NASCAR: Interview With Dale Earnhardt Jr.
May 22, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
Question: Most of the people who are really close to you are people you’ve known for a long, long time. That’s true for a lot of people, I suppose, but do you find it hard to let new people in? Are you guarded with people, concerned that it might be about them wanting to be part of some kind of “entourage” that some athletes struggle with?
Dale Jr.: I have to spend a couple years with a person, constantly being around them, for it to get to where I want them to be around and let them know the real personal stuff about me. With the way things are now I don’t have many opportunities to do that - nor do I necessarily want it. The people I know and the people I trust are people I’ve known a long time. I don’t see myself building those type of relationships with any regularity over the next several years. The thing about the people I do know and who I am close with is they don’t hover over me or pry into everything I am doing or sit around waiting for things to happen. They know me well enough to know that it’s not a bed of roses. We do some fun things from time to time and we go on trips and stuff, but they rarely hang around during race season because they know it’s a pain. It’s fun to see a race, but other than that, with everything else we do, they know there’s no reason to be there. It’s just not fun. They don’t come hang out at photo shoots. I don’t really see them. The relationships I have were built from being around each other for years. You get that and it’s all you need.
Question: When I hear you say that, though, one thing I think of almost immediately is that you’re still single. I imagine finding that right person would be extremely complicated. Do you find yourself worrying about that?
Dale Jr.: I know it’s more difficult. I don’t worry about it, but I know it’s real complicated. I am not the best at relationships. When it comes to relationships I am pretty selfish about doing what I want to do. I am just selfish about it. We’re so busy during the week, if I get a night where I have a couple of hours, I might not even want to spend it with that person because I haven’t had any time to myself.
Question: What’s the most fun you’ve had in one day outside of a race car?
Dale Jr.: I’ve got 70 acres over at my house, with a lot of trails - I mean a lot trails cut on it. It’s all wooded area. Riding the four-wheeler through there is just so much fun for me. I don’t know why. It’s about as disconnected as I can get without leaving town. I get away from everything that’s going on. I enjoy that a lot. We have a little campground we’ve built there and I enjoy that. I like going out on the lake in my houseboat. Those are the fun things for me.
Question: I was going to ask you if you had come across any new fascinations in life, like mixed martial arts or Formula One, anything like that. Is “The Office” it?
Dale Jr.: That’s it. It’s not necessarily new; I’ve been watching it since the first season, but that rules my world.
Question: You mentioned your father and this is probably a ridiculous question to ask because it’s so hard to do, but if you hadn’t had such a strong influence like him to model yourself after, are there people in the sport you admire and would have maybe taken from as you got into NASCAR?
Dale Jr.: Cale Yarborough. I have always admired his style in and out of the race car. I felt like he was fair and did it right. He never let anybody get the best of him. Dale Jarrett, more recently, was always a high-road type of guy with a lot of respect from a lot of different people. He handles everything the way it seems you should handle everything. Bobby Labonte, too. You know, Bobby is a little bit more of an introvert and not many people know his true personality. He is a really unique, funny guy with a lot of determination and a lot of will. But for me, if my father isn’t in the picture, Cale was the top guy.
Question: If you have a son, would you encourage or discourage him to try racing?
Dale Jr.: I would encourage it. I would know better than to force him into it, I guess, but I certainly would give him every opportunity, without a doubt. With the knowledge I have of getting in and going through and doing this deal, I think he would have a good opportunity and I could help him understand being grounded and dealing with things.
With the knowledge of my past along with my father and grandfather, he would have such an opportunity.
