Dale Jr's Unrestricted

How did you get started in racing?

"I went to college for a degree in automotives, and during that time I was working at my dad's dealership. I was a mechanic, and that was my career. Then one day I bought a street car for $200 and begged and borrowed the racing equipment to put into it. Me, my dad, and my brother Kerry built it, but that was about all the help Dad gave us. His plan was to leave us alone, let us hit the wall, and then figure out why we hit the wall. He let us learn on our own, which was fun."

What would you do if you weren't racing?

"Probably still working at the car dealership. I mean I went to school to be a mechanic. I enjoy working on cars, so that's probably what I'd be doing. If you had a problem with your car, I'd be the guy you'd have to see."

How many speeding tickets have been given?

"I've gotten four my whole life, which I guess is pretty good. If I get pulled over, the officer is usually cool with me. I guess they figure if I drive 180 mph for a living, it's probably kind of hard to keep it at 65. They usually just tell me to slow down."

What's the craziest thing you've been asked to sign?

"There were hundreds of people outside my motor-coach, and someone asked me to sign a kid's prosthetic leg. That kind of freaked me out, so they offered to take it off and bring it inside for me to sign, and that freaked me out even more. I guess the craziest thing, though, is when a fan wants me to sign somewhere on their body so they can have a tattoo artist trace it in for life. That's hardcore, man."

What do you do in your down time?

"Just chill out with my buddies. I have a pretty hectic schedule with appearances and stuff like that, so if I have a couple days off during the week, we'll go out to the bars and raise hell. I don't run as hard as I used to, but there still ain't many people who can keep up with me."

What is your favorite track?

"I'd have to say Daytona because of the area itself. It's real close to the beach, and I like the atmosphere there; the nightlife, the clubs, everything. It's just a great place. And we seem to do OK at the race track as well."

© 2008 The likeness of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. used with the permission of Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports.

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