Dale Jr. looks to defend Daytona 500 title
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks around, he sees constant reminders he’s no longer one of NASCAR’s young kids.
Turning 40, which Earnhardt did in October, will have that kind of effect.
So will seeing NFL star quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees reach their late 30s. And even on Earnhardt’s own Hendrick Motorsports team, 43-year-old Jeff Gordon announced this will be his final Sprint Cup season.
“I remember when Peyton Manning was a rookie,” Earnhardt said. “It just seems like it was 10 years ago, when it’s more than that. It’s amazing to think that these guys like Peyton and Drew Brees came into the NFL and they’re nearing the end of their careers. It’s crazy to see Joe Montana in these commercials, and he’s an aged man, and you remember when he was this young, athletic quarterback playing on your television screen.
“It reminds you of how long you’ve been around, and it kind of makes you look at yourself in the mirror and realize how old you are. Makes me feel old anyways.”
Earnhardt has a lot to take in as he prepared for the season-opening Daytona 500, which is at 10 a.m. today and will be broadcast on Fox (Channel 5).
He’s back at Daytona International Speedway as the defending champion. This is not only NASCAR’s first race of the season, it’s the sport’s most high-profile event.
NASCAR reduced the horsepower on its cars to create more drama, but Daytona is a restrictor-plate race already, so the effect should be minimal. Earnhardt passed the first test Thursday by winning the first of the two Budweiser Duel 150s to clinch a spot in the 43-car field.
“I feel confident about what we did last year and that we can come in and be competitive, and we should be competitive with the equipment we’ve got, so (new rules) shouldn’t be any issue” Earnhardt said. “I’ll just get out there and make all the good decisions that I can in the draft and put myself up toward the front and try to work hard to stay there, and really be mentally disciplined to fend off the challenges and all that stuff that we did in the race last year.
“I think there were a lot of decisions that were made out on the racetrack that really depended on us winning that race, and I’ve just got to be disciplined in myself to fight for those positions and work real hard and not get too relaxed in the car and try to stay up on the wheel.”
Even if he wasn’t the defending champion, Earnhardt would be NASCAR’s most-watched driver this weekend. Or any weekend. He has been named the Most Popular Driver the past 12 years.
Part of that is due to his dad, the revered Dale Earnhardt Sr. who was killed on the final turn of the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Most of the father’s fans turned their love toward the son.
On Wednesday, the 14th anniversary of his father’s death, Dale Jr. acknowledged the date in a tweet.
“On this day I do not mourn his death,” Junior wrote. “I thank God he lived.”
Earnhardt later told reporters he wanted to share his thoughts because others were talking about the anniversary, and he thought not saying anything would have been “selfish.”
“His loss affected a lot of people, not just myself,” Earnhardt said.
That openness is why fans are naturally drawn to him. Ask Earnhardt a question, and he’ll provide a lengthy, thoughtful reply.
He’s also getting better with age, last year’s Daytona 500 victory his second and the first since 2004.
This Daytona will be a little different because it’s the last one with Gordon, who won the pole.
“It’s a crazy thing,” Earnhardt said. “I think it makes me reflect more about my own age than Jeff’s because you still see Jeff as this guy that could race another 10 years as competitive as he is. So you don’t look at him and go, ‘Man, he’s old.’ ”
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.
