Earnhardt getting his swagger back
Posted Mar 31, 2010
David Newton
ESPN.com
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sank into the leather couch in the rear of his No. 88 hauler earlier this week and reflected on the good things — from finishing second at Daytona, to seventh at Bristol despite a speeding penalty — that have happened five races into the 2010 Sprint Cup season.
Then he jokingly was reminded of the real bonus: He gets more time with the media as a Chase contender.
“I just got to watch my mouth,” Earnhardt said with a smile.
Yes, Earnhardt is back in the top 12, in eighth place heading into Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
For the first time since 2008 he gets to park in the front end of the garage (haulers are lined up by points), and reporters won’t have to chase him down after practice or qualifying because of NASCAR’s mandatory interview session for top-12 drivers.
This is good for the fans who thirst for Earnhardt’s insight. This is good for the media who enjoy his wry sense of humor and brutal honesty. This is good for NASCAR, which sorely needs its most popular driver in the spotlight.
It’s good for … OK, not for everybody.
