On being a Dale Jr. fan

From: Dani, GA
Racing and Junior, my two favorite flavors

  I can remember when I was about 5 or 6 going to Wall Stadium (or that was what it was called back then) to watch my cousin race modifieds.  I'll never forget the loud roar of the cars, and the wind they produced when driving by at over 100mph.  It didn't take long for me to get hooked.  Growing up in New Jersey, Texas, Colorado and Georgia allowed me to be interested in many different sports, but the one thing I had always loved was to watch cars go fast. 

  I never really had a favorite driver until Adam Petty came along.  I can remember seeing him race late models for NASCAR and then ASA in the late 90s.  I always knew about his dad and grandad which prompted me to start watching the NASCAR Busch and Winston Cup Series on a fairly regular basis.  I can remember watching a Busch Series race (not exactly sure where they were) and seeing an interview with Dale Earnhardt (Senior).  He was talking about his son racing, and it caught my attention.  It was 1998.  I watched the race, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won.  I was hooked.  Besides, 3 was a good number, wasn't it?  And, if I decided to choose Junior as my driver while he was in the Busch Series, I wouldn't get so much slack when he moved up and did well in WC, right?

  At the end of the season in 2000, I started to lose a little interest in NASCAR.  You can blame that on the ol' ex-boyfriend (and you wonder why he's an ex).  And I didn't even watch the Daytona 500 in 2001.  I was driving home and heard about Dale Senior's death on the radio.  I was never a fan of his, per se, but I was crushed.  I felt like one of my own family members was gone.  I felt almost guilty that I did not watch the race or finish supporting MY driver at the end of the previous season.  I vowed to never turn my back again.

So here I am, back in full swing.

  A Junior Fan For Life!
Dani Peterson
(Driver#8'sGirl)
Atlanta, GA