(By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Saturday,April 30th, 2011
RICHMOND, Va.—If Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t win one of the next three Sprint Cup races, he’ll get to see how the other half lives—and he’s intrigued by the prospect.
It has been 11 years since Earnhardt won the Sprint All-Star Race. With the winners from the last 10 years guaranteed starting spots in the annual non-points exhibition race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has lost his automatic eligibility.
Earnhardt has three avenues into the race: 1) he can win one of three events before the All-Star Race (Richmond, Darlington or Dover) and qualify as a race winner from the previous or current year; 2) he can win or finish second in the Sprint Showdown, the qualifying race that precedes the main event; or, 3) he can win the fan vote.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet, signs autographs in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 29, 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Earnhardt said Friday at Richmond International Raceway he’s not particularly concerned about winning a race between now and then.
“We’re just going to go and enjoy that weekend,” Earnhardt told Sporting News. “That weekend’s pretty fun. Personally, I’d rather make it through the fan vote, because the qualifying procedure is a little bit of a pain in the tail, from a driver’s standpoint anyway—I’m sure that’s not everybody’s opinion.
“The most important thing is just focusing on the points races, the races that matter toward the championship. When we get to the All-Star weekend, however things are lined up is how things are lined up. It’s a fun weekend regardless. It’ll be interesting to be on the other side of the fence, trying to find a way into the race and going through that experience, myself personally, to have appreciation for what that is like versus just showing up and being locked in.
“It could be interesting and good for me to have that experience.”
Earnhardt has won the Sprint Cup Series’ most popular driver award for eight straight years. Nevertheless, he says there’s no guarantee of a victory in the fan vote.
“I don’t take it for granted that we’ll get the fan vote—anything can happen,” Earnhardt said.
Yes, hell could freeze over, and it could rain green tea in the Gobi Desert. Barring that, Earnhardt is a lock if the fans have to get him into the race.
“I’d say his odds are pretty good of it happening, or he’s already got it locked up,” said Kasey Kahne, who won the 2008 race after being voted into the field. “He always wins the fan stuff. He’s looking good for that—he’ll be in the All-Star Race.”
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