has sponsorship from the U.S. Army. Earnhardt said Friday the congressmen who are supporting the amendment should study the issue more closely and consider attending a NASCAR race to see how the military sponsorships work. “I would encourage them to do more homework and get more facts and understand the situation a little better,” he said. “In talking to the Guard, they can’t express to me enough how much this program helps their recruiting and they are committed to the belief that it has a profound effect on their ability to recruit. “I think it’s important for them to be visible and work on their brand and give people more of an opportunity to learn how to get involved in the military. I think their NASCAR sponsorship is a great way to reach a lot of people. We’re one of the biggest sports, and more people attend races in our sport than a lot of the other avenues they could be going. I think it’s good for them to be here and be a part of it.” Earnhardt said Kingston, in particular, should attend a NASCAR race. “He could come along and see how (it operates) and he could visit with the Guard and talk to the people who are at particular races and see what the experience is like for them and see how the Guard utilizes their program and marketing within the sport," Earnhardt said. "If he’s not been to a race, he hasn’t seen that first hand." Earnhardt, who also was sponsored by the U.S. Navy at one point, has seen first hand how the military uses its sports sponsorships. “We see a lot of recruits come in,” he said. “When we worked with the Navy, we had a lot of people we helped recruit at the racetrack and met a lot of people who signed up directly because of the NASCAR exposure. “My experience with the Guard has been incredible. You feel like you are a part of it and meet a lot of people who have served and people that have recently enlisted, and that is an incredible experience for me that I am really proud of. … With what we’ve been through the last 10 or 15 years, that’s really important to me and has opened my eyes about the military and what is going on and how important that is to the country. It has been awesome for me, and I have been able to see how the marketing works and how beneficial that is to recruiting.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. the owner reveals savvy business side Dale Earnhardt Jr. draped an arm across Cole Whitt's shoulders after the pair unveiled a green-and-grey Chevrolet to the adoring throngs ("Junior, nice shave!" yells one fan) outside a Walmart. Standing several inches above the red-haired rookie who drives for Earnhardt's JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, NASCAR's most popular driver jointly looked the part of older brother and elder statesman. Both would have been appropriate. As a mentor to up-and -comers such as Whitt and a savvy businessman courting sponsorship in a tough environment, Earnhardt is actively engaged behind the scenes as Nationwide team owner, even if he rarely makes public appearances with the team. "I don't get on the pit box because the cameras always get there and want to talk to you, which is fine," he said. "But I think it takes away from the team, the driver and our objective. We need as much attention on the decal on the side of that car and the driver as we can get. I feel when I'm there, I steal a little bit of that, and it's not healthy for my company. "I want the car, the driver, the relationship and the sponsorship to be the focal point and stand on its own. I don't know if I'm doing that right exactly. But I'm heavily involved with the team." Though he leaves the day-to-day management of the team to older sister Kelley, Earnhardt is as immersed in its machinations as when he began fielding Nationwide cars in 2005. The team has enjoyed an up-and-down run, notching nine victories from 2008 to 10 (six with Brad Keselowski) but struggling since the introduction of a new chassis two years ago. That's coincided with a lack of funding in the second-tier series that has left JRM scrambling to fill its cars with logos. Sunday's race at Iowa Speedway will mark the first time one of Earnhardt's Sprint Cup sponsors (Diet Mountain Dew through its Dew Crew social-media campaign) takes a primary role on his team's Nationwide car, and he considers it a coup because the race doesn't have a built-in attraction of being in a major market or as a companion to a Cup event. "I'd love to do more of it," Earnhardt said. "It really takes a lot of pressure off us financially because the market is challenging." Though PepsiCo approached JRM, the deal was another example of Earnhardt's willingness to leverage his clout to bring in more dollars. "On the business side of it, he has been a lot more involved in the last year," Kelley said. "He realizes with the economic environment that his role is very important, and he's made a lot of effort to be involved in the (sponsor) conversations. Especially because we have a lot of sponsors, and there are a lot of things that are requested of him." After losing money in 2009 and 2010, JRM barely broke into the black last year, and this year has brought better tidings with new sponsors (including a recently announced four-race deal to promote clean-coal electricity). But Kelley Earnhardt said the team still needs to find more sponsors for 2013, especially as Danica Patrick (who drives JRM's No. 7 Chevy) and sponsor GoDaddy.com seem ticketed to move together into Cup. "The Nationwide Series fits our goals, but the economics for the team aren't very pretty," she said. "It's definitely a labor of love. Dale always says we don't have to make money doing this. We employ 100 people that can take care of their families. We're doing what we love, sending cars to the racetrack that are competitive and you can be proud of. That's all that matters to him." Earnhardt Jr. said the team sometimes had to cut its weekly race budget by about 20% ("from six figures to five figures") to make it to the track each week but hasn't cut back on staff. The team socked away profits from earlier years to bridge shortfalls. "Every dime I made I put back into the team," he said. "It would have been nice to put the profit back into your pocket, but we put it back in the team. I like to think of the profits as a safety net. "But I never will put my own money into it. That's a line that I don't need to cross. I don't need to break that promise on principle. If I do, I'm setting myself up to make it a financial failure. We're far more comfortable and further away from that prospect (than) a year ago." Results also should help attract sponsorship, and Earnhardt thought the team consistently should run in the top three and contend for wins. Earnhardt and his sister have been aggressive about trying to improve performance, making a crew chief change on Whitt's car this year and encouraging the team to lean on Hendrick Motorsports (which supplies its engines and chassis) for engineering and technical help. "I still think we should be running better than we are with Cole," Earnhardt said. "As a company, we need to get better. We're working really hard. We're turning over every stone, making changes. Hendrick wants to give us all the knowledge that we can stomach. It's our job to access that and use those resources better. I don't think we have been .We can do more of that." Whitt said Earnhardt has been a constant calming influence, particularly after he unintentionally bumped Patrick into a crash in the season opener. "He always reaches out and wants to be the leader of the team, which is pretty cool," Whitt said. "He calls just to check up on how you're doing and make sure you're good." Earnhardt said he learned the philosophy from his Cup team owner, Rick Hendrick. "Rick says things that that constantly remind you that he's behind you and believes in you," Earnhardt said. "I've learned as an owner myself that a driver needs that vote of confidence, especially a guy like (Whitt) coming into a situation like this. "It's got to be overwhelming for him. He's never had to deal with sponsors and the attention and the spotlight and the pressures like this. I try to help him as much as I can." House committee vote squashes military NASCAR sponsorships Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman would need new sponsors if an amendment banning military sponsorship of professional sports becomes law. The amendment — led by a southern Republican — is attached to the $608 billion defense bill, which the House Appropriations Committee approved Thursday. The amendment states: "None of the funds made available in this act may be used to sponsor professional or semi-professional motorsports, fishing, wrestling or other sports." This action comes shortly before Memorial Day weekend, when the military will be prominent in the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500. The cars of Earnhardt (National Guard), Newman (U.S. Army) and Aric Almirola (Air Force) will feature military sponsors in the NASCAR race. J.R. Hildebrand, who nearly won last year's Indy 500, will be back with National Guard in that showcase race of the Izod IndyCar Series. Such patriotic emotions, though, don't justify the bottom line when the government is looking to make cuts and the military is projected to be smaller in coming years, the amendment's sponsors noted. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., tried to prevent military spending on sporting events last year. Although her measure failed then, she gained support in Congress with Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., sponsoring the bill this time (McCollum is the co-sponsor). "You've got to lead by example," Kingston told USA TODAY Sports. "I think that if Southern, pro-NASCAR people say, 'You know what, I love NASCAR but this is not a good recruiting tool (and) we've got to make some serious decisions in the name of the (USA).' I think NASCAR fans would appreciate that." McCollum, whose website said National Guard spent $20 million in professional fishing and $90 million in motor sports in 2011 and 2012. cited the Air National Guard's sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway in September 2010 as an example of waste. She said that the Air National Guard paid $650,000 to sponsor that event. "One night, one race … 439 recruitment leads,'' McCollum told USA TODAY Sports. "Six of those — only six — qualified as potential recruits and then they got zero out of it. "The military needs to be present in our communities. There's nothing to prevent them … from having recruiters at these events. We're paying for recruiters to be at these events. It's the above and beyond that is just ridiculous." According to the National Guard, it will pay $26,539,294 this fiscal year (October 2011 through September 2012) for its NASCAR sponsorship. In fiscal year 2011, the National Guard reported that it spent $32,775,000 in its total NASCAR sponsorship fees. That represented 8.6% of its total recruiting budget. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp touted the sport's connection to the military and its role with helping fortify an all-volunteer force. "Military sponsorship in NASCAR and other forms of motorsports have proven to be a very effective recruiting tool," Tharp said. "There's really no better platform than motor sports for the military to connect with potential recruits and their families. The level of exposure and reach that these sponsorships have is enormous." According to the National Guard, in 2008, approximately 16,800 individuals cited NASCAR as the source of their interest in joining. In 2009, 53,740 qualified leads were generated because of the NASCAR program, which included an online drive around Earnhardt. The Guard stated that 43,934 fans signed up to the online program with 38,846 considered qualified leads. Of those, 343 joined the Guard.Current figures for the Army's sponsorship of Newman's team were unavailable. The U.S. Army paid $7.5 million to sponsor his team in 2011. Current figures for the U.S. Air Force also were unavailable, but it paid $1.6 million in sponsorship last season. Kingston (who said he's never attended a NASCAR race) and McCollum said that the military's inability to show how many recruits had been influenced to join because of such sports sponsorships was a factor in seeking these cuts. "I think that they have been maybe touchy-feely or anecdotal in terms of, 'This is great because the people that go to these events are the type that like to join the Army and very patriotic,'" Kingston said. "There's no metrics at all. When you're in debt the way we're in debt and the military budget is one of the big three — health care and retirement being the others — you've got to look at it with a lot of scrutiny.'' NASCAR veteran driver Jeff Burton doesn't buy that argument. "I don't think they're throwing money at it just for the hell of it,'' he said Thursday night before the Pit Crew Challenge as part of NASCAR's All-Star weekend. "They must be doing it because it works. And so, for the people in the government to get involved in something that they probably don't know enough about really makes no sense. "Why would they be spending the money if it wasn't effective? So it's easy to say, 'Well, we're going to cut funding out of something because it's fashionable to do,' but there's a consequence to that. There's a lot better ways that we can cut money than trying to find more young men and women that can be exposed to the military through motor sports." Brett Frood, executive vice president of Stewart-Haas Racing (which fields Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet), said that taking away a military's ability to sponsor sporting events could negatively impact recruiting in the future. "Do we need to recruit right now? Thankfully we don't," Frood said. "It's an all-volunteer force and at some point we're going to need to, and how do we make sure we're capable of doing that? That's certainly one connection in this relationship. The other is just connecting the Army with the American public and ultimately maintaining that connection, which becomes building brand equity. "Same thing with buying a car. Not everyone is buying a Chevrolet now, but they're still advertising. When one of us buys a car, it may be in two years or three years. It's that repetition, it's that brand building over years that helps people make decisions." There's another aspect to the sponsorship, though, according to driver Brad Keselowski, who drove in the Nationwide Series for the U.S. Navy, that make such sponsorship valuable. Keselowski wrote on Twitter: "I had the privilege of driving a navy sponsored car when I started racing,. can tell u first hand we made a huge difference in both the morale of those presently serving and the power of recruiting for the future. For this, I am proud." The Navy no longer sponsors a team in NASCAR. Neither do the Marines. "The Marines stopped doing it because they thought it was ineffective," McCollum said. The next step is a full vote in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority of seats. The Democrat-controlled Senate would vote on passing its own version of the bill, which may or may not have the NASCAR funding ban. "There were many Republicans who came up to me last time and either said, 'I voted for you, thank you for bringing this up, (or) I should have voted for you, I'll vote for you next time.'" McCollum said. "Look, I was in the private sector in retails sales for years and marketing. This is not smart marketing." Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car to showcase Batman paint scheme at Michigan Dale Earnhardt Jr. admits he’s always been a fan of Batman. Now he’ll get to dress the part and drive a Batman-themed racecar at Michigan International Speedway on June 15-17. Earnhardt sponsor Mountain Dew is helping promote the new movie, “The Dark Knight Rises,” the third and final installment in the Dark Knight trilogy that opens in theaters July 20. Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet will carry a special Dark Knight paint scheme at Michigan and fans will have a chance to vote on which color scheme and logo he will use. Each paint scheme captures a different element featured in the film. Fans can vote at DewCrew.com through May 22. The winning design will be unveiled at the Hendrick Motorsports Fan Fest on May 25. Earnhardt also will wear a custom Dark Knight firesuit at Michigan. "I've always been a big fan of the Batman movies, so having a special The Dark Knight Rises-inspired paint scheme on my car is pretty cool for me," Earnhardt said. "I had some creative input on one of the designs, but no matter which one the fans select, it's going to look pretty awesome flying around the track at Michigan." Dale Earnhardt Jr. finds Darlington fun but frustrating Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never won at Darlington Raceway and has led laps in only one of his last eight races at the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval. So it’s pretty safe to say he hasn’t totally tamed the track that is known as, well, “Too Tough to Tame.” He did have four consecutive top-10 finishes from 2005-2008, but he has finished 27th, 18th and 14th at the track since. Despite limited success, Earnhardt said he enjoys racing at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. “It’s always been a fun track to race on, it’s just a frustrating track, too, at the same time,” Earnhardt said Friday before practice at Darlington. “The challenge is really kind of what is interesting or what is fun about it. “You don’t really race your competitors as you are really at battle with the track itself all night long. You just have to work every lap. You can’t take any time off.” Enjoying one of his most consistent seasons in years, Earnhardt has six straight top-10 finishes and sits third in the Cup standings going into the Bojangles Southern 500 on Saturday night. He is driving the same car that he raced to a third-place finish at California. “We were good there last year, and I hope we can keep our consistency going,” Earnhardt said. “We feel confident we can win pretty much anywhere when we get it right." Hendrick Motorsports could use a win. It has gone 16 races without a victory—a long stretch for an organization with 199 Cup victories. Not since a 17-race stretch from the end of 2001 through the start of 2002 has Hendrick had a longer drought. “There’s nothing wrong,” Earnhardt said. “We’re looking at our performance over the same period and seeing improvement. “All four teams are faster than they were last year. … Attitudes are good and everybody feels like we’re just right around the corner.” Hendrick could break win drought at Darlington The question follows Hendrick Motorsports from week to week and race track to race track, no longer an affirmation of its success but a reminder of its struggle. When will that elusive 200th victory finally come? It has been seven months and 16 races since Jimmie Johnson delivered win No. 199 to Rick Hendrick in October at Kansas Speedway, one short of the milestone that would, if nothing else, help quantify the dominance Hendrick Motorsports has displayed in NASCAR for most of its 25 years. It was only a matter of time before No. 200 followed. At least, that's what was supposed to happen. Except it never did. As the weeks tick off and the celebration gets put off again and again, a sense of inevitability has been replaced by some uncertainty. "It certainly weighs on the team,'' Johnson said before Friday's practice for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. "I'm not frustrated yet. I don't want to see opportunities slip away. I certainly want to get 200 behind us as does everyone at Hendrick Motorsports because it's lingering around." There is reason to think it finally could happen at Darlington. Gordon has seven victories here, the last in 2007. Johnson has won twice as well, but also not since the famed egg-shaped oval was repaved before the 2008 race. Johnson was fourth in Happy Hour practice, behind leader AJ Allmendinger at 175.022 mph, points leader Greg Biffle (174.730) and Carl Edwards (174.099). Travis Kvapil was fifth (173.626). The rest of the Hendrick contingent was lower on the Happy Hour charts, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. 18th, Kasey Kahne 22nd and Jeff Gordon 28th. Past history and wins might not be the best measure for Hendrick going into Saturday night. Instead, it is recent history that is raising questions. Gordon arrived at Darlington 23rd in the standings and is struggling to remain in the conversation for a spot in the playoff Chase. Kasey Kahne is climbing back after being even deeper in the hole. Johnson had to recover from a disastrous Daytona 500, when he was collected in an early wreck, to get back into the hunt. He is coming off a 35th-place showing at Talladega Superspeedway when his engine failed. Hendrick, if nothing else, has been plain unlucky this season. The only driver who has performed well consistently is Earnhardt, who has finished in the top 10 eight times, but he has gone 139 races without a win. Right now, Earnhardt isn't worried about No. 200 or the struggles of Hendrick Motorsports. "There's nothing wrong,'' he said. "I think we're looking at our performance over the same period and seeing an improvement. I think all four of our teams are faster than they were last year and running with a better competitive spirit than what we had last year. We're running better, Kasey's come in and been really fast -- superfast at several tracks. Jeff's had terrible luck. He's been probably as fast as Kasey if not one of the fastest of the four, and Jimmie's always right there. He's just one decision away from a win. We're getting pretty close ourselves, so I think attitudes are good and everybody feels like we're just right around the corner." As for the rest of the garage? There probably isn't much sympathy for Hendrick these days. "Yeah, I really feel bad for those guys,'' Matt Kenseth said, tongue planted firmly in cheek. "They've only won five out of the last six championships. Those guys are really on a tough run. I hope they get it straightened out." Dale Jr. looks for breakthrough at Darlington Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he's gone faster at every track he's raced at this season - and he's certain Darlington Raceway won't be any different. Earnhardt will try for his first Sprint Cup victory at the Southern 500 on Saturday night. He's also hoping to end a nearly four-year winless drought on the circuit stretching back to his first year driving for powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt's nearly four-year winless drought grew to 139 races when he finished ninth last week at Talladega. ''We want to get to victory lane and we're getting closer,'' Earnhardt said Thursday. Earnhardt has seen the improvement in his No. 88 Chevy team all season long and the results have backed that up. He's third in the points and has had eight top-10 finishes in the 10 races this season. ''I think we're a faster team this year,'' Earnhardt said. ''We've been running better everywhere this year so I'm expecting to step it up a little bit and challenge for the win'' at Darlington. That hasn't come so easy for Earnhardt, who has not had the love affair his late father had with the old country track. Dale Earnhardt won nine times on the track ''Too Tough To Tame,'' second all-time behind NASCAR Hall-of-Famer David Pearson's 10 Darlington wins. The best Dale Jr. managed here are a couple of fourths in March 2002 and May 2008, his first year driving for Hendrick Motorsports. It was a few weeks later when Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag for the last time, winning at Michigan for his lone victory in 154 starts for owner Rick Hendrick. Earnhardt won 17 times driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before joining Hendrick. Darlington is unlike any other NASCAR track, Earnhardt said, where conditions chance from lap to lap because of how quickly tires lose their grip. A repaving of the track in 2008 increased speeds and consistency. However, Earnhardt said the track's wearing down a bit. ''It's looking like the old Darlington where people are sliding everywhere,'' he said. Not the repaved surfaced helped Earnhardt, who went 27th, 11th and 14th at Darlington the past three years. Back in 2010 after crashing his primary and backup cars in Southern 500 practice, Earnhardt talked about how the track's maddening corners, narrow straightaways and tire-chewing surface would one day drive him from the sport. '''ll probably come here when I'm 45, run a race and say, 'The hell with it,''' Junior said then. Earnhardt was heartened with last year's run when he had a top 10 going before a pit-road violation led to a pass-through penalty that dropped him back to 14th. That showing, plus his performances this year have Earnhardt much more positive about his chance to succeed at Darlington. The reason? Good, ol' fashioned hard work, Earnhardt said. ''It's kind of cliche and you hear that a lot, but we're really not doing anything different,'' he said. ''The guys just work really hard in the offseason and we start this season off and we're faster. We don't really know why.'' Earnhardt's even running well in practice. He said he spent the past two days testing at New Hampshire and found ''a lot of speed there,'' he said. ''Just looking forward to every week.'' Earnhardt, voted NASCAR's most popular driver the past nine years, hasn't lost the fans' adulation despite his winless streak. A few hundred turned out at an area Wal-Mart to cheer their hero, snap phone pictures and get autographs. Earnhardt also unveiled a new paint scheme on the JR Motorsports car Cole Whitt drives in the Nationwide Series to promote its sponsor, Mountain Dew. There's also a website where fans can weigh in on what Earnhardt should do. First question: Beard or no beard? Earnhardt, whose face was a little scraggly when meeting fans, smiled when the crowd shouted loudly for him to bring back the beard. He said he grows it in the winter to keep his face warm, then shaves it once temperatures heat up. ''It's a guy thing,'' he said. Maybe Earnhardt's smooth, clean face will cut down resistance and give the No. 88 a tick more speed this weekend at Darlington. ''It's one of the hardest tracks we race on, one of the most respected tracks we race on and to get a trophy from Darlington is on top of a lot of drivers' lists, including mine,'' he said. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has advice for struggling Danica Patrick Before a postrace fracas with Sam Hornish Jr., Danica Patrick seemed as relaxed last week at Talladega Superspeedway as she has during a mostly frustrating full-time transition to NASCAR. The relaxed approach went along with advice her Nationwide Series team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., talked about a few weeks ago. Earnhardt said in a news media session that Patrick needed to make sure "she enjoys driving stock cars" and that she shouldn't "really worry so much about her progression … (and) people's opinions and expectations." But the Sprint Cup Series' most popular driver said Patrick didn't need his consultation to adopt the fresh attitude. "I don't pretend to know her very well, but she seems like the kind of person that's been through a lot of situations that have seasoned her for this," Earnhardt said. "So I don't expect her to get worked up over too much, and she understands it's going to be a struggle. She knows what she's doing and what she's dealing with and how to handle it. "She's really savvy. If I felt like I needed to go talk to her, I would go talk to her. But I haven't ever felt that way. She seems to have it all under control." After posting only one top-10 finish in eight Nationwide races, Patrick said at Talladega she was beginning to feel more comfortable and familiar with her peers while also learning not to dwell on her results. She said she has set no concrete goals each race — except to run competitively. Two months ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Patrick admitted she had given herself "a little bit of false expectation about running for the championship" in Nationwide, NASCAR's second-level series, as she planned to run Cup full-time in 2013. She ran full-time in the Izod IndyCar Series, where she recorded one win and became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500, in a seven-year career. "It's not about wrapping my head around what happened," Patrick said of her mental adjustment. "It's what happens next and what did I learn and move on. It's really easy with this schedule to let one weekend affect the next. The hurdle is (to) disconnect from what just happened and look at it as a positive that you get another race to make it right." Patrick will face the toughest challenge of her NASCAR career this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Saturday night's Bojangles Southern 500 will mark her second Cup start (and first since the Daytona 500, where she was sent to the garage in a wreck on lap 2), and she will spend Friday morning and afternoon scurrying between the Cup and Nationwide garage before that night's VFW Sport Clips 200. It's her first attempt at the 1.366-mile racetrack, whose egg shape is hailed as the trickiest oval layout in NASCAR. "I'm told it's not going to be so much about the track and getting comfortable and up to speed, it'll be more about learning how to pass," Patrick said. "It's one lane and just going two-wide in (Turns) 1 and 2 is a detriment to a second a lap. (It's) just being smart about when you're supposed to give a position up for the sake of overall time. Getting used to that is going to be the hardest thing. "Feeling out the rhythm of the race is going to be another challenge." In Earnhardt's case, it's about more than one win With every passing week, the tension mounts. As one Sprint Cup race shifts into another, the anxiety and the eagerness and the expectation are compounded, to the point where it seems impossible and inevitable all at the same time. Dale Earnhardt's Jr.'s epic winless streak is going to end, sometime. He's running too well, too often, for it not to. And yet until it does, that combination of fretfulness and anticipation is always going to be there, rising a little higher in the throats of race fans until, miracle of miracles, the No. 88 car actually pulls into Victory Lane. And then what happens? Jubilation, of course. The citizens of Junior Nation whooping and hugging in the grandstands or in front of their television sets. Spraying of champagne, shooting of confetti, photos with team members wearing lots of different hats. If history is any indication, a candid and heart-on-the-sleeve interview session in the media center. Relief, in many different corners. And then the driver will fly home, and the car will be packed up into the transporter, and they'll try to do it again the next weekend -- which, as we all know, is where the real difficulty comes into play. Winning is what this sport is all about, of course, but a single victory can be a fleeting thing. A win at one track guarantees nothing the next weekend, particularly given how drastically different the venues can be from one Sunday afternoon to another. There's winning, and then there's building on winning, which is a completely different -- and unquestionably more arduous -- endeavor altogether. Just ask Regan Smith, who hoped to take the next step after his breakthrough victory in last season's Southern 500, but instead returns to Darlington Raceway this weekend in a points position only moderately improved from where he was 12 months ago. No question, a race victory can bring celebration and relief and renewed confidence, but ultimately it is a moment that begins to fade as the next race week dawns. Which brings us back to Earnhardt, and the breathless anticipation over that looming, streak-busting victory, and how misguided it all seems in relation to what he's doing on the race track. No question, Dale Jr. fans -- not to mention the driver himself -- are more than ready to shed the yoke of a skid that now numbers 139 races, and stretches back nearly four years. But in truth, the hard part is being in position to win every week. The hard part is what Earnhardt and his team are doing right now, and it's getting overshadowed because breaks and circumstances haven't gone their way at the end. Because let's be honest -- to some degree, we've seen this movie before. Although it's not as interminable as the current one, Earnhardt was mired in a 76-race winless skid when he arrived at Michigan International Speedway in the summer of 2008. He won on fuel mileage, and fans in the Irish Hills celebrated as if the Berlin Wall had just come down. People were out of their minds with happiness as the out-of-gas No. 88 was pushed down pit road toward Victory Lane. Earnhardt was equally as pleased to have scored his first victory for Hendrick Motorsports. "It's a pretty big day for me," the driver said then, clearly happy to shed the weight of the winless streak, regardless of how it had ended. And now here we are, three years and nearly 11 months later, still waiting on the next