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On a Junior high.(Tricia Garner--Young And Restless)
I'm all for gushing over sex symbols. If Tom Cruise knew how many pictures I had of him, he'd have a restraining order against me. But Dale Earnhardt Jr.? I don't get it. I know there are thousands of fans who eat KFC not for the secret blend of 11 original herbs and spices but because Junior tells them to. I know teenagers and their great-grandmothers shriek and swoon when they catch a glimpse of their hot-rod hottie. Good for them. I still don't get it.
But Dale Jr. is making an appearance at a local mall, so I figure, what the heck--I'll go see what all the fuss is about. I arrive about an hour before Junior is scheduled to appear, and already there is a sea of red around the stage where he'll sign autographs. There are more than 1,000 people here and almost that many No. 8 hats and Budweiser T-shirts.
"My twin brother named his son after Dale Jr.," says the guy standing behind me. I turn around and realize he's talking to me. "I was at Daytona when he won." I smell stale beer on his breath. I have no doubt that it's Budweiser.
The emcee surveys the crowd. "Who here is a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr.?" Women squeal and wave their hands in the air. "I love him!" cries one. "I want to have his baby!" yells another.
I am at a religious revival--Junior is the evangelist, and these women are looking to be saved. When Junior makes his grand entrance, it gets so loud the pen in my hand starts shaking. Everyone is on tiptoes, straining for a good look. Suddenly, I get a hard shove from the right, nearly sending me over a railing. A woman with snow-white hair, wielding a flower-decorated cane, moves into my spot. She barely comes up to my shoulder. I try to work my way back in front of her, but she's not budging. I sense that if I push my luck further, I'll get the cane upside my head.
There is giddiness in the air as onlookers wait for their 5 seconds with Junior. One of the first fans to get an autograph is Kirsten, a "traveling nurse" (I'm not sure what that is a euphemism for) ...
- Dale Jr. provides good ol' drama.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Sharp, Drew February 15, 2004 700+ words
...why there's no denying now that Dale Jr. is NASCAR's brightest star. His...compelling story that it dearly craved. Junior had no time to enjoy his second place...passenger side riding with me,'' Dale Jr. said of his father. ``I'm sure...
- Dale Jr. says his life is under control.
- Newspaper article from: The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service) April 27, 2002 700+ words
...field of endeavor before Junior began endorsing it...second. On Thursday, Junior came to Macy's at the...waiting, snapping at Dale Jr.'s scarce available...to the red No.8, to Dale Jr. But then Junior has brought a whole new...
- Dale Jr. says his life is under control.(The Orange County Register)
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Whicker, Mark April 27, 2002 700+ words
...field of endeavor before Junior began endorsing it...second. On Thursday, Junior came to Macy's at the...waiting, snapping at Dale Jr.'s scarce available...to the red No.8, to Dale Jr. But then Junior has brought a whole new...
- Courtship of Dale Jr. will be a gas.
- Newspaper article from: Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX) May 10, 2007 700+ words
...Tim Cowlishaw DALLAS _ Dale Jr. is all about Dale Sr...for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Dale Jr. wants to be all about...His father won seven. Dale Jr. has finished in the top...no-win proposition for Junior. Third, and this is not...
- EARNHARDT FAITHFUL TURNING TO DALE JR.(Sports)
- Newspaper article from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA) Cain, Holly March 3, 2001 700+ words
...s popularity throne. Dale Jr. has tried to keep a low...their favorite driver. "Junior's going to follow in...automatically shift to Dale Jr., and I'll cheer for...unfair to throw it all on Dale Jr. or any one person. To...
- Dale Jr. Talks Openly about His Grief, Growth and New Gig In Latest ESPN The...
- Press release article from: Business Wire May 7, 2008 700+ words
...The Magazine, "All Grown Up", Dale Jr. talks in depth publicly for the...Writer Marty Smith reveals that since Junior left the family business, Dale Earnhardt...father while writing the piece on Dale Jr. In "Sucking It Up" ESPN The Magazine...
- Without Dale Jr., DEI left with an identity crisis.
- Newspaper article from: Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX) May 10, 2007 700+ words
...probably another car number. Those Dale Jr. caps won't say DEI on them anymore...While we are very disappointed that Dale Jr. has chosen to leave the family business...Jr., who has done a nice job with Junior since moving to crew chief near the...
- Earnhardt speculation races rapidly: Richard Childress denies a done deal with...
- Newspaper article from: Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL) May 12, 2007 700+ words
...been expected to take if Junior ever left Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- but not yet as Junior's boss, just as the longtime...you where I'm at on it. Dale Jr. just made a major decision...the team he's leaving], Dale Jr. and this situation, let...
