Earnhardt got the broadcasting bug filling in while sitting out some races in '16 and '17getty images
Dale Earnhardt Jr. insists that his life in racing is "only half over," as being an analyst for NBC is "every bit as important to him as the first part," according to Tom Jones of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Earnhardt said, "I want to do this for 10 or 20 years. I want this to be a long-term opportunity for me. I want my broadcasting career to rival my career as a driver." Earnhardt got the "broadcasting bug filling in while sitting out some races" in '16 and '17. Earnhardt: "It was a really good time. I keep saying it over and over again, but it checked all the boxes for me. If I'm going to go do something, I want to have fun doing it." He added, "The NBC thing feels like a purpose. It feels like I've got a responsibility and I'm busy.'' Last weekend from Chicagoland was Earhardt's first race of the season, and the reviews "have been good." He said, "You just react to what you're seeing and if you don't annoy people, you have a good chance to make it work." Earnhardt's "down-home style makes him relatable and likable to the audience." Now he is "working on the finer details, like learning how to talk while a producer is talking in your ear" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/6).
STRONG START: In Pennsylvania, Kellie Goodman Shaffer wrote Earnhardt at Chicagoland last Sunday provided a "healthy mix of experience and knowledge, sprinkled with a respect for the sport’s history that few others can as eloquently put into words" (ALTOONA MIRROR, 7/4). In Daytona Beach, Godwin Kelly wrote Earnhardt "made a sensational television broadcast debut" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/4).
NEXT UP? In Charlotte, Brendan Marks writes considering all the "positives Earnhardt brought to Sunday's broadcast, much like Jeff Gordon before him, it's impossible not to think about who could follow in their footsteps." Marks notes some current drivers who may enter broadcasting include Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/6).