one. Earnhardt stood third in points after that Michigan victory, the same position he's in now, but the team couldn't keep it going and he limped home to a last-place finish in the Chase. Two extremely difficult seasons followed, both of them marked by points finishes in the 20s. The streak-buster outside the Motor City had been a mirage. Victories by nature raise hope and expectation, but they don't help you once the transporters roll into a new track the next Friday morning. One of the most sought-after victories of Earnhardt's career was followed by some of his toughest times behind the wheel. In time, the unfulfilled promise of that day in Michigan seemed almost as much a burden as the winless skid itself. So here we are again, awaiting the end of another, much longer, streak, that focus on a single victory obscuring the real progress being made. Although Earnhardt's statistics this season are quite comparable to those from the early part of 2008 -- he has one more top-10 finish through 10 races, occupies the same points position, and led far more laps then -- what we're seeing now is actually a continuation of last season, when Little E broke back into the Chase and showed signs of once again becoming the contender he is now. This is sustained performance built upon sustained performance, the most difficult thing to achieve in all of auto racing. Smith, Paul Menard, Marcos Ambrose, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne and Kurt Busch are among those who won races last year. Earnhardt did not. Who at this point is better off? It's more about winning than individual wins, and those two have less in common than it might first appear. The latter does not always guarantee the former, as we've seen time and time again. And yet even as Junior compiles top-10 after top-10, getting the kind of finishes it may not take to win races but it does take to contend for championships, the angst will continue until that winless streak number is reduced to zero. There was much hope last weekend at Talladega, but the draft proved too capricious. Darlington shapes up as an unlikely candidate, given Earnhardt's rather uneven track record there, but last season showed unusual things can happen on this surface. Hendrick has more victories at the Lady in Black than any other active organization, but its quest for win No. 200 has been derailed by a 16-race skid that's the team's longest since Jimmie Johnson won his first career Cup race in the spring of 2002 to snap a 17-race drought. So there are all kinds of winless streaks at play heading back to the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, even though Hendrick cars are fast almost every week and Earnhardt has shown himself to be a frontrunner almost everywhere the circuit has visited to this point. Should his mark be pushed to 140 after Saturday night, all eyes will eagerly look ahead two weeks to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where a year ago Earnhardt led off the final corner before running out of gas. The count continues, the numbers as large and obvious as the clock face on Big Ben. So does the construction of a championship contender, even if it goes unnoticed. No win, no problem for Earnhardt Jr. With each race he runs and each top-10 performance he delivers in this resurgent season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. can't help but raise the hopes and expectations of a legion of fans desperate to see him finally make it back to Victory Lane. After 138 races without a win, a run of nearly four years, a sense of destiny followed Earnhardt to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday's Aaron's 499. Why not here? Why not now? Earnhardt used to own restrictor-plate racing, after all. And he arrived having finished in the top 10 the past five races and seven of nine overall this season. Earnhardt was running as well as ever. He even had climbed to a close second in the points standings, a mere five back of Greg Biffle going into Sunday. There was talk Earnhardt could end the streak and take the points lead all at once. It would have been glorious. If only. But when the race was done, Brad Keselowski was standing in Victory Lane. Once again, Earnhardt had come close enough to make his fans believe he could win -- and maybe will win -- someday. But not Sunday. With a ninth-place finish, Earnhardt delivered his sixth consecutive top-10 performance. As for the other streak? That's now 139 and counting. Earnhardt was as high as first and as low as 31st. He led 10 laps in the first half of the race and appeared to be a contender. But he dropped back in the field in the second half. Although Earnhardt avoided the multiple multi-car crashes, he did not have a shot to win in the end. "We just didn't have a great car,'' Earnhardt said. "We've got all the tools; we just really didn't bring the best package here. Good engine. We have all the tools. It ain't nothing anybody at the shop did. Between me and Steve, we can do a better job." But Earnhardt hardly seemed disappointed. He now has eight top-10 finishes in 10 races so far, more than any other Sprint Cup driver this season and as many as he had in 2010. He had only five top-10s in 2009. "Yes, this is definitely the most consistent we've ever been, or I've ever been,'' said Earnhardt, who slipped ever-so-slightly in the standings to third place, nine points back of Biffle, who finished fifth, and two behind Matt Kenseth, who was third. "I have a great team, and they give me great cars. "I knew there would be a lot of wrecks [Sunday]. I didn't have enough car to get up in there to stay ahead of the wrecks like we did [in the Nationwide Series race Saturday]. I just kind of had to play it a little too safe. It worked out, and we ended up getting a finish and not tore up and on the hook. I'm really happy with the team, and Steve's doing a great job." Earnhardt had downplayed some of the Talladega hype going into the race, although he acknowledged that the return of pack racing -- instead of the two-car tandems that had been prevalent in recent races -- certainly favored his style. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon didn't have to think too hard when asked how fans might react if Earnhardt had won at a track where his name is revered. "I think we all know what that would be like," Gordon said before the race. "When he does something great here, you could be a mile away from here and you know it." In the end, Earnhardt didn't have the race car to do it. But in truth, Earnhardt thinks that elusive win is likely to come elsewhere. He said as much Saturday. And where did he think his best shot might be? How about Darlington Raceway, where the Cup Series heads for Saturday night's Southern 500. "I'm kind of looking forward to going to Darlington and back to race tracks where the car handles because we're having such a good year,'' Earnhardt said. "It's not a slight on Talladega, but we're having such a good year at all these tracks, and the cars are driving so much better over time, even from last year, the cars are better. I'm kind of looking forward to other tracks as well." Let the hype begin. Again. Plate half full or half empty? Dale Earnhardt Jr. hears it every time he runs at Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway. This is his best chance to win again. That hasn't happened in a Sprint Cup race since June 2008 at Michigan, 138 races and nearly four years ago. He did win a Nationwide Series race at Daytona in 2010, only further reinforcing the opinion that his best opportunities to revisit Victory Lane come at such restrictor-plate venues. Earnhardt has heard it all -- again and again and again. He said Saturday that he tries to mostly ignore it. "I never really took anything for granted. A lot of people have said that this weekend at the race track, but I don't pay much attention to it," Earnhardt said. "I know how this sport can be brutal and great all at the same time. You just hope you're prepared and try to run a smart race. Hopefully then you can make the right moves and beat the odds and win the race." As he prepared to run in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega, though, there was mounting evidence that this indeed may be his best opportunity in some time to put the talk about the winless streak to rest for a while. The current restrictor-plate race rules appear to be in his favor. The hot Talladega weather should play to his favor. Plus, he's coming in full of momentum and confidence. Earnhardt enters this one second in the Cup point standings, fresh off a second-place finish last week at Richmond. He also drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to second in the season-opening Daytona 500 and has five consecutive top-10 finishes overall, including third-place efforts at Fontana and Martinsville in addition to the Richmond finish. In a twist of irony, that's why Jimmie Johnson begs to differ with all those who say the restrictor-plate races are Earnhardt's best chances to win these days. The five-time Cup champion and Earnhardt's current Hendrick Motorsports teammate offers a dissenting opinion on the matter. "I think his best chance to win is on non-plate tracks, to be honest with you," Johnson said. "Here, there are so many circumstances to deal with. We don't know if you're going to overheat, get the push at the right time, whatever it may be. What I've seen out of him, if you just look at this year alone and where he is in points and how fast his cars have been and how great he's been driving, I put this lower on the list of where I would expect him to win." Johnson is in the minority on that, of course, even in the Sprint Cup garage. "If he had backed up to me at Daytona, he would have won the 500. He didn't," Denny Hamlin said of Earnhardt. "I think he's obviously got a ton of experience and a ton of wins on this track. When you look at this schedule and you look at opportunities to win, I would say that this is one of his best shots to do it." Earnhardt seemed to sit on the fence on the subject. On one hand, he admitted that Hamlin and the majority of folks likely are right. "This is probably one of our better shots," Earnhardt said. "How the drafting and everything was changed before Daytona [this year], that suits me better. And it's hotter, and I think that leans toward favoring pack racing over tandem racing, too. That's kind of in my favor, so I'm looking forward to the race. I just don't think our odds have necessarily increased because I've run so well this year." He said there are other circumstances that he figures will work in his favor, such as more big-pack racing and less tandem racing where drivers have to rely more heavily on a single drafting partner. "I feel like I'm in the best equipment that's out there, and that gives you a lot of confidence. I feel like I know what I'm doing when I come here," Earnhardt said. "I feel like if I could create the best scenario for me to come to Talladega and win a race, this is it. I've got the best car and I know how to get around the race track. "When we started tandem racing, I really didn't understand that. I really didn't like it; I really didn't want to do it. I sort of didn't wrap my brain around it and learn how to do it as quickly as some. I almost just wished it away -- and it wasn't going away." It still hasn't completely vanished. But new rules have limited the ability of the cars to do it for long, and the hotter temperatures expected on Sunday will make it even more tricky and difficult for drivers to hook up in two-car tandems for long without risking overheating. If it comes to the end, though, and Earnhardt is looking for a tandem dance partner, Johnson certainly would be a willing one. "I think the chemistry Junior and I both have, that our shop has, it was just another example of how strong that chemistry is and how much it continues to grow," Johnson said. "I'm very happy to see how fast the No. 88 car has been week in and week out. Naturally, you think of him as a favorite here at this race track -- but that No. 88 has been pretty strong everywhere. He is rising to be a favorite everywhere we go." That favorable opinion of Johnson's also got Earnhardt thinking. "I maybe feel the same way because when you come to Daytona and Talladega, the cars are so equal," Earnhardt said. "And even though pack racing definitely puts more in your hands and you definitely control your own destiny more when you're just dealing with yourself and looking for No. 1 and being greedy and selfish, there still are so many things that can happen. "Somebody could get the right push and do the right thing at the right time and win the race, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's a lottery, really. I've said that before, but it really is when you come to Daytona and Talladega, trying to win these races. It's a lottery Earnhardt hasn't won on the Cup side since 2004, even though he still carries the stout restrictor-plate reputation. He's well aware of that statistic, as well. "We've always at some point been up front and running well. I haven't had a race since 2004 where I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing or I was making bad decisions or I was completely lost," Earnhardt said. "I never felt I lost my savvy here, or my mojo. I feel like we'll have a good race and if we make the right moves, we'll be up there again, trying to win." But then, he's starting to feel that confident every week -- no matter what the type of track. "I just feel like were really consistent every week, and have been at several different styles of race tracks," Earnhardt said. "I would love to win this race on Sunday. But if our next win happens to come at a track where you really have to wheel on it, get it around the corners and hustle the car, that would probably, personally, mean a little more to me because of the circumstances where we haven't won in a long time and what the critics might be thinking. If we win here, they might say, 'Go win somewhere else and really prove to us that you've got it turned around.' I don't know. That is kind of in the back of your mind a little bit." Will Dale and 'Dega be winning combination? Plenty of intangibles tilt in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s favor this weekend -- his history of success at Talladega Superspeedway and his father's legacy of domination of the track among them. One X-factor Earnhardt doesn't buy into -- momentum. Earnhardt has reason for optimism heading into Sunday's Aaron's 499 at 1 p.m. ET, but it's not based around his runner-up finish last weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Instead, NASCAR's most popular driver suggests that season-to-date performance and confidence play more important roles. "No, I don't think momentum is a real thing," Earnhardt said. "The team is confident, we're feeling good. We feel like we're competing well -- really close to winning a race. We ain't really raced for a win yet and lost one, so I wouldn't count [Richmond]. But we're getting better at running in the top five and top 10. We'll just try to keep doing that." Being "really close" to ending a 138-race winless streak would go a long way toward appeasing a wide fan base that seems to turn its most rabid at Talladega, where Earnhardt Jr. has five of his 18 wins in the Sprint Cup Series. His most recent victory at the 2.66-mile track, however, wasn't recent at all -- coming in the fall of 2004. This season, the good has outweighed the bad, though. Earnhardt has a string of five straight top-10 efforts heading to Talladega and hasn't finished worse than 15th in nine races so far in 2012 -- leaving him second in the standings, five points behind Cup leader Greg Biffle. He was also runner-up in the season-opening Daytona 500, where the similar rules package for restrictor-plate tracks earned high marks from Earnhardt for bringing pack racing back. "I do like having more control of my own destiny and making my own decisions for myself, looking out for number one and my team all day long, trying to do whatever I can to put myself in position to win the race," Earnhardt said. "That's really what I feel like I've been doing all my life. To do anything different doesn't feel comfortable and feels odd to me." An Earnhardt win would also bring an end to Hendrick Motorsports' modest 15-race slump, which has prolonged the team's anticipation of a milestone 200th win in NASCAR's top series. Hendrick has 11 Talladega wins, second only to the 12 scored by Richard Childress Racing. Earnhardt closing in on a win, maybe at Talladega It has been almost four years since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a Sprint Cup Series race. There have been flashes of hope in the humbling drought, and with each one, his rabid fan base holds it breath and prays for that elusive victory. Off to another solid start to the season, there is reason to believe a win could be close. Maybe even this weekend. Earnhardt goes into Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway riding a stretch of five straight top-10 finishes, and his second-place finish at Richmond on Saturday night moved him to second in the series standings. ''The team is confident, we're feeling good,'' Earnhardt said. ''Really close to winning a race.'' Lest anyone forget, he's pretty good at Talladega, too. Earnhardt has five career wins at the Alabama track, none since 2004, but he pushed teammate Jimmie Johnson to the win there last April while sacrificing his own shot at a victory. Earnhardt settled for second, and he was second in this year's season-opening Daytona 500, a restrictor-plate race just like Talladega. Working in his favor is that NASCAR spent most of the offseason trying to break up the two-car tandem style of racing that had dominated plate races the last two years. Earnhardt hated tandem racing, hated having his fate in the hands of a drafting partner, and never tried to hide his feelings. ''I feel like the style of racing we had in the Daytona 500 this year suits me better; I feel more confident in that style than I do the tandem,'' he said. ''The tandem is difficult to really commit with someone all day long. Knowing if you are going to work together and you are going to be going for the win off the corner, you are going to have to split it between the two of you one way or the other. You are going to run second or you might win. ''It is just difficult to really grasp that and feel like that is racing to you.'' The pack was broken up at Daytona, and Earnhardt had an opportunity to chase down winner Matt Kenseth on his own. Even though he failed, he liked controlling his own destiny. ''Looking out for number one and my team all day long, trying to do whatever I can to put myself in position to win the race, that is really what I feel like I have been doing all my life,'' he said. ''To do anything different just doesn't feel comfortable. It feels odd to me.'' Alas, he's not sure the finish this Sunday will play out the same way. Teams still believe that tandem racing is the fastest way to get around the track, and despite the regulations NASCAR has imposed to prevent two drivers from hooking up and pushing each other, Earnhardt believes teams will still try to find a way circumvent the restrictions. ''Every team in the garage will work toward the same goal and that is to get it back to the tandem, because that is the fastest way to go,'' he said. Even without the tandem, Earnhardt would never think he is running well enough to guarantee his 138-race winless streak will come to an end at Talladega. The race can change quickly, and a driver's day can end in a multi-car crash started by someone else. ''There's too many variables going into races at Talladega,'' he said, ''whether you feel confident winning or not.'' But, the key is that Earnhardt is confident right now and with good reason. Hendrick Motorsports and crew chief Steve Letarte are giving him good cars, and Earnhardt has seven top-10 finishes in nine races this season. His worst finish was 15th at Bristol, and he's got a pair of second-place finishes and a pair of third-place finishes. He's feeling so good that he recently said he thinks he is the best driver at Hendrick, an organization that boasts five-time champion Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, who like Earnhardt does not have a Cup title. He's not backing down from that idea, mainly because he has to believe that way to win again. ''All the drivers in the garage feel like they are the best individually, and they should. That is kind of the way you have to approach it,'' he said. ''I learned a long time ago that if you don't have confidence in your car that can be problematic for you. If you don't have confidence in your crew chief, then that can be problematic for you, and if you don't have the same confidence in yourself, it's not conducive to being successful. ''You have to feel like you're here and you're the best and that is the way you should feel. In any profession, you have to have that kind of confidence.'' Earnhardt Jr. steps up his performance Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been creeping up on his first Sprint Cup Series win in four seasons, and he might have taken a giant step Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. The best part, both crew chief Steve Letarte and Earnhardt said, was that the team finished better, second to Kyle Busch in the Capital City 400, than what the car should have -- even if Earnhardt didn't get Hendrick Motorsports' 200th Cup victory. "I feel that we've consistently done that at a few places this year," Letarte said. "Last week [at Kansas], we had a little better car than we finished, so I was disappointed to run seventh. But with testing the way it is now [there is no testing at tracks that play host to NASCAR events], the only way to do it is bring it to the track and find out [if it works]." More often than not this season, that's the way it has happened, as Earnhardt, Letarte and company have recorded seven top-10 finishes in nine starts. "I think that's the key," Letarte said. "Of course, every week you want to bring a winning car [to the track], but it's hard because there are a lot of good teams in the garage. So you want to feel, as a race team, that you performed above the level of the car that you had. This week we probably had a fifth-place car and ran second, so what goes around comes around." And that was with a brake package that Earnhardt said was his most limiting factor all night, not just after he scooted around Tony Stewart on the final restart with nine laps left only to be unable to run down Busch. Brakes had something to do with it. Leave it to Earnhardt to try to take the blame. "I got them talked into going to a different master cylinder for a little softer pedal at Martinsville," Earnhardt said. "And then we brought it here, and you are on the brake pedal so far down in the corner that it just cooked the front [brakes] and I'd get a real soft pedal pretty quick. I had a great [last] restart, and I ran really great for one lap and the pedal went back to the floor -- I just had to pump it up all the way down the straightaway and I didn't have any front brakes getting into the corner so I couldn't get in real hard [because] it would just get loose locking the rears up." Earnhardt said for all intents and purposes, Busch might have been untouchable. "Even with the brakes working, I think [Busch] was just a little bit better than us all night. But I want to thank my team; they had great stops and we gained a lot of spots on pit road. And we had a great race car. All the people at Hendrick, they do a great job, man. It's just been fun this year. "If the car was good, I could have dealt with the brake problems. If the car was faster than [Busch] we would have got there to him and maybe we'd have raced for it. I just chose a different master cylinder at Martinsville and I shouldn't have brought it here." Not so fast, said Letarte, who engineered a car fast enough for Earnhardt to score his seventh second-place finish since he last won, in June 2008 at Michigan, 138 races ago. "Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a very polite guy," Letarte said. "And he likes to take the credit for when things go wrong because he's a leader and he has big shoulders and he likes to help the team out. But it's something we decided as a team. We do everything as a team -- we win as a team, lose as a team -- and [that brake package] was in this car because we're trying to be better. We're not just trying to be OK, we're trying to be great." Earnhardt explained what he was dealing with as he raced in the top 15 positions all night. "I couldn't get enough front brake in it at the end to run as hard as I wanted to, and we just had hurt the balance a little bit on entry," Earnhardt said. "But I'm really happy to come home with second. We were running about fifth all night and just got lucky on that [last] restart to be on the inside and get a couple spots." Earnhardt's best season opening since 2008 continued as he moved to second in the standings, five points behind Greg Biffle. "I think we can feel great," Letarte said. "I think we have a winning race team, and it's time to prove it. It's great to feel that way, but at some point you have to stand in Victory Lane, and I think that we have the group that can do it." Saturday night's finish was Earnhardt's first top 10 in Richmond since 2008. "It's good [because] this is a place ... last fall was probably the most stressful race, at least of my career," Letarte said of their 16th-place finish. "We've been good here but not great, not even a top-10 car, probably a top-15 car. So it was nice to come here [and run better]." But Letarte is nothing if not a realist. "The race definitely fell our way," Letarte said. "But we had a good enough car to recover from getting blocked-in on pit road once, so it was a good night. It was a good, solid effort with good pit stops. The driver did a great job, and I thought the guys prepared the car well [and] it was overall a good, solid night." Earnhardt's race wasn't as good as his last outing at Kansas, where he never was scored outside the top 10. At Richmond, Earnhardt started 10th and never fell below 14th, though when he was blocked-in by Stephen Leicht on a pit stop at lap 204, he was running 15th immediately afterward. Earnhardt had been running sixth when that green-flag pit cycle began. Earnhardt definitely feels his day is coming. "Our team did a good job on pit road," Earnhardt said. "We're just trying to click away some good runs. We want to win a race or two here and there. If we keep running up front, that will happen." Junior predicts little change to Bristol racing If track owner Bruton Smith thinks the changes to Bristol Motor Speedway announced Wednesday will alter dramatically the nature of racing at Thunder Valley, he may be disappointed, to hear Dale Earnhardt Jr. tell it. "As far as Bristol goes, I think the racing will be the same," Earnhardt said Friday before Sprint Cup practice at Richmond International Raceway. "I think the track is going to be the same That opinion doubtless would be disconcerting to Smith, who announced a track-grinding project designed to inject a higher level of excitement back into racing at the .533-mile short track. Flagging attendance at the 160,000-seat facility prompted the move. According to Smith, grinding and lowering the degree of banking in the outside groove is designed to lessen a perceived advantage to the outside lane and promote closer racing with more contact between cars. Earnhardt doesn't believe the grinding will have the desired effect. "Just grinding that groove is going to take a little grip away from it," Earnhardt said. "Once we lay the rubber back down, which we will, it will be just like the track is now -- which I think is fine. I don't think everybody needs to get too stirred up about it." Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, says no one will know what effect the grinding will have until cars are competing on the track. "In one respect, I applaud Bruton for trying to make a change and for trying to so something, but we won't know what the race will be like until we're there," Johnson said. "Really, even in a practice, it will be tough to tell. "I think we'll have to get into the race and really see tire falloff, tire wear and what tire Goodyear brings -- all that kind of stuff -- to figure it out." Earnhardt believes factors other than the nature of the racing are major contributors to the attendance issues at Bristol. "I think the reason that attendance is down is that they spiked the hotel rates so bad there in that town, as they do most of the towns," Earnhardt said. "Gas is expensive. To stay in Knoxville or somewhere like that doesn't make a lot of sense because of how expensive gas is. "It's just not as affordable to go to events as it used to be." Junior leads Happy Hour at RIR; stokes debate Dale Earnhardt Jr. kicked off the top of a miniature anthill last weekend in Kansas when he was asked if he felt he was the best driver in the Sprint Cup garage, and he replied that he was. In Friday's interview session at Richmond International Raceway he reconfirmed his opinion and then in final practice for Saturday's Capital City 400, put an exclamation point on it by outrunning 44 other drivers. "That is a healthy debate, that is healthy among race fans as far as who is the best driver," Earnhardt said. "All the drivers in the garage feel like they are the best, individually, and they should. That is kind of the way you have to approach it. "I figured that was definitely debatable and the race fans are going to voice their opinion and that's good. I certainly don't like to rock any boats, but you have to answer the question honestly." Earnhardt's comments are almost a revelation since he's in the midst of a 137-race winless streak that stretches to June 2008. At times since then Earnhardt's self-confidence level has been questioned. But this season has started better than any Earnhardt's begun since 2008, his first with Hendrick Motorsports. And working with crew chief Steve Letarte has done wonders for Earnhardt's confidence. "He's definitely made me more accountable, would be a way to explain it for the words I choose to use and how I choose to describe the car to him," Earnhardt said of Letarte. "He's not going to put up with me verbally abusing him or the equipment. I wouldn't expect anything less than him being a professional, as well. "I think we have a good in-race relationship. He does a really good job of providing me with information and calming me that we are going to fix any issues we have. I feel confident that he has fixed enough issues and improved the car during enough races that I don't really get as worried about it when something isn't quite right. I know that the chances of it getting improved and fixed are really good. "I've got great confidence in him and his abilities to orchestrate the weekend as good as I would expect. We get along really good because of that confidence between each other. I think there is good trust there, too." And for Earnhardt, that creates a positive ripple effect. "I learned a long time ago that if you don't have confidence in your car that can be problematic for you," Earnhardt said. "If you don't have confidence in your crew chief then that can be problematic for you and if you don't have the same confidence in yourself it's not conducive to being successful. "You have to feel like you're here and you're the best and that is the way you should feel. In any profession, you have to have that kind of confidence." On Friday at Richmond, that translated to a best lap of 21.8 seconds, an average speed of 123.853 mph, in the 24 he turned in Happy Hour. That was better than Carl Edwards, Landon Cassill, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. However, despite Earnhardt's confidence, Mark Martin might be the early favorite for Saturday night, as Martin was quickest in first practice, when he said he set one fast lap to lock in the final spot in Friday's qualifying order, and then concentrated on race runs. Martin's best single lap in the first practice was 21.309 seconds, an average speed of 126.707 mph, but more importantly, Martin had the best 10-lap average in Happy Hour, 121.302 mph, near the end of his practice. Martin also had the eighth-best 10-lap average in the first session. But Earnhardt, who won three Richmond races using the previous version of the premier series race car, still has no lack of confidence at RIR, or anywhere else. That's a little strange here, though, since Earnhardt has only one top-10 finish in 10 "new car" races since 2007. He hasn't led a lap at Richmond since September 2008. "I like short tracks," Earnhardt said. "This has been a good one for us for a couple of races. I have always enjoyed running here. It's a fun track. Not your typical short track with the way the front straightaway is. "It definitely makes each corner unique from the other and the way you drive the track can change throughout the race. It's a lot of fun for a driver. I enjoy racing here. I think it will be a good race." Redskins fan Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects big things from RG3 Just as his fan base is hopeful he can win again, Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopes his Washington Redskins can do the same with Robert Griffin III coming to his favorite NFL team. