Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals a phobia on eve of Daytona festivities
Daytona 500 media day included lots of talk – talk about puppy love, wedding rings and a growing mullet – and a lot of conversation about four-time champion Jeff Gordon and what could be his final ride in NASCAR’S most prestigious race.
NASCAR’s biggest stars took center stage for the annual event held inside Daytona International Speedway on Thursday. Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick welcomed the challenge of trying to repeat. Embattled driver Kurt Busch insisted he would be in the car all season despite a lingering court case involving a former girlfriend. And 2012 champion Brad Keselowski said he was one of the series’ three best drivers after a fiery 2014 season that included fisticuffs and bruised feelings.
Those were just some of the highlights. Here are the others:
Earnhardt’s PhobiaNASCAR’s biggest star has a little phobia. Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he wants nothing to do with jewelry. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, no way.
“It’s creepy to me,” said the two-time and defending Daytona 500 champion. “I can be in the same room with it. It doesn’t bother me on other people.”
Earnhardt and his longtime girlfriend, Amy Reimann, have talked about what might happen down the road if they get married. Earnhardt has no plans to give in, saying he won’t wear a ring but will get her one if she wants.
Bowyer BombsClint Bowyer doesn’t believe in omens, but he looks back at last year’s Daytona 500 as an indication he was in for a disappointing season.
Bowyer sat through a lengthy rain delay, only to suffer an engine failure when the race resumed.
He finished 42nd and left Daytona ranked 39th in the standings. Bowyer went on to his second consecutive winless season and failed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
“I knew last year – I’m weird about thinking – but when we blew up at the start of the year at the Daytona 500, I knew something just didn’t feel right, because we’ve always been able to come down here and run pretty good and get the year started off right, and leave here with momentum and excitement and confidence,” Bowyer said.
“We were all dejected leaving the first race so that was not very good.”
Johnson’s PursuitJimmie Johnson was mediocre by the standards he set for his team during his six championship seasons.
So it was a disappointment when he was eliminated from title contention in the second round of last year’s Chase. Johnson believes his Hendrick Motorsports team learned through last year, though, and will be far better this season.
“When you’re struggling, you almost have a shotgun approach, and you’re trying to hit a wide pattern and see what brings speed,” Johnson said.
He goes into this year again trying to tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for seven championships, the NASCAR record.
Mullet ManiaRicky Stenhouse Jr. is sticking with his mullet – no matter what girlfriend Danica Patrick thinks.
Stenhouse said he’s committed to the hairdo despite pleas from Patrick to cut the curled-up locks that hang over the collar of his fire suit.
“Mom loves it,” Stenhouse said. “It’s always nice to keep mom happy.”
What about Patrick? “Ehhhh, maybe not so much,” Stenhouse added.