Chat Transcript: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
October 4, 2001
10:51 AM EDT (1451 GMT)
[Nascar_Host1] Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Dale Earnhardt Jr.!
[Dale_Jr] I am just chilling on the front porch of the house tonight, drinking some beers!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JRFan4Ever] Hi, Junior! Winning the Pepsi 400 in July was very emotional for you as well as for your fans. When you won again in September, were you able to celebrate that victory in a different way, having that weight lifted off your shoulders?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, we just needed to win really bad this year. We won three races last year and to come in this year and not winning any would be bad, but to get some wins this year has really been a bonus.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Xellent] Hi! Happy Birthday, Dale Jr.! How does it feel to race near home at Charlotte and how do you plan to celebrate your birthday on the 10th?
[Dale_Jr] Just sit on the porch and drink cold beer! Ha, ha! I have some appearances on the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th so it will be a bit difficult to celebrate. I will just find something in the middle there and sit down and chill with some friends.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Christy48] Hi, Junior! Congratulations on the wonderful victory you gave all of us at Dover! It was a perfect ending to a great day. How are you feeling after that crash you and Wilson were in Sunday?
[Dale_Jr] I am feeling pretty good. I was pretty sore after getting knocked to hell, and we had to pump up Wilson afterward! I won my first pole in that car, so I am pretty sad about that.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Jen74] Hi, Junior! I read that you are a Redskins fan. I was wondering how that came about? Myself, I am a Cowboys fan even without Troy. By the way, Happy Birthday early!
[Dale_Jr] I appreciate it! I have been a fan since like 1983. Things can't be any worse than they are now, but I am still sticking with them.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [dakmal] Hi, Junior, what happened to the Ducks Unlimited car that you were supposed to run this year? I saw pictures on the Internet and then the pictures were pulled and they said it was canceled. Good luck the rest of the season.
[Dale_Jr] We didn't cancel it. It wasn't really approved. Sometimes they jump the gun on those deals. We have had a lot of deals like that but it didn't make it. Budweiser only likes to make one or maybe two schemes a year, so we try to stay consistent.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [short4mama] Hi, Junior! In a past interview you talked about working on a possible Busch ride for next year. How is that going? I would enjoy watching you back in that series.
[Dale_Jr] We are talking about it. It is probably going to be announced real soon what our plans are. I believe that we are going to say something about it in Phoenix, so stay tuned!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [LINASCARFAN] Hey, Dale. Enough questions about racing ... how was it introducing Linkin Park at this year's Video Music Awards? You looked kinda nervous. Was Lincoln Center more intimidating than Darlington?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, it was! I was nervous before I did it, but it was a good experience for me. For as much fun as it was to do, it was a good experience for the future.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [raceykasey] Hi Dale, is Wilson the volleyball going to ride with you the rest of the year?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, as long as we can hang on to him and don't lose him! He is easily lost from week to week! Ha,ha!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Ash8] Howdy, Junior! I know you that you were in a video for the Matthew Good Band. What was that like? Were you nervous?
[Dale_Jr] Actually, we didn't do that. We canceled that. It was close to the tragedies we had in New York, so we didn't do that. I don't know if we are going to reschedule it or not. I am really excited about working with Matt, though. He seems like a nice guy.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [cjcom2000] H,i Dale! Happy Birthday and congratulations on your latest win. I heard that you have hired your sister at your company, JR Racing. Can you let us know what your plans are for that company and if you can't let us know now, when are you planning to make some kind of an announcement?
[Dale_Jr] We aren't really going to make an announcement of any kind. I brought her in to try and improve it as much as I can. We have a lot of income coming in and I want to take care of myself and my future. If anything ever happened to me, I didn't want everything in shambles and confusing, so she is going to handle that.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Racegirlfor1] Hi Junior, my question is have you talked to your teammate Steve lately, and how is he doing?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah` I talked to him. He is doing good. He is trying not to rush himself back into a racecar. He is trying to be reasonable and realistic about getting back into the car. He is trying to get to Charlotte this weekend to see everybody. He really misses everyone in the garage.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Forbidden] I know a lot of drivers aren't thrilled with going to Loudon the day after Thanksgiving -- not just because of the holiday, but because of the cold. What are your feelings on the issue?
[Dale_Jr] About the same reasons. Thanksgiving is pretty important to my family, but we will be back in town for our normal Sunday evening. It is going to be cold and I will do my best to dress myself as warm as possible!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Tonyfan20] If you had written the end of Cast Away, what would you have placed in the box?
[Dale_Jr] Not much you could put in there to help him get off the island, so maybe a Bible, a six-pack of Bud and some kind of radio. That way he could listen to the races! Ha, ha!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [wardfan22] Junior, is there another conspiracy? You went to the MLB All-Star game and Ripken won the MVP. Then you go and win the Dover race named after him. Come clean, dude!