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and avowed Redskins fan took delight in Griffin's selection Thursday night in the NFL draft, expressing confidence that the former Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner will reverse the team's recent misfortunes. "I hope it's a good deal and hope the 'Skins are successful, I hope that Robert's successful," Earnhardt said Friday morning at Richmond International Raceway before practice for Saturday night's Capital City 400. "He seems like a good guy. It'll be fun to be a Redskins fan and see how that plays out this year and see how well he does. I know all the Redskins fans are excited and expecting big things, and so am I." On balance, Junior's victory prospects are higher than his football team. Though winless since June 2008, a span of 137 races, he stands fourth in series points and is coming off a berth in last year's Chase for the Cup. Anybody attending a Cup race knows his fans want more, loudly cheering any pass for the lead before leaving with anticipation that he'll finally return to victory lane the next week. While Earnhardt is similarly hungry, his race-to-race approach is an example for Redskins fans to follow with their expectations for Griffin. "You always go into every season hoping for the best," said Earnhardt, with six top-10 finishes in eight races, "and trying to justify the players and the position they're in, what the team's potential can be, wishing them to the playoffs and justifying how that might happen. And then the season plays itself out. This year's no different." Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart Guesting on The Cleveland Show The Cleveland Show feels the need for speed. NASCAR stars Dale Earnhart Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart will guest-voice on the Fox series next season, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. In the episode, Cleveland (voiced Mike Henry) convinces Donna (voiced Sanaa Lathan) to lighten up and have a few drinks when she takes her run for local office way too seriously. "Unfortunately, they party way too hard — and wake up on the infield of a NASCAR track. It's up to guest stars Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne to race Donna and Cleveland home," executive producer Rich Appel says. Earnhardt, Kahne and Stewart join a long list of athletes who have lent their voices to the show, including Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and David Ortiz. The Cleveland Show will air two new episodes this Sunday — one at 7:30/6:30c and another at 9:30/8:30c with guest stars Darren Criss and Fergie. Junior has 'fun' despite questions in Kansas Imagine, if you can, riding around a race track at nearly 190 mph, eyeballing your competitors' suspension settings and wondering how you could replicate that configuration and make your car's package more competitive. Welcome to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s world. The Hendrick Motorsports driver's solid season continued with a seventh-place finish in Sunday's STP 400, where Earnhardt said his car was "fun." The fact that he was never outside the top 10 in 267 high-speed, slip-sliding laps proved it -- despite that nagging little setup issue. "For whatever reason, that last run we were really loose," said Earnhardt, who told crew chief Steve Letarte over their in-car radio that, 'they are kicking my [butt] getting in [to the corner].' "When you look at all the guys I'm racing around, their track bars are on the ground and we're running ours about three inches higher, probably. We've just got to figure out a way to get that down and get the car to rotate [in the center of the corner] and get the rear grip in the car." Those little shortcomings aside, the fact is the first eight races of Earnhardt's season have given him his best run with second-year crew chief Letarte and best overall start since 2008 -- his first season with Hendrick. That was also the last year he won a race. Sunday, Earnhardt dropped a spot in the standings to his old buddy Martin Truex Jr., who jumped from fourth to second and knocked Earnhardt back into his former slot. Earnhardt's winless drought grew to 137 races, but neither that nor his organization's failure to win owner Rick Hendrick's 200th Cup Series victory could dampen Earnhardt's enthusiasm. "The car was fun to drive and we've had a great weekend," said Earnhardt, who started seventh, only the third time this season he's seen the green flag in the top 10. "The day went really well [but] we never really cured our problems on the track. But we had a good car and it was a real consistent team, so we've got that going for us. We've just got to get a little bit more to get to where we can try to win some races. We are [close]." Earnhardt said that goal involves more than Hendrick's looming, iconic landmark. And Earnhardt made a point to indicate there was no frustration involved on his part. "Well, you want to win for Rick and you want to win for yourself and your team," Earnhardt said. "Everybody here needs a win for one reason or another. We're all working really hard. I'm not really focusing on [the 200th] or honing in on that too heavily." As usual, Earnhardt's thinking big-picture. "You've just got to think about what your car is doing and what you need to do to help your car and make your car faster, and the wins eventually take care of themselves," Earnhardt said. "We've just got to keep working and not really think about the big prize, but just think about the little things we need to work on every day." Yet, Earnhardt also seems fixated on the vision of getting his rear kicked on corner entry, while watching showers of sparks trail out from behind his competitors' slicker-handling cars. "I wish we knew [what we were missing]," Earnhardt said. "Getting that track bar down... Looking at everybody around me -- man, they're on the ground and we're running ours quite a bit higher. [So] when I need to step on the gas, the right rear [tire] is just not hanging on. So, it's really loose into the corner. Everybody around me can barrel into the corner pretty hard and I'm just not [able to]. "So, we'll work on it and try to see if we can get closer to what's fast and what's winning races." Earnhardt finally dismissed the thought that more caution flags at Kansas might've helped their situation. There were only three in the race, one week after there were only two at Texas, another 1.5-mile speedway. The last 65 laps Sunday, when Earnhardt was particularly loose, were under green. "Well, who knows -- we could have dialed it right out," Earnhardt said. "You just never know what would have happened. The green flag runs, when we had a good car, were helping us and helping us hold our track position." Earnhardt's closing comments exemplified the "fun" he derives from utilizing his driving abilities in Kansas and everywhere else. "So, I like long runs because that's when the drivers get to do some work," Earnhardt said. "Everybody can run about the same [speed] for 10 or 15 laps. But when you get a good, long green-flag run, everybody's cars start sliding around and you start to work on people." HUNTING FOR HERITAGE Dale Earnhardt Jr. is starting to peck around in his past, and his sudden interest in genealogy has created ripples throughout the family. Earnhardt said he never knew much about his relatives beyond Ralph Earnhardt, his grandfather and the father of the late Dale Earnhardt. Dale Jr. wound up hiring an expert to help establish a family tree, and that led to a family reunion of sorts. ''Never thought past Ralph all these years,'' he said, ''and I started getting into his father and Ralph's grandfather, and I found their burial plots, so me and my grandmother Martha, and my sister and my mom Brenda and my girlfriend rode up there one day.'' The graves of relatives born in the early 1800s were found near Concord, N.C. ''It's really cool to stand there over somebody that was responsible for you being there, and that was pretty neat,'' Earnhardt said. ''I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Once I got into it, I started realizing the importance of it.'' Earnhardt: No second fiddle for me As far as driver status goes, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recognizes he might not have the longevity or accomplishments at Hendrick Motorsports of four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon or five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, but Earnhardt doesn't believe his teammates are better drivers than he is. "There is a bit of a pecking order, and it really comes down to what you've done lately," Earnhardt said Friday at Kansas. "I think that Jimmie and Jeff will always carry a certain role in that company that I will probably never achieve, just due to them being there that long and having that trust built up with Rick [Hendrick] and all the employees there -- and their accomplishments, obviously." Asked whether he thought Johnson was a better driver, however, Earnhardt was emphatic in his response. "No, he's a hell of a race car driver, but I feel like I'm the best," Earnhardt said. "I think that's the way you have to feel. I feel like I'm smarter than everybody, and I can drive better than everybody, and I know a lot of people ain't going to agree with that, but I feel pretty strong about it." 'I'm ready to win': Earnhardt feels like he's creeping ever closer to finally ending 135-race drought Texas Motor Speedway has been a special place to Dale Earnhardt Jr. from his very first race here. That April afternoon in 2000 brought not only his first victory in NASCAR's premier series, but also the realization that yes indeed, he could make a successful livelihood at the top level of his sport. "You're just really relieved, because you want to race cars for a living, and you want to be good at it," Earnhardt said Thursday. "You don't want to struggle your whole life. So winning that first race cracks that mold away from all that and gives you a little more clear vision on what your future might be. Because there are so many unknowns and worry. ... You want to be a part of it so bad. This is what I wanted. I wanted to drive cars all these years and be a part of it like I have. But before that, before that moment, you didn't know if that was going to happen and work out for you." It did work out, that day in Fort Worth a dozen years ago spawning a career that to this point has netted 18 victories on what is now known as the Sprint Cup tour. Now Earnhardt is back in Texas, this time with fewer doubts about his future and plenty of confidence in his potential, and perhaps on the verge of a breakthrough that would be even more seismic than his maiden voyage to Victory Lane all those seasons ago. Earnhardt stands second in points after back-to-back third-place finishes. With 10 top-10s in 19 starts, Texas is a track where he historically runs very well. It all prompts a natural question -- is this the week that his 135-race winless streak, which now encompasses parts of five seasons, finally comes to an end? "We're getting closer. I feel like we're getting closer," Earnhardt said. "I don't really know what the measuring stick is, but hopefully it's real close. I'm ready to win. I'm ready to go to Victory Lane. I've been working with these guys, and they're working so hard. They're giving me really, really good cars. They deserve to win races. I think the team deserves it. Ready to make that happen. We're just going to keep trying. We're getting closer, though. That's the bright spot." That much is obvious, given that Earnhardt stands just six points behind series leader Greg Biffle, has finished third or better in half of the races so far this season and is behind the wheel of contending race cars each and every week. Things are going so well for NASCAR's most popular driver that this past off weekend felt like a month. He couldn't wait to get to Texas, to get back in his No. 88 car, to be back around crew chief Steve Letarte and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. These days, the races can't come fast enough for Earnhardt, who sees each one as a chance to record his first victory since Michigan in the summer of 2008. "I just know that I enjoy what I'm doing, and I enjoy the season that we're having, and I like going to the race track with the team I'm working with and the way things are going," he said. "It's my favorite thing. It's what I want to do. When I'm not doing that, that's what I want to be doing. Taking a week off is always a good time. We always make a good time out of it and have fun. ... But the races just can't come quick enough for us. I'm enjoying working, I'm enjoying racing. I feel like we're gaining on getting to Victory Lane, so obviously you want the races to come as fast as they can come so you can gain closer and closer and try to win us a race." The improvement in the No. 88 team, which finished seventh in final points last season after a pair of campaigns in the 20s, isn't lost on the rest of the garage. Matt Kenseth, Earnhardt's friend from their days racing one another in what's now the Nationwide Series, says he's seeing more of Earnhardt these days both off the track and on. Just like old times, they're racing for position more often near the front, and Kenseth is enjoying it as much now as he did then. "He has been running really well, and we have gotten to race for position and stuff like that. For me, that is really fun," said Kenseth, who stands fourth in points. "It has been a long time now, but we used to race for wins and tried to run with him for championships in the Busch Series and stuff. We moved up to Cup the same year and raced for Rookie of the Year and wins and stuff. It is so competitive in this series that sometimes you might go a couple months without racing each other. It has been enjoyable to be around him on the track more. I think the better you run, that everybody gains confidence." Earnhardt's confidence seems to be increasing with every passing week. He gave eventual winner Kenseth a run in the final laps of the Daytona 500. He led 70 laps at Las Vegas. He was in the mix in the end at Martinsville. Almost every week, Earnhardt is in position -- and sooner or later, it seems, the drought-buster will arrive. "Now that he is running in the top five every week and leading laps and doing the things he is doing," Kevin Harvick said, "it's just a matter of all the stuff falling together." Harvick: 'I feel sorry' for Earnhardt Jr. amid win drought For Dale Earnhardt Jr., the topic remains unavoidable despite recent strong performances. It's been 135 races since his last NASCAR Sprint Cup victory. When will he win again? Kevin Harvick can sympathize. He went winless for 115 races following his 2007 Daytona 500 victory, finally ending the drought in April 2010 at Talladega Superspeedway. "We went through it right at 100 races," Harvick prior to Thursday's Sprint Cup practice for the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. "But just to live it on a weekly basis and have to answer some crazy questions. … I feel sorry for him sometimes." As much as he'd like to know the answer, Earnhardt said Thursday he isn't facing the question all that often — at least to his face. "I haven't really had to answer that question too much," he said. "People know I'm not Nostradamus, so they don't ask me questions about the future." On the racetrack (consecutive third-place finishes) and on paper (he's second in the points standings with four top-10s in the first six races), Earnhardt Jr. appears on the cusp of a breakthrough. So, could this be the week? Texas is the track where Earnhardt produced his very first Cup victory in 2000. "We're better this year than we were last year and better than the year before that," Earnhardt said. "We're getting closer. … They're giving me really, really good cars and (we) deserve to win races. "The races just can't come quick enough for us. … I feel like we're gaining on getting to victory lane, so obviously you want the races to come as fast as they can come." Harvick can envision an end in sight to Earnhardt's winless streak, but not necessarily the end to the questions. "Running in the top five, he doesn't have to dodge (the question) nearly as much as he did before," Harvick said. "But the pressure that this sport puts on you in general: The first thing you (news media) guys will ask him after he wins a race is, 'When are you going to win championships?'" On the racetrack (consecutive third-place finishes) and on paper (he's second in the points standings with four top-10s in the first six races), Earnhardt Jr. appears on the cusp of a breakthrough. So, could this be the week? Texas is the track where Earnhardt produced his very first Cup victory in 2000. "We're better this year than we were last year and better than the year before that," Earnhardt said. "We're getting closer. … They're giving me really, really good cars and (we) deserve to win races. "The races just can't come quick enough for us. … I feel like we're gaining on getting to victory lane, so obviously you want the races to come as fast as they can come." Harvick can envision an end in sight to Earnhardt's winless streak, but not necessarily the end to the questions. "Running in the top five, he doesn't have to dodge (the question) nearly as much as he did before," Harvick said. "But the pressure that this sport puts on you in general: The first thing you (news media) guys will ask him after he wins a race is, 'When are you going to win championships?'" Earnhardt's car starts salute at White House The annual White House Easter Egg Roll has been rolling strong for 134 years. This year's version had an element of rolling thunder to it. The No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a special appearance at The Ellipse in the nation's capital Monday, helping to kick off a patriotic initiative "NASCAR Unites -- An American Salute." The six-week program is designed to unify the NASCAR industry and fans in celebrating America and supporting military families. Adding a unique twist to Monday's celebration was the sight of an 800-horsepower race car adjacent to the National Mall, greeting the estimated 36,000 attendees at the White House event. The car debuted a spirited red, white and blue paint scheme, designed to rally support for the initiative. Three NASCAR executives and their families took part in the festivities, which included concerts, colorful eggs, face-painting and a story-telling session with the First Family. On hand were: Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development; Kim Brink, managing director of brand, consumer and series marketing; and Sandy Marshall, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation. "I cannot think of a better way to launch the program than having Dale Jr.'s National Guard car at the White House Easter Egg Roll event," Marshall said. "It was great to see the families so excited to see a Sprint Cup car near the White House lawn." Besides Earnhardt's star-spangled No. 88, other racers in all three national series will sport distinctly American paint schemes and trim packages. Defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, current Cup points leader Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Danica Patrick are some of the drivers already on board. The initiative will be at its most visible at races around two traditional national holidays -- the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the July 7 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, right after Independence Day. A total of nine tracks will be involved during the six-week span. The significance of the announcement and the Charlotte track's long-running history of celebrating Memorial Day wasn't lost on Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx, who attended his first egg roll with his family. "NASCAR's support of military families is legendary," Foxx said. "There couldn't be a better time than Memorial Day to recognize our veterans and to do it in such a way that NASCAR is doing it this year. It's so appropriate given the solemnity of the day and that we are so grateful for the veterans who have given their lives and their time to our country." Crew chief swap reunites Eury Sr. and Earnhardt JR Motorsports has implemented a crew chief swap to its No. 88 and No. 5 Nationwide Series teams, general manager and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced Thursday. Crew chief Bruce Cook has taken over responsibilities for the No. 88 Chevrolets driven by Cole Whitt. Until now Cook has spearheaded the organization's third team -- a part-time entry primarily driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- while lending assistance to the company's two full-schedule teams. That role will now fall to Tony Eury Sr., who takes charge of the No. 5 team while continuing his role as JR Motorsports' competition director. Tony Eury Jr.'s role as crew chief for Danica Patrick and the No. 7 GoDaddy.com team remains unchanged. "Our teams have a tremendous responsibility not only to perform at the standards we set for ourselves but reflect the commitment to excellence of our sponsors," said Earnhardt Miller. "Our on-track performance isn't meeting those standards, and we felt a change was necessary." The No. 5 car will race at Texas next weekend with Earnhardt Jr. The crew chief change reunites Earnhardt Jr. with Eury Sr. The pair won 15 Cup Series races between 2000 and 2004 as well as Nationwide Series championships in 1998 and 1999. The grouping of Cook and Whitt gives one of the series' hottest young drivers a crew chief that just last year won six Camping World Truck Series races, one Nationwide Series race, and a Truck Series owners championship. Through five races this season, the No. 88 Taxslayer.com team has one top-five and two top-10s. Whitt, a rookie driver from Alpine, Calif., is currently sixth in the series point standings. His best finish, to date, is a fourth at Daytona. JR Motorsports' last win came with Jamie McMurray on Sept. 4, 2010. "Both crew chiefs are very important to this process, and they are completely capable of elevating our teams back to where they are consistently competing for wins," said Earnhardt Miller. "Bruce's demeanor is probably more suitable in the developmental process of young drivers, and Tony Sr. has the experience and familiarity with Dale Jr. that can help get our 5 car to Victory Lane." Earnhardt Jr. has two races remaining on his 2012 Nationwide Series slate -- Texas on April 13 and Talladega on May 5. The No. 5 car could possibly compete in three to five more races with another driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. understands pressure on Danica Patrick, says she needs to relax Danica Patrick has spent the last month giving herself pep talks after each disappointing race in her first full season of NASCAR competition. Typically the line goes something like the one she delivered after blowing an engine at Auto Club Speedway in California: “We all want to see great results happen. I’m reminding myself I just have to be patient,” she said. Patrick knows that she can’t control things like engine failure or getting run into by her teammate in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona, which both led to poor finishes. Yet it sounds as if she wants to blame herself for those things. Dale Earnhardt Jr., her car owner at JR Motorsports, knows exactly where she’s coming from. He knows what it’s like when the results on the track seem like the sole responsibility of the driver. He knows what it’s like to see only the finishing position and not how the driver ended up in that spot. “I know what it feels like … when you’re under the pressure and nothing is going right and you’re pissed off and you don’t know how to fix it and you don’t have the authority to fix what you think is wrong,” Earnhardt said last week. “And you’re asking yourself if you’re the problem and all kinds of things are happening to you all the time and your head ain’t on right.” Earnhardt has been there. After winning twice early in his rookie season in 2000, he went a full year without another victory. Then after winning 13 races in the next four years, he has won just three since 2005 and none since 2008. So he understands why Patrick might need to remind herself to be patient when she’s struggling. “Everything is always easier from the other side of the fence,” Earnhardt said. “As a driver, you put a lot of pressure on yourself and when you don’t finish where you should finish, you get really mad at yourself.” Patrick is 17th in the Nationwide standings five races in her first full NASCAR season, which includes 10 Cup events with Stewart-Haas Racing in preparation for a full-time Cup ride in 2013. She has no top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series, which likely troubles her after posting three top 10s during a partial NASCAR schedule last season. “What she did last year, she came in so open-minded, there were no goals, no nothing and she could enjoy it,” Earnhardt said. “If something bad happens or not everything goes right, what was to be expected? So there wasn’t as much pressure as I think there is now. “She needs to revert back to not worrying about people’s opinions and expectations. She needs to just really enjoy what she’s doing, enjoy the pure aspect of driving cars and racing and competing and (remember that) not every day is going to go like you want.” Earnhardt believes Patrick has suffered from a mix of bad luck and her team not being as strong as some others in the Nationwide Series. But Patrick sees her teammate Cole Whitt, who unintentionally wrecked her in the season-opener at Daytona, sitting sixth in points. Meanwhile, she has finished on the lead lap only once and finished better than 15th only once—12th at Las Vegas. She believes she should finish in the top five and challenge for wins, Earnhardt said. “(Top-fives) aren’t unrealistic goals for her,” Earnhardt said. “But when you’re a driver, you don’t see what the rest of the world sees. You see everything as a bigger problem, you make everything bigger—the stress and the pressure, you make it bigger.” One thing Earnhardt and Patrick have in common is feeling pressure from large fan bases. They hate to disappoint their legions of fans. “She feels like everyone is expecting her to come in and win,” Earnhardt said. “And if she doesn’t, she’s going to hear nothing but negative things about it. “She needs to tell herself, or hear from other people, that it is a long process and she has time to grasp it and she can relax and let that happen naturally.” But as Earnhardt knows, that’s easier said than done. The son of a NASCAR legend, he’s been hearing it since his early days in Cup. “It’s hard to swallow when you don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle,” he said. “… She’s really still green and still learning a lot. She’s going to be here. She will drive racecars for somebody. I’m glad she chose us.” Confidence making the difference for Earnhardt You can hear it in his voice, you can see it in his eyes, you can sense it in his demeanor. The confidence is there, as plain as the red No. 88 on the side of his race car. Yes, it's still relatively early in the season, and no, he still hasn't won in 134 races, a veritable eternity on the Sprint Cup tour. But there's plainly something different about Dale Earnhardt Jr. this season, something that's reflected on the race track, and makes you think less about that long winless streak and more about the potential victories that lie ahead. It's not something that can be added in a pit stop, not something that can be tweaked in a car adjustment. It takes a very long time to build, yet can erode like tires on an abrasive track surface. The great intangible in auto racing is confidence -- not necessarily a belief that everything is going to go right, but that all the pieces are in place to make it happen. And these days Earnhardt has it, thanks to dependably solid cars almost every week, thanks to strong runs that have him third in Sprint Cup points, thanks to a combination of factors that make the prospect of the No. 88 in Victory Lane sound not impossible, but inevitable. The last time he felt like this was 2004, when he won a career-best six times, and finished fifth in final points driving the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Since then he's seen the team his father created torn apart, hit rock bottom in a pair of disappointing seasons with powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, weathered one long winless skid only to start another, and slowly built himself back up. Now, it's all coming to a culmination. Crew chief Steve Letarte spent last season rebuilding the confidence of a driver whose struggles took a visible toll. The result was a seventh-place finish in points and a few near-misses at Charlotte and Martinsville. Now the cars are rolling in, and they're as good as anything Earnhardt has had under him in some time, and the combination of being in the right place mentally and mechanically has NASCAR's most popular driver in a position he hasn't occupied in a very long time -- a genuine threat to win almost any weekend. "I feel good. I feel the best I've felt personally, confidence-wise, as I can remember in a long time," he told reporters earlier this week during a sponsor event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "I just want it to keep going. In the big span of things, you're not here for a very long time. I feel like I've got a lot of career left to right the ship. I know how difficult it is to be competitive and compete in the series. I'm just appreciating it and hope it continues, and we can have a solid year and win some races." Could Martinsville be the place? It's certainly possible, given that Earnhardt has recorded three consecutive top-seven finishes there, and his average result of 13.04 at the flat half-miler is fourth-best among active drivers behind those of Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon. Although his most recent victory came at 2-mile Michigan and he's thought of mostly as a restrictor-plate specialist, Earnhardt did come up racing late models, and he's very comfortable on short tracks. Of course, his first time at Martinsville he remembers running over just about everything, and the record books bear it out in a 26th-place finish. Gradually he improved, helped by one prolonged test session in which he found a setup that suited him. "That was the turnaround to become competitive there," Earnhardt said. "We've had so many good runs there. That's one of my better tracks," he added. "I've always been really good at the short tracks and got good, solid finishes. I've been really consistent at those places. We've had great runs at Martinsville. A string in the mid-'00s, we were just really good. We've been able to kind of maintain that since I started driving for Rick [Hendrick] and getting good information, because they won a lot of races there. We've sort of combined our history, now working with Steve and all his success with Jeff at that track. Things should work well for us there, and they have. I was a little disappointed we ran seventh last time. We definitely feel we've got some areas to be improved this weekend." And yet, the seventh-place finish in the fall wasn't his most notable disappointment in southwest Virginia last season. That came a year ago, when Earnhardt led 17 laps and was in position to win the race -- and surely ignite a momentous celebration in the grandstands -- until Kevin Harvick overtook him with only three circuits remaining. Looking back, there was only so much he could do "I don't know what I could have done, other than probably get myself wrecked blocking him, or wreck him and probably get wrecked by someone behind him," Earnhardt said. "I don't' think I could have done anything different [for] a better outcome for me. If I would have done anything different, the outcome likely would have been worse for me. He was super-fast, and no denying how quick they were at the end of that race. I'd have liked to have been as quick as he was. It just turned out on that run, his car came to life and he drove it good enough." Of course, that didn't make the runner-up finish any easier to take, particularly on a day when Earnhardt's winless streak stretched within one week of the century mark. In the car, with the final laps running down and Harvick behind him, even he allowed himself to hope. "When you take the lead with 20 laps to go, you feel like, 'Hey man, I might win this race. I hope this car runs this good the rest of the race.' Then it started to slip and slide a little bit," he said. "I started to realize it would be quite difficult to win the race. I was still leading at that point. It was a good experience even though we did lose, and that was really hard to deal with coming so close. I took a lot of positives away from it. I think that weekend helped us instead of hurting my resolve or taking me down a notch