Post by dalejrfan on Feb 11, 2006 1:50:29 GMT -5
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants his father's legacy to be in the vein of "John Wayne or Clint Eastwood" that salutes hard-nosed determination and hard-earned respect.
But it was the most popular driver in NASCAR who played the role of Western gunslinger Thursday, channeling his father's swagger and boldly predicting he would rebound fiercely from a disappointing 2005.
"We're going to come into the Chase in the top three in points, and we'll have six or seven wins this season if not more," said Earnhardt Jr., who missed the 10-race playoff and finished 19th in points.
"If we lose the championship, it won't be by much."
Earnhardt Jr. was in a feisty mood at Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR held its annual media day to kick off a 10-day buildup to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19.
Nextel Cup cars will begin practicing Friday on the 2.5-mile oval for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout exhibition race.
Daytona 500 qualifying is Sunday, and Earnhardt isn't touting his No. 8 Chevrolet as a pole contender.
The 31-year-old said starting position won't matter in his bid to win the Great American Race for the second time.
"I've got the car to beat over there in the garage," he said.
In a large tent a few hundred yards from where Dale Earnhardt was killed in a Turn 4 crash nearly five years ago, the seven-time champion's impact on NASCAR was the topic du jour among Cup drivers.
The focus on his father caught Earnhardt Jr. by surprise.
"It's good that he's still on people's minds, people still miss him," said Earnhardt Jr., who hopes eventually to inherit control of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team from his stepmother, Teresa. "I still like to see the (No.) 3 stickers in the back of everybody's pickup."
That No. 3 Chevrolet still could return to the track. Earnhardt reiterated his desire to campaign the number for Richard Childress, his dad's former car owner, but not until late in his career.
"That would be a phony tribute if we did it now," he said. "It just wouldn't feel right. I've got to take my career seriously right now. I can't be fooling around with tributes and feel-good stories. We've got to get down to business and race."
But it was the most popular driver in NASCAR who played the role of Western gunslinger Thursday, channeling his father's swagger and boldly predicting he would rebound fiercely from a disappointing 2005.
"We're going to come into the Chase in the top three in points, and we'll have six or seven wins this season if not more," said Earnhardt Jr., who missed the 10-race playoff and finished 19th in points.
"If we lose the championship, it won't be by much."
Earnhardt Jr. was in a feisty mood at Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR held its annual media day to kick off a 10-day buildup to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19.
Nextel Cup cars will begin practicing Friday on the 2.5-mile oval for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout exhibition race.
Daytona 500 qualifying is Sunday, and Earnhardt isn't touting his No. 8 Chevrolet as a pole contender.
The 31-year-old said starting position won't matter in his bid to win the Great American Race for the second time.
"I've got the car to beat over there in the garage," he said.
In a large tent a few hundred yards from where Dale Earnhardt was killed in a Turn 4 crash nearly five years ago, the seven-time champion's impact on NASCAR was the topic du jour among Cup drivers.
The focus on his father caught Earnhardt Jr. by surprise.
"It's good that he's still on people's minds, people still miss him," said Earnhardt Jr., who hopes eventually to inherit control of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team from his stepmother, Teresa. "I still like to see the (No.) 3 stickers in the back of everybody's pickup."
That No. 3 Chevrolet still could return to the track. Earnhardt reiterated his desire to campaign the number for Richard Childress, his dad's former car owner, but not until late in his career.
"That would be a phony tribute if we did it now," he said. "It just wouldn't feel right. I've got to take my career seriously right now. I can't be fooling around with tributes and feel-good stories. We've got to get down to business and race."