NASCAR Cup Series

The Hot Pass: Dale Jr. feels pressure, but also expects a lot of himself

Published Jan. 16, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

When is the pressure not on Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

From the moment Junior climbed behind the wheel of a racecar in Late Model Stocks, there has been pressure — the pressure to perform and the pressure to live up to the Earnhardt name.

And now, Earnhardt finds himself entering the third season of a five-year contract at Hendrick Motorsports with the most competitive equipment in NASCAR and the pressure still refuses to fade.

“I feel a lot of pressure from (the media) or from the public to live up to the expectations,” Earnhardt said. “You sort of get the headlines every offseason about what everybody expects you to do this next season. I’ve dealt with it over time, and you just kind of wait for that. Most of the time, the headlines sting a little bit, so you just kind of wait for that to wear off.