because we lost. It still helped us as a team and me as a driver." And every little bit helps, particularly when we're talking about knocking off the decay of a difficult half-decade in which Earnhardt sunk to his lowest professional point while millions watched. Down deep, given what we've witnessed in the past season plus five races, is there any doubt that this is the same driver who was one of the steadiest and most successful on the circuit in the middle 2000s? As so many competitors have reminded us through the years, good drivers don't just forget how to drive. Maybe they wind up in situations that isn't a right fit, maybe they take over equipment that isn't up to par, or maybe they go through periods that make them doubt themselves. Confidence is a fleeting thing, easy to lose and very difficult to regain. The absence of it can derail a career, an abundance of it can make the difference between one driver and another. Deep down, if the equipment is good and the situation is right, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is that same driver who enjoyed all those glory years with DEI. Since then, though, he's seemed to be missing one important ingredient, and everyone wondered what it was. Now we know. "I don't really know how to measure confidence, but we feel pretty good about what's going on and what's happening to us and how the thing is going down," he told reporters Friday at Martinsville. "Some tracks you just don't hit it on, and we have a handful of those tracks. But we're starting to run more consistently up front at more race tracks. ... But the confidence is good, the confidence is up real high. There's still some things we want to improve on, but races can't come for our team fast enough. We're really enjoying being on the track and working." Dale Earnhardt Jr. tackles Tiger, Tebow, love of cooking Dale Earnhardt spent Wednesday afternoon sliding a Camaro around the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield in a commercial shoot featuring drifting, a Fast and the Furious-style of racing. "It was really hard," NASCAR's most popular driver said. "I didn't do as (well as) I thought I was going to do, but I kind of knew that. It's just like people watching NASCAR and saying, 'Man, that looks easy. How hard can that be, going around in circles?' That's what I thought about drifting until I got out here. I was like, 'That's not very easy at all.' " Though he struggled (Earnhardt gave himself a 2 while giving an 8 to fellow Sprint Cup driver and shoot participant Juan Pablo Montoya), the Hendrick Motorsports driver emerged in a loose mood that mirrored the exhibition of freewheeling driving talent. During a wide-ranging interview with a small group of writers afterward, Earnhardt covered myriad topics stretching from Tiger Woods' recent win to the Tim Tebow phenomenon to his passion for food. A few of the highlights: Q: You're in the midst of a long winless streak, and Tiger Woods just ended a two-year skid last weekend. Did you have a chance to watch it, and would you relate to the expression of relief on his face? A: I ain't watched it. I'm a big Tiger fan, and I've been pulling for him to succeed. I related to the pressure he was under the last couple of years and all the doubts about his abilities and whether he would get back to where he wanted to be. I felt like I kind of knew where he was mentally. For him to come back and win gives me confidence in my ability to do the same thing. I'm not in any way trying to compare myself to him. I just see there are similarities and comparisons. There's things I can draw from his experience and what he's going through that I see and can relate to his deal. So hopefully, I can win a race and know what that feels like. I'm sure it would be a huge relief. I think we're really close. Q: Some fans have taken to comparing the attention you receive in NASCAR with that received by Tim Tebow in the NFL. Any thoughts on that? A: I don't know. I haven't really thought about that one. Do I need to work on my throwing motion? Is my throwing motion OK with everyone? Everybody happy with it? (chuckling) I don't know. That guy is under too much damn pressure. I'll tell you that. I like him and think he's a good guy, but man, I think he lives under twice the microscope I ever did. He's incredible. He doesn't really fan the flames on that (exposure). He just does his own thing. But I don't know. I guess that ain't a bad guy to get compared to. Q: Hendrick Motorsports has been sitting on win No. 199 for nearly six months. If you get the 200th victory, will that overshadow the milestone for team owner Rick Hendrick? A: I don't think he'd have a problem with that (laughs). No, I believe if anyone wins in our company, the win overshadows the 200th as far as the media coverage. Doesn't matter who wins. When you're inside the company, inside those doors, then the driver side isn't quite as important. The 200th win will be the big deal at the next company luncheon. Q: Bristol Motor Speedway is planning to make unspecified changes to improve the racing; has track owner Bruton Smith consulted you? A: No, he doesn't have to talk to me. He can talk to whoever he wants. They'll make a good call. I'm excited they're willing to put in the effort. It's an expensive process. That guy on a whim basically spends a lot of money to fix stuff. Not a lot of track owners willing to put in that kind of expense on a whim and just say, 'The hell with it.' They might ruin it even worse. That's possible. I think the track is pretty good how it is. I think if they soften up the left-side tire the way that tire worked at (last week's race at Fontana, Calif.) — don't use the same tire — but the way it rubbered (Fontana) up, man. That was awesome. That was the perfect combination of tire and track that Goodyear has had in a long time. If we can figure out a way to get that to happen at Bristol, that'd be good for everybody. I think trying tires is definitely the cheapest route. How's that hurt anything? You're trying. Q: What are you doing around the house these days? A: Hobbies? I don't know. I really don't do a lot when you come down to think of it. I sit down at the house and wait for the next weekend, wait for the next race. I watch a lot of TiVo. I TiVo shows like The Office and Restaurant: Impossible. It's where this cook goes into these restaurants, and he fixes them. They're in trouble and about to be closed because they're in trouble. I like shows like that. I watch a lot of TV. I like to cook. I cook a lot of meals. Jeff Gordon had Flash Gordon as his intro song to Bristol. It reminded me of the Queen song, which was a movie I used to watch when I was little. I've gotten into collecting records, vinyl. I've got a record player. We built these big cases to hold the records, and they're nicely stacked in these nice cases. I'm really into collecting records. I love listening to music. Like when I get home from the race on Sundays I go to the basement and I listen to records all night until I get tired, because my adrenaline is going and I don't want to go to sleep. I might do that all day Monday. I might do whatever I have to do during the day and in the evening go downstairs and listen to records. Just play pool, whatever, piddling around. Just sit there all night listening to vinyl. Anyways, we were listening to Flash Gordon. And because I've got it on this Queen album, it had just played. I was like, 'Man! 'Remember that movie?' And my buddy Sonny, my property manager, was like, 'Yeah!' Then I went to Bristol, and that was Jeff's intro song. I was like, 'Man, we've got to get that movie and watch it.' So that's what we're doing (Wednesday night). Eight o'clock. My house. I think the movie is pretty corny, too, but in a way it's funny and kind fun to watch. I kind of like fantasy football. When I'm not doing that I'm doing (ESPN) Streak for Cash, so I'm on the computer sort of looking for odds on these random soccer games in the middle of the world somewhere. Or like college lacrosse. I'm learning all kinds of (stuff) about these teams that I never would ever have paid attention to otherwise. Q: What do you cook? A: I do a lot of tacos, steak and chicken and salad (with) steak and chicken. I can cook French toast. I can cook anything. Anything. I think I'm good. I've cooked for my boss when I was trying to get hired. I have Rick (Hendrick) over and cooked him a dinner with my sister. I cooked for my girlfriend, my mom. I like to cook. I get on the Internet and Google the recipes and try to make it. Q: What did you make Rick Hendrick? A: Steak. I don't really get too crazy. I can make my own French onion dip for chips. One day I was craving French onion dip for chips, and I didn't have any. All I had was ranch. So I got on Google and figured out the recipe and made it. Q: Can't you just get people to do that? A: No. I've got a lady that does a little cleaning around the house, and if I asked her to cook, I'm sure she would. I feel bad asking her to do it, because it's easy to do. So I just do it. But I like to do it. I enjoy learning how to cook, because I like to eat. Eating is good. Eating is fun. I watch a lot of cooking shows. Q: How do you feel about the world-famous hot dogs at Martinsville? A: They're good. They just need to stay the way they are. They're really good, especially when they're freshly made. Like if you can go up there and get lucky enough to get them made right on the spot. Damn, it's good. But when they sit in that wrapper for a while they get soggy. Q: How many can you eat in one sitting? A: Probably just six. They're small, man. But on a whole weekend, I'll hit 20 pretty easy. I'll get three as soon as I get there, three for lunch, probably take two on the helicopter home. That's eight right there. In two days you've eaten eight. And then I'll get three more for Sunday before the race. Q: What about your teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon? A: They're against it. (Crew chief) Steve (Letarte) won't eat them. He's a health freak. Which I am. I've been doing better. I've lost a lot of weight. But (a Martinsville hot dog) is one of those things. It's tradition, so it's important. Earnhardt keeps carrying flag for Hendrick stable Kasey Kahne is battling back from a near-disastrous start. Jeff Gordon is watching something else go wrong every week. Jimmie Johnson is showing only a glimpse of the consistency he once used to win five consecutive championships at NASCAR's highest level. Meet Dale Earnhardt Jr., standard-bearer at Hendrick Motorsports. That's certainly the way it's been through the first five weeks of this Sprint Cup season, as consistently strong runs by NASCAR's most popular driver have made him the class of what has long been NASCAR's best organization. It happened again Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, where Earnhardt was one of several drivers to stay out of the pits during a caution for rain, and parlayed that move into an eventual third-place finish when wet weather forced officials to call the event 71 laps short of its scheduled distance. "We drove the car up to fifth before the weather came. We had been watching the weather all day. We felt certain if it started to rain, it wasn't going to stop," Earnhardt said. "We made the right choice by staying out and building ourselves into the top three." It was no fluke finish for Earnhardt, who was in the top 10 for almost the whole race before recording his second-best finish of this young season. In the process he moved up three positions to third in points, making him easily the highest-ranking driver in a Hendrick Motorsports stable that's suddenly juggling one problematic issue after another. There's Kahne, who pulled himself off the top 35 bubble with a 14th-place finish Sunday but still languishes low in the standings. There's Johnson, who had smoke emitting from his No. 48 car just as the rain came and was bailed out by the weather. And there's Gordon, who saw another great car go for naught -- this time because of a pair of pit penalties that relegated him to a 26th-place finish. And then there's Earnhardt, who maybe hasn't won since 2008, but is sailing along despite all the havoc around him. "Jeff had a little trouble on pit road. Jimmie, they decided to come down pit road because they thought it was not going to run all day. They've been beating us most of the weekend," Earnhardt said. "We've really been competitive, though. I like how our season is going so far. If we can keep going like this, we might get some opportunities like we did last year of winning some races and seal the deal eventually." Sunday, his teammates weren't as fortunate. Johnson had one of the better cars in the race, but smoke began billowing from beneath his vehicle shortly after NASCAR threw the caution for rain. A radio problem only complicated the issue, which turned out to be a severed oil line. Johnson watched his oil pressure plummet, fell backward in the running order, and yet salvaged a 10th-place finish when the race was called due to weather. "I really don't know what had happened," Johnson said during the red flag before the race was ended. "I was just idling along and my friends pulled up alongside of me and were pointing. They said, 'You're smoking.' I heard it over the radio and I could obviously see and smell it, but I don't know what really caused it yet. It's just a wild change of events, because when I came to pit road and took four tires, I wanted it to dry up real quick. Now I'm sitting here praying for rain." He got just that. "If we did go back to green-flag racing, we would be multiple laps down," crew chief Chad Knaus said. "We don't really know what happened to the car just yet. We've got to get it in here and take a look at it." Gordon wasn't as fortunate, and added another chapter to his litany of 2012 frustration. At Daytona, he was caught up in a wreck. Last week at Bristol, he was knocked out when Earnhardt's tailpipe inadvertently cut down the left-rear tire on his No. 24 car. Friday in Fontana he spoke about feeling some pressure to get good finishes to match good cars like the one he had Sunday, which ran in the top five for much of the event. But it all unraveled on pit road, where Gordon first had to serve a stop-and-go penalty that put him a lap down, the violation coming when he dragged a fuel can -- and the fuel man attached to it -- out of his pit box. Later, taking two tires to try to gain track position, his crew was flagged for having a tire get away. Gordon finished 26th in the race, and dropped to 25th in points. Meanwhile, Earnhardt just keeps rolling along, propelled by crew chief Steve Letarte, good finishes, and strong cars almost every week. "I'm really happy," he said. "I'm performing better. Most of the credit has to go to Steve and the team. Those guys did a great job today on pit road. We had some really good stops. Steve is doing an amazing job. He deserves most of the credit for how well we're running. He's giving me really good cars, cars that are fun to drive, relatively easy to drive." Runner-up Kyle Busch, in the interview alongside Earnhardt, couldn't let that go. "Must be nice," he said. "They're not easy to drive." Earnhardt laughed. "Compared to the last several years," he added, "they've gotten easier." Mistake-free run leads to third-place finish for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t have the best car at Auto Club Speedway, but he made no mistakes and his Hendrick Motorsports team was flawless on pit road. That led to a third-place finish in the Auto Club 400, which was shortened to 129 of the scheduled 200 laps because of rain. Earnhardt Jr. was running fifth when the rain came and second-place Denny Hamlin and fourth-place Jimmie Johnson both pitted under caution just before the race was red-flagged and eventually called. “I was pretty certain by watching the weather and studying the weather all night long and all day today that once it began to rain, it wasn't going to stop,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I was surprised that some guys came down pit road and gave up track position.” Earnhardt Jr., who moved up three spots to third in the Sprint Cup standings, improved his track position by pitting early in fuel runs and because his team made no mistakes on pit road. He started with a loose car and had hoped to tighten it up during the race but there was little time for adjustments on pit road because the race went green until it rained. “We started short-pitting at the beginning of the race,” said Earnhardt Jr., who started 14th. “We sort of played our hand early, didn't have an opportunity to do anything other than what we had planned from the start when we got toward halfway. “That really worked in my favor.” What also worked was that he didn’t make any mistakes, and neither did his team. Last week, a speeding penalty cost Earnhardt Jr. several spots. Two weeks ago at Las Vegas, a four-tire pit stop – when others took just two tires – mired him in traffic. “It was nice to have a week that is uneventful; (that) was a really nice change,” Earnhardt Jr. crew chief Steve Letarte said. The team executed in a race when other teams made costly mistakes on pit road. “You have to execute – you can’t be too fast on pit road, you can’t have a pit-stop penalty, you have to executive and I feel our team did a very good job of that,” Letarte said. “Last year, I would say through green-flag cycles, whether it was me pitting too long or Dale [having trouble] on and off or [with our] pit stops, that was one of our weak points. So to have a race that basically went green and go from 14th to third is a great momentum builder.” Earnhardt finds solace after late-race incidents By his own admission, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to have to do some damage control this week. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was racing for position with teammate Jeff Gordon on Lap 359 of Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway when he made the slightest contact with the No. 24 car. But it was evidently enough for the exhaust pipes peeking out from beneath his vehicle to cut down Gordon's left-rear tire, and send the four-time champion spinning up into the outside wall. Gordon, who had one of the stronger cars in the early-going, lost dozens of laps for repairs and finished 35th. In perhaps a bit of cosmic retribution, Earnhardt was in line for a good finish until he was penalized for being too fast on pit road during the afternoon's final round of stops, and wound up 15th. "I'm upset that I screwed myself on pit road speeding there. I'm pretty upset about that," Earnhardt said. "Otherwise, I feel bad about running into Jeff's car, and I had a good day other than that. I had a good time. Long green-flag run, man. That put us all to the test. I was watching for somebody to fall out of the seat. I don't know who did and who didn't, but I was watching for a couple of them to pull over." Earnhardt ran in the top 10 for most of the day, and almost certainly would have finished there if not for the late penalty. Gordon spent much of Sunday before the accident in the top five, and seemed one of the contenders for the victory until he and Earnhardt raced side-by-side late in the race. The contact between the two cars as they came off a corner was almost unnoticeable, but it was just enough -- and the cars were aligned just so -- for the edge of the exhaust pipes on the No. 88 to cut down a tire on the No. 24. "I think we bumped more than we should have is the way it looks like," said Gordon, who fell six spots in points to 23rd. "We definitely didn't hit in the right location, because I think the tailpipe or something just cut the left-rear immediately. We didn't hit that hard. We were a little bit too tight and he was pretty good on the restart there, and we were racing hard. I know that it wasn't intentional, but it certainly ruined our day. ... There were times we had the best car out there and I think we could have got back to that before this thing was over." After the incident, Earnhardt immediately radioed his crew an apology to be sent to Gordon. He said following the race that he would sit down with his teammate this week to ensure everything is fine between them. "I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car, and they had a good run going. They had a potential win, or good finish going too, and they deserve it," Earnhardt said. "We were racing really hard. It was fun," he added. "If there is a track where you can lean on each other a little bit, then this ought to be the place. We just barely rubbed down the back straightaway." If anything, the speeding penalty seemed to eat at Earnhardt more, and with good reason. Earnhardt was sixth when Tony Stewart bounced off the wall to bring out the event's final yellow, but has to go to the rear of the lead lap after his vehicle was ticketed for speeding. NASCAR added two additional timing lines to each side of Bristol's split pit road this weekend, in reaction to an August race when some drivers took advantage of the gaps between the timed areas by speeding between them. "I was told I was speeding on the back, but if anywhere, I was speeding on the front," Earnhardt said. "I don't know. This place is probably hard to tell exactly what is happening. I don't really trust those timing lines too much. If they say so, I guess we were speeding. It's a difficult way to give up a good finish. We ran hard. We worked hard all day." Earnhardt fell two positions to sixth in points with the finish, but took solace in an afternoon where his No. 88 car ran with the leaders almost the entire race. His effort at Bristol came one week after he led 70 laps at Las Vegas before finishing 10th. "We're showing all the signs of any of these other guys capable of running up front and maybe winning us a race or two this year," Earnhardt said. "We're going to keep it up. I'm going to take all the positives I can out of this one. We ran good. We didn't run good last year. We struggled and just kind of limped around and made something out of nothing. [Sunday] we ran good, and I feel good about that." Dale Earnhardt Jr. says hitting Mark Martin 'petty,' 'foolish' Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday that running Mark Martin into the wall last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was “petty” and “foolish” and shouldn’t have happened. Earnhardt Jr. was racing Martin, his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate, at Las Vegas when Martin cut him off late in the race. Earnhardt Jr. then hit Martin from behind, forcing the Michael Waltrip Racing driver into the wall. Earnhardt Jr., who led 70 laps early in the race, wound up finishing 10th while Martin finished 18th. Earnhardt Jr. said after the race that he was frustrated with Martin. The two had a similar incident last season at Michigan. “To me, personally, there’s an unwritten etiquette that when a guy is running the top, even if you’re clearing him, passing him, if you barely clear him off the corner – I’m coming 10 miles an hour faster off the top of the race track – you stay low,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Don’t knock a half-second off my lap time being a jerk about it. Stay low.” Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway that he and Martin talked shortly after the race and settled their differences. “[We] handled our little issue immediately after we got home and I feel pretty good that we got that sorted out,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Me and him talked and I agree that he should have let me have the top, but it’s his prerogative really to do what he wants, and to run into the back of somebody and put them into the fence for such a … it was a big deal to me at the moment, but in the grand scheme of things it was kind of petty and I put him in the fence for it and that was kind of foolish of me.” Notebook: Junior a popular sight at front of field By Lap 56 of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had led more laps in one event this year than he had during the entire 2011 season. Earnhardt was the class of the field early in the race, leading 70 of the first 73 laps. But a four-tire pit stop on Lap 74 -- when most other lead-lap cars took two tires -- left Earnhardt mired in traffic, and he was unable to return to the front of the field. Nevertheless, the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet finished 10th and gained one position to fourth in the Sprint Cup standings, 18 points behind leader Greg Biffle. "We didn't keep up with the race track," said Earnhardt, who led a career-low 52 laps last year. "The car was really fast at the start of the race. I didn't give that information to [crew chief] Steve [Letarte]. I don't think I gave him a good enough understanding of where our race car was, even though it was really fast. The track got really tight on us at the end of the race -- something that I should have had a handle on and should have known better and should have not let happen. "We just didn't have our adjustments going throughout the day to keep up with the track as it tightened up on us. The [car] was really good all weekend. We had good speed. Hopefully, we can keep bringing cars like that to the race track, and we'll get some opportunities to win." Dale Earnhardt Jr. itching to get going after lackluster Phoenix Coming off what he considered a somewhat lackluster day at Phoenix International Raceway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday ready to get into a race car. It had only been five days since he had strapped into his Hendrick Motorsports car, but Earnhardt Jr. said he itched to get going. “I’m just ready to work – I’m ready to race,” Earnhardt Jr. said prior to practice at the track. “It seems like it’s been a month.” It’s not surprising that the Hendrick Motorsports driver wants to get back in a car. He wants to put the Phoenix 14th-place finish – a better finish than the way he ran during the race – behind him. He comes to a track where he finished eighth last year, a key moment in his relationship with then-new crew chief Steve Letarte. “We come in here pretty confident,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “This is where we sort of put our best foot forward last year and we feel pretty confident – just ready to get going. We struggled all weekend last year and for whatever reason, hit on something for the race. “We won’t panic if things aren’t really going our way [Friday] or going on into [Saturday] morning. We would like to see some good results and get it in qualifying because we need to improve that package from last year.” Things went Earnhardt Jr.'s way Friday as he posted the fourth-fastest speed in qualifying for a solid starting spot Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 400. "We showed up really good off the trailer and we were real good with our speed and real happy," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The run was a good run. I’m pretty happy with how we ended up. We struggled in qualifying last year and wanted to work on that this year, and this is a good result so hopefully we’re making some gains there.” Earnhardt Jr. has a little more confidence in the Vegas car just because of the tire. He put some of the blame on the tire Goodyear brought to Phoenix, a newly paved and reconfigured 1-mile oval. “Phoenix is a bit of an anomaly because the tire … is not a short-track tire really or not a tire that I would use there,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It made for a very difficult car to drive and it made for a very narrow window as far as how close you could hit the setup.” The bottom line is that Earnhardt Jr. believes his team should field a better car than it did last week, where he qualified 29th, cracked the top 20 during the race and took advantage of some others running out of fuel near the end. He will need to run better if he wants to maintain or improve his fifth-place spot in the Cup standings. “We should run better than that,” he said. “Even on our bad days, we should be able to be a little more competitive than we were and we did get fortunate to finish where we did because we really weren’t that strong all day long. “I finished ahead of some cars that had beat us all day long.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. adds wrecked Montoya car to collection A (mangled) piece of racing history has landed in the woods surrounding Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s property in Cleveland, N.C. Thanks to a familiar connection, NASCAR's most popular driver recently acquired the destroyed Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42 Chevrolet that famously slammed into a jet dryer under caution during the Feb. 27 Daytona 500. Collecting crashed race cars is a hobby of Earnhardt's, and the latest addition is the only one that's caused a fiery on-track explosion and a two-hour delay in NASCAR's biggest race. And when Earnhardt found it through Chris Heroy, a former Hendrick Motorsports engineer who is the first-year crew chief for Montoya, he jumped on getting it imprecisely added to his car graveyard, adjacent to his backyard replica Western town known as Whisky River. "I got about 50 or 60 cars out there, and I didn't buy any of them," Earnhardt boasted Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "(Heroy) calls me, and I get my property manager to go over there and load it up and bring it over. "We get a forklift or a tractor with a forklift or frontend loader and just carry it into the woods and just set it out there somewhere." Earnhardt said the car ranked in "the top two or three" among his prized collection of twisted sheet metal. Could the jet dryer be next item to summoned to his wooded acreage? "I'd like to have it, but I don't know where it is. Probably somewhere in Daytona or NASCAR might be studying it somewhere, who knows," Earnhardt said. "I think we'll just stick to race cars out there." Dale Earnhardt Jr. looking for another boost at bumpy Las Vegas Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered 2012 just as he has entered every season since joining Hendrick Motorsports five years ago – looking to snap a long winless streak and get off to a solid start so he can make the Chase For The Sprint Cup. He hasn’t found victory lane this year (and hasn’t since 2008), but Earnhardt Jr. sits fifth in the standings after a second-place finish at Daytona and a 14th last week at Phoenix. Now he heads back to the track that jumpstarted his 2011 rebound. He finished eighth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2012, a second consecutive top-10 finish that put him in the top 10 in points, where he stayed for 32 of the remaining 33 weeks after two seasons finishing outside the top 20. “We ran good at Vegas last year and did well on the intermediate tracks, so we feel pretty good going in,” Earnhardt Jr. said in his team news release. “The team definitely wants to go there and put on a good run. I like the race track, I like racing there, and it’s a good area, too. It’s a fast track and has a lot of bumps, but it’s a fun track.” Having fun to Earnhardt Jr. is important, and he appears excited after the first two races of the season. “I don’t see his attitude being any different than any other year,” Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon said last week. “He comes into every season pumped up and excited and optimistic, just like everyone else. “I think that their finish at Daytona definitely adds a little to that, so his confidence I think is good and strong right now, especially after coming off of a decent year last year.” The Las Vegas track represents the first intermediate track of the season. Of the 26 races that comprise the regular season, nine are at 1.5-mile or 2-mile tracks while five of the 10 Chase races are at intermediate tracks. “It’s an area we put a tremendous amount of effort on last year,” said crew chief Steve Letarte, who is in his second year working with Earnhardt Jr. “Las Vegas is one of the races that really catapulted our season. “We went out there, and we didn’t run great, but we ran solidly in the top 10, which gave the No. 88 team momentum last year that we can compete with the guys that are winning races. We feel that right now, and we’re excited to get to Las Vegas and showcase the equipment we’ve been working on.” Letarte will bring the car that most recently finished 11th at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year. “The unique part of Las Vegas is turns 1 and 2 are a little bumpy at the bottom, but the top is a little bit smoother,” Letarte said. “It’s very hard to get through there consistently and be good in [turns] 3 and 4. “Traffic is usually very tight in Las Vegas and the wind can be a factor there so you have a lot of things that play into it. It’s a hard place because you only go there once a year so your notes are from a long time ago.” Hendrick cars look for big rebound in Phoenix It was a strange Speedweeks for Hendrick Motorsports. In the end, amid what driver Jeff Gordon called "the carnage" of eight damaged or completely ruined race cars, it was left to Dale Earnhardt Jr. to carry the banner of HMS. And he and his No. 88 Chevrolet race team were left to do it alone. They did well, too, with Earnhardt coming home in second behind Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth. Earnhardt also finished second in his Gatorade Duel that preceded the 500 at Daytona International Speedway. So while his usually stout Hendrick Motorsports teammates were struggling to keep their cars on the track, Earnhardt experienced a serenity of sorts that has often escaped him in recent seasons. "It was weird," Earnhardt said from Phoenix International Raceway, where qualifying was held Saturday for this Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500. "That was one of the calmest, most stress-free [Speedweeks] I've ever been a part of. We didn't do a lot of practicing, we didn't really put ourselves through a lot of work. We just kind of kept the car together and got through the races in one piece. It was amazing to me how low stress it was." His teammates could not say the same. The trouble started when Jeff Gordon's No. 24 was collected in an accident in practice for the Bud Shootout. One day later, Gordon's car ended up getting flipped in a horrific accident in the Shootout itself. The Hendrick troubles didn't slow there. Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevy also suffered damage during the Shootout and Kasey Kahne finished three laps down in that race because of damage to his No. 5 Chevy. Then Kahne wrecked during a Daytona 500 practice session, killing another car. In the 500 race itself, Johnson got taken out in a wreck after completing just one lap and the engine blew in Gordon's car on Lap 81 of what turned out to be a 202-lap event -- taking out two more HMS cars. Kahne got caught up in an accident on Lap 189 that completed the carnage and brought the final total of damaged or totally ruined Hendrick race cars to eight for all of Speedweeks. "I've never seen so much equipment torn up as what we saw this last [Speedweeks] at Daytona. It was incredible," Gordon said. "That's just the tight racing, competitiveness, how easy it is to make a little mistake and cause a lot of carnage and take you out of a race." Then there was Earnhardt. He put nary a scratch on his No. 88 Chevy through the entire Speedweeks and turned heads with his runner-up finish to race winner Matt Kenseth in the 500. "You always know that Junior is going to be strong at Daytona, so it was great to see him finish [second]," Gordon said. "It was unfortunate that it was him up against the two Roush [Fenway Racing] Fords there because he didn't have a lot of support there to have a chance at beating those guys at the end. "I think really even as strong as [those Fords] were, I think that our cars were strong enough to battle with those guys. It would have been nice to be up there to give him some more support and be able to work together to try to win that race. It was still a great effort by him." Earnhardt said he just isn't sure what it means for the bigger picture that is a 36-race schedule. He said he'll know more after this weekend at PIR, a 1-mile track where he won twice before it was recently reconfigured. "Yeah, Daytona really doesn't show what we're capable of," said Earnhardt, whose seventh-place finish in the final point standings last year was his highest since 2006. "We ran good and that's good for our confidence. But we'll see how we can make that work for us the next couple of weeks. I'd like to win here. I've won some races here at Phoenix." If practice times mean anything, Earnhardt was left with a mixed bag following Friday's only two Cup practices. He improved in the second and final practice, with his fastest lap of 137.636 miles per hour ranking 11th on the speed chart [and still only third among the Hendrick drivers, with Gordon fifth and Johnson seventh]. But he was the slowest of all the Hendrick drivers in the first practice, when he ranked just 31st on the chart. Gordon said it was neat to see Earnhardt come so close to winning in Daytona. He admitted he would like to see him close the deal completely soon -- not just for Earnhardt's own sake but for the overall good of the sport. "I think that obviously being as popular as he is and the attention being on him win or lose, when he wins it's a positive for the sport," Gordon said. "But I don't see his attitude being any different than any other year. He comes into every season pumped up and excited and optimistic just like everyone else. "I think that their finish at Daytona definitely adds a little to that, so his confidence I think is good and strong right now -- especially after coming off of a decent year last year. I think right now if you look at what happened last year with the Chase and the championship and all the excitement that happened in Daytona -- Junior finishing second and the great battle, Danica [Patrick], the great ball of flames, it all got a lot of attention. There's a lot of momentum with the sport right now. Whatever is going to keep that momentum going, I'm all for it. I hope it's a win from the 24 car that can keep it going, but if it's the 88 and 24 then OK, I'll take that, too." At end of 500, two cars weren't better than one For two weeks, they said, the tandem would win the race. Despite the fans' disdain for it, despite NASCAR's attempts to deemphasize it, drivers in the sport's premier division seemed almost certain that at the end, a two-car draft would be what claimed the Daytona 500. In the final laps early Tuesday morning, those two cars belonged to Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. So Earnhardt's No. 88 hooked up with the back end of Biffle's No. 16 in a green-white-checkered restart -- and the tandem draft still couldn't catch eventual winner Matt Kenseth, who claimed his second title in the Great American Race. "This new package really didn't come down to tandem racing at the end," Earnhardt said. "I mean, me and Greg were pushing like heck and we couldn't get to Matt. So they have definitely made some strides in trying to make that not the definite way to win in a Sprint Cup level." The tandem certainly seemed to be the difference-maker in last weekend's Budweiser Shootout, when Kyle Busch used the slingshot around Tony Stewart in a final-lap, two-man duel to claim the exhibition season opener. Yet a similar situation didn't play out in the rain-postponed Daytona 500, in which Kenseth led the final 38 laps. As it had shown in winning the second of two 150-mile qualifiers on Thursday, the No. 17 car was just too strong. "Even on them restarts when Dale Jr. tried to push me, I tried to give him air and stay with him, but our car just ran so good, he couldn't quite keep up and stay attached to us," Kenseth said. "So I had to make other moves to keep the momentum up. I think when you come to plate racing, a huge, huge percentage of it is the car and how fast the car is. But I think Thursday was really good for us, because we learned some things in them last few laps that I think probably helped a little bit [Monday]." Still, the drivers behind Kenseth were surprised they couldn't make up ground. "Once we got straight, I pushed the gas down, I thought that we'd drive up on the back of the No. 17 without a problem," Biffle said. "It must have just pushed enough air out in front of my car that it pushed the No. 17 car out about five, six feet in front of me, and I couldn't get any closer. I thought, well, I need to get out from behind him because then we'll be able to go by him. So on the back stretch I moved up a little bit, and Matt is not stupid. We had no run at him. We were all going the same speed." When Biffle moved over, Kenseth did the same. In retrospect, Biffle said he probably should have slowed down to try and put some distance between him and Kenseth, so he and Earnhardt could pair up and try to make a run at the leader. "Then we could have moved up beside him coming off the corner, and then Junior and I would have had to dice it out to the line," he said. "That's probably what I should have done, is just anchored down the brakes down the backstretch and put distance in between us. [That's] the only way we probably would have got a run at him. But I thought for sure I didn't need to do that. Of course, Monday morning quarterback, I'd do it now, but I didn't think I needed to. I thought [Earnhardt would] shove me right up to his back bumper. He had all night. I had no doubt it would happen then." But it didn't, and instead it gave the impression that Biffle was blocking for his Roush Fenway teammate. Earnhardt, who eventually overtook Biffle for second place, didn't see it that way. "This is the Daytona 500, and I don't know what it pays, but it's a lot of money. And his team, I know that they're teammates, but his group of guys that specifically work on that car or travel down here to pit the car during the race, his crew chief, Greg himself, they work way too hard to decide to run second in a scenario like that," Earnhardt said. "I'm pretty sure that if I know Greg, and ... if he had an opportunity to get around Matt and had a chance to win the Daytona 500, he would have took it immediately. He's trying to do what he could do. If I were him, I can't imagine what his game plan was in his head, but if I were him, I would have tried to let me push him by and then pull down in front of Matt, and force Matt to be my pusher and then leave the No. 88 for the dogs. But that didn't work out." It didn't for either of them. And although Earnhardt seemed pleased with his Daytona 500 run early Tuesday morning, he knew at some point the internal second-guessing would begin. "I'm very happy," he said. "I'm really in a good place. I'm not frustrated at all, I promise. I'm in a great mood. I run second here a lot, though, so I know I don't feel it right now, but I know later [Tuesday] and [Wednesday] and the rest of the week it's going to eat at me what I could have done to win the race. So that is kind of frustrating." Junior's confidence on the rise at Daytona Dale Earnhardt Jr. left Daytona frustrated and furious last July. One of his favorite tracks, the place forever linked to his family name, had become a bore. Junior disliked every aspect of the newfangled tandem racing at NASCAR’s superspeedways: the blind pushing, the feeling of not being in total control and the need for constant communication. “It was a foolish freakin’ race,” he said after a 19th-place finish. His outlook has changed considerably since. Between some NASCAR-mandated changes, results during testing and 54 wild laps in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout, Earnhardt’s concerns have been alleviated. Now, he might even be considered a front-runner heading into Thursday’s qualifying race and Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500. “I do feel like I have a better shot at winning in this current style of racing,” Earnhardt said Wednesday. “I do feel more confident than I did coming down here and tandem drafting. I never felt really great about that. It is a completely different style of racing and it’s not what I enjoyed. “I definitely feel better about this.” Still, Earnhardt and others believe tandem racing in the final laps will determine the outcome in the qualifying races and “The Great American Race.” But not having to push, pull, sweat and swap for 200 laps around the high-banked track means everything to NASCAR’s most popular driver—and maybe even more fun to his legion of fans. After all, Earnhardt won the 2004 Daytona 500 and has a dozen other victories at NASCAR’s most storied track. It’s also the place where his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, won 34 races and died on the final lap in the 2001 opener. So Daytona has become synonymous with the Earnhardt legacy. It will always be an important place for Junior, for better or worse. He knows it, and so does everyone around him. And now that the racing has returned, at least in part, to the pack style Junior enjoys and seems to thrive in—it was just two years ago that he stormed through the field on the final lap and finished second to Jamie McMurray in a thrilling finish—it only makes sense that he would be a favorite again. Nonetheless, he knows he needs good fortune to stay out front. “I really wouldn’t know what to tell you do to as far a series of moves or what kind of mind-set to have,” said Earnhardt, whose winless streak is at 129 races. “There is no sure strategy that is going to keep you out of a wreck or having you lead the race off turn four. You just have to go throughout the race and hope you continue to make every decision right, kind of like a line of dominos; you just hope everyone that falls hits the next one. “Eventually, you come off the last corner and you are in position to try to make that last decision that is going to win the race. That is about it. I think you just have to have good instinct about drafting and what is happening around you. … You have to be really selfish and always want to help yourself and always do what is going to help you, which is really not my personality, but for whatever reason I’m pretty good at it. Hopefully it will work out for us.” It worked to perfection in 2004, a victory Earnhardt still savors nearly a decade later. He vividly remembers the raucous celebration in Victory Lane, the unremitting adulation from fans and media, and the flattering comparisons to his late father. “I had no idea what winning that race would feel like until I won it,” Junior said. “I didn’t know what to compare that to. When you win that race, it is really hard to explain. All the things that you want out of life and all the pressures you put on yourself or you feel from other people, all the things you want to accomplish; everybody sort of has this mountain in front of them that they put in front of themselves that they want to climb. “For a moment, or for a day, you are at the top of that mountain.” Nothing else matters, he said. Little things that can be bothersome are distant memories. “You just feel like you have realized your full potential,” he said. “Everything is sort of just maxed out for the day. All the things that you wanted to achieve. Obviously you set a lot of goals for yourself, and that is just one of the goals. But just for a moment, just for that one day, whether it is 30 minutes or an hour after you cross that finish line, you feel like it can’t get any better than this.“It is a pretty incredible emotion. I feel so lucky to have had that opportunity to experience it. It is such a special moment.” Those memories come flooding back every time he sees a replay of the race, especially the celebration. He would love to create a second version Sunday. And considering that pack racing is back, he has as good a chance as anyone. “Some of the greatest drivers come through this sport and don’t win it,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem right, but only certain ones get that opportunity.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. says winless streak cost Hendrick $1M Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Wednesday his extended losing streak has cost Hendrick Motorsports $1 million in bonus money, a figure that gnaws at NASCAR's most popular driver. The 129-race streak, which dates to a race at Michigan International Speedway in June 2008, disqualified Earnhardt's No. 88 car from NASCAR's Winners' Circle contingency program, which offers team bonus money for winning races. Earnhardt's winless seasons in 2009 and 2010 kept the team from claiming the 2011 bonus. "I just want to win anywhere," Earnhardt said before practice for the Daytona 500. "I just want to get it done." Earnhardt, who will start second in Thursday's first of two Gatorade Duels (2 p.m. ET, Speed), twin 150-mile races that set the field for Sunday's Daytona 500, won the Great American Race in 2004. "Every time I see a replay of me and my crew celebrating below the flag stand, it all comes back so clearly," said Earnhardt, an 18-time winner in Sprint Cup who finished seventh in the points standings a year ago. "Every time I see it I just think about how fortunate I was to have won that race. Some of the greatest drivers come through this sport and don't win it. It just doesn't seem right. Only certain ones get to see that opportunity." Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't lay back in Daytona 500, more comfortable with pack racing Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent the last two restrictor-plate races hanging out in the rear of the field, trying to avoid the wrecks and waiting to make his move. The strategy allowed him to make it to the final lap of the race but was far from a winning one. He ended up being involved in a wreck on the final lap at Daytona and couldn’t draft his way to the front with teammate Jimmie Johnson at Talladega. He doesn’t plan on laying back again in the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. “I’m not good at riding in the back because I’ve never made it back to the front,” Earnhardt Jr. said Wednesday prior to Sprint Cup practice. “Me and Jimmie [Johnson] tried to do that the last couple of trips when the tandem [draft] was all you did all day long and didn’t get to the front. “When it came time to get to the front, we were either not fast enough or they were too far ahead or the track was too blocked. I don’t think I’ve ever used that style and made it work for me.” The 2004 Daytona 500 winner and a six-time winner at restrictor-plate races, Earnhardt Jr. has not won a restrictor-plate race since October 2004, a span of 28 races at Daytona and Talladega. That’s not the only drought that tugs at the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Earnhardt Jr. takes a 129-race winless streak into the season’s opening race, having not won since June 2008 at Michigan. On the preseason Sprint Media Tour, the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers were challenged to produce the organization’s 200th win (Hendrick currently has 199), and Earnhardt Jr. said, “I’ll take 201, 202, 203. I’ll take any of the wins this year. I just want to win.” “I just want to win anywhere,” Earnhardt Jr. said Wednesday at Daytona. “I just want to go ahead and get that done so I can think about the next one and get the streak over with and get back to victory lane. … It would help our team. It will validate what me and [crew chief] Steve [Letarte] have been trying to do the last couple of years.” Earnhardt Jr. said not having won in three seasons cost his team about $1 million last year because it was no longer eligible to participate in NASCAR’s Winner’s Circle program, which rewards recent winners with additional purse money in exchange for promotional appearances. “We need to get the zero out of the win column for us to have a great year,” crew chief Steve Letarte said. “It’s that simple.” Going into the Gatorade Duel qualifying races Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. believes he can find the right drafting partner at the right time to be a contender tomorrow and during the Daytona 500 on Sunday. NASCAR’s new restrictor-plate rules, which has created more pack racing and less tandem drafting, fits Earnhardt Jr.’s style better. He still believes a two-car draft still could break away and win the race, but says it will develop more naturally than drivers pairing off throughout the whole race. “This style, definitely I’m more comfortable with,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’m a lot more in control of what’s happening. In the [Budweiser] Shootout, I was able to formulate a plan and get to the front and take the lead. “I would see something that I wanted to do and try to go do it and it would happen. That was a good feeling.” Earnhardt enthused about rest of Speedweeks These days, the biggest thing going on with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s position in the Sprint Cup Series is he appreciates crew chief Steve Letarte and his men's hard work. Especially since that's placed their No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet near the front of the field. That was never more evident than after Sunday's qualifying run for the Daytona 500, when Earnhardt failed to defend his 2011 pole or sit on the front row for the third consecutive year. But he did end up third and thus, will start on the front row for Thursday's first Gatorade Duel qualifying race. "We were kind of struggling to run with [Jeff Gordon, Saturday] and we all pretty much had the same engine," Earnhardt said of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, who qualified sixth. "We probably got a little better wind and we made some changes in our car, as well, trying to find more speed. "I've got to thank my crew for working as hard as they could, not being complacent and taking whatever they could get. They really went after it and I had a shot at the pole." On an equal level -- and probably an even more important one here at Daytona International Speedway considering how a proverbial puff of wind or slip of the steering wheel can wipe out multiple cars -- Earnhardt accepts the hand he and his 48 competitors trying to establish their positions for Sunday's Daytona 500 have been dealt. Surprisingly enough, considering his car was a potential Budweiser Shootout winner last Saturday night before someone else's miscue -- "something that happened that should not have happened," Earnhardt said -- destroyed it, Earnhardt's enjoying the current state of superspeedway racing, which he called a throwback. "I like it better [but] it can get even better than this [and] we still need to keep trying to make it even better," Earnhardt said. "It was fun to be able to be offensive and go up there and try to take the lead. I think the fans really enjoyed all the lead changes we were able to have and everybody out there being able to work on their own deal -- not really having to have a partner all the time to make something happen. "The closing rate is a little fast. Guys will go flying backwards and forwards. I think we have really made a lot of great improvements and I have more of my destiny in my hands in this type of racing." That's an interesting statement considering his disgust at what happened to him Saturday night. On Sunday he said he didn't feel the need to prepare himself for any emotional letdown getting wrecked as an innocent bystander might cause. "That's the way it's always been," Earnhardt said. "I didn't feel like we had much control over our own destinies with the package we had last year or the year before. And ever since I've been racing in restrictor-plate racing, you never know when you're going to punch your ticket and be part of the wreck. "You never know when it's going to be your turn and that's always been the way it is, so you kind of got used to that, over time. With what we saw the other night, the cars don't really handle, so everybody's really brave and that makes for a lot of accidents and really exciting racing." Earnhardt mastered the art of plate racing enough to win seven races between July 2001 and October 2004, including five-of-six in one stretch at Talladega and the 2004 Daytona 500. It definitely puts him in a position to opine on style -- particularly when it created as much destruction as witnessed Saturday night. "You don't have to move around -- you just hold your damn car where it needs to be and not drive around like an idiot," Earnhardt said of Saturday night's juking and jiving that created three multi-car wrecks and wiped out half the starting field. "If you want to drive your car in a straight line and be sensible it is possible [not to wreck]. "There is no chaos out there. Yes, there are guys moving around, but it's not necessary. They are not doing it because they are hot or there are problems with their engine running hot or anything like that. They are just having a good time. Everybody is enjoying it." Other than the fans whose favorites' cars were lying, wasted, in the garage that might be a fair assessment of fandom's take on the current style of racing. Earnhardt's locked rock-solid on how he feels about it, based on how his 54 laps in the Shootout went. "I felt like I was doing a good job [Saturday night], I had control of my race and had potential to win the race if I made all the right moves -- that is all I can ask for," Earnhardt said. "I like this kind of racing better. At least I know what to expect. I feel like I have a better chance with this style than I did last year for damn sure." And that includes his next race Thursday. As wild as the Shootout's action was and as much as is at stake this weekend, Earnhardt didn't predict any let-off Thursday given the confidence his starting spot gives him. "Starting on that front row gives you that kind of feeling," Earnhardt said. "[Starting] third on back, you feel like you need to race because somebody's going to try to take your third starting spot in the 500 if that is where we were to end up. Somebody's out there to take it from you in those qualifying races so you have to run hard. "We're just going to try to go hard because we've got great race cars and we've tried to take care of them and be careful and that's not worked, so we're going to go back to racing. Rick [Hendrick} said he's paid a lot of money to see us up front -- not running around in the back [laughing]." And for better or worse Earnhardt, whose primary 2011 Daytona 500 car was wrecked less than 20 minutes into Wednesday's practice, forecasts the same as what everyone saw last Saturday, this Sunday in the Great American Race. "A lot of the same [though] maybe being 500 miles guys might use a little better judgment -- but I wouldn't count on it," Earnhardt said. "It is a heavy duty race, a pretty big deal to win and it's going to be a lot of guys pretty excited about their prospects of winning it. Still, pretty much any car can win. The lottery's still there for the whole field [so] we will just see how it works out." Dale Earnhardt Jr. still frustrated with Daytona rules, anxious to control his own destiny There was a time when no one looked forward to racing at Daytona more than Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not anymore. Earnhardt Jr., who still is frustrated with NASCAR’s restrictor-plate rules, admits he is more anxious to get to Phoenix or Bristol or other unrestricted tracks than he is racing in Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout and the Daytona 500 next week. “Daytona, this is probably the worst odds for me all year because of the way the racing is here,” Earnhardt Jr. said at NASCAR Media Day Thursday. “This is going to be a fun experience, but I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix and the rest of the tracks to start getting control of my destiny and trying to make some things happen for me and win some races. “This is race is going to be fun and this weekend will be enjoyable, but I am looking forward to going to Phoenix because I know I have better odds there. I look forward to going to tracks where I’m driving the car and I can make a difference.” NASCAR has been trying to eliminate or reduce the two-car draft, which became prevalent in the restrictor-plate races in recent years. It tried a bevy of new rules during preseason testing at Daytona and finally settled on a package that includes a smaller spoiler, softer rear springs, smaller restrictor-plate holes and changes to the radiators and cooling systems to cause the cars to overheat quicker. Earnhardt Jr. credits NASCAR for working hard on the changes, but says he still has no idea what to expect. “I don’t know what is going to happen in the Daytona 500 and I don’t even have a clue what the racing is going to be like right now, and that’s kind of frustrating but that’s just the way it is,” he said. “Right now, I have no knowledge and it is frustrating as a driver to go into a situation like that. Everything we are going to have to learn we are going to have to learn really fast in just a few hours of practice.” Earnhardt Jr. says NASCAR is moving in the right direction, however. “NASCAR has been working really hard trying to put it back into the drivers' hands and give the drivers control of their destiny instead of pairing up and trying to take care of each other out there on the race track,” he said. “You want to be stubborn and look out for yourself only, so they are trying to go that direction. “I give them a lot of credit for trying really hard and making a lot of good changes. We’ll see. Everybody has got to be anticipating and it’s got to be exciting for everybody, fans, media, anticipating what is going to happen.” The racing at Daytona changed after NASCAR repaved the track after the pothole fiasco in the 2010 Daytona 500. The new, smoother asphalt created more grip, which allowed two-car tandems to run faster than big packs of traffic. Earnhardt Jr. says he would have never advocated the track being repaved had he known it would lead to this kind of racing. “Carl Edwards was right,” he said. “He’s the one who said they shouldn’t have repaved it. Maybe they should have just paved a few spots. I didn’t like it as rough as it was, but I really, really loved the lack of grip.” Earnhardt Jr., who won the 2004 Daytona 500 and the July race at Daytona in 2001, said he prefers the racing from 2001-'04 at Daytona. “Those races were awesome, the Gatorade Duels, in 2001, were spectacular. That’s the kind of racing we want,” he said. Right now, he believes the Daytona 500 is ripe for another upset. He says practically anybody can win under the new rules. “Everybody, at least 35 have a good shot at it,” he said. “You just don’t know who is going to come off Turn 4 battling for this thing anymore.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. wonders how he let Tony Eury Sr. leave as his crew chief at DEI One of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s most notable moves as the owner of JR Motorsports was hiring Tony Eury Sr. as competition director and crew chief. Not only is Eury Sr. his uncle, but Earnhardt Jr. certainly wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Asked recently what he felt were the biggest mistakes of his career, Earnhardt Jr. pointed to Eury Sr. being replaced by Pete Rondeau as his crew chief during the 2004-2005 offseason at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Eury Sr. and Earnhardt Jr. had combined for 15 victories in his first five Cup seasons. Eury Sr. also had been the crew chief for both of Earnhardt Jr.’s championship seasons in what was then called the Busch Series. But after a six-win season in 2004, DEI officials wanted to move Eury Sr. into a management role and Earnhardt Jr. gave the move his blessing. “I was just ignorant, man, just naïve,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I didn’t realize what I had. I had a great team around me, had a great leader. I thought I knew more than everybody else around me and I didn’t.” Rondeau didn’t last a full season with Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Hmiel took the role on an interim basis (and won a race) before Tony Eury Jr. took over as crew chief. Earnhardt Jr. worked with Eury Jr. for two years at DEI and then a little more than a year at Hendrick Motorsports. Eury Jr., who won two races with Earnhardt Jr., is now a co-owner and crew chief at JR Motorsports. How did Eury Sr. get replaced as his crew chief? Earnhardt Jr. just shakes his head. “We had won a lot of races and did really well,” said Earnhardt Jr. “I think that year we had won six races. So for whatever reason, we split up and I feel like I had a lot of responsibility in that decision and I regret doing that because he was good.” While he possibly could blame the people making the decisions – his stepmother, Teresa, owned the team and Ty Norris was running the operations – Earnhardt Jr. wouldn’t go down that road. “I was in the meetings with the other people at DEI and talked myself into being in favor of it in one way or another over the months that we went over this,” said Earnhardt Jr., who hired Eury Sr. at JRM in July 2007. “I felt like that definitely was a mistake. I’m not putting it on anybody’s shoulders. I’m taking my responsibility for part of that decision.” Top 20 Countdown: No. 12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2011 finish: 7th Our 2012 predictions: • Jay Hart: 11th • Jay Busbee: 11th • Nick Bromberg: 14th • Geoffrey Miller: 14th Crew chief: Steve Letarte Offseason action: Gained Diet Mountain Dew as a new primary sponsor to go along with National Guard. 