Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Budweiser Shootout for Hendrick
In his first race since joining Hendrick Motorsports this racing offseason, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#88) passed Tony Stewart (#20) with a few laps left to claim the Budweiser Shootout. Granted, the win doesn’t count towards points, but it has to feel good for Dale Jr. to get out of DEI and enjoy a win in his first start w/ a new company.
Dale Jr.’s issues w/ DEI are well documented, so I won’t get into them here. What counts today is that Earnhardt scored a victory in his first race of the 2008 season (for Hendrick). He got some help after a late caution from new teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon; their teamwork allowed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to pass Stewart and win the Budweiser Shootout. The victory was Earnhardt’s first in the past 2 years.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is with a new team (Hendrick Motorsports), has a new number (#88) and new sponsors for the next few years (National Guard and Mountain Dew AMP). All of you fans still wearing Budweiser red (from his old #8 car) will want to score some of the new merchandise so you look the part at the track (or in front of the TV). Here’s a quick list of items you should consider:
Dale Jr. and the rest of NASCAR’s driver pool are now looking forward to next week’s Daytona 500 – the season’s first race & arguably it’s best. Look for all of Hendrick’s cars up front (Gordon, Johnson & Earnhardt Jr.), DEI (Truex Jr., Martin) and also some new Toyota rides (Stewart, Hamlin). Any driver could win, but you have to think these drivers are the favorites due to their previous restrictor-plate race results.Â
Whatever your taste (hats, official racing jackets, license plate covers, etc.), you’re sure to find something to help show your love for NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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