Behind the Scenes With Dale Jr. in Victory and Defeat
Dale Earnhardt Jr. courtesy JR Motosports/ESPN
"It's fun to be able to tear down my house," says
Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he rides high on a bulldozer and eats into his old home. It's a typically fun, out-there moment from one of the final two episodes of
Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears, a five-part documentary series about NASCAR's most popular driver. Episode 4 premieres Tuesday (July 22, 7 pm/ET, ESPN) and the finale is Friday (July 25, 7 pm/ET, ESPN).
"There a debt to pay to the fan, and here's a way to pay it, give them inside information," Earnhardt says of the series, which is produced by Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of Earnhardt's company, JR Motorsports. "They have a perception of how the agreements or disagreements go down and here's an opportunity to really show them what's reality."
These two last shows showcase the way Earnhardt deals with on-track extremes, from
his May 3 loss at Richmond after being spun out late by Sprint Cup points leader Kyle Busch, to
his stirring Father's Day victory at Michigan, his first win after a 76-race drought. Earnhardt remains self-effacing throughout, offering glimpses into, among other things, his working relationship with cousin and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. Of that oft-times combative relationship, Earnhardt says, "There's times where we get together in the room, close the door and we just go at it, and it's great, because I don't want to go back and sit in the bus or stand around in the garage biting my lip and get angry."
- Robert Edelstein
