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Dale Jr. on retirement: "I work so much more than I did as a driver"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he’s not sure he can call what he’s doing now in NASCAR “retirement.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr

Barry Cantrell / NKP / Motorsport Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Grand Marshal
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte
Grand Marshal, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. with Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Nationwide crew member
Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Earnhardt – a 15-time winner of NASCAR’s most popular driver award – has had his plate full since stepping away from fulltime NASCAR competition at the end of last season.

He has put in a lot of work in his new role as a NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports as well his continued ownership role at JR Motorsports.

Earnhardt is also a new father to daughter, Isla, and this weekend was given the opportunity to drive the Chevrolet pace car for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I don’t know that I call it retirement any more. I work so much more now than I did as a driver. We have so many things going on – stuff that I would sort of put on the shelf when I was driving,” Earnhardt said.

“When I was a driver, people assumed I had no time for anything else, or I was focused on nothing but the driving and everything else had to wait. Now, I haven’t learned how to say ‘no’ yet. Just saying yes to everything that sounds good.”

In addition to his NBC work, there’s also expansion of his Whiskey River bar franchise and spending time on his car dealerships in Tallahassee, Fla.

“We have about half dozen projects that are going on right now that are need something weekly,” he said. “It just goes and goes and goes.

“So, it has been crazy busy, but at the same time rewarding. It is really rewarding and a lot of fun. I’m glad I’m at the track. I love being at the track. I want to be at the track.

“This is a great opportunity for me to feel like I still play a small role in the sport, and be around the sport. It’s turned out to be more fun that I thought it could be.”

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