Dale Jr - Shifting gears

[KenP]

Tonight, 7pm on ESPN2

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the focus of a new television series on ESPN, Dale Jr. -- Shifting Gears, premiering prior to next month's opening of the 2008 NASCAR season. The five-part series chronicles Earnhardt's move from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick Motorsports, in the Sprint Cup Series.

The first episode airs Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved with the five-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award recipient changing teams. Dale Jr. -- Shifting Gears is produced by Earnhardt Jr.'s Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard.

The new program is part of an exclusive, multimedia agreement between ESPN and Hammerhead Entertainment.

The preseason episodes reveal never-before-seen footage from the 2007 news conferences and fan response to the announcements. Shifting Gears also chronicles the design process of the new paint schemes, the makings of Earnhardt Jr.'s Adidas fire suit and how the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet handles the pressure of working with new sponsors as he prepares for his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.