In the Fast Lane: Dale Jr. still biggest NASCAR story

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Different faces, new uniforms, foreign accents, great expectations and Super Bowl-esque hype. NASCAR officially ushered in the 2008 season Thursday with Media Day at Daytona International Speedway, where the 50th running of the Daytona 500 will take place Feb. 17.

Drivers and teams have arrived for practice leading up to stock car's most prestigious event. The Budweiser Shootout exhibition race featuring last year's pole winners will take place Saturday night with front-row qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. More practice and qualifying races will be held next week.

The biggest story out of the 2007 season -- the departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. from the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) team founded by his late father, seven-time champ Dale Earnhardt, for the Hendrick Motorsports team -- is the biggest story to start '08.

Judging by his entourage and the 50-plus media contingent following him around the room, anyway.

Earnhardt's green and white driver suit with the Amp Energy drink logo certainly elicited double takes, considering he's worn the bright red Budweiser duds for nine years as the beer's pitchman, commercial star and racing icon.

How big a deal is this? Earnhardt himself hired a camera crew to document his first few weeks at Hendrick. It will air as the television show "Dale Jr. -- Shifting Gears" on ESPN2 starting Friday with four additional episodes chronicling his preseason transition between teams with a behind-the-scenes perspective.

His new teammates, including four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon, conceded they are glad to start the season after months of questions about Earnhardt's high-profile arrival and equally high expectations.

"Isn't that why he's here?" Gordon asked. "I don't think he came here thinking the pressure's off, that no one will have expectations. In my opinion, I think people are figuring now he's in one of the best cars out there, now he's going to show it's his time."

Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson was a little more coy when the first questions he received were about his new teammate Earnhardt and not about his second consecutive title. Johnson met with President Bush on Tuesday at the White House and joked that at least the president did not ask about Earnhardt.

"I'm just glad I have something to talk about now because before I had tested with (Earnhardt) I was just kind of making stuff up to you guys (media)," Johnson said with a laugh.

Enumclaw's favorite son, Kasey Kahne, has benefited from Earnhardt's move and was tabbed by Anheuser-Busch to carry the Budweiser colors on his No. 9 Dodge. He will be featured in a Budweiser commercial during the Daytona 500 telecast -- one of five new commercials he shot during the offseason.

Kahne, who won a series-best six races in 2006, was winless in the marquee Cup ranks last season and is hoping that the new look will signal a change in luck.

"I've never been excited for testing, but I am now," Kahne said. "It's a new year for us.

"I even want to be first (in speed) in testing and that doesn't even mean anything really."

Four Indianapolis 500 winners -- including last year's champ, Dario Franchitti -- sat alongside NASCAR's best Thursday, patiently answering questions from reporters and making modest predictions about their upcoming rookie seasons in the Sprint Cup Series.

There are nearly as many former Indy winners entered at Daytona as there will be former Daytona 500 victors (seven). The open-wheel defectors -- led by the Scot, Franchitti; 2006 Indy winner, American Sam Hornish Jr.; and 1997 Formula One world champ, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve -- make for one of the most intriguing rookie classes in stock car history, if not the most accomplished.

They join 2007 rookie of the year Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia, giving NASCAR the most international lineup in its 60-year history and a huge shot of racing credibility.

It is a huge ego adjustment for Franchitti, Hornish and Villeneuve, who have five Indy car championships and the world championship among them.

"I wasn't 'the guy' starting out in Indy cars and I'm not 'the guy' starting out here," said Hornish, a three-time Indy Racing League champ. "That takes some of the pressure off and allows me to learn.

"I got out of Indy cars what I wanted to. I did more than I ever imagined. I know exactly how difficult it was (to try NASCAR) and I wanted the challenge, and if I can do well here, there will be nothing to regret."

Franchitti, who won last year's IRL title in addition to the Indy 500 ring, said he's already learned his first major lesson about NASCAR.

"I was standing by Juan watching driver introductions last year and he turned to me and said, 'Don't worry, everyone gets booed apart from Junior,' " Franchitti said.

NOTES: Tayler Malsam of Sammamish was 21st-fastest in practice for Saturday's ARCA Series race at Daytona Beach. ... Carl Skerlong of Mukilteo was among the top 10 in testing in Sebring, Fla., this week for the upcoming Champ Car Atlantic World Series.