Chat Transcript: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
June 13, 2001
9:21 AM EDT (1321 GMT)
[Nascar_Host1] Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Dale Jr.!
[Dale_Jr] What's up everyone! Glad you could come on tonight!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Christy48] What has your team done to prepare for Pocono, and did you determine what caused the two burnt pistons in Michigan?
[Dale_Jr] We went to Pocono and had a two-day test that went well. We should go back there and do fine and I look forward to it. Last year I felt like a fish out of water there.
As for the piston, we know what caused it. Without going into heavy detail, we know what caused it and we know how to fix it. We tried something that didn't work for us and it bit us in the butt.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Jo Loves Racing] Will you be making any appearances at Pocono this weekend?
[Dale_Jr] I have a Coca-Cola appearance on Thursday somewhere at 5pm. Sorry, I don't know where it is! I have practice on Friday.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Nascar Carla] Was your save on Lap 177 (I think that's the lap) in Dover pure luck or sheer Earnhardt genius?
[Dale_Jr] HAHA ... more luck than anything! Actually the instinct was to slam on the brakes, but in a situation like that coming around the corner, when you are coming out of corner, if you go full throttle you have a better chance not to hit the wall. I gave it gas so I wouldn't hit the wall and I did a few donuts there and was able to get it righted.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [HeatherlovesDaleJr] Dale, I've seen pictures of your truck and I was wondering what's up with the bullet holes?
[Dale_Jr] My buddy Elliott Sadler, he had some bullet holes in his truck. We got them off the internet. They aren't real, but they are always good for a conversation piece.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [babs381] Hi, Dale Jr. I have heard you mention how Steve Park's team has finally gelled and that your team is getting there, as well as Michael's. How important is this to a team and what exactly do you strive for or look for to reach that point? Keep up the good work!
[Dale_Jr] That is interesting. That is exactly how it happens. We brought our team up from Busch hoping to run well out of the box. We had some wins, but other than that we ran poorly. It evolves and there isn't a certain ingredient but we are growing in knowledge and that shows in the performances.
Teams go up and down over the years and very few teams can hold that form and be competitive every year. When you look at history, it takes a year or two to get a team to where it needs to be. Things that hinder you are low confidence and your inexperience. When those two things improve, it seems that your performance improves.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Mikiegirl] When things get stressful, how do work to keep up the team dynamics and open, honest communication?
[Dale_Jr] That is hard at times. We have had issues, for example this past weekend at Michigan. We ran well but burned two pistons. There are a lot questions asked and finger-pointing, but you just have to smooth that stuff out and understand the mistake that we made and that burnt piston was for the act of success.
We took those risks to try and do better so you are going to have those failures and problems where things don't work out. The answer isn't to hire and fire people; the answer is to just work it out. You might get it done talking with one person, or the whole team. We try to talk after each race about how we want to improve.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JRisGr8] Your appearances on the MTV shows 'Life Docs' and 'Cribs' have introduced you and the world of NASCAR to a whole new audience. How do you feel about many young adults and children looking up to you as a role model?
[Dale_Jr] I really am excited about it. We had no idea what impact that was going to have, but it appears that more people have seen those shows than you think do. We had one article with Rolling Stone and we have another one next month.
When you can reach that audience it really makes a difference. You can see that in the articles and online chats. It is hard to believe how many fans we have for each. It is positive for the sport and a lot of people have their own opinion on what NASCAR is about or what driver is about and we can shed some light on that and help them understand what we are all about.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [wardfan22] What type of hunting do you like to do? And have you ever hunted with Ward Burton?
[Dale_Jr] I never did hunt with Ward. He is the most avid hunter, but I actually do a lot of quail and pheasant hunting. I like plain-ole bird hunting. I did some deer hunting in the past, but I like to shoot flying objects like skeet.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Sway] Has the new Goodyear tire had an effect on you and Tony Eury's game plan and has it effected the use of your notebook for upcoming tracks?
[Dale_Jr] Last year I wasn't a fan at all of Goodyear and the tires at the track. There was a lot of talk about them, and of course we wouldn't be answering this if things weren't good.
