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CNN Live Today

Interview With Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Aired February 17, 2004 - 10:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As if winning the Daytona 500 wasn't enough, Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes on to win the Hershey 300 yesterday on the same track. He captured the race just 24 hours after the Daytona win.
Earnhardt simply is hot. He also won one of the Twin 125 qualifying races last Thursday, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) second in the Bud Shootout.

Good to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. these days. And good to be us because we have him right here with us in the studio.

Junior, good morning. Congratulations. What a role. What a weekend.

DALE EARNHARDT JR., RACE DRIVER: Yes, it's been so fast, I can't really keep up with it. But we've had lots of success. We won our qualifying race last Thursday, preparing for the Daytona 500.

And you all go into that race with a feeling like you've got the car to win. And I've had a lot of chances to win that race. And it just all came together. I couldn't believe it. You know, normally when you win a race you wake up feeling like...

KAGAN: Like you know that's the day, it's your lucky day.

EARNHARDT: Like something special today. But I don't know. Didn't have that feeling so I went through the paces and there it was in front of me.

KAGAN: And just had a good feeling and it all kind of worked out.

You know, there's probably two groups of people that watch right now. You have your NASCAR fans, who probably are some of your most devoted fans in all the sports.

And then you have people who don't get the gear head thing and they don't get it, but they do love a great story. And there's no greater story than what you've done and continuing the legacy of your family. One now of just three father/son teams to win at Daytona like this.

And taking on what your dad tried 20 times before he got his win. I saw you right after the championship on Sunday and you said you felt like your dad was in the passenger seat with you as you were riding. EARNHARDT: Yes, he was -- me and him together account more 43 wins at that race track. Only two Daytona 500 wins, but we've won so many other races there. So It's a special place for us.

And I lost him there in an accident three years ago to the day of the victory of the Daytona 500 Sunday. Six years before that he had won the race. So I mean there was all kinds of special things running through my head at that moment.

And as going to Daytona, yes, it's a reminder of losing him. But it's also a reminder of all the great things that happened there and all the triumphs that we've had there and the wins and just the special moments.

KAGAN: And you basically grew up there. I mean grew up in NASCAR. And you have to have so many memories as a kid growing up with your dad knowing his frustration. Anybody who would come 20 times to the well of anything and keep trying until he found success at something. You must think back to all those times that were so frustrating, when your dad would come so close only not to win.

EARNHARDT: I know. I lived through it just right there with him, right there beside him. And every time you'd see that look on his face after. I mean there were times where he was leading with five laps to go or two laps to go and would have problems.

And that's what I was thinking in the car with three, four laps to go. I'm thinking every little sound and vibration was -- seemed like it was something was going to fall off the car. You just never know.

But I just thought that I was going to be sitting there 15 years down the road telling everybody how close I came to winning the Daytona 500. So I'm glad I got it behind me.

KAGAN: And maybe more championships to come.

OK, let's see. Now the NASCAR fans wouldn't forgive me if I didn't ask you a couple questions. First of all, your lucky charm, your car. Your restrictor-plate engine. About 30 horse power. Faster, better, more stronger than any other car out there. You're on national television. Why don't you tell us what the secret is.

EARNHARDT: What's the secret? I think it's the people that build it. Honestly.

Richie Gilmore is head of Motor Sports of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. That's his fifth Daytona 500 victory. So he's got some knowledge of how to win that race and how to build motors in cars to do it.

We just got a lot of people in the company that work real hard. I was in Daytona in January, 15 days out of that month testing at that race track. And it just depends on if you want it, how much work you're going to put forth to make it happen. And we really worked hard. KAGAN: One other NASCAR question. NASCAR is different in a lot of ways. One way, Daytona, the big Mac Daddy, the big race, the first one out of the gate. Kind of like having the Super Bowl for the first game in the NFL.

Yet this is a new year, a new point system. They're instituting what will be like a playoff system for the final races. Do you like that new system or do you want to try it out first?

EARNHARDT: Yes, I was a little nervous, tentative about any changes as far as the points go because it awards consistency. It awards the guy who has the best average finish. And you know that seems fair and natural to me.

But NASCAR wants to add some excitement and add some height to it. So this is the way to do it. You're going to basically race 26 races. Everybody going at it as hard as we can go. You take the top ten after that and they get a shot. They clear the slate and get a shot to go for ten races to see who the champion is out of those ten drivers.

So it definitely kind of evens the score again with ten races to go. Gives the guy who's tenth in points a better opportunity at winning the championship. So it's going to make it tougher for that guy who's leading.

KAGAN: And great for the top ten. But for those behind are complaining already, we're not going to be able to have the sponsors, the interest. How are we going to keep our cars going of we're going to be dropped off by the end of the season?

EARNHARDT: Exactly. Yes, I'm just as curious as everybody else is as to how that's going to work. And hopefully we've got some great minds at the head table at NASCAR that know exactly what they're doing.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, I guess you fully intend to be in that top ten?

EARNHARDT: I plan on it. I don't want to be one of those guys worried about those last ten races and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tell my sponsor I'm not the points chase.

KAGAN: The season has worked out, or it's working out so far. Good luck. May the good luck continue.

EARNHARDT: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: Superstitious?

EARNHARDT: Not me.

KAGAN: Not you.

EARNHARDT: No.

