CONCORD, North Carolina—
Day three in North Carolina and it featured the most talked about stop on the tour, Hendrick Motorsports. When you boast names like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, you tend to garner some attention.Speaking of which, there is no question Dale Earnhardt, Junior is the most popular driver in NASCAR. But one might question how popular the Hendrick driver's facial hair is. Ask him how long he plans on keeping it and you get...
"I don't get it," said Earnhardt. "I say I like it or I don't like it. I don't go, 'What's the timeline on that beard?' You know, I just go I like it or I don't like it. I would rather get that sort of straight forward opinion than queries about the evolution or time line."
It's interesting that Junior, even after nine years of being the most popular driver in the sport, and a lifetime in the spotlight, still doesn't quite seem comfortable with the constant fascination with the little things in his life.
The media session included questions about his bar, and his wild west town. He talked about boat and how he's not quite ready to get on twitter. But more so than most drivers, it's the information about the other things that people seem to crave. Probably a result of the fact that he is more reserved and private, than some of the other popular drivers.
There was racing talk too. Like every other driver, Dale Jr. is recharged and excited about his teams chances in 2012. But he probably has more reason for the excitement than most. The 88 team actually appeared to be on the way up for the first time in a while last season. The made the chase for the first time since 2006 and is close to returning to victory lane.
"I'm a look forward to winning where can win, that's going to be important to me," said Earnhardt.
And as for all this attention to all this other stuff, like his beard?
"I don't have a comment on what coverage is good or bad, who should cover what, what questions get covered this that an the other," said Junior. "Cause I'm kinda on the other side of the fence that other drivers are on, having been the 9 time most popular driver and getting a lot of coverage. Whether we are successful or not on the race track, whether our performance is good or bad. I would not be one to say what is right or wrong about that whether it's bias or whatever. I don't know."
