Earnhardt Jr. basks in the glow of second Daytona 500 win

Dale Earnhardt Jr. began a week of media activities at Daytona International Speedway Monday. (DIS)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. began a week of media activities at Daytona International Speedway Monday. (DIS)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. began a week of media activities at Daytona International Speedway Monday. (DIS)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. began a week of media activities Monday that might make another NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver cringe. Earnhardt Jr. however didn’t mind a bit. Fresh off his second Daytona 500 win  only hours before, Earnhardt began the day at Daytona International Speedway, the site of Sunday’s rain delayed victory. Although “fresh” might be the wrong word.

“I was taking pictures and doing media until about 3 a.m.,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “The team was having most of the fun. When I got over there, they were out of spirits so we found some more and we just sat around and talked about how cool it was – just punching each other in the shoulder until about 4 a.m. and then I had to hang it up.”

Monday morning began with a breakfast and the installation of his No. 88 National Guard Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet inside the Daytona International Speedway Ticket and Tours Building. The car will be part of the Daytona International Speedway tours program and will be returned to the team at the 2015 Daytona 500, a tradition that has been in existence since 1996. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.