Dale Jr. An Okay guy.

Tonight I just got through talking to a fellow race fan, but she travels the world, and has seen races in Le Mans, and other important places in Europe, but I don't remember all of them. Ok, Monaco was mentioned too. Whatever.

She said that as an open wheel fan, she liked Dale Jr. She thought he was ok. I couldn't argue with that answer, so I let it go and we talked about other things, which were much more boring.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. seems to have made a name for himself, even among the open wheel ranks around Europe. I'm not cultured enough to be happy about it or even know if I'm supposed to be ticked about it. I'm guessing it's probably a good thing though. At least I hope so! If I should be ticked about it, I hope one of you loyal readers will tell me quick so I can get ticked!

In all actuality, it's somewhat amazing for a guy like Dale Earnhardt Jr, who has only driven stock cars on pavement, is talked about overseas. Tony Stewart is the guy that has won every thing with wheels, but for some reason, Europeans are talking about the boy from Kannapolis, North Carolina. I don't know exactly what they're saying about Dale Jr, but I assume at least some of it is flattering.

I think we all knew a long time ago that our boy had gone nationwide, but I don't know that we suspected that he was not only bad, and nationwide, he was also world wide too.

From what I'm seeing, Dale Jr. is not only an icon in the USA, his face is recognized in places like England, France, Germany, Hungary, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and a myriad of other countries. Unlike my face, which is also read in some of those countries, Dale Jr. is the crowd pleaser that never refuses to please. Actually it's not my face that's read, it's my blog. But if I was 11 years younger, I'd whup that boy's butt. But never mind.

The fact is I write, and Dale Jr. drives. He's a better driver than I am, so that's why he's got that job. He's probably a better writer too, but that would entail me threatening to whup his butt all over again, and I'm not sure that I could do that, even if I was 11 years younger. Therefore, you're going to have to take my word for the fact that Dale Jr. is not just a major name here in the USA, but he's made a name for himself overseas too. I could not be prouder of the man that Steve Hmiel and Pops (Tony Eury Sr.) still call 'Junebug'.

Steve and Pops will eventually both be on the pit box, or in the spotter's stand for Junebug. I just feel it, and I know it's going to happen one day. Ty Norris will be there too, and it will be interesting to see who wins out on the call to "Crank it up, June."