KIDWCKED
02-10-2011, 01:25 AM
c/p from foxsports by Rhea White
Updated Feb 9, 2011 6:32 PM ET
Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't want to share the spotlight being cast on the 10th anniversary of his father's fatal crash at Daytona International Speedway.
He's not being rude, not shying away from the moment.
He simply believes that this is a day for all the things that make up the Dale Earnhardt legacy to shine. And while he recognizes that he is part of that legacy, he in no way wants to make this about him.
So he politely answers questions about the loss of his famous father on Feb. 18, 2001. He keeps his deeper personal thoughts and feelings about that day private, but weighs in on a wide range of topics related to his dad and his memories of him.
One senses that for Earnhardt Jr., this day actually won't be that different from many others over the past 10 years: a time to remember good moments with his dad and to once more revel in the racer and man that he was.
No, he doesn't think a lot more about winning this Daytona 500 than he does any other. Yes, he thinks about his father. And no, he doesn't spend time wondering what might have been if not for that accident.
"I would rather not talk about it, personally, and I don't try to extend the answers to the questions," he says. "You guys know what he was to the sport. What's important to me is that he is remembered for what he was on the track and off the track. It has nothing to do with me; it shouldn't have anything to do with me. I'm not even in the equation. It's about his life.
"With the anniversary coming up, it's about him — I understand my connection to him, and I understand that I might be able to shed some kind of light on what the day means and how it makes me feel, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is what he was and that we remember him for who he was on the track and what he did for us as individuals."
He quickly points out that most fans and friends have a memory or moment they appreciate concerning Earnhardt — and that is what this anniversary should be about.
Updated Feb 9, 2011 6:32 PM ET
Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't want to share the spotlight being cast on the 10th anniversary of his father's fatal crash at Daytona International Speedway.
He's not being rude, not shying away from the moment.
He simply believes that this is a day for all the things that make up the Dale Earnhardt legacy to shine. And while he recognizes that he is part of that legacy, he in no way wants to make this about him.
So he politely answers questions about the loss of his famous father on Feb. 18, 2001. He keeps his deeper personal thoughts and feelings about that day private, but weighs in on a wide range of topics related to his dad and his memories of him.
One senses that for Earnhardt Jr., this day actually won't be that different from many others over the past 10 years: a time to remember good moments with his dad and to once more revel in the racer and man that he was.
No, he doesn't think a lot more about winning this Daytona 500 than he does any other. Yes, he thinks about his father. And no, he doesn't spend time wondering what might have been if not for that accident.
"I would rather not talk about it, personally, and I don't try to extend the answers to the questions," he says. "You guys know what he was to the sport. What's important to me is that he is remembered for what he was on the track and off the track. It has nothing to do with me; it shouldn't have anything to do with me. I'm not even in the equation. It's about his life.
"With the anniversary coming up, it's about him — I understand my connection to him, and I understand that I might be able to shed some kind of light on what the day means and how it makes me feel, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is what he was and that we remember him for who he was on the track and what he did for us as individuals."
He quickly points out that most fans and friends have a memory or moment they appreciate concerning Earnhardt — and that is what this anniversary should be about.