Junior's final race at DEI ends like so many this year (cont'd)

"But integrity is what's important, and that's what I'm going to hang onto. I can't wait to get to work [at Hendrick], and get this over with, get past this. I want to win races."

Attempting to keep his integrity intact is what apparently kept Earnhardt going over the final two hours or more of Sunday's race that lasted just a couple of minutes over three hours. He said it was important to him that he at least finish after all that had happened to him earlier -- in the race and during the season as a whole.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Career Stats (all in No. 8)

Year	No.	W	T-5	T-10	Points
1999	5	0	0	1	N/A
2000	34	2	3	5	16
2001	36	3	9	15	8
2002	36	2	11	16	11
2003	36	2	13	21	3
2004	36	6	16	21	5
2005	36	1	7	13	19
2006	36	1	10	17	5
2007	36	0	7	12	16

• 2007: Season Results

"I, uh, we didn't want to quit. So we kept going," Earnhardt said.

As the race that was won by Matt Kenseth in his No. 17 Ford wound down and his future Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson clinched his second Nextel Cup championship in a row, Earnhardt came on the radio and apologized to crew chief Tony Gibson.

"Sorry, old man," Earnhardt said. "Sorry it ended like this. I wish you the best of luck in everything."

"You, too, man," Gibson replied.

"God, I hope so," Earnhardt muttered.

After pulling into the garage area following the race, Earnhardt climbed out of the red No. 8 for the final time and took one final slow walk around it, surveying the damage. The rear end was basically torn completely off, both sides in the rear heavily bandaged with thick black duct tape.

It was not the way he wanted to bring it back for the last time before switching into the No. 88 he will drive for Hendrick Motorsports. But it was the final piece of evidence of a season when nothing seemed to go right -- as he failed to win a single race for the first time since becoming a full-time driver in the No. 8 for DEI in 2000.

"I try not to let my confidence get abused or hurt. But so many things have happened this year," said Earnhardt, who won 17 races overall in the previous seven seasons but faded to 16th in points this season and failed to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. "You may not think it's your fault or you're doing anything to put yourself in that situation, but someone on the other side of the fence may see a better way of putting it and a better solution on how I could quit finishing like I've been finishing."

Still, Earnhardt denied that he couldn't wait for this season to end. He didn't want it to end like it did, and he's certainly glad to be moving on, but he said he never felt impatient for the end to come about.

"I like driving cars, so I don't want the season ending sooner. I like doing that. And in the offseason, I don't feel like I have a job," Earnhardt said. "So I'll be anxious to get behind the wheel of a car and stay there -- especially in Rick's stuff. I'm a pretty lucky guy to be going there. I'm pretty fortunate to be having that opportunity.

"I can't thank the Lord enough. I can't thank Rick and all those guys enough for believing in me, knowing that I can win championships and will bring some more championships to that team. I just can't thank them enough. Making the change that they made, I think they made the right choice -- and I'm going to try to make 'em proud."

His new boss, owner Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports, reiterated last night that he expects Earnhardt to do well right off the bat.

"I don't foresee any problems at all. I think the pressure is on me because of his fan base expecting him to do well," Hendrick said. "I don't think we'll have a bunch of hiccups. I think it's going to be fairly smooth."

Earnhardt sure hopes so.

"I don't ever want to be in this situation again. I guess what's gotten old is everybody was telling me, 'You had a lot to deal with and a lot of bad things happen, but you handled it well,'" Earnhardt said. "I'm tired of bad things happening and handling it well. I mean, everybody has got their limits. But now this is past me."