KAGAN: All right. Well, whatever you're doing, it's working. Junior, thank you. Congratulations.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 17, 2004 - 10:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As if winning the Daytona 500 wasn't enough, Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes on to win the Hershey 300 yesterday on the same track. He captured the race just 24 hours after the Daytona win.
Earnhardt simply is hot. He also won one of the Twin 125 qualifying races last Thursday, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) second in the Bud Shootout.

Good to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. these days. And good to be us because we have him right here with us in the studio.

Junior, good morning. Congratulations. What a role. What a weekend.

DALE EARNHARDT JR., RACE DRIVER: Yes, it's been so fast, I can't really keep up with it. But we've had lots of success. We won our qualifying race last Thursday, preparing for the Daytona 500.

And you all go into that race with a feeling like you've got the car to win. And I've had a lot of chances to win that race. And it just all came together. I couldn't believe it. You know, normally when you win a race you wake up feeling like...

KAGAN: Like you know that's the day, it's your lucky day.

EARNHARDT: Like something special today. But I don't know. Didn't have that feeling so I went through the paces and there it was in front of me.

KAGAN: And just had a good feeling and it all kind of worked out.

You know, there's probably two groups of people that watch right now. You have your NASCAR fans, who probably are some of your most devoted fans in all the sports.

And then you have people who don't get the gear head thing and they don't get it, but they do love a great story. And there's no greater story than what you've done and continuing the legacy of your family. One now of just three father/son teams to win at Daytona like this.

And taking on what your dad tried 20 times before he got his win. I saw you right after the championship on Sunday and you said you felt like your dad was in the passenger seat with you as you were riding. EARNHARDT: Yes, he was -- me and him together account more 43 wins at that race track. Only two Daytona 500 wins, but we've won so many other races there. So It's a special place for us.

And I lost him there in an accident three years ago to the day of the victory of the Daytona 500 Sunday. Six years before that he had won the race. So I mean there was all kinds of special things running through my head at that moment.

And as going to Daytona, yes, it's a reminder of losing him. But it's also a reminder of all the great things that happened there and all the triumphs that we've had there and the wins and just the special moments.

KAGAN: And you basically grew up there. I mean grew up in NASCAR. And you have to have so many memories as a kid growing up with your dad knowing his frustration. Anybody who would come 20 times to the well of anything and keep trying until he found success at something. You must think back to all those times that were so frustrating, when your dad would come so close only not to win.

EARNHARDT: I know. I lived through it just right there with him, right there beside him. And every time you'd see that look on his face after. I mean there were times where he was leading with five laps to go or two laps to go and would have problems.

And that's what I was thinking in the car with three, four laps to go. I'm thinking every little sound and vibration was -- seemed like it was something was going to fall off the car. You just never know.

But I just thought that I was going to be sitting there 15 years down the road telling everybody how close I came to winning the Daytona 500. So I'm glad I got it behind me.

KAGAN: And maybe more championships to come.

OK, let's see. Now the NASCAR fans wouldn't forgive me if I didn't ask you a couple questions. First of all, your lucky charm, your car. Your restrictor-plate engine. About 30 horse power. Faster, better, more stronger than any other car out there. You're on national television. Why don't you tell us what the secret is.

EARNHARDT: What's the secret? I think it's the people that build it. Honestly.

Richie Gilmore is head of Motor Sports of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. That's his fifth Daytona 500 victory. So he's got some knowledge of how to win that race and how to build motors in cars to do it.

We just got a lot of people in the company that work real hard. I was in Daytona in January, 15 days out of that month testing at that race track. And it just depends on if you want it, how much work you're going to put forth to make it happen. And we really worked hard. KAGAN: One other NASCAR question. NASCAR is different in a lot of ways. One way, Daytona, the big Mac Daddy, the big race, the first one out of the gate. Kind of like having the Super Bowl for the first game in the NFL.

Yet this is a new year, a new point system. They're instituting what will be like a playoff system for the final races. Do you like that new system or do you want to try it out first?

EARNHARDT: Yes, I was a little nervous, tentative about any changes as far as the points go because it awards consistency. It awards the guy who has the best average finish. And you know that seems fair and natural to me.

But NASCAR wants to add some excitement and add some height to it. So this is the way to do it. You're going to basically race 26 races. Everybody going at it as hard as we can go. You take the top ten after that and they get a shot. They clear the slate and get a shot to go for ten races to see who the champion is out of those ten drivers.

So it definitely kind of evens the score again with ten races to go. Gives the guy who's tenth in points a better opportunity at winning the championship. So it's going to make it tougher for that guy who's leading.

KAGAN: And great for the top ten. But for those behind are complaining already, we're not going to be able to have the sponsors, the interest. How are we going to keep our cars going of we're going to be dropped off by the end of the season?

EARNHARDT: Exactly. Yes, I'm just as curious as everybody else is as to how that's going to work. And hopefully we've got some great minds at the head table at NASCAR that know exactly what they're doing.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, I guess you fully intend to be in that top ten?

EARNHARDT: I plan on it. I don't want to be one of those guys worried about those last ten races and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tell my sponsor I'm not the points chase.

KAGAN: The season has worked out, or it's working out so far. Good luck. May the good luck continue.

EARNHARDT: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: Superstitious?

EARNHARDT: Not me.

KAGAN: Not you.

EARNHARDT: No.

KAGAN: All right. Well, whatever you're doing, it's working. Junior, thank you. Congratulations.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com