Dale JR Explains Leaving DEI on ESPN

[Don]

Source: By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to share the inside story of his move to Hendrick Motorsports and not just because NASCAR's most popular driver knows there's a huge audience for it.
"It's just a good story, a great, damn deal," he said. "It was huge. I don't think even the press knows the journey it was. God almighty it was tough.

"To get people to understand the magnitude and the weight, this is a good way to do it."

A five-part program titled Dale Jr.—Shifting Gears will premiere Feb. 8 on ESPN2 and chronicle Earnhardt's decision last season to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team started by his late father.

One of the most compelling scenes will feature Earnhardt waiting in his office minutes before the May 10, 2007 news conference to announce his DEI departure, which the 33-year-old says is one of the five biggest moments of his life.

"I was about to go insane with nerves because I was getting ready to tell people some (stuff) they're probably not going to like to hear," he said. "That was a rough time."

Three episodes will air before the Daytona 500 on ESPN2 and also focus on Earnhardt designing paint schemes and meeting new sponsors. The final two hourlong installments will air the week of July 27 and follow Earnhardt's 2008 season in his new No. 88 Chevrolet with Hendrick