Earnhardt Jr. Enjoys Festival

Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoyed getting back into the swing of things this weekend in Nashville at the Sprint Sound and Speed Fan Festival, and even left with a bunch of stories to tell his family back in North Carolina.

"You sit around and you got a couple months off, you really get used to being a bum at the house. This really starts to bring you back to getting to the racetrack," Junior said of the meet-and-greet event with the fans. "I'm excited about going racing at Daytona. But this really sort of makes you -- it's a little bit of a tease. You're kind of ready to get there now.

"This is the first interaction with the race fans in several months. They'll tell you about how excited they are about the season. They'll tell you about how they want you to have a good year. Sort of gets you back into the feeling of going back to the racetrack, getting excited about going back to the racetrack."

With the Daytona 500 just a little over a month away, Junior and other race car drivers from a number of different series had the chance to participate in the two-day Fan Festival and celebration of music and motorsports in Nashville.

Joining the drivers were several country music stars, like Junior's good friend Dierks Bentley. Bentley helped Earnhardt Jr. break in his new club, Whisky River, in May of last year with a CD release party.

Bentley isn't the only country music star who's friends with Junior. Earnhardt Jr. has built several lasting friendships with musicians from previous Sound and Speed Fan Festivals.

"I've had some pretty good friendships built up over the last several years with some of the guys that I was actually a big fan of," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The friendships are just equal admiration. They come out, see what we do. We see what they do. We all kind of have similar attitudes toward life, I guess, a little bit not taking stuff so seriously, just sort of enjoying yourself, having an opportunity to do something you love for a living."

The event is also a way for Junior to make some new friends in the world of country music. The event pairs drivers with musicians in autograph booths, and this year, Junior was able to enjoy the company of Big Machine Records recording artist Danielle Peck.

Depite having spent the day with Peck, though, Junior couldn't sing enough praises for one of his former booth partners, LeAnn Rimes.

"LeAnn, she's an amazing person. She's a lot of fun to be around. She's got a hell of a head on her shoulders. She's just a beautiful person. It's always great to see her no matter where you're at," Earnhardt Jr. said.

When asked which of the country music starlets Junior would prefer to date, he again put Rimes in the spotlight.

"That is definitely difficult when you have to narrow it down to just one. I think that LeAnn. Obviously she's married, but he's probably the luckiest man in country music," Earnhardt Jr. said.

After spending the weekend with old friends and new in country music's capital, Earnhardt Jr. is now tasked with having to share the memories with his family and friends in North Carolina.

"It's always fun to meet those type of people. My family back home is, you know, going to have a ton of questions for me every time I come out here to Nashville and meet some of these people. They get excited about it. Fortunately in the country music world the majority of the people you meet are down-to-earth and good people, so it's fun to be a part of it."

Earnhardt Jr. will have just a few days to answer those questions before hitting the road again to head to Daytona for this weekend's NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest. Fans can meet Junior on the second day of the festival, Jan. 17. Over 25 NASCAR drivers will participate in autograph sessions during the two-day festival.