Confessions of a Disappointed Dale Earnhardt Jr FanJanuary 27, 2010 by RacingWinFiled under: Dale Earnhardt JrConfessions of a Disappointed Dale Earnhardt Jr FanThe following is a guest post from Casey Miller. Interested in guest posting? Please contact me.My name is Casey, and Im a Dale Jr fan.Junior. I first heard about you in 1998 when you showed up at Daytona to run the Busch race. I didnt have a favorite driver at the time, but I was keeping an eye on you.When you won 13 races and 2 Championships in 2 years in the Busch Series you had my attention.When you won your first Cup race at Texas in 2000, in just your 12th Cup start thats when I decided you would be my driver. It had taken Jeff Gordon 42 tries to get his first win. It took Dale 16 to get his.You really gave us fans a reason to be fans. And not just with the way you drove the race car, but with the way you handled yourself off the track as well.My heart went out for you after the Daytona 500 in 2001. And then again one week later when you crashed on the first lap at Rockingham.But you came back to Daytona in July and put that No. 8 in the Winners Circle. I was so proud of you.You owned Daytona and Talladega there for a while. You even won at Talladega 4 times in a row. I think you learned a thing or two about drafting and restrictor plate racing from Dale.Youve won the Daytona 500.Youve won 6 races in one season in 2004, and you have 18 victories so far in your career. Thats 39th on NASCARs All Time Win List.Youve contended for Championships, and I believe you will win one.But I was disappointed when you left DEI. I thought you should have stayed there and worked things out with Teresa. I think DEI would have been a NASCAR dynasty with you as the driver and majority owner. Teresa just would not give you the tools and equipment that you knew you needed, and she wouldnt work with you to make a deal for you to take over the company.Funny how as soon as you were out the door Teresa was down the street making a deal with Chip Ganassi.I was disappointed when you went to Hendrick Motorsports. After all this was Jeff Gordons and Jimmie Johnsons team.I was also excited when you went to Hendrick Motorsports. After all this was Jeff Gordons and Jimmie Johnsons team.How many wins and Championships did they have between them?I was excited when you won the Budweiser Shootout. Your first race in the 88 car.You were running up front almost every week. You won at Michigan. You should have won at Richmond when Kyle Busch wrecked you at the end of the race.But then the wheels just seemed to fall off.I was disappointed when you had a string of problems on pit road last year. You said yourself that you lost confidence when that happened.Coming down pit road and getting in your stall is like breathing. You dont even think it when youre doing it, you just do it.It really made me start thinking about it, and I backtracked I actually got a complex about it and became sort of something I definitely was not confident about. ~ Dale Earnhardt Jr as quoted in The Sporting News.I was disappointed when drivers, broadcasters and fans seemed to be turning against you after last years Daytona 500, blaming you for the big wreck. Ive watched the replays closely, and you were obviously forced into that position. The wreck was, as they say, just racing.Were just going to go out there and try our hardest and be ruthless from the first lap to the last. ~ Dale Earnhardt JrI was disappointed when Rick Hendrick took Tony Eury Jr away from you rather that giving the two of you the support you needed.And I was disappointed when the 2009 season ended without seeing you in Victory Lane.But I am encouraged by what I hear from you this year.You sound excited and ready to get down to business.I especially like what you said about being ruthless.Were just going to go out there and try our hardest and be ruthless from the first lap to the last, Earnhardt Jr said.Dale Jr, this is going to be your year. This is going to be your year.I believe you can do it.But more importantly, I believe that you believe that you can do it.Can Dale Jr do it in 2011?This was taken from Race win for your enjoyment
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
