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Having made an impressionable mark on NASCAR's premier racing series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is taking his game to a whole new place - the poker table.
A poker enthusiast, Earnhardt Jr. frequently participates in charity tournaments, most recently placing fourth in the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament to benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp. He now brings his poker game to the online world, joining fellow drivers as part of the Victory Lane Poker team.
This season Dale Jr. enters his first season with a new team, new sponsor and a new number. Dale Jr. has already gotten off to a fast start on the track by taking the checkered flag at the Bud Shootout and winning the first of two Gatorade Duals in Daytona. Dale Jr. has also upped his game at the VLP Club tables, posting back to back tournament wins already in 2008.
Earnhardt Jr. is a 17-time winner in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, including victories in the 2000 Winston All-Star race and 2004 Daytona 500. Race fans have selected him four times as the most Popular Driver, joining Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Bill Elliott as the only drivers to win the award four consecutive seasons since 1956. He was selected the fifth-most liked athlete in American in Harris Interactive polling during 2006, and he has been among the top-10 most-liked athletes in the poll four consecutive years.
By winning the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Busch Series championships, Earnhardt Jr. became the only third-generation NASCAR champion, following his legendary father Dale Earnhardt and Grandfather Ralph Earnhardt. His two-year dominance in the Busch Series included 13 wins.
Earnhardt Jr. is also a successful businessman. His company, JR Motorsports, currently consists of a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team, a USAR Hooters Pro-Cup team, and three late model racing teams. His 66,000-square-foot shop in Mooresville, N.C., includes a retail store. He is also co-owner of Paducah International Speedway in Paducah, Ky.
When he is not at the track, Earnhardt Jr. enjoys hanging out at home, working on cars, and taping his XM Radio show, "Dale Jr. Unrestricted". His hobbies include music, computer gaming, and playing poker.
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