Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in his eighth full season of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition as the driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet. Through 2006, the 31-year old native of Kannapolis, NC had amassed more than $42 million in career winnings and 17 victories, including the 2004 Daytona 500. Race fans have selected him as a four-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, joining Richard Petty and Bill Elliott as the only drivers to win the award four consecutive seasons since 1956. His appeal is not limited to race fans, as he was selected as the fifth-most liked athlete in America in Harris Interactive polling during 2006. He has been among the top-10 most-liked athletes in the poll three consecutive years.

Dale Jr., who didn’t begin his racing career until age 17, is the only third-generation NASCAR champion, achieved when he won the 1998 and 1999 Busch Series titles. He follows his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time Cup champion, and grandfather Ralph Earnhardt, who was selected among NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers of all-time in 1999. His maternal grandfather, Robert Gee, was a renowned NASCAR fabricator and mechanic. Dale Jr.’s 17 career victories in 255 starts (at the end of the 2006 season) rank him 23rd among NASCAR’s race winners in the ‘modern-era’ (1972-present). He has four “non-points” or all-star wins, and six Bud Pole Awards. Six wins in 2004 marks his career-best season and his victory in 2006 at Richmond International Raceway continued a string of at least one win in each of his seven seasons.

Dale Jr. dominated the Busch Series for two seasons—winning two championships, 13 races and more than $3 million in 1998 and 1999. Since then, he has an additional nine Busch Series victories in 19 starts. His 22 total victories tie him for fifth on the all-time Busch Series wins list. Fans and media selected him as one of the top-three Busch Series drivers of all-time in a 2006 NASCAR poll. Dale Jr. started the Chance2 team in 2002, and was co-owner of the 2004 and 2005 Busch Series Championship teams with driver Martin Truex Jr. He is now the sole owner of JR Motorsports, which completed its first full season in Busch series competition in 2006 with the #88 Navy-sponsored Chevrolet.

Dale Mr.’s face has donned more than 100 magazine covers, including People magazine, Men’s Health, TV Guide and Sports Illustrated. He has been profiled in many others, including Rolling Stone and Maxim. He appeared on Forbes Magazine’s list of “Top 100 Celebrities,” and People Magazine selected him as one of its “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2004. He also appeared in People’s “50 Most Eligible Bachelors” issue in 2002 and “Sexiest Men” issue in 2000. In 2006 polls and surveys, he received a top-five “Q” rating among all athletes, and rated among the top-five athletes in corporate endorsements by Forbes Magazine.

Dale Jr. is part owner of a dirt track in Paducah, KY (with fellow NASCAR star Ken Schrader) and a new multi-purpose motorsports complex being developed near Mobile, AL.

His eclectic taste in music is reflected in the diverse list of artists that have featured him in their music videos, including Jay-Z, Staind, Sheryl Crow, Three Doors Down, the Matthew Good Band, O.A.R. and Trace Adkins. In 2006, he created Hammerhead Productions, which produces a weekly radio show, “Dale Jr. Unrestricted,” on XM Satellite Radio, and SPEED Channel’s “Back in The Day with Dale Jr.,” a television show that provides a unique glimpse of NASCAR’s roots. Dale Jr. is executive producer and host of both shows.

He has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Today Show, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Jimmy Kimmel Show, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly and Larry King Live. He made a cameo appearance on the CBS sitcom “Yes Dar” as well as major motion pictures such as “Talladega Nights” and “Cars.” In 2004, he was the subject of an episode of MTV’s “Diary,” as well as VH-1s “Driven” documentary. He was a presenter at the MTV Music Video Awards following his appearances in “Cribs” and “True Life” shows in 2001.

Dale Jr. became a best-selling author in 2002, penning “Driver #8,” the story of his rookie year. The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for 17 weeks and online retailer Amazon.com named it the top-selling sports book of 2002.

To learn more about Dale Earnhardt Jr. visit: www.dalejr.com

REMEMBER. . .Dale Jr. fans may vote at www.mostpopulardriver.com once each day through Monday, November 29, 2007, at 11:59 a.m. CST.