"Bristol represents a lot of things that are fun – you know, like chillin' out with your buddies having a cold one on Saturday night. Bristol is like all of the best traditions of local, Saturday-night racing bottled up into one big show."
        Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Qualifying: Top 5
1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 3. Michael Waltrip; 4. Rusty Wallace;
5. Bill Elliott   [story]

Aug. 24: Sharpie 500, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN.
TV: 7 p.m. TNT; RADIO: 7:15 p.m. PRN

Dale Jr. & Bristol
Winston Cup starts: 5; best start: 9 (Mar. 2001); best finish: 4 (Mar., 2002)
This race last year: Start: 24; finish 14

Weekend schedule:
NWCS Happy Hour, 6 p.m. SPEED
Food City 250 Busch Series, 8 p.m. TNT/7:45 p.m. PRN

*All times eastern

Aug. 18: Dale Jr. and the Bud team finished 10th at Michigan International Speedway.

2002 stats
    Wins: 1
    Top 5s: 6
    Top 10s: 8
    Current points standing: 16th

Sept. 2: Greenville Pickens Speedway, Greenville, SC; autographs
Sept. 4: Dick's Sporting Goods store, Chesterfield Plaza, Richmond, VA, 5 to 7 p.m. appearance
The word: Word is "Driver #8" will be going paperback and on shelves in time for Christmas.

Have information on a Dale Jr. appearance? E-mail me and the information will appear in the next newsletter.

It's no secret that Dale Jr's fans are fierce and fun. Fan photos and stories about their favorite driver can be found at the newsletter's Home site. Tell me why you should be Fan of the Week (think 'How bad have you got it?'). Every newsletter will feature a different fan. Or submit your story and/or photo and you might just see it here as part of a Fan of the Week feature.

Voices
Got something to say? If it's racing-related, it belongs here! Check out the contact section below for submission information.

Which veteran driver would you like to see Jr. have a one-on-one battle with at the finish line? Cast your vote here. The final results will be posted here every week. If you have an idea for a poll question, please e-mail me.

Trivia question
Dale Jr. made his Winston Cup debut in what race? If you know the answer and are the first to reply, you'll see your name here in the next newsletter. (Please include your location.) Submit answer

Welcome, and thanks for subscribing to the Fans Behind Dale Jr. newsletter. Since this is the very first issue, it's a little smaller than what will normally be the case. This is where you, the fans, come in. I'll need your help getting this newsletter off the ground and keeping it going. One of the major points of this is to keep it interactive, so please don't hesitate to get involved in any aspect, whether it be answering the trivia question, explaining why you should be fan of the week, or letting me know what you'd like to see here or what should be tossed. Also, provided it gets off the ground (meaning I need the goods from fans), there's a section called Voices, where I'll choose one or two 'fan opinions' to share. Just drop me an e-mail. I gladly accept gripes, praises, and healthy jabber.
Once again, thanks for subscribing, and I hope you enjoy it!

Jackie
P.S. My original intent was to send this out every Friday, immediately after qualifying with up-to-date information. Then through race weekend, small bulletins will be sent out detailing practice speeds and of course the always-important race results on Sunday. What do you think about this? Let me know!

Look below for submission information.

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DISCLAIMER: Fans Behind Dale Jr. is in no way affiliated with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt Inc., or NASCAR®. Winston Cup® and NASCAR® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. All photos/articles are property of their respective owners and protected by copyright law.