Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "We have to race like we lost 25 points. We'll concentrate real hard and try to do the best we can for our fans." Credit: Autostock

Repentant Junior still feels penalty was wrong

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted he was wrong to utter a profanity in Victory Lane last weekend after winning the EA Sports 500, but he was adamant that docking him points was the wrong thing for NASCAR to do.

Slip of the tongue Victory Lane Dale Jr. lets a profane word slip

Earnhardt Jr. spoke with reporters after qualifying for Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway in his first public statements since NASCAR took away 25 points and hit him with a $25,000 fine for his "inappropriate language" at Talladega.

"We've got an appeal sent in that I feel real strong about," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I expected to be penalized. I believe what I did wasn't right, wasn't correct and was offensive. But I don't believe in taking points off the scoreboard. I feel like it's fair enough for me to appeal, and we'll see what the decision is with that."

Earnhardt Jr. said he wasn't sure when NASCAR would hear the appeal. Appeals are usually heard in secret, with NASCAR releasing details after a decision is made.

"We really want to concentrate on the rest of the season," Earnhardt Jr. said. "We have to race like we lost 25 points. We'll concentrate real hard and try to do the best we can for our fans.

"I want to apologize for my fans. They had to see me lose 25 points, and we have to work harder. I'm sure it didn't make their day any easier when they went to work and their buddy that pulls for Jeff Gordon got to enjoy that a little bit. That's the way it goes."

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Dozens of Earnhardt Jr. fans were stationed behind their driver, chanting, "Junior! Junior!" and singing Happy Birthday. Earnhardt Jr. turns 30 on Sunday.

"What I want my fans to do is just speak for me toward NASCAR in a sensible manner," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Everybody needs to voice their opinion on things like this. I hope my fans will speak up for me because my hands are tied just a little bit."

While he said he wanted to tone down his language, Earnhardt Jr. said it would be difficult to change.

"It's hard changing who you are," Earnhardt Jr. said. "It's something that everybody should work on, and I should as well. I've got a lot of friends who tell me all the time to clean it up a little bit. Thirty years old, it's hard to change in the middle of the road."

A talk with Nextel Cup director John Darby helped Earnhardt Jr. better understand this controversy.

"I'm not going to change, I'm not going to back off my level of honesty," Earnhardt Jr. said. "When I say what I say, I mean it. I have a lot of respect for (Nextel Cup director) John (Darby). I worked with him in the Busch Series, and he's been a true friend to me. He's helped me tremendously to understand the sport, especially with situations like this.

"I talked to him. I don't have to agree with it, but it's definitely how you handle yourself in that situation. It's representative of me, my team, my sponsor. I want to do what's right. I don't want to stand on a box and push my views really hard, but I feel like an appeal is an opportunity to make more sense of it."

In the future, Earnhardt Jr. hopes drivers aren't docked points for profanity -- or any other off-track issue.

"I know it's consistent with what's happened in the past," Earnhardt Jr. said. "My opinion is if they don't change it now, change it in the future for the next guy. Points on the scoreboard belong on the scoreboard."