This year they brought the same tire to every racetrack. What it has improved is that it is more consistent, reliable, and really predictable. It helps guys like me that have been doing this for only 3.5 years to know how the car is going to feel. It has hampered several teams but I think everyone is starting get a hold on it. Ward Burton had trouble early in the season, as did Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart, but I think they are starting to get the grasp of it now.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Buddy Love] Hello, Dale, Jr. I want to start out by saying good luck to you! My question is what do you do to get pumped up before a race?
[Dale_Jr] I really don't do much. My race mornings are me getting up in time for the drivers meeting. Then I go back to the bus and just chill out and put on my uniform about 20 minutes before driver introductions.
Anything I might do is when I am in the racecar. I am just thinking about the race, what I did last year, how the track works throughout the day, and things like that when I am sitting in the car. That is when I am really getting focused. I try to keep pretty low-key during the morning so I don't get over-hyped.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [1972K5] I'm wondering how much communication goes on in a situation like Dover where you and Steve had two very strong cars running second and third?
[Dale_Jr] There is a lot going on, mainly between engineers. Our head engineer will be the one I go talk to about Steve's cars, and his engineer will come talk to us about our cars. They talk about things like what we are changing, what we are putting on each other's cars, etc. We cut our practice a bit short at Michigan because of the burnt piston, so I stood on Michael Waltrip's trailer so we can help each other out all the time.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [SuperSissy08] Hey Dale, I was just wondering if you workout to help you remain healthy and not fatigued by the end of a race?
[Dale_Jr] I did workout this offseason quite a bit. Throughout the season itself, to maintain a consistent workout plan is difficult. We are out on the road so often and that isn't always available to us.
During the offseason I can work out during a 2-3 month plan. The hardest part of the year is the first 3-4 races. You aren't really prepared and those seem to be the hardest. You become accustomed throughout the season and your body gets used to it.
The older you get, the more you have to be aware of your health. To drive a car, you don't have to work out at all, but at 35 I will need this health and stamina that I improve on during the offseason.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Frano] There will be seven new Looney Tunes-themed paint schemes displayed September 8th in Richmond. If you could design your own paint scheme on the #8 BUD, what would you decide? Blank canvas!
[Dale_Jr] It would be all white! I drove white cars when I was in late models and I just love white cars. White with the BUD in red with the #8, similar to the Baseball All-Star car we are driving in Daytona in July. You can see every little scuff and ding on the racecar after the race. That is kinda neat.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Senior] Hi, Dale. What went wrong with fuel calculations? I have noticed other drivers having problems running out of gas. Have they changed something to cause fuel miscalculations in the fuel cell?
[Dale_Jr] Not necessarily. We are calculating throughout the entire race. During one fuel run, I may be in the draft running up with leaders. My fuel mileage may be 4.3 gallons. The next run I might be in heavy traffic, and be up to 4.5. The next time I might be out by myself with the pedal down and have 4.1.
We were 2/10ths off and ran out 2 laps early. It is common to make that mistake, but you would rather play the short game. When you are in different types of traffic or by yourself, that shows what fuel mileage you get. I was pretty much by myself when I ran out of gas. We didn't calculate out that I was using more gas than normal on that run.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joey7] Do you use a driving simulator in the offseason to keep your skills fresh, and if so what kind?
[Dale_Jr] I play NASCAR 4, NASCAR Heat, and pretty much any other racing game. I like driving F1 cars, too. Anything that is in the motorsports genre I can get involved in and enjoy. It is fun to do as well.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Nas-Carla] What CDs are you currently listening to?
[Dale_Jr] The new 2-PAC CD. I bought that the other day. I have been listening to a little bit of old Bob Dylan, believe it or not. I had a dream that I had a beer with him the other night in a bar.
If I walked into the CD store with you yesterday, and the song that was playing in the speakers was pretty cool, I might pick that up. I pretty much listen to anything I can find. Variety is key!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joni8] Hey Dale, Jr., what was it like to drive in Joe Nemechek's Busch Series car for him in Charlotte? Have you considered going back to the Busch Series and double dip in Busch and Winston Cup like Kevin Harvick and Kenny Wallace? Thanks and good luck at Pocono.
