Earnhardt Jr. - Hendrick Combination To Debut In Historic 50th Daytona 500 In 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. has ended the suspense and announced his new racing home for 2008 – Hendrick Motorsports.

Now, the only question is how long will tickets remain for the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17 to see him with his new race team.

Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, made the announcement Wednesday at JR Motorsports in Mooresville, N.C., that he signed a five-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports, a team that has won six Daytona 500s.

“The 50th running of the Daytona 500 is going to be a historic moment in racing history,” Speedway President Robin Braig said. “In addition to celebrating NASCAR’s most prestigious race, we will also witness Dale Earnhardt Jr. begin a new era in his racing career with Hendrick Motorsports.”

In addition to the 50th running of the Daytona 500, race fans will also get a chance to witness Earnhardt Jr. in other DirecTV Speedweeks events including:

• The Gatorade Duel At Daytona 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 14
• Budweiser Pole Qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 10
• The 30th annual Budweiser Shootout on Saturday Feb. 9, a non-points All-Star race that features the previous season’s Bud Pole winners as well as past Budweiser Shootout champions.

Already tabbed one of the hottest tickets in sports, tickets for the 50th running of the Daytona 500 and other DirecTV Speedweeks events can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or logging onto www.racetickets.com