1on1: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (cont'd)

Q: Other than the orange, what kind of a sense would someone get of you when they come into the place?

Earnhardt: I think it's a bit of Southern gentleman and a little bit of Carolina country. It just sort of fits the surrounding landscape. I don't think of Charlotte or North Carolina as being like some of the clubs I see in this area [in uptown Charlotte]. A lot of people bring in sort of a Miami-type sound and feel, or L.A. and Vegas. Those are good things. People enjoy that and not having to go that far to get that kind of a feel.

I just feel like this is more what I'm about, what I enjoy, what I grew up around and what kind of bar I'd rather hang out in. Basically that's what it comes down to. If I'm sitting in a bar, not having a good time, this is everything I would change. This is how I would make it. You go to bars and you're like, 'This is all right, but I could be having a good time if the music wasn't so loud here or there, or if the service was faster or whatever.'

Q: There aren't any racecars hanging from the ceiling?

Earnhardt: That would not be fun. That would be OK, but you could see that in Daytona USA.

Q: Some people are still going to say, 'Oh he's too involved in his bar now.' How do you address that?

Earnhardt: I don't have to. I think people underestimate my drive and determination. They always have. It's followed me around just like the pressure has, just like the name has. It's always there. It's OK. I've got to do things that might work out for me in my life. I might not always be driving that car. I would like to think that I could just race that car and at 50 I could quit and be all right, but I don't trust that. I don't know what the dollar is going to be worth when I'm 50.

Q: How did you come up with the name for the bar? I know it's the name of the Western town on your property.

Earnhardt: That's exactly why. I built that Western town right next to the creek on my property and we named it Whisky River after the Willie Nelson song. When we started building this I was still with Budweiser [as the primary sponsor of his former Sprint Cup team], and we couldn't name it that. We had a bunch of other names that were pretty cool -- but when we parted ways with Bud, I was like, 'We have to name it Whisky River. It's such a cool name.'

We had other names with Junior in it and they sounded cheesy. People want to go to Whisky River. They don't want to go to Junior's Bar or Junior's Garage. That's just not my style. I don't wear my name on my belt. The name gives the bar a personality that I can't give it.

Q: What's the fascination with the Western period?

Earnhardt: Clint Eastwood. All the Clint Eastwood movies my daddy used to watch. I was a huge fan of Lonesome Dove when it was a miniseries on TV. I was in the ninth grade and I was a huge fan of that. I've made a lot of people watch the entire thing in one sitting. Several times. I just always liked that.

Q: Did you have to get permission from Willie Nelson to use the name?

Earnhardt: I think we had to spell it uniquely. I don't think we had to get permission from him for the song, so much as there are other Whisky Rivers in the country that are spelled differently.

Q: Can you come here and enjoy yourself?

Earnhardt: Yes. I came here [the] Tuesday [before the public grand opening last weekend]. It was cool. I came with my sister and a bunch of my friends. That was the first time I'd seen it with people working. It was a lot of fun. It was kind of surreal. I've been to so many bars and clubs and you have to meet the owners all the time, and to be the owner and be on that other side is surreal.

Q: Are we going to see you on the bull?

Earnhardt: No. I rode one at Coyote Joe's before and it was a blast. You won't ever see me on that thing before midnight, I'll tell you that.

Q: Are you interested in doing any more than this, or is one enough?

Earnhardt: I wouldn't say interested is the right word. I'm open to it. If it sounds like a good idea and seems like a good business decision, then sure. One thing I've learned from a lot of people is always listen. I never turn anything down without hearing what the idea is first. If it does well and they think we should take it to other markets and stuff, then I think it's a great move.

Q: Are any drivers not allowed in here?

Earnhardt: There's no one who's not allowed. There are just some we might not invite.