2012 outlook: Fifty-two. That’s how many laps Dale Earnhardt Jr. led last season. That’s six fewer than Joey Logano, a third as many as Martin Truex Jr. and 3 percent of Kyle Busch’s total. Why bring this up? Because if Junior is to snap his 129-race winless streak, he needs to put himself in position to win, and aside from Martinsville (1) and Charlotte (1), he didn’t do that often enough in 2011. And if momentum counts for anything, the news isn’t good for Earnhardt. From June 19 on (a span of 22 races), Junior had just four top 10s and only a single top-five finish. This late-season swoon is right on course with a disturbing pattern (if you’re in Earnhardt’s camp) since he joined Hendrick Motorsports. In four seasons with HMS, Junior has notched 41 top-10 finishes. Of those, only 12 have come in the second half of the season. There is little doubt Junior will come out firing on all cylinders. He’ll be in the mix to win the Daytona 500 and likely notch enough solid finishes early on to put him into Chase contention no matter what he does during the summer months. The question is whether or not he can sustain his effort throughout the course of a 36-race season. The key may just be getting back to victory lane – and soon. Because while Junior says he is relaxed heading into this season and insists he and crew chief Steve Letarte gained a mountain of information in 2011 (their first year working together) that will help them in 2012, the winless streak still weighs on him. It’s as if he enters every season full of positivity, but every additional loss sucks some of that out of him. By midseason, he’s left completely dry. His tank is once again full, but to keep it that way and avoid another second-half meltdown he must get to victory lane – fast. Point of interest: When asked if Junior’s winless streak hurts the sport, Brian France replied, “It hurts. It hurts. He is trying to win and get his team to have the confidence to not only win one but rip off more. He did improve and made the Chase. He’s a big franchise. He’s the most popular driver in NASCAR, so it would help us if he would win.” 2011 statistics Finish Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 7 1 0 4 12 Priority shift: Letarte's willingness to push has led to a more garage-anchored Earnhardt Prior to his pairing with crew chief Steve Letarte last season, the life of Dale Earnhardt Jr., at least at the track on race weekends, was quite simple. The philosophy, in a nutshell, was to show up and drive. That is all. Letarte changed that when he moved over to sit upon the pit box of the No. 88 Chevrolet Earnhardt drives for Hendrick Motorsports. Having helped guide veteran Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon to five consecutive Chase berths as Gordon's crew chief, Letarte had a certain way of going about his business that was unlike anything Earnhardt had previously experienced. "I never really had anybody ask that much of me as far as a crew chief goes," Earnhardt said recently at the HMS shop. "They were more like, 'Just be there with your helmet when it's time to drive, and be ready to drive.' But he's asked me to do other things separate from the driving job itself. He's got expectations of what he wants me to do as a driver that help him be a better crew chief." What has been required of Earnhardt is more of a full-time commitment to the team. He fills out post-race forms just like team engineers do, describing what he believed was going on with the car during certain stages of a race. He sits in on more team meetings -- sometimes morning, afternoon and night in between on-track practices. The public perception often has been that Letarte is a good fit for Earnhardt because the upbeat Letarte is such an open cheerleader in interviews and on the team radio during races. But it turns out his most important attribute is as taskmaster. Upon becoming Earnhardt's crew chief, he told his driver bluntly that he expected Earnhardt to arrive at the job long before his first practice run and be prepared to stay late on days at the track. "He wanted me there early," Earnhardt said. "I was grumbling about it at first, but he just said, 'That's the way it is, man.' ... As soon as I got to the truck in the morning, I never left until the day was over with. I never did that my entire career until [last] year. I would go back to my bus in between practices. I was never there early, or did any of those things in the 10 years before that." Letarte chuckled when told of Earnhardt's self-admission about grumbling. "I guess I didn't even care about his grumbling, because I didn't even have to sell [the idea to him]. I just told him, 'This is the schedule. This is how we're going to go about our business.' He never really grumbled to me," Letarte said. "He was there; he was there on time and ready to work. I appreciate that about him. He's the ultimate professional -- and from everything I've seen, I would expect him to continue being the ultimate professional. "He's a huge part of the team. He's the only guy in the car, and we need him to be a part of it. He's never said anything but 'Sure, I'll be there.' And he's always said it with a smile on his face." The payoff The hard work paid dividends as Earnhardt made the Chase last year for the first time since 2008 -- the first year he drove for Hendrick -- and finished seventh in the final point standings, his highest finish since fifth in 2006 when he was still driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Team owner Rick Hendrick, who orchestrated the move to have Letarte become Earnhardt's crew chief, insisted that the Letarte-Earnhardt duo has barely scratched the surface of their true dual potential. "Nothing surprised me, but I never realized what a cheerleader Stevie could be -- or how much Junior could take tough love. Stevie knew just when to deliver that, and when to put his arm around him," Hendrick said. "I think a lot of the other guys were scared of him, and so they would hold it in and then get mad and say something, and then Junior would get mad and we didn't go anywhere. "But now Stevie knows exactly when he can pull that trigger, or just riding to the races with him and just how to work on him in more relaxed settings like that. I give Stevie a tremendous amount of credit. They haven't shown their true potential yet, but I think you'll see it this year. The communication, the confidence level ... I just wish we had put them together earlier on. I had no way of knowing it would be as good as it is." And what exactly does Hendrick see as their "true potential?" As good as they were together last year, they never won a race. Earnhardt still hasn't won since June of 2008 at Michigan, carrying a 129-race winless streak into this season that has to wear on the driver like a set of bad tires that he wishes could have been changed hundreds of pit stops ago. "I just feel like they'll win races and they'll be back in the Chase. I think they'll be better than they were last year," Hendrick said. "They made a huge step last year from where they were. We hit on some things at the end of the year that they really liked. It's amazing how close these cars can be, but then how different some of the setups need to be from driver to driver. Sometimes it takes a while to get all of that to fall into place. "I just feel like the relationship between those two ... Stevie is not going to lay down; he's not going to accept Junior not being [a true pro]. And Junior needs that confidence that his crew chief is doing what he needs to do, and not slacking off because Junior's maybe in a bad mood or he doesn't want to do what the crew chief wants him to do that day. Stevie, that just rolls right off his shoulders. He doesn't care about that. The mutual respect is unbelievable there." What's next? Letarte said one of the keys to his developing such a trusting relationship with Earnhardt so quickly is that he refused to buy into anyone else's perception of the situation before he stepped in to form his own opinions. Even though he had worked at Hendrick since 1995, when he was only 16 years old, and obviously knew a great deal about Earnhardt, Letarte's first opinion was that you never really know a man until you get close to him. "I personally never asked anyone their opinion of Dale Jr., nor did I listen to anything about him that was ever offered to me," Letarte said. "I went to Dale Jr. and introduced myself as if we had never met, and we started the process with a completely blank slate. So I had no expectations of what he would be like, and I think he's been great. ... I had no other expectations other than my expectations of his commitment and what I expected him to do as a race car driver. But I had no other expectations based on past history. "In my opinion, when you line up on Sunday with 43 cars on the grid, what you did yesterday or last week or even how many championships you've won, it doesn't matter. Forty-three guys have a chance to win the race." As it so happened , Letarte and Earnhardt became fast friends away from the track as well as clicking as coworkers on it. "It's just very easy to spend time around him, and I think he thinks the same of me," Letarte said. "We get along really well. We're friends. He spends time with me and my family. He respects what's important to me, and I respect what's important to him. We have a level of respect between us that all great friendships are built upon, and I think we have one. "It's very hard to go into battle with someone when you don't have a great foundation. I don't think you have to be friends, but you have to respect one another. Fortunately, we are friends -- but we also respect one another. I never question his desire; I hope he never questions mine. That allows us to go into battle and when things get tough, we can be very matter of fact about what the issue is -- and not have to work through a whole bunch of other mud to get there." Earnhardt added simply, "We seemed to really click right from the get-go." As for this year, they'll again play summer basketball together -- Earnhardt is a "decent shooting guard" and the much taller Letarte more of an inside force. They'll also probably cook out once or twice and hang out. But in between all that, and much more importantly, they expect to be more competitive than ever on the race track. Earnhardt said he's even looking forward to those early-morning skull sessions in the garage on race weekends. "I understood once we got to doing it that I found that place enjoyable and that I wanted to be there," Earnhardt said. "It's been good. He's an easy guy to be around. None of this works is he doesn't have the right personality. He deserves a lot of credit. He took on a tough job here; it's a tough little gig for him. But he's done well with it so far. "I don't ask a whole lot of him other than not to change. The guy he was last year was perfect. The more of that, the better." Dale Earnhardt Jr. relaxed, confident but still looking to snap winless streak As Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered his interview session during this year’s Sprint Media Tour, he had a much different outlook than a year earlier. In 2011, he was coming off his second consecutive year in which he failed to finish in the top 20 in the Sprint Cup standings. He also knew that not only would the media ask him about his struggles, but also want to talk about the 10-year anniversary of his father’s death. Now a year later, Earnhardt Jr. is coming off a season in which he didn’t win but at least finished seventh in the standings. “I didn’t know what we would talk about today,” Earnhardt Jr. said with a laugh. “I felt like we wouldn’t have anything to discuss other than the typical thing that you might ask everybody – how you get better.” Well, so how does Earnhardt Jr. get better coming off a season where he posted four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes? “You never really know what to change, what to do better,” he said. “You’re going to drive. Guys are going to work. How to beat the best team in the sport, when you look at what you’ve got, nothing really stands out that this is what you’re missing. “You just kind of keep trying. Talent evolves in this sport, technology evolves in this sport and teams are good and somebody else comes and takes their spot. Hopefully we’re the next guys that go in that spot. That’s about all you can hope for.” The way to get better is to win a race. Earnhardt Jr. has not won since a June 2008 race at Michigan, a span of 129 races. He came close in 2011, with late leads at Martinsville and Charlotte but didn’t get it done. Kevin Harvick had a better car at the end of Martinsville and Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas on the final lap at Charlotte while leading. It still was what many considered a successful year, his first with crew chief Steve Letarte. “We definitely took a step in the right direction with the changes we made last year,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I don’t know what our potential is past that, but we’re going to work hard to see if we can find it and find more and be more competitive. We were close to winning a few races and hadn’t had that in a long time. “Working with Steve, he gave me the opportunity, whether it was our strong performance or his strategy, one way or another, he’s given me the chance I didn’t have. I felt closer to winning than I felt before.” Letarte liked the feeling of being close. He didn’t like the feeling of not getting it done. “2011 was a good year,” Letarte said. “I really, really enjoyed it. It was a really good year. I think it’s time for us now to have a great year. I think we need to get the zero out of the win column to have a great year. The relationship between Letarte and Earnhardt Jr. quickly blossomed. Letarte was able to take his driver’s feedback and make changes that helped the performance of the car. Too often in previous years, Earnhardt Jr. had difficulty improving the car throughout the race. It started as early as the third race of the season at Las Vegas, and Earnhardt Jr. immediately had more confidence than in the past. “I think I got better at being particular in my feedback,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I know I did get better in my communication with my crew chief and being particular in the problems I was facing. “In the past, I would get frustrated and my comments would be broad and generic and not assisting anyone in any real manner. I think I’m a lot more specific in, ‘Hey this is a problem, this is where I think it lies, I’ll let you think about that and work on it and I expect you’ll fix it.’ So it’s been good.” Now Earnhardt Jr. has the confidence that the team can build off of what was successful last year. They won’t enter race weekends guessing as much as they did at the start of 2011. They also started using some ideas from Kenny Francis, the former Red Bull Racing crew chief who, along with driver Kasey Kahne, joins Hendrick this season. “This past season gave us a lot of information that we’ll be able to work with,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We can go into a lot of races with a lot of expectations that we didn’t have this past year, a lot of anticipation about the cars, what we were fighting, what our problems were all race long and stuff like that.” While there’s confidence, there also is still that nagging question of when will they win and what they will do to challenge more for a championship. “There is comfort there but we have to do better,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We have to come in and we have to improve. Still there is some pressure, still some expectations that are higher than we had last year. So you feel some pressure there and some tension, but I think it’s quite positive.” That positive feeling allowed Earnhardt Jr. to spend the offseason not worrying about his team. He didn’t spend it wondering if he will ever get out of the slump. All he had to do was think about how to take what should be a competitive car to victory lane. “I’m relaxed,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I had a good offseason and I didn’t really have a whole lot of things going on. All I’ve got to think about is doing better than I did last year and are we doing what we need to do as a team to do that. … I feel closer to winning races. “I feel like the potential is there for us to make that happen, which is a good feeling, [one that] gives me a lot of confidence that this year could be the year we get it done.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Steve Letarte to keep strict demands in place for 2012 When talking about how to make his 2012 season better, Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t talk about what should change but instead what shouldn’t. It might sound strange, but one of Earnhardt Jr.’s concerns going into the new season is that Steve Letarte will relax a tough love approach on the sport’s most popular driver. That tough love has helped turn around Earnhardt Jr.’s performance on the track. Team owner Rick Hendrick paired Letarte and Earnhardt Jr. beginning with 2011 after Earnhardt Jr. spent two seasons outside the top 20 in the standings. Last year, Earnhardt Jr. made the Chase For The Sprint Cup and finished seventh overall. He didn’t win a race – he hasn’t since 2008 – but Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t complain about the improvement that came when Letarte took over. “Steve was really vocal in telling me things he expected out of me that I wasn’t doing as a driver,” Earnhardt Jr. said Wednesday at Hendrick Motorsports. “He saw things that I could change. He was really strict. I really liked that. “I told him, ‘I need to hear these things. I need you to hold me to a certain standard.’ … This offseason, I said, ‘We’ve been together a year and hopefully you’re not relaxed too much to where you’re less dependent on me to do those things.’ I want the same style. I want him to be a field general when it comes to managing the team.” Earnhardt Jr. would be glad to know that Letarte doesn’t plan on going soft. “If he feels he needs more structure, that’s fine,” Letarte said. “I can assure him that this is kind of who I am. The day I’m not this demanding is the day I won’t be a very good crew chief. “You have to be demanding. That’s my job.” A demanding style is the only way Letarte knows how to work as a crew chief. It’s the way he’s acted with all the drivers he’s ever been a crew chief for – all two of them, Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. “Jeff Gordon sat down in 2005 with me – I idolized the guy [because] I grew up in his race team,” Letarte said. “He made sure I knew that he expected me to treat him like any other driver on any Saturday night anywhere I would be. “So I did. I managed him as he asked me to manage him. I guess maybe it became my style.” Letarte’s style requires Earnhardt Jr. to get to the hauler earlier in the day and give detailed notes after each race weekend. Earnhardt Jr. said there are a variety of ways to be successful – he ran well for Tony Eury Sr. even though he wasn’t required to be at the hauler earlier or make detailed notes – but this is what Letarte wants. “I never really had anybody ask much of me as far as a crew chief goes – just be there with your helmet and be ready to drive when it’s time to drive,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “[Letarte’s] asked me to do other things separate to the driving job itself. “It helps him do his job better.” While he can’t pinpoint a race where he felt Letarte’s demands proved their worth, Earnhardt Jr. said it works for Letarte weekly as far as getting cars ready for the race track. “All those little things count and they matter,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Now they can go back on that stuff this year and look at those notes I provided and maybe have a better idea of what to expect for the race. “It’s all about preparation. … There’s things that happen in the races particular to the car itself that you’ll make a note of, and the next time you go back to that race track, you read those notes and go, ‘Wow we forgot to talk about this’ or ‘we can fix this.’” Letarte said Earnhardt Jr. bought into the program right away although Earnhardt Jr. said “I was grumbling about it at first” as far as being the track earlier than before. “I found that place to be enjoyable and wanted to be there,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s been good. He’s an easy guy to be around, too, which helps a lot. None of this works unless he has got the right personality.” Not only is Earnhardt Jr. getting to the hauler earlier in the day, he also spends more time there during the day. Part of it is that he likes hanging out with Letarte, so it doesn’t always feel like work. “As soon as I got in the truck in the morning, I never left until the day was over with,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I never did that my entire career until this year. I always went back to the bus between practices. I was never there early and never did any of those things in the 10 years I raced before that. “I don’t think it held me back. I don’t think I was realizing my full potential [though]. Maybe you can call it holding me back. He made me understand those things I thought were trivial were important to him, important to his ability to do his job.” Hendrick raises the bar after season with no title At Hendrick Motorsports, excellence is literally written on the walls -- or one of them, at least. One wall in the organization's team center is made of etched-glass blocks that contain the date and location of each of the company's 199 race victories in NASCAR's premier division. Overhead, banners hanging from the ceiling commemorate all of the team's championships, among them 10 in the Cup Series. It all combines to send a subtle but unmistakable message, that success here is measured only by being the very best. At Hendrick, nobody gets a banner or a glass block for a good points day. As understood as all that is, though, it's still somewhat jarring to hear the man in charge stand up and say it. But that's just what Rick Hendrick did Wednesday when NASCAR's preseason media tour stopped at his sprawling campus, and his reaction to a relative down year in 2011 was to make a simple pronouncement -- that a title in 2012 isn't just hoped for, but absolutely expected. It felt as if the boss had already placed an order for another banner, or cleared space in a trophy case for a sterling silver cup. "I usually hedge a little bit, but this year I'm not," Hendrick said. "I think I'm going to be real disappointed if we don't have all four cars in the Chase, and I'm going to be real disappointed if we don't win the championship." That's a strong statement even for a stop on the media tour, where the swell of optimism reaches its high-water mark, and every organization -- big or small, fully-sponsored or under-funded -- believes it has a chance. And it comes on the heels of a somewhat uneven 2011 campaign for Hendrick, one in which Jimmie Johnson had his championship streak snapped at five, Dale Earnhardt Jr. saw his winless skid continue, Mark Martin went winless in his final full-time season, and Jeff Gordon won three times but fell apart in the Chase. There were no Hendrick drivers in the top five in final points for the first time since 2000, when the team was just a three-car outfit. And the response to that is -- championship or bust? It certainly is at Hendrick, the most successful organization in modern NASCAR history, where the reaction to a down season is to raise the bar. "I think we're all culturally trained to be successful, and when we're not successful, we know we have to do something to react," said Chad Knaus, crew chief for Johnson's No. 48 car. "We've made some adjustments to the team, we've all made some adjustments as a company to go out there and do what we're supposed to do. It's not like there's a sounding bell that's rallying the troops. There's not a shotgun going off. There's nothing like a shock awareness. We just all know that we need to do better, and it's part of what we do. We're supposed to win races." The interesting thing is, this mandate of a championship in 2012 doesn't necessarily stem from shortcomings in the previous year. Oh, it's clear that efforts at Hendrick have been renewed -- preseason testing schedules are ramped up, Hendrick's mechanics and engineers have picked apart every rule change, and the owner says his organization is more prepared at this point in the year than he's ever seen before. Johnson feels rejuvenated having shed his championship obligations, and even the ultra-intense, workaholic Knaus took his first vacation in about a decade. No question, this is a team bucking in the starting gate, ready to prove that 2011 was an aberration. But Hendrick's championship expectations for this year stem not from the past, but from potential. He looks across his lineup and likes what he sees -- Johnson and Knaus angry, Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson clicking, Earnhardt and crew chief Steve Letarte coming off a Chase berth, newcomer Kasey Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis making the move after a strong finish to last year. As far as the owner is concerned, there are no weaknesses, and no excuses should somebody else hoist the Sprint Cup in South Florida this November. "Looking at last year, I didn't know how Dale and Steve were going to work. I didn't know how Jeff and Alan were going to work. I thought they would be good, and they were much better than I anticipated," Hendrick said. "I had Mark, knowing it was his last year. I had Kasey waiting to come. I didn't know if we were going to get Kenny, and then I get Kenny and their engineer and Kasey, and they are here and they're fitting in like they've been here forever. Then all of the sudden, I know -- I've got a better 88 team. I've got a better 24 team. I've got a pissed-off 48 team, and I've got a something-to-prove 5 team with a guy who had one of the best Chases of anybody. So that gives me the confidence that, if we don't blow it up, we're going to be good." As usual at Hendrick, so much of that centers on the No. 48 team, which over the course of five consecutive championship campaigns has emerged as the organization's flagship program. That reign ended last year, when the cars often just weren't fast enough, Johnson didn't win enough to intimidate the opposition, and he was reduced to a bystander as Tony Stewart outdueled Carl Edwards for the title. "I'm as hungry as I've ever been. I know that this organization is. I know that Chad is and the 48 team [is]," Johnson said. "What Rick [said], and his disappointment if all four cars aren't in the championship, and the same for the champion not being one of these four cars, I share that. I certainly know what my team is capable of. I know what I'm capable of. And I have lofty goals for myself this year, and I hope I can execute those things." Knaus reached the same place via a different route -- one that took him to South Africa, his first vacation in years, and a getaway that led him to miss Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona. He was still in regular contact with car chief Ron Malec and engineer Greg Ives at the race track, examining lap data and texting directions to his team on the other side of the world and in the middle of the night. He also visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned, got an up-close look at wild animals on safari, and took almost 2,000 photos. "I'm not going to say taking a trip reenergized me, and I found some golden orb down there that made it all worthwhile," Knaus said. "That's not how it worked. But I will tell you that being able to have fun a little bit helps. It helps the mind. I'm not super-familiar with that aspect of life, clearly. But I enjoyed it. Came back, and I'm ready to go. I feel great. I'm ready. I think it's going to be a great season for us." Hendrick is glad his sometimes high-strung crew chief got away. "We told Chad a couple of times, you can't be on the chip all the time. If you run as hard as you can run and never take a breath, you're going to burn out," he said. "One day you'll just walk out and say, 'I'm done.' You need to get out and enjoy yourself, feel refreshed and come back. I see, instead of him being so wound up he's off the floor, he's walking through the shop telling me I need to go to South Africa and see the animals." Assuredly, the old Chad will be back soon enough. Hendrick hopes this season to also see a little more of the old Hendrick Motorsports, the one that wins races and titles in bunches, and adds more glass cubes to the wall and more banners to the ceiling. "We've got a lot of the questions answered," said the man with 199 career victories in NASCAR's premier division. Well, all but one. "I've been hauling around these '200 win' hats for six months," he joked. Given the potential and seeming renewed purpose within his organization, you have to think that pretty soon, he'll be handing them out. A little bit of Dodge City in Junior's back yard There's a barbershop that advertises haircuts for a quarter, a jail with real locking cells, and a church with a steeple. There's a post office, a bank, and a hotel with bunk beds in the rooms upstairs. There's the Blazin Saddles Tack Shop and the Silverado Saloon, the latter of which features a pool table and genuine bottles of booze behind the long, polished bar. Welcome to Whisky River, a Western town that seems so authentic, you almost expect to see Matt Dillon, Seth Bullock or Josey Wales tromping down the muddy thoroughfare that runs through the middle. On this day, it's playing host to the filming of a shoot-'em-up commercial for this year's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But this is no movie set -- this is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s private fantasyland, a little piece of Dodge City or Deadwood built on his 200 acres of property north of Charlotte. "Dale Jr.'s a real low-key guy, and likes to have fun with his friends, and this is definitely the place for that," said Paul Menard, one of four active drivers involved in the commercial shoot, and a former teammate of Earnhardt's at Dale Earnhardt Inc. "It's got a little history. It's a cool place." The idea stemmed from practicality. The bar in the basement of Earnhardt's former house near DEI -- the once-famous Club E, which was featured on MTV's Cribs program -- began to be more trouble than it was worth. "I was thinking, man, I want to have something I can have parties at, and not worry that I'm tearing my house apart," Earnhardt said. Online, he found someone who would build 1,000-square-foot tree houses, and toyed with that idea until his sister, Kelley, warned him that he'd probably fall out. Then one day Earnhardt was watching a rerun of 60 Minutes which featured a segment on country-singer Willie Nelson, who had bought property in Texas that contained an Old West movie set. The set had originally been only building fronts, but Nelson finished the structures and made them usable. Earnhardt loved the idea and set about building his own Western village from scratch, hiring out-of-work carpenters to do the construction, and -- befitting a driver with a flair for a nostalgic -- using wood from Kannapolis' old Cannon Mills, which once stood near where the statue of Earnhardt's father is today. "We drew it on a sheet of paper and built it on cinder blocks," Earnhardt said at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, where he took part in the Preview '12 fan event held Saturday. "It got bigger and bigger." For a first-time visitor, the reality is somewhat staggering. There are saddles and wagon wheels and rocking chairs, hitching posts and barrels and upstairs balconies, stagecoaches and lanterns and animal skulls. Climb on up to the second floor of a hotel called the Hilton, where there are three rooms with bunk beds inside. Head on over to the livery, where there are tools for leatherworking and changing horseshoes. Watch out for the jail, where there are two cells that can be padlocked shut, and a gallows outside for more unfortunate criminals. Belly up to the Silverado Saloon, where there's a piano and a full bar and all manner of animal heads, hides and skulls on the walls. For Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was the perfect place to film an All-Star Race commercial featuring Menard, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin as double-crossing poker players, who end the ensuing argument with six-shooters drawn. Earnhardt has also used Whisky River for projects filmed by his own production company, Hammerhead, as well as for things like birthday parties and Halloween hayrides for family members and friends. For a driver with a definite appreciation for history who has always liked Clint Eastwood's spaghetti Westerns, it seems a natural extension of himself. "More than anything, I think it helps people see the personality in me," said Earnhardt, who built Whisky River about six years ago. "Because that's important for me, that people know me, get to know me, and understand me. ... That's kind of like looking through someone's record collection. It kind of shows you a little bit about them." As far as the commercial shoot, though, there was one caveat -- as was the case last year, Earnhardt wouldn't appear in it, because he's not yet guaranteed a berth in the All-Star Race. "Not unless I'm locked in," said Earnhardt, who last year gained entry to the event through a fan vote. "It would be a little bit arrogant. Self-assuming is never a good quality." If Whisky River shows Earnhardt's nostalgic side, then other areas of his property show how playful he can be. Scattered throughout the woods of his property are dozens of race cars, sometimes barely visible through the trees, which line a trail system. Earnhardt started with one, the shell of a backup car to a then-Busch Series