D. E. Jr on vacation in Australia

[Robert Ryan]

More News from the Courier Mail. He is going to drive Paul Morris's V8Supercar.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr has put his hand up to switch to V8 Supercars if a team is prepared to hire him.

Earnhardt Jr has caught the V8 bug after making a surprise visit to the final round of the V8 championship at Phillip Island yesterday as part of a two-week holiday to Australia.
Voted America's most popular NASCAR driver, Earnhardt Jr said he would definitely give consideration to making a move to the Aussie tourers.

"I will drive my butt off in Cup cars (NASCAR) until I'm done and then if somebody wants to hire me I will move to Australia," Earnhardt Jr, son of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt who was killed in 2001 in the Daytona 500, said.

He said there is scope for NASCAR and V8 Supercar drivers to swap seats for a season.

Earnhardt Jr said he had become a fan of V8 Supercars through watching the races on America's Speed Channel.

He has also become more aware of the V8s through Marcos Ambrose who has earned respect since he undertook his first season of NASCAR racing in the second-tier Busch series this year.

"I had high expectations of what to expect from your V8s and after going into a few of the Holden garages today they have lived up to my expectation," he said.

"I'm really impressed with the craftsmanship of the cars.

"They are similar to ours but have a lot more electronics."

Earnhardt Jr is scheduled to fly to Queensland this week and will possibly drive Paul Morris's Sirromet Wines V8 Supercar at the Norwell facility before heading home.

"Plenty of people have offered me a test of their cars but I will go to Queensland and maybe get the chance to drive Paul's V8," Earnhardt Jr said.

"In a perfect world I would come out and race in the V8 series.

"I like the format of the races."

Earnhardt Jr said he did not know what all the fuss was about with Mark Skaife seemingly assisting fellow Holden driver Garth Tander.

"It happens all the time in our sport and if you are benefiting from it then it's great but if you're not then you probably don't like it," he said

Earnhardt Jr has been overwhelmed by the hospitality he has received since arriving in Melbourne on Saturday.

[muggle not]

I think NASCAR would be pleased with the INTERNATIONAL exposure Dale Jr caused.
There is no doubt that NASCAR wants to expand it's fanbase all over the world.
I'm not surprised NASCAR's fan favorite is having a highly visible "vacation".
It could be Dale Jr's "vacation" is actually more to build NASCAR than people might think ...

Good point. I never thought of that.

[Sparky1329]

I think Dale Jr is an excellent ambassador for NASCAR.

[Robert Ryan]

I think Dale Jr is an excellent ambassador for NASCAR

An an even better Ambassador for V8Supercar, that is now getting free publicity over his endorsement and praise of the Philip Island event, he would like to see a similar format in NASCAR.Saying you would like to run the series: have a driver switch; suitably impressed by the equipment and professionalism of the series, will also go down well in the US.

[muggle not]

An an even better Ambassador for V8Supercar, that is now getting free publicity over his endorsement and praise of the Philip Island event, he would like to see a similar format in NASCAR.Saying you would like to run the series: have a driver switch; suitably impressed by the equipment and professionalism of the series, will also go down well in the US.

I agree. However, when push comes to shove it is Nascar that is benefiting the most from Jr's International news headlines.

[Robert Ryan]

I agree. However, when push comes to shove it is Nascar that is benefiting the most from Jr's International news headlines.

I feel it is very similar to when Montoya came to NASCAR. Everyone knew Montoya, but not that many in other parts of the world ,had much a clue about NASCAR. In a sense Dale is saying similar things to Montoya, would like to give it a try, surprised by the professionalism , cars etc.Either way this endorsement and coverage is part of the V8Supercar plan to get better worldwide coverage and growth. The ironic thing is for the bulk of the Australian population few would have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr..but would be impressed that someone of some racing stature in the US would like to race here(NASCAR in reverse). Well that is the spin coming out of the papers here.

[Robert Ryan]

In a Nuschell: We are so good EVEN the top dogs of NASCAR want to run here. That is the articles in the local papers condensced. Sound familar?

[tassiedevilAB]

In a Nuschell: We are so good EVEN the top dogs of NASCAR want to run here. That is the articles in the local papers condensced. Sound familar?

It sounds to me that there is a lot of people greasing there hands on both sides of the PR spin. Nascar & the v8's, These situations have happened before when a drivers from another series, ( CART ) saw the v8's at the indy races, well before Max Wilson jumped ship, Pruitt & Vasser said when they are done with the cart rides that they would love to race the cars, those 2 just did a good PR spin for us aussies, when they finished with CART they just went driving in a series in the USA, & pruitt is just a driver now, in good equipment, with hardly in competition. Not the star he was in the CART series

It sounds good at the time, But in reallity it is B u l l s h i t !

[tassiedevilAB]

I agree. However, when push comes to shove it is Nascar that is benefiting the most from Jr's International news headlines.

Yep & the one being shoved out of this is Ambrose , just the weekend that Marcos usually goes home & commantates at the Finale race, Holden had a perfect PR excuse to have JR in the garages.

This is going to spoil what a successful Busch series that Ambrose had over there. He will come home to nothing now seeing that jr has got there before him, but Marcos has a better excuse to stay in the USA than what JR did this year, Marcos will be collecting big time for his race craft.

Ford better do something very special when he arrives after the Busch banquet to stymmie the Holden sabotage this weekend!

[tassiedevilAB]

More News from the Courier Mail. He is going to drive Paul Morris's V8Supercar.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html

Earnhardt Jr said he did not know what all the fuss was about with Mark Skaife seemingly assisting fellow Holden driver Garth Tander.

"It happens all the time in our sport and if you are benefiting from it then it's great but if you're not then you probably don't like it," he said.

Your bloody corect there, we hate crapp like that here JR ,
it was suppose to of been a race with the contenders with no other driver stuffing up the race, but just as happened last year , the olden' guys got together & buggered up the ford contenders, I WILL HAVE A WORD TO THE FORD GUYS , at Melbourne GP next year & tell them to wreck the main olden's in the first couple of races, & see how the media likes that, of couse they won't, they will say you can not do this to our precious Holden drivers.
What did they do to deserve this treatment.

I think ford & there fans have had enough of the favouratism that Holden drivers have had in the last 2 years. Everytime FPR falcons are in a POSITION TO WIN RACES , THEY ARE BEING NOBBLED BY THE STEWARDS, after being hit in the arse & having to go to the pits & loose a lap in getting it fixed. You don't get hit in the arse by doing it yourself , so why penelise a driver that did nothing while the perportrator gets nothing for damaging there fellow competitor. Seems to me the officials didn't like Ford winning 3 championships in a row.
We better make sure holdens win it by hook or by crook,
Sounds familar to you guys that chebby's got there way this year too in Nascar. by cheating !