Countdown to E-Day: Untold stories of Dale Jr.’s first race

Editor's note: "nascarman" is a NASCAR historian whose features regularly appear on racing-reference.info. Follow him on Twitter @nascarman_rr. Fifty-five years after "D-Day," Budweiser was preparing America for "E-Day," the name applied to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. When Junior made the first of his now 630 Cup starts back in 1999, it was one of the most anticipated debuts of any driver in racing. "I don't remember anyone coming in who's gotten this much attention," broadcaster Ned Jarrett said at the time of Junior's debut. "It's unusual to say the least. We might not ever see it again." "The Countdown to E-Day" spanned the first half of 1999 and was a level of promotion never before seen in NASCAR. With all eyes on Junior, he entered the Cup Series to incredible fanfare and enormous pressure. MORE JUNIOR: Top 10 career moments As a 23-year-old in 1998, Dale Earnhardt Jr. first entered full-time competition in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, then the Busch Series. After winning seven times that year, Earnhardt claimed the championship by 48 points over Matt Kenseth. His talent was obvious and observers were crazy about the idea that NASCAR's most famous driver had a winning son. In November 1998, NASCAR ran its final exhibition race in Japan, and Junior was entered. It was the first time he competed with his father, and Dale Sr. was just as thrilled as his son. [caption id="attachment_60490" align="alignright" width="425"] Dale Earnhardt was part of the NASCAR contingent that races in Japan in 1996. So was Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Getty Images[/caption] "The one time I raced against my dad was at a dirt track,” Earnhardt Sr. reminisced. "I was racing this guy, and my dad, who was leading the race, came up behind me, and I couldn't figure out what he was doing. Finally, he started bumping me, so I figured I better hold the car straight. He pushed me by this guy, and I beat him, then dad drove on past me. It was pretty neat. "It'll be a great experience racing Dale Jr. in Japan. However, it wouldn't look very good for him to beat his good old dad, now would it?" As it turned out, Dale Jr. did beat his dad and finished sixth, two spots ahead of his namesake. While that race was an exhibition, it helped set the stage for his first real Cup race. MORE: Full Junior coverage of final weekend The details of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s debut came on Jan. 12, 1999. In an extravagant press conference at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, the Earnhardts, Senior and Junior, entered the building on a wagon pulled by the Budweiser Clydesdales. Driving the No. 8 Budweiser-sponsored Chevrolet, Junior would make his first start in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30th. As NASCAR rules put a limit on the number of races a driver could run before their rookie season, Earnhardt's schedule that year consisted of only five events run on different style tracks. The Coca-Cola 600 was an interesting choice for Dale Jr. to make his debut. It almost seemed odd to make his first start in the longest race of the year, but it all had to do with family history. Twenty-four years earlier, Dale Earnhardt Sr. made his debut in the same race, also driving a car with the No. 8 on the side. With the pieces in place, Junior was ready. "I couldn't have asked for a better situation to make my Winston Cup debut," Earnhardt Jr. said at the time. "I'll be racing at the track near my hometown, in a car owned by my dad, competing against the best drivers in the world on the same track where he began his Winston Cup career. Best of all, I'll have my granddad's No. 8. It'll be a special day for the entire Earnhardt family." MORE: Junior's best paint schemes The 138 days between the official announcement and Earnhardt's debut were packed with a tremendous level of promotion. Budweiser devoted a section of their website to Earnhardt and sent him to countless appearances. There were "Countdown to E-Day" shirts printed, diecast cars made, commercials filmed and special 16-ounce cans of beer that featured Earnhardt's picture. All that promotion nearly drove the young man insane. As a full-time XFINITY Series racer and with commitments from two major sponsors, the demands placed on Junior's time came as a terrible shock to the 24 year-old. [caption id="attachment_62209" align="aligncenter" width="865"] Dale Earnhardt Jr. always wanted to be like his dad, even when it came to his helmet selection. | Getty Images[/caption] "The only thing I'm uncomfortable with is that there was never a break period," Earnhardt Jr. told reporter Dustin Long for the Roanoke Times. "One year, I couldn't scrounge up $20,000 to run my late model car, the next year I've got people knocking down the door to sign me. Having to do an appearance two to three times a week, we're booked up solid. "I'm somewhere every single day of my life. That's taking some getting used to. A year ago, I was sitting back at home hanging out with my friends doing what I want to. Now, I'm out of touch with just about everything I was in touch with last year. At times it's a little frustrating. My father tells me that's the way it is and that's the way it's going to be." Amid the added pressure, Earnhardt went winless in XFINITY Series races prior to his Cup debut. In a revealing Sports Illustrated interview, Junior said he expected the week prior to the Coca-Cola 600 to be a sort of "Hell Week." Filled with attention and sponsor commitments, racing seemed like an afterthought. RELATED: Every Earnhardt Jr. win Earnhardt's Jr.'s team arrived at Charlotte in a plain white hauler and burdened with a great deal of pressure to perform. With no points or provisionals to rely on, it was possible that Earnhardt could miss the race. After all the promotion, it would have been a devastating embarrassment for Junior to spend E-Day at home on the couch. But to his complete relief, the car was fast. In first practice, Junior was 10th fastest as his teammate, Steve Park, led the session. And in his first qualifying session as a Cup driver, Earnhardt Jr. raced to an impressive eighth-place starting position. In that Wednesday night session, Junior qualified seven positions higher than his father and better than all former Cup champions in the field. "I have never been that nervous in my life,'' he said after his run. "It's a big, big relief. You just don't understand. It's a big, big relief.'' The attention on "Little E" was not ignored by competitors. After winning the pole, Bobby Labonte joked to reporters, "Do you guys have any questions you want me to ask Dale Jr.?'' Earnhardt Jr. would share the spotlight with Tony Stewart on race day, as Stewart also raced in the Indy 500 that day. While Stewart arrived at Charlotte just prior to the green flag, a mob of attention surrounded Junior. Breaking through the crowd of reporters was Ken Schrader with an unusual request. He wanted an autograph. Earnhardt signed the back of Schrader's suit and climbed into his own car to start the race. [caption id="attachment_60484" align="alignleft" width="400"] Father and son celebrated two Dale Earnhardt Jr. XFINITY Series championships together. |  RacingOne[/caption] Once the green flag dropped, it was clear the new team missed the setup. After two laps, Junior had fallen to 15th and struggled through the early part of the race with an ill-handling car. On the first green flag pit stop, Junior lost time on pit road when he couldn't find his pit stall, his spotter directing him to Steve Park's box by mistake. Junior fell a lap down on Lap 78. The rest of the night was calm and after 600 miles, Junior finished 16th, three laps down. The event was a learning experience. Once the attention, pressure and excitement was over, perhaps the most important part of Junior's night was getting feedback from his father, who finished sixth. Long after the sun had set that night, Dale Jr. walked through the dimly lit garage to see if his father was happy with the way the night went. "He said, 'You did good and stayed out of trouble,' " Earnhardt Jr. said. "I wanted to know he was happy as a car owner and a father." Dale Sr. was certainly happy at the track less than one year later, when he was celebrating Junior's win in the All-Star Race. Finally now, after more than 600 Monster Energy Series races, Earnhardt Jr. will end his career in a similar manner. He'll drive his car back to the garage following a race ending after sunset, and hopefully upon reflection, he'll be happy with the way a career went. Editor's note: This article was edited for brevity. To read the entire historical piece, visit racing-reference.info.