It was something that flashed across the inter-webs Thursday that superseded all other sports news. Stanley Cup playoffs? NBA finals? Someone else pitched a no-hitter? No, it was even bigger than that; NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., has shaved his beard.
The facial growth that had been evident since the start of the season had been hotly debated among NASCAR fans. Some loathed it, while most of those who reside in the ‘Junior Nation’, liked it. The facial hair took on almost a life of its own, even getting its own Facebook page. That all came to an end this week with the first visual confirmation, via a photo on Facebook, that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shaved. He will show up at Talladega Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series Aarons 499, with a clean shaven mug; the first time he will race this season ‘beard-less’.
The question now becomes; will a clean shaven Dale Jr., be a winning Dale Jr.? MORE>>>
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.
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