Season Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Year number one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s much-celebrated move to Hendrick Motorsports looked a lot like his 2006 season at DEI.

Earnhardt did win a race in 2008 and made the Chase, but didn't challenge for as many victories and the championship as some had predicted.

However, Junior looks back at his first year as a member of the Hendrick stable as successful.

"I was super excited about the way the season was going to start," Earnhardt said. "I couldn't wait to get to work earlier this year. It was a long year, we worked really hard. It went good sometimes, sometimes it went poorly. For the most part I was real proud of just getting the season in the bank and getting done and looking forward to next year. I am really happy to be with Rick (Hendrick) and working with the guys I am working with."

Earnhardt did begin the year as one of the most consistent drivers on the series and remained in the top five of the point standings for the first half.

But things started to level off and by the time the Chase started, the solid finishes Earnhardt was enjoying at the beginning of 2008 began to fade.

"I need to do a little bit better in the summer," Earnhardt said looking back. "There are a bunch of tracks that are backed up there in the summer that we just don't run good at. I need to work on my string of races there at about the 5/8 mark of the season.”

Earnhardt is already looking ahead to season number two with Hendrick but is particularly pleased with NASCAR's decision to ban off-season testing as a means of saving teams money.

"I am happy about that," he said. "I am really looking forward to that happening. I think it is a great choice. It is going to save each individual team, like the No. 5 car, the No. 24 car about a million and half dollars a year so it is a great move."

As for the off-season, Earnhardt has plans to keep himself busy. He will have an early start to it, as he won't be attending the NASCAR Championship Banquet in New York. Only the top 10 teams are being honored at the banquet.

"I am going to take my family somewhere," he smiled. "Then I am just going to stay home. I am taking my uncles, Robert and Jimmy Gee hunting right up to Christmas Eve. New Year's, I might go watch the street stock race at Rockingham. Just might."