Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "We're not pointing fingers or anything, we've just got to get better." Credit: Autostock

Dale Jr. healing wounds on body, within team

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the racing media Saturday for the first time in more than two weeks, offering a candid update on his burn injuries and insightful analysis about the overall state of the No. 8 team.

The most striking admission during the 35-minute Q&A was that he'd forfeited the seat of his Chevrolet to John Andretti last weekend neither out of pain nor the reported numbness in his foot, but rather because the car was driving so terribly.

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"I didn't get out because I couldn't keep going. I got out because I could, and that's wrong," Earnhardt said just after laying down the fastest stock car lap ever at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He'll start fifth in Sunday's Brickyard 400, and plans to run the entire race. Andretti is on hand just in case, however.

"More than anything I got out of the car last week out of frustration at how bad the car was, and how far off we were," Junior continued. "We had parts and pieces falling off, even when John was in the car.

"I threw John to the wolves. He didn't get a lap all weekend, and for him to get in that car without any hesitation ... Well, I was more impressed with that than anything I'd seen in a while.

VIDEO Junior Ready Dale Jr. believes he can run the entire Brickyard 400

"We're not pointing fingers or anything, we've just got to get better. It's difficult on the team right now because we have two problems: We have the driver trying to get right and we have a team that's not right. We try not to go into panic mode and get crazy, or move people and make rash decisions, because Teresa (Earnhardt) and I don't believe you change partners in the middle of the dance."

Earnhardt would have a difficult time dancing right now.

The burn on his neck has nearly healed, but three burns on his left leg are still giving him significant discomfort when he stands or walks. One is on his upper left thigh and measures 2-by-4 inches.

The others are on the back of his left leg -- one just above the knee that measures some 5-by-5 inches, the other just below the knee that he likened to the size of a silver dollar.

"All those wounds are really the only ones giving me problems," Earnhardt said. "The right leg has two blisters on it that have scabbed over and 80 or 90 percent healed up.

"The ones on the left leg are still soft, haven't developed scabs, haven't turned the corner yet, so to speak. I expected by this point that they would have. Being a human being, I want to get my leg right. Whatever the cost. That was number one for me. I wanted to make that clear, and everybody agreed with that."

Credit: Autostock

Earnhardt reiterated that he wasn't knocked unconscious, and said his doctors initially predicted a two-week recovery period. Saturday was the 20th day since he wrecked a sports car at Infineon Raceway, which resulted in second-degree burns to his legs and neck.

"I was surprised, too, at my own reaction (following the crash). Disoriented might be a good word for it," Junior said. "I didn't have any headaches. I went to Dr. Petty, got checked out. Everything was good, so I even assured myself, if I had any questions or doubts that I'd been knocked out or stunned.

"I didn't expect the car to burst info flames like it did. It was a surreal moment, like I couldn't believe I was sitting in this ball of fire. It was about three seconds of 'what the hell do I do now?'"

Two nurses visited him this past week to experiment with new dressings for the burns in an effort to accelerate the healing process.

"All that has helped a lot. This week I'm able to put my heel down and walk half normal, but it still hurts a little bit," Earnhardt said. "Walking to the car, to the bus, to the crew, whatever, is harder than driving. Driving, sitting in the seat, is not a problem.

"Even last week, I wasn't bothered. Even on that long straightaway at Pocono, you'd think that it'd come to your attention at some point down that straightaway, but really I didn't have any problem."

Earnhardt said his team has failed to field good racecars for "eight to 10 races" and that he wants to stay aggressive, though in his situation that's difficult.

"I want to get aggressive, but it's really hard for me to get aggressive being a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest," he joked. "But I've still got to stop what I'm doing in the middle of the day and wrap these things up and lay in the tub for 45 minutes, so it's still in the back of your mind.

"I don't think if affects your performance, but until it's right I don't feel like I'm 100 percent focused. The level I need to be focusing is not quite there yet."

Earnhardt anticipates he'll be back at 100 percent by the time the Chase for the Nextel Cup gets underway in September. There are kinks in the DEI armor that must be worked out before that time, as well. Junior is running a new chassis this weekend, and said that has proven to be a significant upgrade.

Some have speculated whether or not Junior might benefit from a change in his team's leadership. His uncle, Tony Eury Sr., and cousin, Tony Jr., have served as a two-headed crew chief since he was a Busch Series rookie in 1998.

"How much I care about them overrides even the worst season you could have," Junior said. "That's more important to me that me and Tony Jr. always have a good relationship, mean and Tony Sr. always have a good relationship. That's way more important than any championship. I've always felt like I'd race with them forever. That's still how I feel."