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AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) - When Dale Earnhardt Jr. packed his clothes for the Daytona 500, he didn't take into consideration the weeklong tour that comes after winning NASCAR's biggest race.
That presented a bit of a problem when he hit the road for a media tour that included stops at "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York and ESPN's studios in Connecticut.
Thankfully, his girlfriend had his back.
While Earnhardt traveling around doing interviews and making appearances, Amy Reimann and another friend who happened to be in New York at the same time helped him find clothes to wear.
"I never had to wear socks twice or underwear twice, so that was good," Earnhardt said at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday. "Everything was clean. Kristin (the friend) did a great job. That is one of the perks of having a good, dedicated girlfriend."
One thing about winning the Daytona 500 for the second time Earnhardt has enjoyed the most has been the reaction by the fans.
Earnhardt said he has received numerous fan reaction videos, including one from a kid who was crying and another from his favorite football team, the Washington Redskins.
"Just seeing the reaction for the fans that they get that much joy from it means probably the most," he said. "Definitely hearing from the Redskins is pretty awesome."
It keeps getting better, too.
Earnhardt said the Memphis barbeque restaurant Rendezvous is sending him some ribs and he'll have former driver Bill Elliott serving as his spotter in Phoenix while regular spotter TJ Majors is out sick.
"All kinds of things keep happening," Earnhardt said. "Bill Elliott is going to spot for me. I don't know what is going to happen next. It just keeps going."
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