[Dale_Jr] I really had a lot of fun in Joe's car, but we ran like crap in the race. We did it for the hell of it. If I wasn't going to drive it, he was going to park the car. I never drove for anyone else other than myself or my father. It was cool to work with Brian, his crew chief. His team is cool as hell and we had a blast.
I haven't thought about Busch races. I have so much responsibility and I owe so much to Bud that I would be short-changing them to do something else. I may do one or two races next year, but I will let you know more about that when I have the details.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [8ball] What was it like having MTV film your house for Cribs?
[Dale_Jr] It was cool. I was really nervous about it actually, because they have a lot of viewers. I didn't know what the impact would be and I wanted it to be a good job. The camera does a good job making the house look great. It is a typical house and I was worried about not having ENOUGH house! Haha
It was a car-based show and it seemed like it made my truck pretty popular. People come up to me now when we go to fill up at the station and ask if that is Dale Jr.'s truck!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Heather T] Whom are you most looking forward to meeting next month when you attend the MLB All-Star game in Seattle? Will you be cheering for the American League or National League?
[Dale_Jr] I have a jersey from both and I don't know which I am going to wear. I am just looking forward to seeing some of the guys. I am more curious as to seeing their lifestyles. I know what it is like for me as a racecar driver on raceday, and I want to see the guys at the games. I will be at ground level and I can see what these guys deal with. I am really interested to see if it is similar to what we go through.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Noell Dalejrfan] Did you enjoy seeing your brother Kerry in victory lane for the ARCA race? Did you give him any tips before the race?
[Dale_Jr] I didn't have to give him any tips. He was flying before I got to town! He was clearly a favorite to win. We were proud of it. It is a program that doesn't come with a lot of perks. It is R&D equipment and hand-me-down parts and he really does a great job with it.
He deserves that success and more of it. He has had a very interesting life and been through a lot of adversity and it is good. It is good to see him enjoy some of the rewards from the hard work he has done over the years.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [lizardlover] Are you planning on doing any Budweiser commercials with the lizards?
[Dale_Jr] I don't think so! We have put together a few ideas for commercials but it does not involve the lizards I am afraid. Those guys don't need me! They are a stand-alone group.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [martdawg] MartDawg wants to know why you're pimpin the mustache?
[Dale_Jr] I don't know! I just got tired of the goatee. You just want to change every once in a while. I stole it from the movie "Almost Famous". There is band called Stillwater in the movie and I stole it from the guitarist. I just wanted something different and it looked cool.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Jr8-nascarandhockey] Hi Dale, Jr. I was wondering, who do you think is the biggest prankster or joker of the three DEI drivers and why? Thanks.
[Dale_Jr] Definitely Michael! He has always been known as the class clown. He is just funny as hell all the time. Everything about him, he makes it enjoyable. He has such a great personality.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JrRules] Dale, other than driving, what would you say is your greatest contribution the #8 team?
[Dale_Jr] Shoot, I don't know. That is a damn good question! I think my loyalty, probably. I am not out there looking for anything better. I just take what I have and stick with it. That makes everyone a little bit more comfortable. This is something I want to carry on as much as possible and I think that loyalty is a pretty good asset to the team.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [racingfan] What do you think of all the tempers that flare at short tracks?
[Dale_Jr] I like it. Short track racing is kinda the core of the sport. That is where we came from. We didn't start on superspeedways. You try and try to polish the sport, but that will always be part of it. It is important that we maintain that rawness, to be able to have these feuds and bring that drama into the sport. It is interesting, even for the drivers. It is a lot of fun.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Zoe#8] Jr., do you get much free time when you are on the road? What is it that you do to unwind and relax after a race or a stressful day? Keep up the great job, we love ya!
[Dale_Jr] After a race we get on the plane and go to the house. If I can find some willing participants, we will just sit down and drink some beer. We will just shoot the s**t about what we did over the weekend and I will just listen to some stories. Some are true and some are fiction! We just sat around the apartment, drank beer, and just chilled out after Michigan.
[Nascar_Host1] That's all the time Dale has for us tonight. Thanks Dale! What are your final thoughts?
[Dale_Jr] I appreciate everyone for showing up tonight. Thanks for coming out. I appreciate the great questions. There were some great ones and that makes my job easy. Keep supporting the sport and I will see you next time!
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