ESPN Goes Behind the Scenes with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. courtesy JR Motosports/ESPN
The NASCAR Sprint Cup season (formerly the Nextel Cup) kicks off next Sunday at the Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 2 pm/ET, Fox). Without a doubt, the biggest story this year is
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s jump from DEI, the company his legendary dad created, to Hendrick Motorsports. Junior wanted a controlling interest in DEI, but his stepmom, Teresa Earnhardt, refused, leaving Dale to jump to NASCAR's powerhouse team, the home of two-time defending champ Jimmie Johnson and four-time Cup winner Jeff Gordon.
Documenting this monumental event, ESPN tonight kicks off
Dale Jr. Shifting Gears, a five-part behind-the-scenes series made with Junior's cooperation and including footage shot last spring as he was making his decision to leave DEI. "There's a part of me that feels a responsibility to the fans, to give them inside information," Earnhardt says. "They have a perception of how the agreements or disagreements go down, and here's an opportunity to really show them what's reality so there's no guessing game of who said what."
After tonight's premiere (Feb. 8, 7 pm/ET, ESPN2),
Shifting Gears airs next Friday (Feb. 15, 6:30 pm/ET, ESPN2) and Saturday (Feb. 16, 4 pm/ET, ESPN2). The final two episodes premiere this summer.
And for racing fans who can't wait till next week, the
Budweiser Shootout kicks off the season Saturday (Feb. 9, 8 pm/ET, Fox). The annual non-points race features the 23 drivers who earned poles in 2007, including Earnhardt, Johnson, Gordon and Tony Stewart.
- Robert Edelstein
For more on Earnhardt, and a preview of the 2008 NASCAR season, pick up the latest issue of TV Guide, on sale now.