primary vehicle that he used to lead every lap of a race at Daytona in the early 2000s. "We used it for target practice," he said. Now he has between 40 or 60 cars out there, and he's lobbying his former Nationwide driver, Brad Keselowski, to get him an IndyCar from Roger Penske since that series is moving to a new model for this year. "That would be the coolest thing to sit out there in the woods," he said. Where did he get all the old cars? "We just called around to some shops, said, 'Man, if you've got any junk you want to get rid of, we'd love to have it here,' " Earnhardt said. "First it was a collection of four or five cars. We called them yard ornaments. Then we started planting them in the woods. We built a lot of trails, and they're just things to look at and stumble upon as you're cruising around." There are more than just old race cars on Earnhardt's spread, which a sign identifies as Dirty Mo Acres. There are life-sized plastic animals, bear and deer and buffalo. In a pasture behind a white fence, there are real cattle and a pair of real buffalo -- Laverne and Shirley, which were a gift from a buffalo rancher who toured the property as the winner of a contest to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. Looming over a dirt go-kart track is a real Unocal 76 orange ball from Talladega. Crest a hill, and there's the strange, somewhat jarring sight of a well-dressed man seated on a bench -- it turns out to be a mannequin Forrest Gump, without the box of chocolates but wearing a Dirty Mo Posse hat. Earnhardt, his sister, and his mother, Brenda, all have homes on the property. Earnhardt once fiercely guarded his privacy, concerned about people prying into his personal life. In recent years, though, he's allowed a little more access into his world, as evidenced by the commercial shoots the past two years at Whisky River, and letting a few reporters to poke around his Western town -- which in NASCAR circles has often been a topic of conversation, even if few have actually seen it. "It took a little time to get comfortable with letting people know that I'd built that, and I had that," Earnhardt said. "For a long time, it was something personal to me, and that was nice. But I don't know. After a while, I got less worried about peoples' opinions about it." This weekend, opinions seemed decidedly positive. Even Junior Johnson, the NASCAR Hall of Famer who started his career running moonshine through the woods and hollows of western North Carolina, could appreciate it. "It's a neat deal," said Johnson, who plays a bartender in the commercial. "If you like that kind of stuff, it's fun." One of Earnhardt's representatives sent the driver a photo of Johnson, wearing a green vest and a cowboy hat, behind the bar in the Silverado Saloon. Whisky River and the "Last American Hero" seemed made for one another. "Having that picture of Junior behind the bar," Earnhardt said, "makes it worth putting that thing up." Dale Earnhardt Jr. involved in wreck, drives teammate Jimmie Johnson's car during Daytona test Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his practice session at Daytona cut short by a wreck Saturday afternoon, but left Daytona International Speedway feeling good about what transpired over the three-day test. Earnhardt Jr. had an eventful final hour of practice as he was involved in an accident and then got into the car of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. Although their teams share the same shop, Johnson’s car had different features, Earnhardt Jr. said. “They’re built differently and they wanted me to drive Jimmie’s to see what I thought about it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “They’re absolutely two different types of cars and they drive differently. “There’s some plusses and minuses to both. But Jimmie’s car was real nice.” Overall, Earnhardt Jr. was happy with the test. He had been a vocal critic of the two-car tandem style of racing at restrictor-plate tracks. Fans apparently agreed, and over the three days of testing, NASCAR changed the restrictor-plate package – the plate, grille opening and radiator water release valve – three different times to try and cut the gap in speed from the two-car draft to the traditional pack racing. Drivers tested in a pack for several laps Friday afternoon and then for a short time Saturday until the accident, in which Juan Pablo Montoya slid into Earnhardt Jr., who spun and hit Jeff Burton. Earnhardt Jr. said he did not feel the cars were unstable drafting in a pack and was comfortable at the 205 mph speed drivers posted in the pack draft Friday before a decrease in the restrictor plate Saturday. “I was real comfortable,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When we had the accident [Saturday], they were three-wide for several rows there in that pack and I was just sitting there watching. “You couldn’t go do anything because they were all three-wide so I was just kind of sitting there. I don’t know what happened in that deal but somebody ran over us.” NASCAR made progress in trying to encourage pack racing, Earnhardt Jr. said. “I don’t know if anybody can really predict what is going to happen or what we need or what package will provide what they want,” Earnhardt Jr. said following the test. “NASCAR did a lot of changing, made a lot of effort to learn and we learned a lot. I’m sure they’ll take all that [data] back. I don’t think we’re even close to finished fooling with it. I think they’re still thinking about switching things around.” Earnhardt Jr. said all the changes make it difficult to evaluate how well the test went for his Steve Letarte-led team. “The hard part about it as far as us testing is we don’t really know how to test or what to test until we have a final understanding of what the package is,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “But the preparation and the extra stuff that you might bring down for Speedweeks is doubled. “Steve was talking about we might have to bring a whole separate hauler just in case this changes or this changes and you have got everything together [to make changes].” Say what? NASCAR filled with memorable quotes Dale Earnhardt Jr., after running out of fuel in the final corner while leading the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: "To be honest, I know there's disappointment about coming so close , but our fans should be real happy about how we're performing, how we're showing up at the race track, how we've adapted. We've definitely improved things, and we want to keep getting better and better and better. ... We're definitely going in the right direction. I felt like a true frontrunner tonight. I've felt like that sometimes this season. But the 600 is a true test. Charlotte is a true test of a team, and we performed well all night long." More than 50 drivers scheduled to appear at NASCAR Preview 2012 in January NASCAR has set the driver appearance schedule for the NASCAR Preview 2012, scheduled for Jan. 21 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The preview is part of a weekend of festivities, which begin with the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony Jan. 20 and the unveiling of the inductee displays in the hall Jan. 22. Tickets are $10 in advance ($20 including admission to the hall of fame) and $15 at the door, with additional packages available to include the hall of fame induction ceremony. Wristbands for autographs will be handed out at 7 a.m. on the day of the event, which also will include NASCAR-related booths and displays, show cars and other activities. The tentative schedule of driver appearances for autographs (all appearances scheduled for two hours): 9 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, David Ragan, Justin Allgaier, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Timmy Hill, Blake Koch, Travis Pastrana, Timothy Peters 9:15 a.m.: Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth 10:15 a.m.: Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson 11 a.m.: Marcos Ambrose, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Regan Smith, Brian Vickers, Aric Almirola, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Sweet, Cale Gale, Justin Lofton, Todd Peck. 11:45 a.m.: Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski. 12:15 p.m.: Greg Biffle 12:30 p.m.: Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Michael Annett, Elliott Sadler, Mike Wallace, Dakoda Armstrong, Johnny Sauter, Parker Kligerman 2:30 p.m.: Danica Patrick, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Morgan Shepherd, Kenny Wallace, Joey Coulter, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Tim George Jr. 2:45 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya 3:15 p.m.: Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart Earnhardt's outlook for the future bolstered by the improvements of past year For Dale Earnhardt Jr., the most disappointing moment of the 2011 season came before the season had really even started. He had won the pole for the Daytona 500, a big boost for a driver who was trying to rebuild his career with a team and crew chief that had worked with Jeff Gordon the year before. But four days before the main event, he got tangled up with Martin Truex Jr. in a practice session, and his No. 88 car rocketed into the wall. He would have to go to a backup vehicle, and start from the rear. It was only part of a trying Speedweeks for NASCAR's most popular driver, who during the 500 suffered a cut tire with one lap remaining in regulation, and then was caught up in a crash. Those things, though, were outside of his control. But crashing in practice? Under the gaze of a crew chief, Steve Letarte, and a team that had been moved over from the No. 24 program during a Hendrick Motorsports personnel swap the previous offseason? These were guys who were used to contending for Chase berths and race wins, and Earnhardt wanted to show he was worthy of them, and instead his car wound up wadded into the SAFER barrier. "It's all about first impressions, and that's the first impression I had given my new crew as a driver," Earnhardt said recently. "I was upset, because I wanted to impress those guys, and I wanted to make them believe in me as a driver. I wasn't doing a good job at that moment, and it was very disappointing at the time." From the fan base, so eager for that breakthrough, so hopeful after changes that appeared capable of snapping Earnhardt out of a two-year funk, you could almost hear the collective sigh. And indeed, Earnhardt did go winless in 2011, showing a goose egg in the victory column for the third consecutive year. But over the course of this past season, Earnhardt recaptured other, less tangible things that tend to get eclipsed by a winless streak that's now stretched to 129 races. By finishing seventh in final points, by nearly winning at Charlotte, by pushing teammate Jimmie Johnson to victory at Talladega, by running well at Martinsville and Homestead and other places, by returning to competitive relevance after two years in the wilderness, he rediscovered confidence and contentment -- factors that, as much as a crew chief change or faster race cars, could lead to the real breakthrough down the road. Everybody focuses on the wins, or the lack thereof. But in truth, finishing seventh was a major step forward for a driver who had placed 21st and 25th in points the previous two years. Letarte, famous for his cheerleading style over the radio, was brought over to reinforce his driver's belief in himself, and by all indications did his job very well. Too many times, Earnhardt has arrived at Champions Week after the season just to pick up his Most Popular Driver trophy and go home. This year, he got to stay and give a speech during the awards ceremony itself. All these things add up, and collectively they help improve the frame of mind for a driver who carries a burden of expectation like nobody else in the sport. "Deep within myself, I'm real happy about how I improved. I'm happy to be competing again, and I feel like I'm almost where I want to be. Outwardly, I want to express a lack of satisfaction, and we need to get better, and we've got more to do, and we've got to run faster. Those are the truths. But to myself personally, I am happy. I feel like I'm in a better place," Earnhardt said. "Personally and professionally, I feel like I'm in a better place than I was. And I'm having fun, and I really enjoy driving. I got involved in racing to be happy, because it made me happy. And then the last couple of years, I wasn't getting the happiness out of it. I was wondering how long I could go along in racing unhappy, and keep doing it. But this year it turned all around, 180 degrees, and I'm enjoying it again. I didn't want the season to come to an end. This is the way I wanted it to be. I'd like to run better, and there are some truths there as far as performance goes that we need to face. But as a whole, and especially me personally, I feel much more excited about my future." Given how long the NASCAR season is, and given how easy it is for a driver and a team to fall into a hole they can't crawl out of, that kind of outlook is crucial. In fairness, Earnhardt has been beaten up a lot over the past few years, and there have been times over that stretch when it's been easy to see the toll it's taken on the guy. Earnhardt is a very self-aware person, cognizant of his standing in the sport and the expectations placed upon him, and when things aren't going well you sometimes get the sense that he feels he's letting people down. And let's be honest -- over the previous two seasons, there were more than a few people in the grandstands who thought Earnhardt was done, that Rick Hendrick had thrown everything at the No. 88 team save Chad Knaus, and things still were trending in the wrong direction. How do you possibly reverse something like that, a program with so much negative momentum that it's in danger of being sucked into the dirt? By first building back up the driver, as it turns out. Letarte has always taken a lot of heat as a crew chief, from both Gordon and now Earnhardt fans who think he doesn't win enough, or sometimes makes head-scratching pit calls. But as a motivator and confidence-builder, he's done absolute wonders with Earnhardt, once a solid championship contender who in back-to-back seasons with Dale Earnhardt Inc. finished third and fifth in final points. Those days seem like a hundred years ago -- to everyone but the driver himself, who still uses those 2003 and '04 campaigns as a something of a competitive barometer, and believes he has the potential to get back to that level. "I feel like I can compete like that again," Earnhardt said. "I feel like I still have the same tenacity and stuff to be able to put forth the effort every week and do what counts. I feel like I can do that." Of course, the winless streak looms over all of it, like a black cloud that won't move out of the way. As Earnhardt proved this year, he can make some serious strides without winning a race. And as he showed in 2008 -- when he won for the first time in two years, but sank to a 12th-place points finish that preceded the frustrations of the next two seasons -- winning doesn't necessarily mean progress. Like everything else, Earnhardt deals with the skid in a practical manner. "It doesn't really get old. It's part of the deal," he said. "We didn't win. It's obvious. It's an obvious stat. It's hard to ignore. It bugs me because I know what winning feels like, and I want to have that feeling again, I want to enjoy something like that again in Victory Lane, I want to go through all that experience. It's fun. It's the reason you show up. It's the reason why you keep going, to try to think you might be able to do that again." Does the pressure to end it, though, increase with each passing year? "The pressure is there," he said, "but it's like the difference between 100 degrees and 110 degrees. Hot is hot." This past season, though, there were enough signs to make anyone confident that the streak is nearing its end. Charlotte, Martinsville, Kansas, Talladega -- Earnhardt could have won all four of them in 2011, had a few things unfolded differently. The opportunities were there, opportunities that for the most part had been absent over the previous two years, those bleak campaigns during which fans wondered if Earnhardt would ultimately end up making circles for his own team. You don't hear much of that anymore. A level of confidence has returned to the No. 88 team, and it permeates everyone from its fans to the driver, who can't wait to get back into the race car and pick up where he left off. In more ways than one, that practice crash at Daytona seems a very long time ago. "We just want to get back to the race track as soon as we can, and get back to work," Earnhardt said. "I was enjoying driving there at the end of the year. I thought we were making some gains, learning some stuff .... [I'm] just looking forward to getting to the race track, trying to build on that." Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads NASCAR drivers in diecast sales in 2011 Dale Earnhardt Jr. sold the most diecasts of any driver in 2011, but he needed more than one version of his car to do it. The new sponsors for Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick lifted their diecasts to the top of Lionel’s NASCAR individual car diecast sales in 2011, and then Trevor Bayne’s Daytona 500 upset had his car in third. Earnhardt Jr. cars were in spots four, seven and nine. Lionel, in its first full year as the main supplier of NASCAR-licensed diecasts, released its top 10 list of sales for 2011. “The interesting thing about our top 10 list is that it proves how much NASCAR fans love a good story,” said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCAR Collectables. “Trevor Bayne driving the Wood Brothers to victory lane at the Daytona 500 is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the sport. And while we realized Trevor’s win was beyond big, our team had little idea just how popular the diecast would be.” None of those single-car sales could match the overall performance of Earnhardt Jr. “There’s no denying that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still the sport’s most popular driver from a merchandise perspective,” Hitchcock said. “Our sales clearly reflect that and there is consistently strong demand for any Dale Jr. car.” Among the top 10 was one of Lionel’s classic diecasts – one of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford from 1978. Lionel’s top-10 diecasts for 2011, measured by sales: 1. Jeff Gordon No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet 2. Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet 3. Trevor Bayne No. 21 Motorcraft Daytona Win Ford 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Amp Energy Chevrolet 5. Tony Stewart No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet 6. Dale Earnhardt No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 National Guard Heritage Chevrolet 8. Tony Stewart No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Dale Jr. Foundation/Vh1 Save the Music Chevrolet 10. Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Military Tribute Chevrolet Year in Review: Earnhardt returned to Chase in first season with Letarte It might be a good thing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to make sure he has Steve Letarte's cell number on his frequent caller plan, because based on how they conversed in 2011 -- and how that resulted in a solid Chase effort -- they're about to spend a whole lot more time talking in 2012. For the first time since 2006, Earnhardt's average finish was at least one position better than his average start. He averaged a 19.6 starting position, but a 14.5 finish. And that, he said, was the key to his optimism with Letarte. Perhaps too much. "There's been so many times throughout the season where literally for the next 48 hours after the race, all I wanted to do was text him and call him and keep bugging him about how great a job he did, and how awesome the car was and how happy I was with the car getting better throughout the race," Earnhardt said. "It's so frustrating when you're racing and you can't improve. And you work and work, and you don't get better. "There were races where we were getting so much better and being more competitive. I just wore him out, bugging the heck out of him about it. He looks at it like, 'Hey, that's what I'm supposed to do. That's my job.' And it wasn't a big deal. He brushes it off. But it just really pleased me a lot to be able to have a guy that I could count on, on top of the box, making changes on the car that were working. It was really enjoyable." The early part of 2011 showed a consistently strong Earnhardt the Sprint Cup Series hadn't seen in a while. After a 24th-place finish at Daytona -- despite winning the pole -- Earnhardt rolled off seven consecutive finishes of 12th or better. It was a welcome change for both him and Junior Nation. Earnhardt gives credit to the growing bond among him, his new crew and Letarte. "The team and myself sort of evolved into the union that we made over the offseason, as we all got together and changed a lot of things around," Earnhardt said. Coming off of three consecutive finishes outside the top 10, Earnhardt cruised into Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. He was among the 10 fastest cars in only one of the three practices and qualified 25th. Letarte worked his magic, and a fuel-mileage gamble almost paid off. Earnhardt finished up just a quarter-lap short of his first checkered flag in 104 races and ended up seventh, but afterward knew he'd taken the only shot he had. "I just do whatever my dang crew chief says, but I believe that was the right call," Earnhardt said. "Because if we'd have pitted, I don't know where we would have finished. We'd have finished wherever David Ragan finished [third]. ... But think about it, man. Winning the 600, that would be awesome. I had to try. Had to try." Earnhardt followed that with a runner-up finish at Kansas and a sixth-place run at Pocono. But that's where things went slightly off track, and Earnhardt wasn't back in the top 10 until the series returned to Pocono seven races later. He was ninth there, and had only three more top-10s in the final 15 races of the season. He finished seventh in back-to-back outings at Martinsville and Texas in the Chase, and 11th in the finale at Homestead-Miami. Those runs at the end of the year gave him something to build on for 2012 despite leading only two laps in the entirety of the Chase. "We ended on a relatively decent note," Earnhardt said. "We wanted to finish well at Homestead because I haven't run well there in a long time, and we went into that race really trying to capitalize on the opportunity there -- to finish the season on a positive note." Another positive for Earnhardt? He made his return to the Cup Series award ceremony -- it was his best points finish since 2006 -- this time in Las Vegas. The last time he got to speak on stage, the event was still being held in New York. "It's good to be back at the big dinner again," he said with a laugh as an introduction to his speech. But what was missing from the night? For one, more highlights of him, especially in Victory Lane. For another, the chance to pull the belts tight and turn left for a few hours. "Sitting here again, seeing all the pictures and the accolades that come along with guys who have made it to Victory Lane, my face isn't in those highlights. I want to be in there next year," Earnhardt said. "Looking at the pictures and listening to the highlights and people talk, I'm ready to go back to the race track now. After the last several years, I've really looked forward to the offseason and enjoy the break we have. But this year, I'm really looking forward to getting back to the race track whenever we can, because I just enjoy working with Steve. I enjoy exploring and finding new things with him through the mechanics of the car. I'm ready to go, and I think that says a lot about our possibilities next year and our potential to have a good season." Dale Earnhardt Jr: Notes-n-Nuggets: • Thirty-seven years old from Kannapolis, N.C. • Finished seventh in the standings in his 12th full-time season. • Fifth time he finished in the top 10 in the championship standings. • Started the 2011 Chase in the 10th position. • His best 2011 finish: second at Martinsville and Kansas. • Is the only Chase driver to not win a race in 2011. • His winless streak is now at 129 races (Michigan 6/08). • Season numbers: zero wins, one pole, four top-fives, 12 top-10s, 52 laps led, two DNFs, finished on the lead lap 29 times, average finish of 14.5, 15.1 during the Chase. • The 2004 Daytona 500 winner; 1998, 1999 Nationwide Series champion. • Extended his contract with Hendrick Motorsports through 2017. Dale Earnhardt Jr. happy personally and professionally, having fun again You might think that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is deeply disappointed at not winning a Sprint Cup race for the third straight season. And you might think that he’s a tad disappointed at finishing seventh in the final points standings after making the Chase For The Sprint Cup for the first time in three years. He is. But mostly, Earnhardt Jr. is just happy. Happy that he ran much better than he did in 2009 and 2010. Happy that he returned to the Chase and almost won a couple of races. Happy with his personal life. And just genuinely happy to be having fun again. All in all, to Earnhardt Jr., 2011 was a good year. “Deep within myself, I am real happy with how we improved and I’m happy to be competing again and I feel like I’m almost where I want to be,” Earnhardt Jr. said in interviews last week in Las Vegas, where he was honored as NASCAR’s most popular driver for the ninth straight year. “Outwardly, I want to express a lack of satisfaction and we need to get better and we’ve got more to do and we need to run faster. Those are the truths. “But, personally, I am pretty happy. I feel like I’m in a better place. Personally and professionally, I feel like I’m in a better place than I was. I’m having fun and I really enjoy driving.” That wasn’t the case in 2009 and 2010, when Earnhardt Jr. struggled at Hendrick Motorsports and was one of the sport’s biggest disappointments. But he had a brighter, more positive outlook this season, thanks mainly to new crew chief Steve Letarte and a much more competitive team. And the end result is a much brighter outlook toward the future. Earnhardt Jr., 37, attended NASCAR Champions Week and the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony with girlfriend Amy Reimann and was honored as one of the sport’s top 10 drivers after finishing seventh in the final standings. After finishing 25th and 21st in the standings the previous two years, Earnhardt Jr. had a lot to be happy about. “I got involved in racing to be happy, because it made me happy, but the last couple of years I wasn’t getting any happiness out of it and I was wondering how long I could go along in racing unhappy, and keep doing it,” he said. “But this year it turned all around, 180 degrees, and I’m enjoying it again and I didn’t want the season to come to an end. “This is the way I wanted it to be. I’d like to run better, and there are some truths there as far as performance goes that we need to face, but as a whole, and especially me personally, I feel much more excited about my future.” After scoring just five top-five finishes combined in 2009-10, Earnhardt had four in 2011, including second at Kansas and third in the first Chase race at Chicago. He also was leading on the final lap at Charlotte in May before running out of fuel. His 12 top-10 finishes were his most since 2008, his first year with Hendrick. More importantly, Earnhardt Jr. returned to the Chase. Though he stumbled after a strong start, he had top-11 finishes in three of the last four races to climb to seventh in the final standings. “There was a little bit of pressure to make the Chase and I take a lot of pride in having a pretty reasonable finishing position in the Chase,” he said. “There is some tough competition in there and we beat a few guys and that gives us some confidence going into next year.” What Earnhardt Jr. didn’t accomplish, however, is winning a race for the first time since 2008. He takes a 129-race winless streak into next season. Though he is constantly reminded of the winless streak and under tremendous pressure to return to victory lane, he insists it doesn’t bother him. Does the pressure mount the longer the streak lasts, the more the dubious number grows? “Not really,” he said. “The pressure is there, but it’s like the difference between 100 degrees and 110 degrees. Hot is hot. “It doesn’t really get old. It’s part of the deal. We didn’t win, it’s obvious; it’s an obvious stat and it’s hard to ignore. “It bugs me because I know what winning feels like and I want to have that feeling again and I want to enjoy something like that again in victory lane. I want to go through all that experience; it’s fun. It’s the reason you show up and the reason you keep going, to think you might be able to do that again.” At this point, winning again would be a huge relief, he says. “When you win a race, you’re like, all the things that you went through that you didn’t like are worth it because of that moment and you validate everything that you worked for,” he said. “It’s like a discovery – you discovered the potential that you are trying to achieve. So there’s a lot of relief and happiness at that moment, and that’s something that I would love to experience.” Earnhardt Jr. longs for the days when he was one of the sport’s most competitive drivers and top contenders, winning 15 races from 2000-2004 for Dale Earnhardt Inc., his father’s team. That streak included a third-place finish in points in 2003 and a six-win season in 2004. “It’s close enough that I can recall how competitive we were and certain things about our performance and measure it up to what we’re doing now,” he said. “I don’t think that we’re that competitive yet, but we definitely have that potential, and that’s what we’re trying to get to.” And after last season’s improvement, he believes he can get there. “It doesn’t seem like a long time ago, it seems pretty fresh,” he said. “I feel like I can compete like that again. I feel like I have the same tenacity and stuff to be able to put forth the effort every week and do it when it counts. I feel like I can do that.” Earnhardt Jr. attributes much of last season’s improvement to Letarte, who had worked with Jeff Gordon for five seasons before replacing Lance McGrew as Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief last year. Letarte’s enthusiasm, positive outlook and leadership wound up being exactly what Earnhardt Jr. needed after the two worst seasons of his career. “He helped me be calm and stay the course throughout the races and [to] not give up and [to] keep going and get the best finish we can,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “And we did in a lot of races where he sort of rallied us and helped us regroup and get going. “He’s a great leader of the team and his organizational skills and his people skills are really good. They really contributed to our performance every week.” Because of their relationship and the improvement last season, Earnhardt Jr. says he can’t wait for 2012. “I’m happy that Steve is happy,” he said. “He seems to really enjoy the relationship and working together. “We didn’t achieve a few of the goals, like winning a race and a few other things, and we want to go get that opportunity, and the only way to do that is to be at the race track and be competing, so I am looking forward to being in that position again and being back in the position to win races and I know that he will give me that opportunity again next year.” 2011 Stewie Awards Best "Driver2Crew Chatter" -- The No. 88 crew helps Dale Earnhardt Jr. mark his pit stall in the STP 400 at Kansas. NASCAR After the Lap: Top 10 List Chase drivers held nothing back Thursday at the third annual fan-favorite NASCAR After the Lap held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas., co-hosted by ESPN pit-road reporter Jamie Little and Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo. A list of the top-10 unfiltered, driver "tell-all" comments are outlined below. No. 1 Ryan Newman was asked if he purchased his boss (2011 Champion Tony Stewart) anything special after winning the championship. "No!" Little: "Ryan, you told me earlier there was a waxing appointment but that no appointment was long enough to cover Tony's needs." No. 2 Question for Kyle Busch: "Kyle, we hear your wife cooked her first Thanksgiving this year. How did she do?" Busch: "It was good. That's what she said." No. 3 Little: "There are a lot of single women in Vegas." Stewart: "Why do you think I'm just happy to be here?" No. 4 After comments about brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch dressing alike and being confused for each other, Kurt Busch responded: "When the fine comes in the mail, they know how to spell our name right." No. 5 Question: What if Delana Harvick (wife of Kevin Harvick) showed up (to the race) without