Not the perfect ending, but Junior's just getting started

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When the 50th running of the Daytona 500 was finally in the books Sunday night, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was nowhere to be found in Victory Lane, where he had been beginning to get very comfortable at Daytona International Speedway.

Instead, he was found limping on his sore right foot, which he blamed on a new gas pedal in his No. 88 Chevrolet. Members of the media, a few stray fans and Earnhardt's public-relations entourage were in fast pursuit as he picked his way through the garage area after finishing ninth in the historic Great American Race.

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It wasn't the perfect week for Junior, although at times it seemed it was going to be exactly that. It wasn't the ending to the week that he, his new car owner nor his legions of loyal fans envisioned.

But it was good enough.

After winning the Budweiser Shootout non-points race eight days earlier and his Gatorade Duel qualifying race last Thursday, Earnhardt entered the 500 as the prohibitive favorite in the eyes of many. It was clear that he had quickly adapted to his new Hendrick Motorsports racing home, and that the No. 88 Chevy he had been driving was wicked fast on the 2.5-mile Daytona tri-oval.

He led on three occasions for 12 laps Sunday, but never really considered himself the best car on the track. In the end, it became clear he wasn't -- and afterward he sounded like a man pleased to put the last eight days behind him, relieved that it was judged a resounding success despite the disappointment of fading from contention for what might have been a crowning win over the final 20 laps.

"I was really satisfied with how the week went," said Earnhardt, who until this season had driven a No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. his entire Sprint Cup career. "Believe me, it could have been a whole lot different. It could have been disastrous. It could have been a struggle. We could have run terrible. We could have had a lot of mishaps and misfortunes.

"But we were lucky and fortunate. We had some success and we've got something good to build on. I think the cars are going to be great this year. The team and I got to work together in a race situation several times, which helped in us getting to really know each other. I think those guys are really excited about the rest of the year."

Too much jabbering
It might have been different for Earnhardt Sunday -- but probably not -- if the driver and his spotter weren't encountering some communication difficulties shortly after the night's fourth caution flag came out. It followed an accident that sent two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, one of Junior's new teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, spinning on Lap 178 of the 200-lap event.

"I don't know what's going on with our radios," Earnhardt complained at the time. "People keep keying their mikes."

As his spotter attempted to reply, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. came on the radio and interrupted.

"I was going to tell you to pit right here and put on four tires. But y'all was jabberin'," Eury said.

"That's what you get for waiting so long," Earnhardt shot back. (Continued)