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, it is kinda crazy how things worked out this year. There is no conspiracy! Just strange luck on both ourselves. Great world, isn't it!
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [LittleE_FanFromArkansas] Dale, I was at the race Sunday and listened to you on the scanner. Are you always joking with Tony Sr. and Jr. like that? And also are you that talkative?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, I talk a lot on the radio, probably too much. Tony Jr. and I are cousins, so we give ourselves crap on and off the racetrack. Hopefully that was entertaining for you! I assume it is because you asked it.
[Nascar_Host1] [#1jr Fan] Just wanted to say happy birthday on the 10th. I am sure it will be a rager. So did you really build a raft in your swimming pool?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, we did, so that is in R&D stages for our raft trip for next spring.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [racegirlnevada] So what do you think about people saying that Kansas is a "cookie-cutter" track like Las Vegas and Chicago?
[Dale_Jr] You are going to get a lot of tracks compared to each other. I don't think it is a slam, but people are going to compare. That is a nice track and they did a great job. To be a racecar driver and go around, it really had its differences.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Ray8Fan] I thought the interviews in Playboy and Rolling Stone were great. What did you think of the outcome of the interviews?
[Dale_Jr] I was pretty happy. They were really kinda cutting edge and I thought they would cause some good and bad reviews on them. I thought it would be mixed, but people really liked them. I hope to work again in the future with some other heavy hitters like that. It is neat to get your story out there to some people that wouldn't normally see you.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Rusty2fan_2] Junior, there has been a lot of discussion in other chat rooms about Mayfield. What do you think?
[Dale_Jr] I dunno. That is hard to say. He would be a good teammate. We haven't given Michael a chance, I don't feel like. It has been a tough year on all of us, especially Michael, so it is really early.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [DAmerks25] Dale, driver rivalries like the Rudd-Wallace thing, do things like that motivate you or distract you?
[Dale_Jr] I think they motivate me. Rivalries have been in the sport a long time and I have always been in tune with who is against who. I think it is really good for the fans.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [RAD] Are you going to be outside the pits this weekend to sign autographs?
[Dale_Jr] I am not sure. Every week we get so busy, but we try to get out there on Friday to the souvenir stand every Charlotte race, but I don't think we can do it this weekend. I have a photo shoot with USA Today.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [LittleE_FanFromArkansas] Also while listening to you Saturday, you made the comment of Tony Jr. having a possible hangover. What are your Friday and Saturday nights like on a race weekend?
[Dale_Jr] I stay at the track on the bus, so I am out of harm's way, but the guys are at the hotel and sometimes they go to the bars and have a good time.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JAKUSI] Hey, Dale. I was able to run a few online races with you at Dega back in Nascar3. Do you still have time anymore to join Nascar4 online races?
[Dale_Jr] I don't really get online much. I have four computers at home and we race each other, but I do miss that. We used to have a lot of fun.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Tara-Ca] What are your plans for the offseason, beside R&R?
[Dale_Jr] I am going to Jamaica, and other than that, I don't have much planned. I might try to go somewhere else, like Europe. It kinda is a bad time of year to go travelling though.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [racnchamp1] Dale, I think you took Sunday's bad luck very well. What do you think the vibration was you felt? Was it tire related?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, it was definitely the tire coming apart. I felt it for a lap before I said something to the guys. At that time, I was going to get into the pits and get it fixed, so we were half a lap away. I think the tire might have been a little too hard for that new facility.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [NascarFan4Life] Dale, I heard you mention that doing those burnouts are hard on the car. What are your thoughts on that?
[Dale_Jr] We used to do them in the Busch Series and some of the Cup races we won. It is really hard on the motor. You are mashing the gas and burning up the tires. My Dad was really adamant about not doing that. Once you really do that, it is hard to use the motor again because you damage the components. There are other ways to celebrate in a wild manner. It is exciting to do it and see it, but it is hard on the motors.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [dalejrfan2001] What are your plans for this Sunday at Charlotte? Are you going to be up front?
[Dale_Jr] Yeah, I hope so! We tested there the other week. We have run pretty well there at times, so I have some confidence going there.
[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Iceman] Who would you consider to be your biggest rival on the track? Who is most fun to run against?
[Dale_Jr] My biggest rival is Rusty because we compete so much personally, and we also have competing sponsors in Miller and Bud! I love running against Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte. They are both clean racers and really, really good, so when you beat them, you are beating one of the best.
[Nascar_Host1] That's all the time Junior has for us this evening. Thanks, Junior! What are your final thoughts?
[Dale_Jr] As far as posting on the PitStop board, I will get back on there sooner and later and do something. I know we have a lot of fans there and I am sorry. I have just been so busy. I read DJ's Loose Lugnuts story, just to prove I was there! You will know what I am talking about.
[Dale_Jr] Thank for showing up tonight! Sorry we had to postpone for a week. I hope you got something out of this whole deal and I will talk to you soon.
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