a fire suit? Special guest and Blue Comedy Tour comedian Bill Engvall: "We talking no suit at all? Cus, that would be awesome." Harvick: "If she walked out without a fire suit and I missed the race, you'd know why." Matt Kenseth: "At least for the first 10 laps." No. 6 Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked about his future wife. "Yea, she's real." Engvall: "Not real's a blow-up doll." Little asked if she was a blonde. Jeff Gordon: "She's like Snooki ... he hasn't noticed." Earlier in the show, Stewart had commented: "For the first three episodes, I didn't even know Snooki had a head." No. 7 Stewart was positioned in a chair next to Little who was standing nearby: "Why do you think she sat me next to her? Always sit the fat kid next to the tall girl." No. 8 Kurt Busch noted that he was "camera shy. I think the best form of communication is cussing." No. 9 Stewart: "I felt uncomfortable [Thursday] for the first time in a long time because I was changing next to Carl." Carl Edwards: "You'll always have me beat with that back hair." Stewart: "Hey, I'm out here working hard to represent all fat kids." No. 10 Gordon took center stage by break dancing for fans. Junior consistent in 2011, but still lacking Buoyed by a seventh-place finish in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Steve Letarte were in excellent spirits at Wednesday night's Sprint media reception at the Wynn. Both know, however, that more will be expected in 2012, and tops on the list will be a race win. Earnhardt qualified for the Chase for the first time since 2008 and recorded his highest points finish since his fifth-place showing in 2006, when he drove for family-founded Dale Earnhardt Inc. Nevertheless, Earnhardt and Letarte failed to accomplish their foremost goal of the season -- winning a race a breaking a drought that reached 129 races at season's end. The stark reality is that 2011 was a year of mixed results for Earnhardt. He posted 29 lead-lap finishes, his best total since 2006 (30 lead-lap finishes), and the second-best mark of his career. Leading laps was another matter. Earnhardt posted the lowest total of laps led in his career -- 52 in 36 races. His previous low was 146 laps led in 2009. By way of comparison, Earnhardt led 896 laps in 2008, his first year with Hendrick Motorsports. The obvious conclusion is that Earnhardt made the Chase with consistent finishes but rarely had the speed to challenge for a win. It's equally apparent that he and his No. 88 team expended so much effort in qualifying for the Chase that they had little left for the final 10 races, half of which Earnhardt finished outside the top 15. "I read that stat, and I was kind of surprised," Earnhardt told Sporting News after Thursday's Myers Brothers Luncheon at Bellagio, where he was honored as Cup's most popular driver for the ninth consecutive year. "I really didn't take note of how many laps we led, but I remember, 15 races into the season, thinking to myself and talking to the media, that I had top-10 cars every week I started, and I'd really never had that before. "And then we went back at the end of the season and looked back at the laps led, and we didn't do anything. We didn't do any work there. We're running inside the top 10 and we're running more competitively, but there weren't really any races, aside from maybe one or two, where we were a lead car -- running second third, on television, on the podium. "We need to do a better job of that next year, and that's just simple speed." Earnhardt doesn't take popularity for granted One run of NASCAR dominance ended this year, when Tony Stewart snapped Jimmie Johnson's streak of five consecutive championships in NASCAR's premier division. But another continued Thursday, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was awarded the sport's most popular driver trophy for a ninth year in a row. Earnhardt received the award at the annual National Motorsports Press Association/Myers Brothers Luncheon at the Bellagio, and the trophy will go into the case near his sister Kelley's office at JR Motorsports along with the others. And yet, Earnhardt said he never takes the award for granted, and understands there are some other drivers who may be in a position to overtake him one day -- including a certain former open-wheel star whom he helped get started in NASCAR. "I don't take it for granted, I don't assume I'm going to win it again," he said. "I know when Danica [Patrick] runs in the Cup Series, that she will be a candidate for the award right off the bat. She's quite popular and will definitely bring a new fan base to the sport, as well. And with what Tony has accomplished this year has to endear him to a lot of fans and people who potentially weren't Tony Stewart fans in the past. They may have become Tony Stewart fans. You never know. Anyone who wins this award, it's a great honor, and I'm hoping to continue to win the award again next year, if I'm fortunate enough to do that. If not, I'll be happy and proud for whoever does." Earnhardt helped launch Patrick's NASCAR career, fielding a JR Motorsports No. 7 car for the driver as she competed in a part-time Nationwide Series schedule the past two seasons. But the bigger threat to his near decade-long reign as most popular driver may well be Stewart, whose championship was received with delirious fervor when it was clinched last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Earnhardt acknowledged as much in his speech, paying tribute to the new champion. "I'm glad they didn't take the vote on the last race," he said. "because it would have gone to that man right there, Tony Stewart." Earnhardt, a keen student of NASCAR history, said he's always had an appreciation for the award dating back to when Bill Elliott -- who won it a record 16 times, including 10 in a row -- used to dominate it. Earnhardt won similar awards during his late-model days at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Thursday, though, the award was much easier to accept after a competitive season that saw Earnhardt finish seventh in final points, a vast improvement after placing in the 20s the previous two years. Then, he came to Las Vegas only to accept his most popular driver award. Now, he's fully a part of Champion's Week, and will speak at the awards ceremony on Friday night. "The one thing that's probably the most bothersome is, your fans, they put all this effort into voting for this award and winning this award so you can come get it, and then you go out on the race track and you don't do anything to deserve it, or you don't feel like you do," Earnhardt said. "You don't feel like you give them any reason to cheer. They spend money, they invest, they show up, and there's no reason for them to be excited about it. So that's been a bit of a disappointment over the last couple of years. But when you do run well, and consistent ... it's easier to accept something that somebody is trying to honor you with." Cup Series award winners Driver No. Bill Elliott 16 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 9 Richard Petty 9 Bobby Allison 7 Fred Lorenzen 2 Darrell Waltrip 2 Darel Dieringer 1 Dale Earnhardt 1 Bobby Isaac 1 Junior Johnson 1 David Pearson 1 Fireball Roberts 1 Curtis Turner 1 Joe Weatherly 1 Rex White 1 Glen Wood 1 Cale Yarborough 1. Earnhardt again named NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was named NASCAR’s most popular driver for the ninth consecutive year. Earnhardt’s string of most-popular-driver awards is only one shy of Bill Elliott’s record 10 straight titles. Elliott won the award 16 times overall and 10 straight from 1991 through 2000. He then asked to not be included any more in the voting. “I’m pretty sure my fans wear this award as a badge of honor, as they should because the award is theirs,” Earnhardt said Thursday at NASCAR’s year-end luncheon. “Their efforts allow me to be here today to accept it so I not only thank them but congratulate them on winning the most popular driver award. “It’s a privilege to compete in front of millions of fans every week and the credit goes to them for the success the sport has had since the beginning.” Earnhardt also joked he was glad voting was not based solely on the season finale at Homestead, where Tony Stewart used a powerful drive to win the race and his third championship. “It would have gone to that guy right there, Tony Stewart,” said Earnhardt, who congratulated the driver, crew chief Darian Grubb and the Stewart-Haas Racing team. “Their performance in the Chase is one for the history books.” Earnhardt finished seventh in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship— his best showing in six years. Later, Earnhardt cleared up speculation about his love life and said he’s not engaged to longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann. Earnhardt got people talking during a “Newlywed Game” program for the 12 Chase drivers held Wednesday in downtown Las Vegas. Asked by host Bob Eubanks which driver wife would win a wet T-shirt contest, Earnhardt answered, “I’m going to say my future wife.” Talk immediately began about a potential Earnhardt engagement. “We’re good,” he said. “I’m enjoying my relationship but I’m in no way ready to be married.” Dale Jr. would be OK with Dillon taking 3 to Cup Austin Dillon won the Camping World Truck Series championship on Friday night driving a vehicle that bears the iconic No. 3. Next year, he'll pilot a car on the Nationwide Series adorned with the same numeral. And if he ever takes that same number up to the Sprint Cup tour one day -- well, there's one person who wouldn't have a problem with it. That would be Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Austin's ran that number. I just look at it differently," Earnhardt said Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "I don't look at the numbers tied to drivers as much as the history of the number. The number is more of a bank that you just deposit history into, and it doesn't really belong to any individual. Austin's run that number, and you can't really deny him the opportunity to run it. It just wouldn't be fair." Dale Earnhardt made the number famous, driving it in six of his seven championship campaigns at NASCAR's top level and cultivating a legion of passionate fans in the process. No one has driven a No. 3 car full-time at the Nationwide or Sprint Cup levels since Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Dillon, grandson of Earnhardt's former car owner Richard Childress, began using the number in the Truck Series when he debuted on that tour in 2009, and will take the numeral with him to the Nationwide circuit next year. Childress, who ran the number himself before becoming a car owner, has not pronounced any plans to take his grandson Cup racing with the No. 3. When Dillon made his Sprint Cup debut earlier this season at Kansas, he drove a No. 98 car. The Truck Series champ is likely to make a handful of Sprint Cup starts next year, given that Childress' race team is contracting from four to three full-time cars. But given the family connection, fans still wonder about the prospect of Dillon driving a No. 3 in NASCAR's big leagues one day. Earnhardt points out that the number predates his father. "Dad did great things," Earnhardt said. "He was a great ambassador for the sport, and we're still as a whole reaping the benefits of what he did and what he accomplished. He put us in front of a lot of people. But even before that, that number was Richard's. Richard drove it; somebody else drove it before then. There's a lot of guys in the '50s and '60s that ran that number with success. ... When you put the color and the style with it, it's a little iconic to the sport." To his credit, Dillon has embraced the history of the number, and shown nothing but respect for its history. Earnhardt Jr. recognizes that. "Austin's a good kid," Earnhardt said. "He seems to have a great appreciation for what's happening to him and what's going on around him. I would be happy if he wanted to keep [driving the 3]. He kind of had to know when he first started that running that number -- if he got this far into the deal, he would have to cross a few bridges like that. That was a tough decision I guess at first, to start running the number for him, knowing what pressures he might face down the road. But I think it would be fine by me for him to do that. I think it's got to get back on the race track one of these days. It can't be gone forever." Glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. CHASE POINTS: Seventh, -102 POSITION CHANGE: None CAR: No. 88 AMP Chevrolet TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Never contended and finished 24th. CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 11 BEST HOMESTEAD FINISH: 13th (2000) Earnhardt anxious to find superspeedway solution Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made no secret of his dislike for the current method of two-car drafting on NASCAR's biggest superspeedways that enables cars to turn their fastest lap times. Testing at Daytona International Speedway has been characterized as so dull by some drivers, they said a monkey could do their job at the track. But when NASCAR scheduled a one-day test Tuesday "in an effort to evaluate and prepare aerodynamic baseline packages for the Jan. 12-14, 2012 Preseason Thunder Test in Daytona," Earnhardt said there was no question he'd be there. "It's really important," Earnhardt said. "I want to be able to give them the best feedback I can to give them the solutions they're looking for so that we can, with confidence, go into Daytona in February and expect to put together a great show for the fans that will be there and that will be watching on TV." NASCAR expects at least seven cars from five teams to attend the session, including Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports' Nationwide Series driver Aric Almirola for Hendrick Motorsports, David Ragan and Richard Petty Motorsports ally Marcos Ambrose for Roush Fenway Racing, Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing, Martin Truex Jr. for Michael Waltrip Racing and Joe Nemechek in his own NEMCO Motorsports car that's primarily doing engine testing, a team spokesman said. While part of the test is the continuing evaluation of the Electronic Fuel Injection system NASCAR will debut in 2012 and the appropriate air-restrictor to use with it to limit top speed, the greater purpose is assumed to be finding a way to break-up the effectiveness of tandem drafts. Earnhardt said that's his main purpose in coming to this test. Earnhardt won seven of his 18 career Cup Series victories at Daytona and Talladega when mass-pack drafting was the norm. Although he pushed his Hendrick teammate, five-time defending Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, to Johnson's win earlier this year at Talladega, Earnhardt would like to revert to the former style of drafting and said he'd gladly alter his team's normal test plan to achieve it. "My big goal is to help NASCAR accomplish what their goals are in the test," Earnhardt said. "Apparently they put this test together last-minute for a reason. We'll go down there and they'll let us know exactly what they're wanting to do, what they're trying to accomplish, what they're trying to try. "It's a little bit different than what your typical goals are when you go testing. Most of the time they're a little more personal, like you're trying to do whatever you can to make your car fast, work with your team, learn, put together notes. "This test here will be a little different where you're working with NASCAR and the goals will be a little different. You'll have to open your mind up a little bit to try new things and try to give the best feedback you can." Earnhardt said he's thought about ways to affect the desired changes but was taking a wait-and-see attitude. "I think that the ideas that I have that I hope that we'll try are very similar to theirs," Earnhardt said. "I'm sure they're going to bring every feasible option and we'll try to get that out on the race track." Earnhardt said the limited number of cars might have the biggest effect on what they can achieve. "The difficult part is going to be simulating race conditions," Earnhardt said. "Say they bring out a small spoiler, this, that and the other. We got to go out there and try to push each other around the race track with it, hope that that doesn't work. It could be potentially a dangerous situation. You got to be careful and you hope to have a safe test." Earnhardt said his plan was to be the ultimate team player. "You want to help NASCAR -- I want to help NASCAR," Earnhardt said. "I want to be an ambassador for the sport, do my part, make the sport better. That's what [Tuesday] will be about." NASCAR plans to have cars on track from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and after a half-hour lunch break, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Spectators can view the test for free in a section of the Oldfield Grandstand with access through the lobby of the Daytona International Speedway ticket office. Qualifying the Chasers: Phoenix Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Qualified 22nd) -- Earnhardt is still alive for his first Cup championship, but barely. If Edwards finishes 26th or better or Stewart finishes 23rd or better, Earnhardt is eliminated. It's too bad, because Earnhardt seems to finally be hitting his stride. Back-to-back seventh-place finishes at Martinsville and Texas have Earnhardt on the upswing heading to a track where he's been decent. Aside from a rough two races in 2009, Earnhardt has finished 14th or better in five of the past seven races, all in the No. 88. Chase elimination scenarios for Kobalt Tools 500 Nine drivers still have a mathematical chance at the Sprint Cup championship with two races remaining, but three find themselves on the cusp of elimination after Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. And Jimmie Johnson could win Sunday and still find himself removed from title consideration. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman were mathematically eliminated at Texas. This week, it's Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and even Johnson who find themselves in a situation where they cannot control their destiny. NASCAR has not officially released elimination scenarios, but a review of points available and possible tie-breakers reveals these unofficial numbers: If Carl Edwards finishes 34th or better -- or Tony Stewart winds up 31st or better -- Kurt Busch will be eliminated, even if he wins and receives the maximum number of points. If Carl Edwards finishes 28th or better -- or Tony Stewart winds up 25st or better -- Gordon is out, too. Edwards can add Earnhardt to the elimination list with a 26th-place finish, or Stewart can do the same by finishing 23rd. And five-time champion Johnson could win Sunday but be eliminated from contention if Edwards winds up second. The elimination scenarios for Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick are more complicated, and involve multiple variables too complicated to explain here. Finally, there is a very slim chance Edwards could make the season finale a coronation. If he wins and Stewart finishes 43rd -- and Keselowski, Kenseth and Harvick are all subsequently mathematically eliminated -- Edwards would clinch the championship at Phoenix. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Having respect for those in charge makes rulings easier to accept Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t need to know “the line” that he would have to cross to incur a harsh NASCAR penalty. He’s comfortable as long as he knows who is making the decision and that NASCAR will be consistent is in its rulings. The Hendrick Motorsports driver said Tuesday that he’s pretty much good with the decisions as long as he respects the person making them. “I want to be able to respect that person and I want to admire them and look up to them, and I do have that with [NASCAR President Mike] Helton,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Hopefully that will be the case throughout the history of the sport. “When you have somebody in there that you feel is making those decisions that you can’t respect or don’t admire and can’t look up to and appreciate, then it’s very difficult. I feel we’re in a good place with the way NASCAR handles things, manages things and the people that are making those decisions right now.” Earnhardt Jr. believes NASCAR made the right decision in parking Kyle Busch last week after Busch intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday by turning him into the wall during the Camping World Truck Series race Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. “I thought that the punishment fit the crime,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “NASCAR has done similar things in the past when the same situation has happened. I like the mentality that they've had over the last year or two with letting us sort of settle things on the race track, but there's a line you can't cross. “NASCAR knows where that is. I'm glad that that's there. I'm glad there are some things that just aren't going to be put up with.” Helton said that action was over the line – one that may not be crystal clear, but one that he says “we’ll know it when we see it.” “I don't really care where the line is,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I don't need a firm understanding of what's right, what's wrong, where everything lies. “I just want NASCAR to be a sanctioning body that's fair. I want them to punish wrongdoing and award people for doing things the right way and just continue to go down that path.” Brad Keselowski, who was at NASCAR’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday along with Earnhardt Jr., said the line is always changing. Keselowski said NASCAR had to do something to keep retaliation from escalating. “The problem with retaliation is that no matter how good you are as a driver, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Keselowski, the victim of retaliation twice by Carl Edwards last season. “You could just simply spin that guy out. You could flip him up in the air. You don’t know. That’s why you have to stop it from happening either way.” Earnhardt Jr. said he has made similar mistakes as far as losing his cool. “I was kind of shocked that it happened,” Earnhardt Jr. said of the Busch/Hornaday incident. “I know as a race-car driver you forget really how many people are watching and what's going on. I've made similar mistakes, done things that I regret. “I know Kyle probably wishes to move past it. I'm sure he's going to learn a lesson from it one way or another. He'll be a better driver and a better person for it in the end.” Keselowski said all the drivers took notice. “If you don’t stop the infant when he’s young, you can’t expect him to be any different when he grows older,” Keselowski said. “We’re all a bunch of infants as drivers. We all continue to grow and evolve and if we continue to get away with things, we’re just going to try to get away with more when we grow older.” Glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. CHASE POINTS: Seventh, -79 POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2 CAR: No. 88 AMP Chevrolet TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Finished seventh for the second consecutive week, his third top-10 of the Chase. CAREER PHOENIX STARTS: 18 BEST PHOENIX FINISH: 1st (2003, 2004) Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopes to help end 'boring' tandem racing NASCAR has scheduled a last-minute test Nov. 15 for Daytona International Speedway, ostensibly for Sprint Cup teams to fine-tune a fuel injection system that makes its debut in 2012. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving in it and said if it were only fuel injection, "I probably wouldn't have signed up for it." NASCAR's most popular driver is expecting the primary thrust will be eliminating the two-car trains that became prevalent in the four restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway. "Apparently, they put this together last minute for a reason," Earnhardt said Tuesday in an appearance with fans and news media at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "They'll let us know what they're trying to accomplish, and I want to give the best feedback we can to give them the solutions they're looking for so we can go into Daytona in February with confidence to put on a great show for the fans." The tandem racing was a novelty that seemed to wear thin quickly. Through polling data and social-media platforms, Daytona and Talladega officials have said a majority of fans dislike it. Talladega drew its smallest crowd last month for a Cup race since NASCAR began providing estimated attendance figures in 2003. Earnhardt has been an outspoken critic of the tandems. He called it "boring" after last month's Talladega race because it encourages sandbagging and doesn't match the excitement of the former pack-style racing that featured a few dozen cars racing inches apart at 200 mph. NASCAR is expecting at least six to eight cars at the test. Among the ideas expected to be tested include a different restrictor plates (which are placed over the carburetor and reduce horsepower by limiting airflow to the engine) and a smaller spoiler that might decrease handling and make it harder for two cars to stay connected. "They'll bring every feasible option, and we'll try to get it out on the track," Earnhardt said. "The difficult part is simulating racing conditions. (With the) smaller spoiler, we have to try to push each other around track and hope it doesn't work. "It could be a potentially dangerous situation, but you have to do your part. Hopefully, we'll have a safe test and help NASCAR make the sport better." Earnhardt expects Hendrick Motorsports to bring another car and said gathering data would be the more, the merrier. "A perfect situation is 43, and the worst is two," he said. "Anywhere in the middle is an unknown. If you can get 15 to 20 guys in a pack, and you can't (do the) two-car push, that's a good sign. "I'm just worried about how we're going to find out how you can't push. Is it going to be a wreck we're going to cause to say, 'Man, we ain't doing that anymore!' Are we going to almost wreck and say, 'Alright, now we can't push anymore because we're almost wrecking doing it.' Because that's what is going to take if you eliminate the two-car tandem drafting. It'll be because it'll wreck somebody or spin someone out. "The reason we never did it before was we would spin each other out in the corner. I wrecked (Jeff) Burton at Talladega in '08 or '09, and you had to be really careful if you pushed anyone in the corner, and you never really thought about doing it because of that reasons. That's where we're going to have to get back to and hopefully we don't have to find out the hard way in testing." Brad Keselowski, who also participated in Tuesday's event, said the key to fixing the two-car drafting is two-fold: change the cars so they don't punch as big a hole in the air — "We never saw it with the older-style cars because they were like driving a school bus" — and wait for the tracks to lose grip (both were been repaved in the past five years). The Penske Racing driver, though, said "NASCAR has an answer coming" in 2013 with a redesigned car with a nose that won't allow for pushing while also being more aesethetically pleasing. "It's remarkable; a very, very attractive car," Keselowski said. "We're going to get back to more of the conventional look of what you see on the street. That's great news for the sport." Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't thinking 2012 yet, except for Daytona test later this month Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t thinking about 2012 even though he pretty much is out of the 2011 title hunt. The only time he will be thinking about 2012 is in a couple of weeks, when he tests Nov. 15 at Daytona International Speedway. The test is being called a fuel injection test, but NASCAR will look at different ways to possibly limit the two-car draft. All teams can go to the Nov. 15 test, but NASCAR doesn’t expect the entire garage to attend. Earnhardt Jr., who dislikes the two-car tandem draft, wanted to go to the Daytona test. “Absolutely, I was hoping to get the opportunity as soon as we could,” Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. “I like going to Daytona, I like the area and I am glad that NASCAR is putting together the opportunity to try some things, and get innovative on improving the draft, improving the races at Daytona and Talladega.” NASCAR hopes to get a good baseline with a possible different spoiler and restrictor-plate combination that could decrease the amount of time drivers could spend in the two-car draft. A three-day test already is scheduled for Jan. 12-14. “If we can answer some questions now, it is going to give us a better opportunity to continue to improve when we get into January,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “If we can go ahead and knock some of the work out of the way, ‘X’ off the things that don’t work, see some potential and take that back to the house and work on it, maybe when we go in January we can really take those next several steps that are going to be essential to get in the drafting and racing more like we want I guess.” As far as the final three races of 2011, Earnhardt Jr. isn’t thinking next year as he sits ninth in the standings, 73 points behind leader Carl Edwards. “We just go to every race track every week trying to find something, trying to find speed,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It ain’t really about trying to prepare for any certain time or any certain thing, you just go to the race track every week and you try what you can to get it as good as you can, be as good as you can. “That might happen tomorrow, it might happen next year, you just never know.” Earnhardt Jr. will start 16th on the starting grid Sunday in the AAA Texas 500. He is still looking for his first win of the year and first with crew chief Steve Letarte, who took over the Earnhardt Jr. car this year and put him in the Chase for the first time in three seasons. The key to their improvement will be communication. “I am more vocal now, because I am a lot less frustrated,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When I get frustrated, I shut my mouth because I don’t want to say something that I am going to regret. A lot of times I will clam up a little bit. “I have not been that frustrated this year, I think I have been able to be real vocal with Steve and my group. I think that is when you can express yourself. It is best when you do communicate, it is best when you have your intentions and ideas and thoughts out there on the table for everyone to understand.” Qualifying the Chasers: Texas Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Qualified 16th) -- Earnhardt's stats at Texas aren't horrible, but most of his success came while in the No. 8. Since adding the extra eight, Junior just hasn't found his mojo in the Lone Star State. Since joining Hendrick, Earnhardt has just two top-10s at Texas, both in spring races. He also has four finishes outside the top 20 and his two top-10s are his only lead-lap finishes in that stretch. One good thing for Earnhardt, he finds his way to the front. In five of seven Texas events in the No. 88, Earnhardt has held the lead. One little nugget worth mentioning -- Earnhardt's first Cup Series victory at came at Texas in 2000. Glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. CHASE POINTS: Ninth, -73 POSITION CHANGE: None CAR: No. 88 AMP Chevrolet TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Notched only his second top-10 of the Chase with a seventh-place finish. CAREER TEXAS STARTS: 18 BEST TEXAS FINISH: 1st (2000) Earnhardt enjoys dishing out M'ville punishment In a wild race that featured drivers trading shots -- some deserved, some cheap -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave better than he got in Sunday's Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt was the catalyst for the race's first caution, when he bounced off the curbing in Turn 1 and sent Kurt Busch spinning. He also was involved in an incident with fewer than three laps left, when he knocked Denny Hamlin into Brad Keselowski and sent Keselowski's No. 2 Dodge spinning. Earnhardt also battled with David Ragan, trading numerous blows in a four-lap battle that ended with Earnhardt moving Ragan up the track and passing his adversary. It was short-track racing in its purest form -- and Earnhardt loved it. "I felt like I was doing more of the beatin' on people than I was getting beat on myself," said Earnhardt, who finished seventh. "There was definitely some fun stuff happening out there, and a lot of times you just kind of have to laugh it off. It was fun. "It was a lot of beatin' and bangin' right from the drop of the green flag, but I think the fans really enjoy that. I'm sure it was great fun to watch on TV and in the stands, and it was great fun in the race car -- the most fun I've had in a really long time." Click here to vist the Dale Earnhardt Jr New Archive Part 3