[glock rocks]

Earnhardt Jr. said he tries not to think about what might have been had his father not been killed in the 2001 Daytona 500. "There's a lot of meat to that, a lot of substance to that thought," he said. "There's a lot of what-ifs if he were here."

Jr's grown up. When you lose someone that close to you, there isn't another thought in your head for a long time. It takes some lightning bolt to be able to deal with it and admit it and put the realization into context. Bless him. I want to see the kid do well.

[WestCoastGal]

He definitely has. He’s amazed me this year, with all the adversity he’s held his head high and taken the high road. Always positive with his guys. The car radio during the race is an exception, but that’s in the heat of the moment and no one can remain calm then. It will be very difficult for him to walk away from them tomorrow night.

I hear ya on losing someone and not being able to think about anything else for a long time.